A Cuban New Year Anniversary
Fifty years ago today Fidel Castro and his fellow rebels took control of Cuba. I was just 9 months old back then. Dwight D. Eisenhower was America's President -- I was too young to remember. In the 1960s, after the folly of the Bay of Pigs and the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, John F. Kennedy imposed an embargo that still endures. He died in 1963, and would be in his 90s had he lived to today. Since then LBJ, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have served as President. Of these Presidents, who have served during this 50 year era, six have died. In a matter of weeks another President will take office.
So, I ask the question, what benefit has this embargo accrued. Oh, it makes Cuban-American partisans in Miami happy, what has it done for the US? For much of this era Cuba was sustained by its partnership with the Soviets, but that partnership has long since dissolved. Cuba has many trading partners in the world, and has begun rebuilding its ties with Russia and is expanding its connections with China, and has a growing influence again in Latin America.
We might not like the Castros, but they have shown an ability to survive and even prosper. As Cuba celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Revolution -- one that through out an American backed dictator -- it's time to change the equation and engage Cuba directly. I know that this isn't popular in certain circles, and it's politically incorrect, which is why both Republican and Democratic leaders shy away from it. But the time for change has come!
So, I ask the question, what benefit has this embargo accrued. Oh, it makes Cuban-American partisans in Miami happy, what has it done for the US? For much of this era Cuba was sustained by its partnership with the Soviets, but that partnership has long since dissolved. Cuba has many trading partners in the world, and has begun rebuilding its ties with Russia and is expanding its connections with China, and has a growing influence again in Latin America.
We might not like the Castros, but they have shown an ability to survive and even prosper. As Cuba celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Revolution -- one that through out an American backed dictator -- it's time to change the equation and engage Cuba directly. I know that this isn't popular in certain circles, and it's politically incorrect, which is why both Republican and Democratic leaders shy away from it. But the time for change has come!
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