# Our policy towards Cuba **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 20, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008 "2002-05-20T22:39:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/1 "2002-05-20T22:39:22Z")
I’m looking to be enlightened here. Carter goes to Cuba and states his opinion that we should relax our trade and travel restrictions. Bush is opposed to this, stating that until they free their political prisoners and become a democracy, we will not change our policy. But we don’t have the same stringent requirements for other countries, China for example. > [@](#): > > “Freedom sometimes grows step by step, and we will encourage those steps,” the president said at the White House, outlining his new U.S. policy on Cuban Independence Day. He then flew to Miami, where he delivered a similar message and was raising $2 million for the Florida Republican Party, which will use it to boost the re-election campaign of his brother Gov. Jeb Bush. So is that what this is about, getting votes in Florida? What am I missing? Why is there a double standard concerning Cuba and the other countries we deal with that are not democracies? ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/2 "2002-05-20T22:47:38Z")
Sorry, I meant to provide a cite for the quote I used [Here it is](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=514&e=1&cid=514&u=/ap/20020520/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_cuba_26) > [@](#): > > Last week, a 40-member, bipartisan group in Congress announced support for easing the embargo. The private Human Rights Watch called for the same, saying the embargo “imposes indiscriminate hardship on the Cuban people and impedes democratic change.” > > The public is evenly divided on ending the trade embargo, according to a recent CBS News poll that shows no change on that issue from four years ago. Sentiment for continuing the embargo has dropped from the mid-1990s. Republicans were more inclined to want to continue the embargo. Just for the record, I am not on either side of this issue although I do enjoy a cuban cigar from time to time. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![lenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3bc359/32.png) [@lenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lenin)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/3 "2002-05-20T23:11:54Z")
China has cheap labor and lots of goods. Cuba has… sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/4 "2002-05-20T23:17:00Z")
It’s a 43 year hissyfit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/5 "2002-05-21T00:26:13Z")
I’ve given up trying to take a position on the pros and cons of American policy towards Cuba. One looks for evidence as to the true nature of the response of the populace including the ex-patriate community. Now that we find out from _60 Minutes_ that exiled Cubans are pouring valuable American dollars into the Cuban economy thereby supporting their sworn enemy, I would suggest that any trade and travel restrictions will have no effect, and only hurt individual Americans. I think the real underlying issue for a Republican government is justice for those who had their property stolen in Cuba. An American instituted commission to adjudicate the claims of Americans with regard to Cuban confiscation backed up with tarrifs and duties imposed on bi-lateral trade could address this longstanding thorn for American governments. After all, Canadians are aware how casually American government impose tarrifs on an FTA partner and deliver the proceeds to perceived grieved parties due to alleged subsidization by Canada of softwood lumber. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/6 "2002-05-21T01:47:06Z")
There’s no doubt that it’s a double standard with political overtones. But, it’s hard to feel good aabout either policy. There is no right Cuba policy. Expanding trade and travel to the island would be cruel to the Cuban people, if it strengthened their tyrannical government and led to extending the dictatorship. OTOH the boycott hasn’t done any good either. I personally favor a more open policy, but I don’t really expect it to help the Cuban people much. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/7 "2002-05-21T01:52:23Z")
IMHO today’s speech was nothing more than a blatent play for votes in South Florida. The embargo helps Castro more than it hurts him. Unilateral action never works. It just makes us look silly. ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/8 "2002-05-21T01:57:34Z")
The policy towards Cuba does seem to be motivated by the ex-Cuban vote bank in Florida. The term “totalitarian” that Bush used to describe the Cuban regime with a lot of contempt could be applied to Saudi Arabia and China. The double-standard is so patent that I wonder how the US administration still thinks the majority of people can be fooled. There is no moral high ground in the world of politics, not in the US, not anywhere else in the world, and I am sure there are enough people in this country who see through the rhetoric, and just choose to ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Jibby7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@Jibby7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jibby7)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/9 "2002-05-21T04:21:04Z")
This one is pretty clear cut. The Cuban/American lobby carries a pretty heavy wallop in a nice electoral vote state. Money+votes+long love-hate Cuba/US relationship=continued embargo. And if you try to split this into Rep. v. Dems., you’re a fool. Both sides like the money and they are both afraid to lose all of the votes. Therefore, despite Clinton, Carter, Johnson, Kennedy, and in addition to Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bushes, no one has softened the Cuban stance. Think it’s not a pretty situation now? It will get really ugly when Castro dies and there are 40 different opinions as to the course of action. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-policy-towards-cuba/110008/10 "2002-05-21T04:52:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by musicguy \* > \*\*So is that what this is about, getting votes in Florida? \*\* That’s about the size of it. Jeb’s up for reelection and apparently Clan Bush considers Janet a serious threat.