There's an interesting article in the current issue of Harvard Magazine regarding current conditions in Cuba and the prospect for liberalization of relations with the U.S.
The nuances in Cuban public life since Raúl became president in his own right in February 2008 are evident as well in the enactment of economic-policy reforms that were rolled out immediately following his formal installation. Consider some examples. Previously, Cubans had not been able to stay at hotels or eat at restaurants designed for international tourists, even if they had the funds to pay, unless they were on official business; now they were given access to all these facilities, so long as they could pay. Cubans had also been prohibited from purchasing cell phones and subscribing to such services unless officially authorized to do so. They were not allowed to purchase computers or DVD players. Now they were able to purchase such products so long as they had the funds…If I had a category in TYWKIWDBI for "things I don't understand," that's where I would file posts about U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba. I understand the animosity of the 1960s, but why our government would persist in such "punishment" for four more decades is beyond my comprehension. I presume it's just a muddleheaded unwillingness to admit that we were unable to force another country to change its style of governance. At least one U.S. Congressman agrees with me:
Nevertheless, only a small fraction of Cubans could take advantage of these new economic policies, because the purchases of such consumer durables and the access to such tourist services had to be paid for in dollar-equivalent Cuban currency at dollar-equivalent international prices… Raúl’s government was appealing to the upper-middle-class professionals… The pace of political and economic change in Cuba has been slow by world standards. But the pace of social change has been very fast…
It's time to stop talking solely in terms of what's best for the Cuban people. How about the wishes of the American people, who are consistently in favor of diplomacy with Cuba ? Let's stop the hysterics about the freedom of Cubans – which is not our government's responsibility – and consider freedom of the American people, which is. Americans want the freedom to travel and trade with their Cuban neighbors, as they are free to travel and trade with Vietnam and China . Those Americans who do not wish to interact with a country whose model of governance they oppose are free to boycott. The point being – it is Americans who live in a free country, and as free people we should choose who to buy from or where to travel, not our government.This Guardian editorial expresses the same sentiment, as did this one:
Wayne Smith, a former head of the US Interest Section in Havana, famously said Cuba had the same effect on American administrations as the full moon had on werewolves.
Cuban exiles in Florida, a crucial voting bloc in a swing state, sustained a hardline US policy towards Havana even as the cold war ended and the US traded with other undemocratic nations with much worse human rights records...
If something does change American relations with Cuba, it may well be oil drilling rights in the Caribbean. Somehow, U.S. foreign policy always seems to be responsive to money and corporate interests...
Ron Paul cuts to the truth but is, a congressman not a senator.
ReplyDeleteOops. My mistake. Fixed. Tx.
ReplyDeleteAs for blaming the US for Cuba's problems,they do trade freely with the rest of the world,right?
ReplyDeleteIs there anything they can't get elsewhere?
I think that "crucial voting bloc in a swing state" pretty much explains everything. There are two voting blocks that neither political party can afford to piss off. One is the Cuban exile bloc, and the other is the pro-Israel Jewish bloc. Both compel breathtaking policies that make no sense unless one understands the political reasoning beneath them. For instance, the US government does not officially acknowledge Israel as a nuclear power, despite the whole world knowing that it is. Admitting this fact officially would affect America's legal ability to send aid and arms to Israel.
ReplyDeleteYour difficulty probably stems from the fact that you are trying to understand national policy from the point of view of a person with common sense. Common sense and politics have zero relation with each other.
Fletcher, your answer makes sense. What surprises me is that the situation has persisted through so many administrations. (though perhaps it's just one very long administration with different names and political affiliations...)
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to be cynical, but perhaps as Cuba is the only country in the western hemisphere that doesn't even pretend to be a democracy (Venezuela and Honduras at least pretend) we shouldn't be giving them something (like $5 billion in tourist dollars) without them giving us something in return (like elections).
ReplyDelete