Time to Retire America's Failed Cuba Policy
This is the event that fifty years of U.S. policy was designed to stop.
Fidel Castro has announced his retirement. He will be replaced in a peaceful succession, without the violent upheaval that U.S. policy makers have been predicting since the 1960s.
Now that Fidel Castro has announced his retirement, it's time to retire our Cold War era Cuba policy. It failed.
Every U.S. president since Eisenhower has tried to kill or topple Fidel Castro and replace Cuba's government and economic system with something more to our liking. They never succeeded.
It was the express purpose of the U.S. embargo, with sanctions more comprehensive than any we impose on Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria to stop this transition. But it couldn't.
For years, the U.S. embargo has been rebuked in lop-sided votes in the U.N. General Assembly. On October 30, 2007, when we were last drubbed by a margin of 184 to 4 (and one abstention), not a single country in South America, Central America or the Caribbean supported our policy. Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, three countries praised by President Bush one week earlier for their support of U.S. policy against Cuba, joined the condemnation -- so did Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, a nation whose democracy was born with the help of U.S. sanctions.
As the Cuba embargo sullies our image around the world, it undermines the national interest and our highest values here at home. The embargo sacrifices the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens to travel. It cruelly divides Cuban families on both sides of the Florida straits. Trade sanctions cost U.S. businesses about $1 billion annually, and deny U.S. citizens access to vaccines and other medical treatments. Enforcing the embargo drains resources from the war on terror. By isolating the American people from the Cuban people, we stop our citizens from doing what Americans do best; we can't offer Cubans our support or our ideas, and we're unable to benefit from what they could offer us.
I have been to Cuba close to thirty times in the last seven years and I have spoken to Cubans of every stripe -- fans of the revolution and diehard opponents of President Castro.
Cubans by their nature have vastly divergent opinions, except on one fundamental point: it is Cubans living on the island -- not politicians in Washington, not their kinsmen in Miami -- who must decide for themselves what happens next in Cuba. They cherish their sovereignty, they reject violence and instability, and they want the United States to respect those values as much as they do, especially now that they can see a future past President Fidel Castro and beyond the 50th year of their revolution.
There is a debate happening in Cuba right now, triggered by Raúl Castro on economic reform that is remarkable in its sweep. Leaders have spoken to us with unusual candor about the inability of Cubans to keep pace with prices, but they are committed to raising living standards in ways that are consistent with the preservation of Cuba's political system. We have to have clear minds about their intentions for this debate, its limits, and where it might lead.
Now would be a perfect time to send the long overdue signal that the United States is no threat to Cuba's national security, that we honor the aspirations of average Cubans, and that we are capable of having a constructive relationship with their government.
If President Bush cannot answer the call to history that has been issued in Havana, perhaps his successor will respond with greater imagination when he or she takes office in Washington next year.
People here should not misunderstand this historic moment: the Cubans we know, even determined political opponents of Fidel Castro, are proud of their country, proud of its accomplishments, and persuaded that only Cubans in Cuba -- not politicians in Washington or hardliners in Miami -- have the right and responsibility to determine their own destiny. We owe them that opportunity, now more than ever.
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To be fair, there are two sides to the Cuban-American story. One side is that Fidel is an oppressive communist dictator who greatly antagonized his neighbors. No free press, no freedom of religion, no personal property, no dissent or else! The other side is that we in the US trade with oppressive dictatorships all the time... Saudi Arabia, communist China, and others. So is that fair?
No. More importantly, the embargo is unnecessary.
Although I cannot support Cuba's oppressive dictatorship, I cannot deny it its right to be left alone. Sovereignty is the right of every nation, just as every individual has inalienable human rights. Diplomacy and communication can resolve our differences.
Let's look at the countries in South America that we have "helped." The first country that comes to mind is Guatemala, where the CIA helped to overthrow the democratically elected government. What followed was terrible genocide. Maybe it's just me, but I think if I had to choose, I'd rather have lived in Cuba then Guatemala. There are other countries in South America that we "assisted" like the El Salvador death squads. The 1973 overthrow of Chile, and support of the dictator Pinochet. So while Castro might not be a nice guy, there have been a hell of allot worse, and most of them have been bankrolled by the USA!
Right on the head but in the heads of our leaders more likely there will no changes.
How can anyone claim that U.S. citizens are free when our own travel abroad is restricted by our own government? Cuba doesn't restrict it's citizens from visiting here, although they would need a visa from the U.S. that our government won't give them.
Do what I say not what I do is the foreign policy which is hypocritical and totally managed by our large corporations and as long as they see just few ways to exploit that country nothing will change.
