US increasingly irrelevent in cultural scene

This from Ned Sublette:

ten years ago, new york was a place that was not-havana-not-miami where

cultural interchange could happen freely.  not now.  no cuban musicians
have
been allowed into this country since 2003.  and with presidential
candidates
still -- unbelievably but predictably -- arguing about who can get
toughest
with castro, improvement is not in sight any time soon.  talk about
deteriorating infrastructure -- the united states is increasingly
irrelevant
to the flow of world culture.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/world/europe/03madrid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin