Time To Lift The Cuban Embargo
It’s been 47 years since the embargo on Cuban goods was put in place by the United States and its been 18 years in a row that the United Nations General Assembly has called for the end of the US embargo. It seem back in April of this year that President Obama was moving in the direction ending the embargo, but Obama’s tit-for-tat Cuba policy seems to be “the same old story” says Ted Piccone of The Brookings Institution.
Cuba has made it very clear that it is prepared to sit down and talk with the U.S. in a spirit of mutual respect, i.e., accepting the regime as it is, rather than as we would like it to be. Until then, it will happily promote the image of David vs. Goliath on the world stage. It is just too potent and too successful a narrative in winning friends for Havana to abandon, even more so now that its economy is in a shambles and it needs all the friends it can get.
As the foreign minister of Cuba said, “U.S. citizens elected Obama as president because he promised change. Where is the change on the blockade of Cuba?”
Tags: Cuba, Foreign Policy, President Obama
I agree. This is a bad policy that long ago proved itself to be ineffective. The leadership of the country does not suffer from the embargo — the people of Cuba do. And by now, it should be obvious that it is not going to incite them to rise up in revolt. Cuba could be much more easily pulled toward democracy through cooperation with the US, not competition.
That being said, I am willing to admit that my opinion may possibly be colored by my desire to get my hands on a nice Romeo y Julieta Habana. I miss my cruises. 🙁
Currently, the Cuban government is permited to by US food,medicine, and some telecomunications services.
Trade in all other things is banned (consumer goods, inustrial goods, services – banking) The two important items are DEBT and TOURISM which would bring revenue to the government.
Europe and Asia are happy to sell then all the consumer and indutrial good they can afford. Tourists from the rest of the world lounge on their beaches.
Given that everyone of us would be in jail if we were cubans for writting/posting on this blog, it is hard to feel charitable towards the Government of Cuba. The US position has been that the Embargo will end when the dictatorship ends.
And the US embargo hasn’t made a dent in the dictatorship. All it does is make the permanently belligerent feel justified in said belligerence. The Chinese live with a Communist dictatorship and them we don’t seem to mind. Even tho Chinese nationals posting on this blog would be subject to aggressive monitoring/filtering/jail.
The embargo isn’t going to dislodge or punish the regime. It just punishes the people living with the regime.
We would also be in jail for writing on this blog in China, but I can fly there.
Call me a pansy Liberal if you want, but I firmly believe in the outstretched hand over the closed fist. I know a lot of ex-Cubans in the U.S. like the embargo, but someone tell me how denying access to American goods and money is helping the Cuban people. The biggest thing it does is to give the regime a rallying point and make them seem to be the valiant crusaders standing up to the Mighty Power.
you may be a pansy liberal, but I wouldn’t use your position on Cuba as evidence. 😉
The Cubans can buy TV’s, DVR’s, microwaves etc from the Chinese, just like we do.
Which course of action will bring liberty to the Cuban people fastest? Holding the Dictatorship at arms length or invading the island with American Tourists?
I do agee with you, lg and cassandra, we are far to friendly and tollerant with the Chinese Government.
As long as we allow Cubans in this country to send money back, the embargo is ineffective. Do away with it.
I’m surprised and saddened the embargo hasn’t already been lifted. At this point, it only serves to punish the Cuban people and continue to lionize a dictator. ScottP is right that it may not sit well with many Cuban exiles, especially what’s left of the first generation. In my experience, the majority were rather conservative and very anti-Communist.