They say that insanity is when you keep doing the same thing, hoping for a different result. Well, we’ve had an embargo against Cuba for 53 years, hoping that would change Cuba. It hasn’t worked.
So I am overjoyed that Obama has decided to change our relationship with Cuba. We are going to open an embassy in Cuba and chart a course toward normalizing relations. For those who say that is a bad idea, we normalized relations with many of our former enemies, including Russia, China, and Vietnam, and the world didn’t end. Our dysfunctional relationship with Cuba is the last relic of the cold war and this change is long overdue.
I support this move not because I am in any way a fan of the Castro regime in Cuba. In fact, quite the opposite. It has become apparent that our embargo of Cuba is just about the only thing that has kept the Castro brothers in power, as they have often used the embargo as an excuse to exercise dictatorial power. Opening up relations between the two countries is probably the best thing we could do to end Cuba’s siege mentality and bring about a more open government there.
I have visited Cuba on more than one occasion, and I can say that the Cuba people are capable of moving toward democracy. Even Alan Gross, the American who had been held in jail in Cuba for aiding Cuban dissidents and whose release prompted this change, has nothing but good things to say about the Cuban people. They are ready for change, and by ending the embargo, we will give them the opportunity to create their own change. This is good news for everyone.
4 Comments
I completely agree IK. We tried for 53 years (exactly my whole life) to subdue the Cuba regime from the outside without success. Now if we normalize relations we can try it from the inside. Democracy is easy to deny to the people when they can’t see it, feel it or hear it as in state controlled media, but will be much harder for the regime to keep out once they open the doors and let it in.
Our younger generations though must be taught the history between these two nations and the history of oppression suffered by the Cuban people at the hands of the Castro regime. Without this context they will not understand the emotionality of the response by our Cuban immigrants.
I’m looking forward to eventually visiting the Island and people, I hear the food is awesome!
Our 50+ year embargo seems to have had about the same effect as holding our collective breath until we turn blue. Yes, it is definitely time to try something else.
Biggest problem The Right has with Barack Obama, by the way, is that, like the end results or not, what he does is so often effective. Obama’s approaches to problems are such that, the problems themselves will no longer exist in their present forms by the time the next election cycle comes around.
No standard problem means no standard posture, and no standard posture means no standard CAMPAIGN posture… which means that our politicians will have less and less to be outraged over without sounding fatuous.
Well said PSgt.
I would like to add (not subtract) a couple thoughts by slightly modifying two of your sentences:
1)It is also true to say, “Democracy is easy to deny to the people when they can’t see it, feel it or hear it as in” corporate “controlled media”.
2)I would also expand your perceptive call for education to include “the history of oppression suffered by the Cuban people at the hands of the” US, US Corporations and Mafia supported regime overthrown by Castro. “Without this context they will not understand the” existence of support within the Cuban public for the regime.
I’m no apologist for Castro. Torture and tyranny like his are never justified but the revolution overthrowing Batista and anger towards the US were absolutely justified.
PSgt, actually the food was the only part I didn’t like, but mainly because with the embargo it was almost impossible to get spices in Cuba, so all the food was very bland. I’ve had Cuban food elsewhere and it was very good.
I’m all for history, but teaching it is not a precondition for normalizing relations. We normalized relations with VietNam, China, and Russia — are we obliged to teach the history of oppression suffered by those people?