On the Anniversary of Cuba's Revolution, the Case for Evolutionary Thinking Here at Home

On New Year's Day, as Cubans celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Revolution, we in the United States should remember another milestone.

January 3rd will be the 48th anniversary of President Eisenhower's Cold War-era decision to break diplomatic relations with Cuba. Ike might be surprised that a veritable conga line of his successors stood by the policy of trying to overthrow, isolate, or starve Cuba for five decades -- even after the Soviet Union ceased to exist and the policy had long since demonstrated its uselessness.

This is a moment for President-elect Obama to decide whether he wants to be the 11th president of the Cold War to champion a failed policy or the first president of a new era to be an advocate for a far more sensible course.

This is Obama's Cuba opportunity, and this is the direction he should follow.

On day one, he should take executive action to restore the rights of Cuban-Americans to visit their families on the island and to support them financially and without limitations.

He should get the Treasury Department out of the travel business, so that the faith community, the business community, artists and academics, among others, no longer have to apply to a government bureaucracy on bended knee for permission to travel to Cuba - permission that under the Bush administration was routinely denied.

The President has much of that authority already, but he should promise Congress that he will sign legislation to authorize travel by all Americans to Cuba as soon as they put it on his desk.

He should then remove restrictions on trade so that the American economy and the Cuban economy can enjoy the benefits that freer commerce can bestow - an increase in jobs and living standards, and the opportunity to learn and share ideas about innovation, management, environmental standards, working conditions, and the like.

Most of all, he should engage the government of Cuba in a manner that respects its sovereignty, just as our allies across the world do every day, especially if he believes - as he stressed in the campaign - in the kind of diplomacy that emphasizes negotiation as means for settling disputes and differences.

It is time to talk to Cuba - about problems in the neighborhood, security, law enforcement, environmental protection, and migration, to name just a few - and to talk about these issues without preconditions. President Raúl Castro has signaled he's ready to do this, and we should not let this moment pass.

There is ample historical precedent for conducting such talks, as Peter Kornbluh and Bill LeoGrande, in particular, brilliantly establish in their new article for Cigar Aficionado "Talking with Castro," and there is no shortage of subjects to discuss, as my organization demonstrates in our new report, "9 Ways to Talk to Cuba and for Cuba to Talk to US."

Were Mr. Obama to reunite families, he would lift an emotional burden from the Cuban-American community and give long-needed support to those who have worked so hard and in such difficult circumstances to reconcile the Cuban families on both sides of the Florida Straits.

Were he to fully open travel, commerce, and diplomacy, the impact on Cuba would extraordinary, and he would give all Latin Americans a new reason to engage with the United States.

Most of all, in doing these things, Obama would send an unmistakable signal to Latin America and nations everywhere that our country is ready to embrace this world not as we found it 50 years ago, but as it exists today.

Few actions could make these two January anniversaries, more memorable or momentous, or give the Obama presidency such a promising start.

Sarah Stephens, director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, is co-editor of the forthcoming report: "9 Ways for US to talk to Cuba and for Cuba to talk to US".

Comments

[AlinaM]

I think that the time is rife to reinstate diplomatic relations with Cuba and reinstate a relationship of mutual respect with all of Latin America. Barack Obama can change our image in Latin America from dysfunction to a relationship of mutual respect.

[Pulemerci]

I'm not in such a hurry to go to Cuba. I know what black and white TV's look like. If there's anything we should be doing for Cubans it's to get them sturdier boats. Cubans have been fleeing that dying communist country in home made rafts and anything else that may float.

[SiberianRat]

Yeah, mostly because conditions are horrible due to the embargo.

[Pulemerci]

They can't buy TV's from Japan? Boats from Greece?

[CubanVoice]

Many things to say on this topic -
1. Agreed - the issue needs to be addressed properly. The "embargo" is ridiculous!
2. It has been an embargo in name only in many respects, OR a convenient one. Cuban Americans FOR the embargo in majority have been the ones to repeatedly break it. And Americans do business with Cuba when needed without much hoopla or attention.
3. Had Cuba anything to offer, like oil, or had she been a threat this would have been properly adressed long ago. The only reason Americans care about Cuba is b/c it is 90 miles from the US and b/c Cuban-Americans are fairly vocal and politicall­y-oriented people.
4. A new attitude and improved relations with Cuba are necessary - I just hope the shouts of Obama as a "socialist" don't resurface - or at least not too loudly.

[kyle212]

Sarah, I agree with your general point, but I think that perhaps you put a little too much faith in lifting the embargo as the be-all solution to Cuba's problems. I talk about it in much more detail here: http://fitfulmurmurs.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/things-here-are-more-complex/

[homesteader]

We can learn from what Cuba has done as a result of our boycott (and the collapse of the Soviet Union).

I was underwhelmed by the documentary 'The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil' --too much plowing, too many pictures of lettuce growing, but what the Cubans have done has been pretty amazing.

And medicine--care schooling, etc., turned out to be an easy export.

[alphonsegaston]

Castro has shown us up long enough; it is time for us to recognize defeat and move on. The notion that other countries exist at the pleasure of The United States is immoral and imprudent. This is especially a concern regarding Latin America. It is laughable that we consider ourselves a model of freedom.

Cubans have my respect and admiration. As our national media are calling for us to learn to live with less, we might even learn something from these dangerous communists.

[Pulemerci]

Tell that to the thousands who have fled Cuba and risked life and limb.

[BryantG]

The only constitution we get to choose is our own. The only laws we get to write are our own. The only leaders we get to select are our own. These notions seem pretty basic to me. Our international relations are an inconsistent hodge-podge. We trade with China while we embargo Cuba. We need to be consistent or we will never be viewed as anything but hypocrits.

[Henry]

It's time for Pres Obama to invite Fidel to the world series as an honored guest, neighbor, and friend. How does a republican explain trade relations with the Tien en Mehn PRC but resolute ugliness to Cuba. It does not wash. The insanity of stupidity belongs to us.

[BryantG]

I like your idea.

[CubanVoice]

I agree completely about the hypocracy. But not sure about taking Castro out to the ballgame. I think this would cause unnecessary grief.

[SiberianRat]

Yep--good idea!

[jmcauliff]

An excellent piece.

I just hope that folks in the Obama inner circle are paying attention to what so many people are saying (see also LA Times editorial http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-cuba31-2008dec31,0,4383905.story and a dozen statements from business, NGOs, religious bodies, educators, foreign policy specialists, etc. http://obamacuba.blogspot.com/2008/12/us-civil-society-wants-change-in-us.html

Obama's folks have to realize that no decision is a bad decision.

Failing to quickly go the full route on non-tourist travel ( family, education, cultural, humanitarian, religious, sports) risks disillusioning 84% of Obama supporters (Zogby poll), two thirds of Americans, and virtually unanimous international opinion, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development

[Norge]

It is time to talk "With" Cuba and not "To" Cuba.

[Unitynow8]

Hear hear!!!

I've always thought it silly and insecure on US part to be afraid of Cuba's communism.

[Gdebs]

I want the US to stop acting like a bully.