I spent four months in 2006 studying abroad in Havana, Cuba.
For the past half century America has held the same stubborn and dramatically unsuccessful position on Cuba. John McCain said today that Obama meeting with Raul Castro "would send the worst possible signal to Cuba's dictators – there is no need to undertake fundamental reforms, they can simply wait for a unilateral change in US policy." For the past 50 years America has in fact sent the signal with the embargo that Castro will never face serious reform efforts from the United States because no matter how unsuccessful, American politicians will pathetically pander to a radical interest group in Florida, supporting a policy that actually greatly helps the Castro regime.
I strongly believe that the only thing holding the Castro regime up for so long has in fact been the American embargo. No matter what Castro’s failings, the American embargo has allowed Castro to consistently deflect attention from failed governance by blaming the American embargo. So long as Castro has the embargo to blame, he will never be truly held accountable for the serious human rights violations that have happened under his watch.
During Bill Clinton’s presidency he actually had made the decision to lift the embargo, and sent diplomats to inform Castro. Castro was angered at the suggestion, knowing that if Clinton really did take this dramatic step, he would lose his number one weapon, anti-American sentiment. If he could no longer blame the Americans for Cuba’s economic struggles, he loses the strongest leg of his political power. So the next day Castro, just like he did to President Carter during the Mariel Boat Lift Crisis, launched an immigration crisis on the United States that forced the U.S. President into backing off his pledge to nix the embargo.
When policies fail, real public servants have the responsibility to try something new! For the past half-century U.S. politicians have failed dramatically at leading on this issue, all because of a fear of out-of-touch extremists with diminishing political influence.
Cuba is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with U.S. Foreign Relations. Our antagonism is misplaced at this small island with, despite its serious abuses, a much better human rights record than many other Latin-American countries, and certainly allies like Saudi-Arabia, and against a country with the highest literacy rate in Latin America, low infant mortality, first-class medical research, respect for education and teaching, and quality health care. The antagonism is not just misplaced, but counter-productive, proving to only help the Castro regime survive.
Engagement is the only way to break the back of tyranny. Fidel Castro needs the embargo. Castro needs an antagonistic U.S. policy in order to survive. John McCain, just like George W. Bush, intends on giving the Castro’s exactly what they need. Now who is the appeaser?