Giorgio: President Obama’s Approach to Cuba
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The talks follow President Obama’s remarks in his State of the Union Address, in which he said, if a policy hasn’t worked in 50 years, it may be time to try something new.
The fundamental question is why have we punished the people of Cuba for 50 years?
A history lesson about Cuba
There may be no good answer, but a history lesson maybe in order.
If you remember Godfather 2, you will remember the scenes that take place in Havana, Cuba. The scenes open with a revolutionary fighter being killed and quickly switch to the Presidential Palace, where representatives of American industry are meeting with Dictator Flugenico Batista. It quickly switches to New Year’s Eve 1959 as Batista flees Havana with an estimated $300 million and the rebels led by Fidel Castro take control. All of this is accurate.
Most of the ruling class flees Cuba and many ends up in Miami, with the assistance of American Industry and organized crime. It is these Cubans who have had a major influence on U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba for these past 50 years.
In April of 1959 Castro comes to the United States and meets with Richard Nixon and according to reports both men take an instant dislike to each other. Six months later, President Eisenhower sets up an economic embargo of the island. In April of 1961 we have the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and in October of 1962 we have the Cuban Missile Crises.
Throw in the Mariel Boat Lift during President Carter’s term in office and Elio Gonzalez during Bill Clinton’s presidency and you have our Cuban policy in a nutshell.
Stop punishing the people of Cuba
For too long this policy has been dictated by the former conservative ruling elite of Cuba who fled the country with most of its wealth.
Our policy has done nothing to topple Castro and has only punished the people. Cuba today is a country on the brink of economic collapse. It can no longer rely on its old allies of The Soviet Union, China and Venezuela for economic support.
Why do we have the economic embargo of Cuba? What has Castro ever done to earn this treatment? He overthrew a brutal dictatorship. In doing so he did punish American economic interests who were in League with Batista and who were basically robing the country of its natural resources of sugar cane and bananas.
It is now in our economic interest
It is now in our economic interests to lift the embargo and establish diplomatic relations again. Cuba has the potential to be a huge market for everything from cars to medical supplies. Its tourist industry needs a major infusion of capital.
This maybe a good time to do this since we have lived through a 50 year failed policy. In addition, the older Cubans-the first generation that fled Havana are dying and young Cubans don’t care much about Fidel Castro. The politics of Florida are also changing, in the sense that more northerners, who tend to vote Democratic are moving into the southern part of the state, while more Puerto Ricans are moving to the Tampa area thus stifling the influence of the Cubans in Miami Dade counties.
Republicans in Congress are already saying they will block Obama’s latest foreign policy initiative. Why?
We have diplomatic relations with China, Germany, Italy and Japan. The last three were our enemies during World War II and caused more harm to us than Cuba ever did. During the Korean Conflict, China supported North Korea. Today we have an embassy in Hanoi.
Republicans rail about our immigration policy, but they authored what is known as the "wet foot, dry foot” policy toward Cubans. The policy is this, if a Cuban reaches dry land in America, they get to stay. We don’t have that policy for anyone else.
So what is it really about in Cuba? The reality is electoral votes and Florida being the key to a Republican victory in 2016.
The Republican’s need to start putting America’s interest ahead of Partisan interests. They need to stop worrying about a 90 year old dying man.
It is time to normalize relations with Cuba.
Related Slideshow: 16 Questions for President Obama
With the announcement that President Barack Obama will be giving the commencement address at Worcester Technical High School's graduation in June, GoLocal asked elected officials and community leaders in Worcester if they had the opportunity to ask the President one question -- what would it be, and why?
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