Personally, I’m shocked. The House of Representatives has actually seen that the sanctions on Cuba are idiotic, and have taken steps to actually do something about it. Never thought I’d live to see the day.
'Course, the Senate still has to vote, and Bush will probably veto (though he’d have to veto the whole spending bill the amendments are attached to), so nothing will probably come of this (and, of course, the measure to lift the embargo was defeated). But all in all, a good sign.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to get some Cuban cigars in the near future. I once got a real Castro Romeo y Julieta, and along with the Remy VSOP and the cool Oklahoma spring night, that has been one of the best sensual pleasures of my life.
I’ll never understand why people argue that trade with China will foster democracy there, but trade with Cuba won’t foster democracy there. What’s the big difference?
I’m trying not to hijack this thread, but please allow me to point out the utter tomfoolery of tucking such important legislation into a damned appropriations bill.
It’s rare that a peon like me can make a guarantee about what Congress is going to do, but this is one of those guarantees I’d bet the farm on: If that bill gets delayed by veto and a post-election, lame-duck Congress gets their hands back on it, nobody is going to be happy with the result. Except Fidel Castro.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t the House voted several years in a row to do this? So, it’s not like they’re suddenly pulling their heads out of their asses. They did that a couple of years ago.
Regardless, I agree: It’s a good thing. What makes it really interesting this year, though, is the speculation that an almost identical bill making its way through the Senate will be approved. I think it got the unanimous approval of the committee it came out of. Again, it’s certain that Bush will veto the bill that may get sent to him, but the momentum is building…
Personally, I don’t think lifting sanctions will promote democracy, in Cuba, China or anywhere else. If anything, they would tend to make people less unhappy with the ruling regime.
Having said that, I am opposed to most attempts to make the people suffer so much that they overthrow their govenment. Unless the US has some interest of its own (e.g. the old USSR or Iraq). So I would be in favor of lifting sanctions.
Still, this is another example of how in a democracy, the will of the uncommitted majority will be thwarted by a minority that is passionately committed to the issue. In this case, that minority is the Cuban exile communitee in FL.
A lot of people think the lifting of sanctions is Fidel Castro’s worst nightmare.
These days Castro is reduced to saying the only stopping Cuba from becoming the great Socialist Workers’ Paradise is that the United States will not engage in trade with Cuba.
Where do the antiglobalization people stand on this issue? Cuba is one of the few countries which has been immune to any globalization until now. Isn’t that a good thing?