EDITORIAL: Castro's Cuba at 50

From "THE UNIVERSITY OF OBAMA" This editorial would almost be good if it wasn’t such a one sided joke. Yes, Castro’s Government has failed the Cuban people. But it’s clear the U.S. Government policies towards Cuba have not worked for fifty years. Since we are always claiming to be the Government of the “People for the People”, then President-Elect Barack Obama should honor what the majority of citizens in American and citizens of the world want. We want the United States to abolish the failed U.S. embargo on Cuba. How many more years do we have to continue the current failed policies? I am a proud American Citizen, I was born in Cuba, I’m a Cuban exile, filmmaker, father, voter and tax-payer. My family, like many, has been destroyed and killed off by the embargo. The reality is, the U.S. and Cuban politicians who claim to represent Cubans, do not. They only represent their personal opinions and the lobbyist who pay them. The reality is if Cuban and American politicians wanted to help the people in Cuba, they would do what the people in Cuba, America and around the world are begging for. “America, please abolish the embargo on Cuba.” Luis Moro, EveryThingCuba-com,

Mr. Moro – A couple of thoughts for Lefties like yourself. First, where is your proof that our Cuban policy has failed? The only failure that I see is the inability to topple Castro. Other than that, it has been successful. By keeping Cuba economically challenged it has not been able to export revolution (aka enslavement) to other parts of the world. You think repressive communistic enslavement is a bad thing – don’t you Mr. Moro? If not please explain why it is a good thing. With regards to the suffering within Cuba, it is a function of where you stand v-a-v the current hunta. Party members live quite well and the population is not starving. They do not live well by US standards – but they must be happy as they keep Castro in power. Why is it our responsibility to deny such a population what it wants? Where is your data to support that the majority of Americans want the embargo to end? Usually, when one examines these so called polls, the questioning is such to generate a desired result. As an aside, if you are so worried about being separated from your family on the island - what is stopping you from returning to this worker’s paradise? A quick trip to Spain and then on to Havana. I am sure you can easily secure a new passport and Cuban identity. Finally, I say keep the embargo going until the Castro brothers join Stalin et al on one of the levels of Hell. Unfortunately, Obama like all socialists is a dupe. I am sure that restrictions will be reduced with nothing to be gained for either America or the Cuban people.

The embargo was put in place 47 years ago to bring down Castro. It did not, therefore, the embargo failed. Keeping it in place is an acknowledgement that we are clueless on how to proceed after this failure.

If Castro's government is so great then his Cuban subjects would be enjoying such a luxurious lifestyle by now that if they ever cast a glance northward, it would only be to wonder how the "po' folks" up here in the U.S. can possibly survive without their business. If leftist collective policies are so wonderful, then no one should be complaining about the embargo, except maybe what a millstone it is for U.S. financial buoyancy. So far, U.S. citizens haven't lost much sleep or money over the loss of business with Cuba, but just look what commie-captive China has been doing to us, and Islam-captive oil countries. It's best not to do business with captive societies if it can be helped.

We all agree that Castro’s repressive regime is bad. That is not the point. Nor is the point whether Castro favored Communism before the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961. The question is what strategy is in the best interests of the United States? Secondarily, what strategy is in the best interests of the Cuban people? Openness and trade have led to improved relations with China and the Soviet Union, as well as Vietnam and many other countries. Embargoes to punish certain countries have led to problems with Iran, North Korea and Cuba. Our relations with these countries only seem to improve after we have expanded contacts and trade. The resident’s quality of life improves as well. We can continue our failed strategy towards Cuba or embrace a strategy more likely to work. Unlike the author, I hope Obama embraces a strategy more likely to work than our current strategy.

The only way Cuba will ever achieve a democracy is when both the Castro brothers die. But thanks to the Liberal media in the world they are still in power.

The embargo is pure BS because the only ones that get hurt are the Amrican companies that are not allowed to deal with him. Castro can buy or get anything he wants through Europe, Canada etc. The embargo has been a failure since day one because he can blame everything he has done wrong on the US. Castro's economic plan has been a failure. And the Island of Cuba is destroyed.

An embargo is a kind of bullying. By resorting to this kind of means Washington is basically telling Castro that it doesn't have good arguments. Liberalisation of Cuba will take time. It takes also trust. As long as Castro expects that Washington will abuse any opening to foment unrest he will be very careful.