I say--that I would bet that we had maintained good, working relations with Castro from the beginning--Castro would have been gone long ago--he stayed in power for 50 years in very large measure because he always could point to the ten million pound guerilla just ninety miles from his shore (THE USA) that was a big threat to the "Cuban nation, people and revolution
Instead of prohibiting Americans from going down there with our dollares---we should have all been given a grand each year from the government and free airline tickets so we could give the money directly to the Cuban people---they would have tossed Fidel ages ago--once again---we favored our nose and spited our face!!!! It was one of the biggest failures of American Foreign policy that we did not take this tack---we should have given Cuba a big bear hug instead of the cold shoulder!!
The people at CANF must be dreading that soon there won't be a Communist for them to be anti. They've long resisted the question, "Does the embargo do anything more than give Castro an alibi for his economic failings?" Only a few policy successes have lasted longer than the failed embargo.
What is the point in a meaningless embargo that accomplishes nothing good for anyone?
It seems simple enough to uderstand that we should recruit Cuba as an ally. The more "friends" we have, the better it is for everyone, including us.
That is the problem Washington could not care less about being friends with Latin Americans except when there were dictators which were lacays of the adminsitrations and the US corporations
We have had a stupid and self-defeating policy towards Cuba since day one of Fidel and as long as we have that group of rabidly anti-Castro Cubans still living in Miami who have an inordinate degree of influence in spite of their almost infestimal numbers the policy is not likely to change.
--I lived in Miami for a time and saw the way those folks operate---you just mention the name "Fidel Castro" to them and their eyes glaze over and bug out--their faces get all red---their veins pop out in their foreheads and necks---they start spitting and go totally apeshit---there is no dealing with them rationally. Look at the way they were during the Elian affair!!!
I dobut that even if we get either Hillary or Obama as prez--the policy of not dealing with Cuba will remain in place. It always did strike me as crazy that we could not deal with the Cubans but we dealt with the former Soviet Union, "Red" China as it used to be called and even Vietnam--a place we lost 58,000 American lives in a long term war!!!American policy towards communist Cuba has never made one bit of sense.
It may help to understand their strong reaction if you consider that some of them had all of their possessions stolen by Castro-- the farm, their car, everything. Many of the past generation had family members killed or imprisoned. I would be slow to forgive anyone who stole all of my things from me. Communism does not recognize the individual as having the right to his or her own things... just the party. So although I favor restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, I don't support its government and it seems logical that the Miami Cubans would dislike Castro.
It's wonderful to read so many good comments about Cuba. The US public nowadays are well informed and does not necessary agree with the government policies if it is wrong.
After 50 years of sanctions and costing billions loss in bussiness opportunity as well as money thrown into supporting subversive groups. The US policy in undermining Castro and his brand of communism has failed. Not only does Cuba survived but also made many friends both in South America and throughout the World.
Perhaps during the time when US was paranoid about the domino effect of countries falling into communism it doesn't seem all wrong to impose sanctions but now such fears has disappeared altogether. It is time US change their foreign policies and let peace prevail.
Lets not go back to democracy bullshit stuff, US is supporting dictator regimes and had been doing that for many years. These regimes are changed only when their useful date had expired and become more of a burden to the US.
No one in the Caribbean really cares what America thinks about Cuban. Citzens of Caribbean nations visit, studyand do business in and with Cuba.
Only the crazy Miami cubans who can't make up their minds if they are Americans or Cubans and the Republican party continue to attempt to subvert the will of the Cuban people to have their nation free of American dominiation.
Yes, America's policy toward Cuba has been horrible. We bombed them in a secret campaign in the 60's and we still have an embargo. The embargo may not be constitutional in that Americans cannot spend money in Cuba; but before everyone gets carried away with hatred toward this administration remember it has been a long standing policy toward Cuba, and one thing you can say against Castro, is that his people are not free to leave. The Cubans have accoplished many things in the area of social justice, and it is a wonderful country, but people should be free to leave. No reasona person can argue against such freedom.
Our policy toward Cuba does need changing, since we have done anything but help freedom there. Our policy has lead to a sige mentality, and the people of Cuba rightly fear us, more than we fear terrorists.
People in fear of invason don't clamor for freedom.
If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny. Uncle Sam, the worlds Goliath, humbled by Fidel Castro, the little David. What has kept him in power and has kept administrations from JFK until now in opposition to him is the political influence of those who abandoned Cuba, their (beloved?)country. Cuban-(Americans?) have been the tail wagging the political dog in Florida ever since. They've even given us George W. Bush!!
We lost nearly 60,000 troops during our Vietnam adventure and killed God knows how many innocent Vietnamese. Now, when shopping for tires for my 1926 Ford Model T, I find that we're importing them from that sworn enemy of democracy, the Godless Communist Vietnam! The first "Domino" in the domino effect, for Christ's sake!
