Doug Bandow: Drop The Cuba Embargo

The National Interest:

The policymaking guard is changing in Washington, but the newcomers are anything but new. Unfortunately, that will encourage policy continuity. One area which desperately needs genuine change, however, is Washington's strategy toward Cuba.

At recent public celebrations Havana's leaders sounded defiant, but nervous. Fifty years ago, they made a revolution, but merely replaced one dictatorship with another, turning their island into an impoverished prison. As in most communist states, the nomenklatura has prospered--the hard currency stores are filled with the sort of goods Americans take for granted--but opportunity is denied anyone lacking connections. When I visited Cuba (legally), Westerners were swarmed by Cubans desperate for dollars. "Are you looking for a nice restaurant?" "Where are you from?" And the ubiquitous: "My friend, would you like some cigars?" Even the most innocuous conversation ended with a Cuban pleading for cash to buy food for his family or milk for his children.

Read the whole story: The National Interest

Comments

[SangZe]

The anti-humanitarian embargo has done nothing. End it!

[GeorgeP922]

Looking for opinions, anyone think the embargo will be lifted and visa's be issued for travel in the next 8 years?

I want to travel there so bad, but I think I want to go before Obama ends the embargo.

[DelvinMcGee]

If you live in the North part of the US its fairly convenient to get there through Canada.

[DelvinMcGee]

Part II

Cuba, only 90 miles from the US, was run by a US puppet government who lost a rebellion to a communist, who rules the country with a heavy hand. The CIA recently admitted that it tried to assassinate this communist leader "at least 8 times". The US also organized, financed, and led a failed violent overthrow of the Cuban government. A year after the failed invasion, Cuba and its Soviet master installed nuclear missiles in Cuba. Eventually, Cuba and the Soviets blinked and the missiles were removed. Cuba has not made any offensive military moves against the US since then (45 years ago). Every other country in the world freely trades with Cuba.

Trade with Cuba is bad.

[DelvinMcGee]

Part I

The issue of the trade embargo with Cuba centers around Cuban expats in Florida, who more often than not vote Republican. However, both parties cater to this very small constituency, which is actually contributing to the terrible conditions for their own people back in Cuba who are unable or unwilling to leave.

Let's take a completely objective view of the Cuba embargo.

Vietnam is a communist country that the US fought (and lost) a war with. Vietnamese were responsible for killing over 58,000 Americans, and American soldiers killed millions of Vietnamese.

Trade with Vietnam is good.

China is a communist country whose human rights abuses are legendary. They have no freedom of travel, expression, or religion. During the very beginning of Bush 43's first time, they forced down an American recon plane, took the equipment, and held the crew hostage. China is responsible for approximately 80% of all counterfeit goods in the world marketplace.

Trade with China is good.

[ptsd6869]

DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA,
PLEASE DROP THE EMBARGO OF CUBA. I NEED MORE CARS FROM THE 50's FOR MY CAR COLLECTION.
YOUR TRUE FRIEND,
JAY LENO

[1dogs2]

A call for a radical change in US policy toward Cuba during the Obama administration is welcome, especially coming from a conservative who is unable to see any difference between the Batista and Castro regimes. He does acknowledge that the 46-year-old embargo has been an utter failure if its purpose was to bring about regime change; it has been successful only if its purpose was to condemn the Cuban people to another 46 years of grinding poverty. But he does not acknowledge that despite that poverty, Cuba has developed a better health care system that delivers a better result to Cubans under the Castros than the American health system delivers here. What might Cuba have achieved but for a policy for which there has been no excuse whatever since at least the end of the cold war?

I haven't been to Cuba, since it is forbidden by our State Department, but I have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and have seen numerous small projects funded by China on many of the islands -- projects designed to help islanders make a living and improve their living conditions. The last American-funded improvement projects that I've seen are roads that were built during WWII and are in serious disrepair. As far as I can tell, our foreign policy in the Caribbean consists of the Cuban embargo and benign(?) neglect. So while the Obama administration rethinks its Cuban policy, maybe it could take a look at the rest of the neighborhood.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Are there any other countries to which it is illegal to travel?

[jake106]

North Korea. You would also have a damned hard time getting to Iraq or Afghanistan as a tourist, although I am sure you could figure out a way.