When history is recorded on the Obama Presidency, the President’s move to end the isolation of Cuba, a failed policy for 54 years, will be high on the list of accomplishments!
The decision under Dwight D. Eisenhower to start an embargo on Cuba on January 17, 1961, was an historic mistake that has failed to bring down the regime of Fidel and Raul Castro.
Who would have thought that, through thick and thin, and even without Soviet support for the past 20 years, that the Castro brothers would have the continuation of the longest personal dictatorship in modern times, surviving through eleven Presidencies?
It is not an issue of endorsing the harsh dictatorship of Fidel and Raul Castro, as that, rightfully, has been, and continues to be, something worth condemning.
But if we were to decide not to deal with governments that are oppressive, then we would not have diplomatic relations with much of the world, and certainly not with China and Vietnam, but Richard Nixon opened up to China; Jimmy Carter established diplomatic ties to China; and Bill Clinton established diplomatic ties with Vietnam, a scant generation after 58,000 Americans died in the disastrous Vietnam War!
The Castro Brothers, in their mid to high 80s are on the way out, and Raul has said he will retire in 2018, and there is no obvious family heir, so the opportunity to influence the future of the island is likely by America having diplomatic relations with Cuba, and promoting trade, travel and opening up to American influence.
The Congress should lift the embargo, but even if they do not, short term, the failed policy is on its way out, and a majority of Americans support opening up to Cuba.
Barack Obama has been a profile in courage on this, and Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Robert Menendez, and House members Ileana Ros Lehtinen, and Mario Diaz Balart, and other Cuban American politicians are living in the past, with their narrow minded views on their homeland to go into the dustbin of history! The older generation in Florida and elsewhere may still be bitterly opposed to change, but the younger generation supports opening up to Cuba, which will have a massive short range and long range effect on that nation!
Good Morning Professor,
I was in the Columbus Airport to fly home for the holidays when I heard President Obama had moved to end the failed 54 year policy of isolation of Cuba on the TVs in the concourse waiting area.
Then they showed Senator Marco Rubio spouting the same old tired rhetoric, and bashing the President on his misguided, obvious long term failure, and maybe even treasonous current Cuban policy that the President has taken.
It was at this point I kinda heard Dr. Phil’s voice say within my head, “Well you’ve had this 54 year policy in effect to overthrow Fidel Castro…..Yeah…So how’s that working for ya?”
One of the local newspapers in my neck of the woods is conducting a poll online about whether you agree with the change in policy towards Cuba. Because my neck of the woods is staunchly right-wing, the No’s are beating the Yes’s. I did my part by voting Yes in the poll.