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Restrictions on general trade between the U.S. and Cuba have been in place for some 50 years. Has this helped or hurt U.S. objectives in regard to Cuba? I am of the feeling that such embargoes are good short-term measures, but (as the Cuba example shows us) is ineffective as a permanent policy. Perhaps one can argue that the number of those fleeing Cuba over the years is proof that Cubans who remain on the island realize the cost of Communism, but it is also evident that the they have largely gotten accustomed to it and accept that they will suffer from any trade restrictions.I also seem to recall that one of the ways the U.S. helped "de-communism-ize" the USSR was through the free market; wasn't Pepsi one of the things that was allowed in there, giving Soviet citizens a taste of the West and capitalism? In a similar way, I think that lifting at least some restrictions on trade could create an underlying shift in the way Cubans think about their government and society.
I know the Pope just beat the US up over the embargo but I still support it. The rationale or conditions for lifting it have not been met.
Yeah that is why I brought up the issue. I realize that an embargo is one of the few major international threats (aside from war) that has teeth, but I think it has to be viewed in light of the objectives one is trying to achieve. If it is to change a certain type of government policy or structure, we can't say it has worked in Cuba. At the very least, ceasing the embargo would allow the U.S. to be able to threaten Cuba with re-instituting it. Once the present generation of Cubans gets a taste of goods and services everyone else enjoys, I'm guessing they would not want to go back to the communist economy.
It is down to principal now, as long as the Cubans fail to institute a democratic government they don't get to enjoy the fruits of American products. I don't think lifting it while threatening to reimpose it if they failed to reform would be any more or less effective than leaving it in place. Therefore, we should leave it in place.
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