It's time for the US to lift the Cuban Embargo

[ACougar]

If the Cuban people wanted a new government they would revolt and get it. Why not simply live and let live?

 

[gop_ryan]

Ordering a total exclusion zone does not give anyone the right to shoot down an aircraft or sink a cruise ship. Instead it gives the order to force them to turn back. This can be easily done. Another mehtod of enforcing the total exclusion zone is by preventing the use of American sovereign area by vessels that enter Cuba. Canadian airliners will have to fly around the United States if they want to visit Cuba now or ships sailing to Havana will not allowed to enter American ports. Now if a vessel enters the exclusion zone, the Coast Guard should send commandoes to gain control of the ship in a peaceful manner and take it to the nearest American port so those on the vessel can be repatrionated.

 

[jgarden]

Throwing money people does not solve the problem. It seems that liberals always answer a problem with more money............

"Throwing money at people," - prophetic words. Perhaps someone should ask the Republicans/conservatives why they continue to "throw money" at the American electorate - a practice they prefer to associate with those profligate liberals. Republicans have notoriously deeper "war chests" for elections than their Democratic counterparts, and have developed fundraising to an "art form."

While Republicans are not apologetic about raising/spending large amounts of money to promote their own "vested interests," they would deny others the same privilege. In an election year, where polls indicate the smallest "undecided" vote in years, the political parties have long passed the point of "diminishing returns" on campaign spending.

Instead of the rhetoric directed against Democrats, the Republicans can take " a leaf out of their own book" and unilaterally reduce their own campaign spending. Most businesses consider large corporate donations an investment, not a donation. What are they getting in return when that Party is elected?

 

[elanor]

If the Cuban people wanted a new government they would revolt and get it. Why not simply live and let live?

Well said! What are we so afraid of? We're a big, powerful country. Cuba is a poor, small island nation. If we lift this ban and allow their country's economy to begin to recover from it's effects, then we'd have a chance to find out what the Cuban people really want.

gop_ryan, Cuba is no threat to us. That would be the only justification for what you propose.

 

[ACougar]

Well said! What are we so afraid of? We're a big, powerful country. Cuba is a poor, small island nation. If we lift this ban and allow their country's economy to begin to recover from it's effects, then we'd have a chance to find out what the Cuban people really want.

gop_ryan, Cuba is no threat to us. That would be the only justification for what you propose.

I think the great fear is that a sucessful Cuba mght threaten the idea that without Capitalism we'd we have dirt floors and hungry children.

 

[jgarden]

Prior to Castro, Cuba had an opportunuity to enjoy all the supposed benefits associated with "capitalism." Unfortunately, Cuban history shows that dirt floors and hungry children were just as prevelant under a capitalist economic system as a socialist one. The one thing that the Cubans did miss out on, under the Castro regime, were all the benefits associated with Organized Crime investing in the Cuban economy.

During the Batista era, neither the American government nor Organized Crime were remotely interested in the economic prosperity and the future aspirations of the the Cuban people. For two decades, they were quite content to exploit the Cuban people and look the other way while Batista unleashed his secret police. It is now somewhat hypocritical to start crying "crocidile tears" for the plight of the Cuban people merely because a capitalist dictator was replaced by a communist one.

 

[burrow_owl]

What are we so afraid of?

Losing Florida's electoral votes. That's about it, really, and it doesn't reflect well on our post-Kennedy presidents.

 

[gop_ryan]

I am not afraid of Cuba but in the constant pursuit of freedom for all, all dictators must go.

 

[ACougar]

Castro is extremely popular in Cuba, and just like us they have elections. The only differance is that instead of two parties shuting out all others it's one party shuting out all others.

 

[elanor]

I am not afraid of Cuba but in the constant pursuit of freedom for all, all dictators must go.

Then in the name of freedom, I propose we lift the embargo (which Castro uses to lambast the US), and allow the Cuban people to build their economy and elect the government of their choice. Because that's what matters--their choice. Not ours. Cuba is not the 51st state, after all.

 

[elanor]

And for those of you living in the US who might be following this thread, I encourage you to write to your congressional representatives and let them know where you stand on the Cuban embargo. I am, and so are many, many people in my denomination.

 

[gop_ryan]

I would not want Cuba to the 51st state. And more importantly, I think a free nations should alienate those who are not free. It worked with the Eastern Bloc.

 

[Key Peninsula Redneck]

Why doesn't Fidel just call on his friends in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to bail him out?

 

[lucid42day]

Throwing money people does not solve the problem. It seems that liberals always answer a problem with more money. If anyone was serious about removing Castro, we would declare a total exclusion zone around the island and prevent any aircraft or ship from reaching the island. That would topple the regime within weeks seeing that Cuba is total dependent on foreign sources of energy.

I guess the obvious comeback would be that it appears conservatives always answer a problem with 50,000 troops. Which costs money, of course, but shhh.. I won't tell.

 

[MadeInOz]

Embargoes are stupid. They never reach the people they intend to put pressure on, and only end up hurting the little people. Let it go America.

 

[oldrooster]

The embargo should have ended years ago....

 

[Bible Addict]

Why doesn't Fidel just call on his friends in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to bail him out?

Because the USSR doesn't exist... enter Russia

 

[Key Peninsula Redneck]

Because the USSR doesn't exist... enter Russia

I doubt Russia has the money to help him.

 

[copernicus]

The Cuban embargo remains in place for only one reason--to garner votes from the important Cuban immigrant community. Nobody else cares about it, and it does real damage to our international prestige. But when have we ever cared about our international prestige? The Cuban embargo is a little like the gun control issue. Taking the popular side of the issue brings no political advantage to a politician, but it can seriously harm his or her chances of winning an election. The special interest group will spare no effort to smear the campaigner who threatens their issue.

 

[Iosias]

We need to send out a strong message that communism will not be tolerated.