As Cuba's Regime Turns 50, How About Some Common Sense -- Finally?

Maybe you've heard of that old Cuban joke about an island youngster asked what he wants to be when he grows up. The answer: a tourist, who can travel and live the "high life," unlike the average Cuban. But as the Castros' slowly evolving revolution reaches its half-century mark on January 1, almost simultaneously with one of the bigger shifts in U.S. political history, the stars may be finally aligning to give the reality underlying such gallows humor a push in the right direction. This month an FIU/Brookings Institution poll showed that even most Cuban-Americans now agree a change in tactics is needed.

The brothers Castro have outfoxed ten U.S. presidents, thanks partly to the embargo put in place by John Kennedy in 1961, before Barack Obama was born. If, as promised, our new president rolls back at least its more meanspirited aspects -- including severe limitations on family visits -- chances are they won't outlast the eleventh.

Cuba likes to call the embargo a "blockade" because of its draconian, militaristic ring. But thanks to Soviet backing, commerce with various U.S. allies and others, and now Venezuela's support and more than $400 million annually of exempted U.S. trade, our "blockade" is instead both a joke and a gift that keeps on giving; its formal existence lets the régime deflect blame for its own mismanagement and repression; though not everyone still buys this, quite enough do. Meanwhile, the U.S. has wasted billions on propaganda efforts like Radio and TV Martí, neither of which reach most Cubans, while allowing Hugo Chavez' Venezuela to be the one to expand their Internet lifeline to the outside world.

Certainly we should think twice about allowing the export of, say, equipment usable by the military or state surveillance apparatus. But we could influence Cuba positively and peacefully by re-allowing not only family visits but all travel by Americans (restrictions self-evidently unconstitutional but punted by the Supreme Court's deference to Federal foreign policy and national security claims). Let me explain.

I started visiting Cuba a decade ago, when a Clinton-era "people-to-people" policy permitted even commercial tour operators to send groups if they could be dressed with the fig leaf of "cultural exchange" or some such. I often witnessed the inequality between foreigners and themselves grating on locals -- as when entering one of Havana's top restaurants, the Café de Oriente, and overhearing a guard muttering, "Jeez, I'd sure rather be dining on lobster instead of the crap they give us." One friend of mine, once a Communist Party liaison within his university department, was denied entry to a resort area, Playa del Coco, while I, the "imperialist enemy," was waved through.

Such "tourism apartheid" measures disappeared after Raúl Castro took over in early 2008, but since most Cubans are still too impoverished to take advantage, inequality remains rampant. In this context, imagine a flood of Americans -- including many Spanish-speaking Latinos -- mingling with locals, infecting them with uncensored information and subversive notions of democracy and free markets. The winning of hearts and minds would far outweigh any financial gain to the Castro government (that hoary objection of exile hardliners and their pet politicos). Unlike in gargantuan China and faraway Vietnam -- Communist police states with which the U.S. trades happily -- on a small, nearby island of 11 million the American influence unleashed would call Cuba's bluff and have dramatic impact. Recently in the Party newspaper Granma, Communist grandee Armando Hart worried it would open "a new chapter in the ideological war between the Cuban revolution and imperialism." Read: Can we keep control?

All of this greatly alarms U.S. "embargo-industrialists" -- activists and politicians alike -- who have turned the embargo into an eternal gravy train for themselves and their associates, with fat, poorly supervised subsidies for dissident aid and the abovementioned propaganda, most of which never make it to the island. None dare admit the embargo has bombed, nor satisfactorily explain why not even tweaking it is worth trying. Instead, they bluster that November's re-election of South Florida's pro-embargo congressional hacks mean everybody down here's still on board with a spectacularly failed policy.

Now, for the sake of our Constitution, America's image and interests in Latin America and beyond, and obviously the longsuffering Cubans, the Obama Administration can finally return some sanity to an autistic corner of foreign policy long ceded to corrupt operatives and their ideologically blindered followers. This could be one of the bold, shining symbols of our country's restored rationality and openness to the world. After all, is there not something frankly insane about countries like North Korea and Libya stricken off the official U.S. list of terrorism sponsors, but not Cuba?

Furthermore, politically it's never been easier. Not only are a majority of Cuban-Americans finally onboard, but more non-Florida Republicans are willing and sometimes eager to relax restrictions; America's most important business groups have urged the same thing; key anti-Castro groups such as the Cuban-American National Foundation are no longer embargo absolutists; and Obama-Biden won Florida's Hispanics and South Florida without votes from the aging, shrinking hardcore sea in which the embargo-industrialists swim (such diehards will never become Obama supporters, anyway). The transition team has already showed signs of realizing this by tapping Eric Holder and Greg Craig, demonized by hardliners for their roles in the Elián González drama of 2000.

