Cuban embargo
The Cuban Embargo: Punishing the Children for the Sins of the Father The key to understanding the foreign policy of a nation state is understanding thatstate's national interest. The key to successful foreign policy is, as Henry Kissingerstated in 1998, defining "an achievable objective". Thus United States policy towardsCuba fails because it neglects these two key ingredients of foreign policy. The USembargo of Cuba is four decades old and no longer serves the country's national interest,rather it has proven to be a economic and political hindrance for the US. The embargoalso falls short in terms of having an achievable goal, since many of the requests thatembargo legislation calls for are simply not within the ability of the Cuban state. Byexamining the sanctions and their economic, political, and humanitarian affect on boththe Us and Cuba a strong case can be made for a revision of US policy. US policy towards Cuba and the government of Fidel Castro has, since the1960's, been a policy based on the objectives of removing Castro, instituting ademocratic system, and gaining reparations for confiscated US holdings. The initialsanctions were instituted because the US considered th
The reason for thisis that the state of international politics in that era was one of bipolarism betweenliberalism and communism. Since thereare no outside markets for Cubans to buy from they most accept what the Castrogovernment doles out. Many embargo supporters disagree with this statement saying that Cuba is still abase for intelligence activities and that Castro could develop biological weapons to useagainst the US. Current US policy towards Cuba does not serve US economic interests because itblocks off a very profitable market from US farmers and businesses and hindersconsumers from getting the best possible prices. Initially, Castro's socialist platform and alliancewith the Soviet Union did indeed pose a threat to American security. The US has often claimed morals grounds for the embargo, and yet US imposedsanctions on Cuba are considered by the international community to immoral as theyseverely compromise the health and safety of Cubans . This measure, however, is inadequate because it still prohibits US financingof these sales, public or private. Instead it is causing unnecessary sufferingamongst the common people of Cuba. US sanctions against Cuba have been held for the lastforty years or so and Cuba is still very socialist society. USpolicy makers feel that by debilitating the Cuban economy that it will be able toinfluence the Cuban people to rise up in rebellion against Castro. Cuba's severe lack of medical supplies would make it a very profitable area of export forthe pharmaceutical companies. Also theSoviet's armament of Cuba posed a severe threat to US security, as was seen during theCuban missile crisis. Opening the US market to trade with Cuba would createcompetition between Cuban producers of these goods and US producers which wouldultimately lead to lower prices for consumers. Such a policy, while seemingly small, would benefitAmerican businesses and help increase the health of the Cuban people and also wouldreceive enough support to be passed through Congress.
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