I have long been an admirer of Fidel for the simple reason that he has stood up to the bully of the Western Hemisphere (think Guatamala, Nicaragua, Chile, Venezuela, Panama, Grenada, Cuba, etc, etc.). Having last visited Cuba in 1954 while in the U.S. Navy, I hope to go back again but it seems that my "gummint" choses to bully me also. At 72, I look forward to return there under a more enlightened leader.
VIVA FIDEL!!!
I won't go so far as to applaud Castro because he's certainly no humanitarian or an effective leader. He has led Cuba through tyranny. That being the case, however, what Castro does and what happens in Cuba is none of our business. We abdicated a reasonable roll as arbiter of Cuban democracy by supporting wholeheartedly Fulgencio Batista, a man even more bereft of democratic ideals than Castro if that's possible. Castro may have been a tyrant but at least he brought some measure of prosperity to poor Cubans who were treated as little better than cattle by the US backed Batista government, and, the sugar industry and gambling interests that controlled the Cuban government. I might add that at least some of the families who fled Cuba after Castro came to power were neck deep in the Batista regime and faced firing squads had they remained. These people still harbor hopes of regaining power in Cuba but sadly for them that time is long past. Further, Cubans might be far better off economically had it not been for the absurd US boycott. I agree: It's time to end our incomprehensible and ineffective Cuban policy.
Ironically the Miami Cubans have never been better before Castro and thanks to him the US have and still do subdize them from shelter, to food, health and education, other people will be so lucky.
Amazing...
Cuba has a 99% literacy rate (much better than the USA), its doctors are some of the best in the world, and it has helped other less fortunate countries in Latin America and Africa when others would or could not. Before Fidel claimed his communist regime, almost everyone here supported him in the overthrow of Bautista. Once he kicked out the aristocrats and bureaucrats, the lower classes became better educated and received medical treatment. Unfortunately, the upper crust came here and were given amnesty. They then began to run a counter-re
I think you sum up the historical situation perfectly. Castro must be understood in some historical context otherwise his regime makes no sense at all except as the right in America defines it.
Excuse me, but can anyone tell me WHY we have to trade with Cuba? A communist country whose government oppresses its people....
How to you feel about outsourcing to China? Just curious.
Skepticat:
I commend you on your restraint. China, indeed.
I'll wait with you for MidSection to satisfy our curiosity.
Or buying Nike shoes made in Vietnam?
Our childish and counterproductive policy towards Cuba had emboldened Castro and made him a hero in Latin America and most other Third World nations. If we had had a sane and enlightened policy towards Cuba all these years Cuba probably would be a Democracy. Castro is a hero because he stood up to the U.S. and survived, which is more than I can say for the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Chile and El Salvador.
We trade with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, etc. Quality of life for the average citizen in those countries is a fraction than that of the average Cuban. Our trade policies have nothing to do with whether or not they have certain freedoms. It has everything to do with the willingness of those leaders to hand over all of the important business to American-owned corporations, something Fidel made perfectly clear he would not do within a year of grabbing power. Instead he nationalized the privately-owned businesses, mostly controlled by Americans and the wealthy Cubans under Batista, and sent Americans packing back on to the states. That's why the US presidents hate him so much. We don't just want to trade with this guy.
We want to control all of it's industries like we once did.
Have you ever had a Cuban cigar? try one and ask again.
Of course, America doesn't have to do anything and that includes buying oil from our enemies or cheap tee-shirts from an oppressive Chinese government that suppresses religious freedom in Tibet. We do what we do because typically someone thinks its in our best interest to do so (always debatable). Ever wonder why soft drink manufacturers quit using sugar in favor or corn syrup in soft drinks about 35 years ago? The high cost of sugar caused by our Cuban Embargo would have required them increase retail costs of soft drinks to levels that would have suppressed consumer use; they switched to corn syrup, which is a decidedly inferior product. If you doubt this, compare a Coke or Sprite Hecho in Mexico side by side with Coke or Sprite made in USA. The differences are remarkable and sufficient to make one give up US soft drinks. Mexico buys their sugar from Cuba, which remains to this day the worlds largest sugar producer. If we ended the ridiculous trade embargo, Americans might actually see a decrease in the cost of sugar; that's one practical reason to end the embargo. A less practical reason is that Cuba is a beautiful country with a lovely people and it might be nice if we could visit a country a mere 90 miles off the tip of Florida. However, this reason makes sense and we can't be having a foreign policy that makes sense can we?
Cuba has the beautiful beaches and wonderful weather. The people and the music are great. I love the food. Health care is good and would be excellent if they could get everything they needed. If the embargo was lifted and I could get my social security there I would be gone tomorrow.
America seems to really dislike us senior citizens and disabled people and show us little respect or concern. So lift the embargo and let us go to Cuba where we can relax on the tropical beaches and afford to have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Then the US could get rid of us, reduce the medicare rolls and the Cubans would get the dollars they need. Remember seniors spend 92% of their income right away.
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