I'm not naïve; change is rarely easy or simple. But throw open the free market of ideas, let people and information flow freely, and freedom will eventually follow. So even with all the domestic and foreign-policy challenges facing the incoming administration team, we should keep encouraging them to do not just the right thing but the effective thing on this issue of historic importance both symbolic and practical. It's the American way, and it's about time.

Follow David Paul Appell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DavidPaulAppell

Comments

[MilesPlatting]

Let's be clear about human rights and Cuba.
No street children.
Free universal health care
No documented cases of torture (except in US occupied territory at Guantánamo Bay)
The people are armed - if they wanted to overthrow their government they would
The US blockade (it is not an embargo - it is a blockade) is condemned every year at the UN general assembly - this year just Israel and Palau - 2 client states of the US voted with the USA
The blockade affects every aspect of life on the island - for example the stranglehold on the world pharmeceutical industry means some drugs (e.g. anti emetics used in cancer chemotherapy) are unavailable..
Cuba is the ONLY country in the wrld to achieve both an acceptable level of Human Development Index (it outperforms its GNP ranking by 43 places) AND a sustainable ecological footprint.
By the way gays haven't been imprisoned since the 1960s - it is safer being a gay in Cuba then in any other American country.
The contributor who suggested there was universal healthcare in Cuba priorto the revolution was either mistaken or misinformed.
Cuba is run by a responsible government - one of the very few to govern in the interests of its people and not in the interests of Capital.
GO there - see for yourself - talk to Cubans - they will be absolutely straight with you about the achievements and the problems tpf their society (oh I forgot your democratic government tells

[AlinaM]

Hello, those who wish for the embargo and travel restrictions to be lifted, please visit this site and sign the petition to Obama:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/obamacuba/

[Robespierre2]

The Cuba embargo remains in the books because Americans are the most arrogant people in the world.

The embargo is a huge failure. You would think that the Americanos would have learned that by now.

Cubans do not want our stinking money-based democracy.

[newshawk14]

The Cuban Embargo has far outlived it's usefulness. President Clinton missed a big opportunity,
to begin to change the situation after the Elian Gonzalez affair, when right wing Cubans in Florida
had badly embarrassed themselves.

[Gilde]

Many travellers go to Cuba. Just because Americans aren't there does not mean it is isolated. What a narrow egocentric point of view.

Cuba is wonderful without PizzaHut, Burger King, McDonald's, Disneyland and Starbuck's. I dread the day that toruism and business are opened up to the USA.

[Gilde]

This article makes it sound as though Cuba is isolated and its only contact is with Venezuela and a few other outcast states. That is not so. Many countries trade with Cuba. Millions of people from Latin America, Canada, and Europe. and most of these countries are Western style democracies, visit Cuba every year not just as tourists at resorts, but as ordinary travellers talking to people and staying in their homes.

One of the best things about travelling in Cuba is the complete absence of Pizza Hut, Starbuck's, McDonald's, Disneyworld, etc etc. There are many advantages to the American embargo.

[bobo5]

If we get over the colonial mentality then Cuba will eventually transform itself along the lines of Costa Rica.

Fifty years of stupidity must end and a new "entente cordiale" must be reached. The embargo causes invasion of third country sovereignty and endless diplomacy problems.

According to Fortune magazine Florida is a capitalist failure.

[cylindar]

Our relationship with Cuba will change overnight. They will become quite open and tourism will be revived from the US. Times have changed and everyone is willing to do the dance of better economy down there. An era has ended and it will be like it never happened.

[dbdzen]

If we trade with and have full diplomatic relationships with Syria, Sudan, China, Ethiopia and Libya, our embargo on Cuba is just a foolish effort that makes us look petty. Obama should remove all restrictions on sending money and family visits and signal that restrictions on all tourism will end within a year. Educational cooperation (including an imternet undersea cable link) should begin in science, technology and sports reaearch. Cuban and American sports teams should start playing more frequent exhibition games together and artists should be free to perform in each others countries.

Die-hard pro-embargo people can personally "withhold" their visits of they want. Four years after introducing such changes, Cuban society will be trending differently and the government will not be able to blame US Imperealism for much.

[royevatom]

Good article, it is about time full and open discussion of our policies concerning Cuba happened. Cuba is about much more than Communism. It is about the influence a politically active group can bring to bare on our nations policies. It is about the privileged and entitled policy makers whose judgment has continually failed in South and Central America. Most importantly it is about fear. The United States Of America lives in fear of Cuba just like we are being taught to fear Venezuela. We have nothing to fear from these people, we are the greatest free nation in the world. People come to our nation from around the globe to live where there dreams can come true and and they can live in relative peace and prosperity. The policies of our nation concerning Cuba, an island of 11 million people who live in what we consider poverty is so completely wrong that I don't think we should allow it to continue. One thing that has always amazed me is that people think it is home to a population of Hispanic people of European descent, it is not. Free Cuba by freeing yourself.

