While I'm no particular fan of the government of Cuba or its human rights policies in a number of ways, I'm by no means convinced that they are any worse than, say, China. Or Saudi Arabia. Or any number of countries that the use tolerates and/or cozies up to for geopolitical reasons.
If there was ever a good reason for the US embargo of Cuba, it has long since faded into the dustbin of history. The only things sustaining it are the reactionary Cuban exile population in Florida (now into its fourth generation) and the idea that we can't simply "give up" on such a thing without some sort of result. Neither of which strikes me as particular noble or necessary.
UN Votes 188-2 to Condemn US Embargo of Cuba | Moral Low Ground
The United Nations General Assembly voted 188-2 to condemn the 53-year US embargo of Cuba. Israel joined the United States as the only 2 of 193 member nations to vote against the resolution.
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I've always understood it to be political suicide. Is this still the case, who knows? Either way liberals hate it because its Cuba man and Che. Conservatives should not like it because economists say its dumb.
+Jon Weber I don't think there are a lot of liberals who are that gung-ho on Cuba (or Che) any more, except in reaction to conservatives who identify them as the epitome of evil.
+Jon Weber I don't think there are a lot of liberals who are that gung-ho on Cuba (or Che) any more, except in reaction to conservatives who identify them as the epitome of evil.
I believe I speak for most Americans these days when I say… What did mister Gooding Jr. do? Does the embargo include movies where he was just a voiceover for an animated character?
…Honestly, I remember learning about it in high school. I'm kind of surprised we're still doing it, and I'm, I don't know, reasonably politically aware? I think? So I very much doubt removing the embargo would be political suicide for anyone… at least, intrinsically. That doesn't mean either side couldn't blow it up into something dramatic.
+Kingsley Lintz I agree with your sentiment. But the Cuban exiles somehow have a lot of swing in the politics of Florida which has been a major battle ground state. I'm guessing that is why it is considered political suicide.
+Jon Weber Though I've heard of late that influence is dwindling. The population that fled Cuba in the late 50s, and in various smaller numbers through the 80s-90s, is dwindling through natural attrition over time, and the passion for what's going on back in the mother country is naturally reduced in the following generations.
(And, of course, part of the Manichean positioning on Cuba is the idea that Castro was utterly evil, while Batista was utterly pure, or vice-versa. Thus is the nature of social ideology, but it makes a balanced evaluation all the more difficult.)