[RoloTomassi]

"But throw open the free market of ideas..."

Ah yes Dave, your free market fundie code speak is loud and clear, at least to me--I'm not impressed or fooled. You and those like you see Cuba as the next ripe market to be exploited by the sick Chicago school model, and you delusionally think you'll be able to go into Cuba, strip out all social services and set up the next economic bonanza for US corporatists at the greater expense of the Cuban people. With Cuba you miscalculate the efectiveness of the "sticks & carrots" approach, as there is a deeply moral aspect to their core ideology, even if the hypocritical aspects in practical application can be clearly seen; I don't think you'll be able to convert Raul Castro into the next Pinochet-like proxy. But of course with increased access, the US could resort to the methods that have worked elsewhere...you know, like assassinating Cuban leaders until you find the next free market-friendly dictator [which by US standards is the definition between "acceptable dictator" and "bad dictator"].

The longevity of the Castro regime is one of the great embarassments for US ideologues, as it could not be easily destroyed and rebuilt via the vision of Milton Friedman.

So give it a go there Dave...I think you'll find that the Cubans will be far more united as a force to oppose and repel the free market nonsense that has left this country in economic RUINS.

[David Paul Appell - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes, the knaves and thieves of Bushdom have ruined us, but I doubt anyone will be hitting the high seas in rafts. For real "economic ruins," visit Cuba, where poverty is normal and the country barely holds together.

And is it "deeply moral" to keep everyone impoverished and straightjacketed; to jail those who call for free elections or question the system; to turn friends, neighbors, and family into spies, to force people into unsuitable professions? There may be an insidious system of control in the U.S., but in Cuba it's much more directly obvious and toxic.

I'm also amused at knee-jerk critics who label me, say, a "free-market fundie" for advocating freedom. I've never called for savage capitalism in Cuba after the revolution hits the dustbin of history, and still like to think there's a shot at a more humane "third way" if the Miami mafia's mitts can be kept off. But if the revolution was ever justified, it's long since betrayed itself with its Soviet-gulag methods and mentality. Many of its heroes were executed, imprisoned, and/or exiled -- were they all counterrev­olutionari­es, or idealists horrified at a growing dictatorship built on a lust more for power than justice?

Unfortunately, few "useful idiots" still excuse oppression just because the oppressors wave a ragged smidgeon of street cred left over from generations ago. As it is with Robert Mugabe, thus with the Castros. But ultimately, it seems unlikely, to paraphrase Fidel, that history will absolve them.

[RoloTomassi]

I don't know Dave; if our healthcare reform efforts are defeated once again by insurance and big pharma lobbying efforts, you might be surprise at how many would view Cuban medical tourism an attractive option.

The morality I speak of is of the same cloth that you embrace in your POV on Cuba--that of ideology. You would have us believe via implication that were coup a simple matter of public will--sans oppression--then we'd not be able to find a significant number of loyal Cubans to even mildly oppose the irresistable draw of an American pro-capita­list/pseud­o-democrac­y lifestyle. I don't see the Cubans in the medical field who served giving aid to tsunami victims [giving real medical relief long after the western free market vultures had disinfranchised millions and left luxury hotels on the beaches in their wake] as oppressed minions awaiting their shot at the American way.

And perhaps you've never called for "savage capitalism," but your general comments and approach belies your assumptions. Given the track record of the IMF & World Bank, I don't think their services are needed in Cuba, especially at the price of dismantling everything that does work in their system and using the idiotic Chicago school method of economic structural adjustments as a means of privatizing Cuba for US corporations.

And I'm sorry, but no US critic of human rights abuses can be taken seriously until we clean up that dirty little spot--in Cuba--commonly referred to as Gitmo.

[LMPE]

I've long wondered. Can any movie star (apart from Andy Garcia) support the US blockade against Cuba? A number of famous Americans - including Steven Spielberg - have made trips to the island, but would any dare to play devil's advocate?

[Citizen-Jane]

This silly policy ends with the Obama administration.

[CaptianTom]

The castro's have outlived 9 going on 10 US presidents, it about time that the US smartened up and did business with cuba. Once the us smartened up about the USSR and China looked what happened. Money solves alot of problems that political bs can not solve. Forget the Cubans of Miami and lets move into the 21st century of political discourse.

[Theou]

I can't shake a feeling that if the US had not placed an economic embargo on Cuba, that country would be a bastion of "free-market capitalism" by now.

[David Paul Appell - Huffpost Blogger]

My point exactly.