Forbes Magazine Calls for End of Embarbo

yeah ... like, what other options are there, really? i would like an end to the Embarbo too. he's been nothing but trouble for Cuba. but, alas, his fantastic luck is still getting him through, it seems.

but on a serious note: the embargo. alas, it has to go too. and the sooner the better.

first, let me say that my goal is to see a democratic Cuba which can guarantee its citizens basic human rights, preferably in a market economy model (because communism is an economic nightmare ripe for big-government abuse).

that said, the embargo against Cuba ain't working, folks. it's been now ... oh ... 45 years? and Cuba's still communist.

perhaps it is time to revise the approach here?

a brief history of the embargo: soon after coming to power, Castro nationalized Cuban properties. the US grumbled, but basically did nothing. Soon thereafter, Castro nationalized large U.S. landholdings in Cuba. The U.S. stopped shipments of oil to Cuba. Castro then bought oil abroad and had it shipped to Cuba.

the U.S. owned the refineries in Cuba. the refineries refused to refine the non-U.S. crude. Castro then nationalized the refineries.

at that point, the U.S. began the embargo, which has been tweaked and refined (no pun intended) over the last 45 years.

the U.S. Justice department finished accounting claims by U.S. corporations against Cuba in 1974. including interest, those claims are worth approximately $7 billion.

the embargo, however, hasn't returned the confiscated U.S. assets . it hasn't returned the confiscated oil refineries. and it hasn't removed communism from Cuba.

one would say, it hasn't worked.

here's what Forbes suggests, and there's great merit to it:

First, and perhaps most importantly, Congress should act quickly to roll back the elements of the embargo that inhibit assistance to Cuba, beginning with the immediate repeal of the 1996 Helms-Burton law. Removing the law from the books would restore flexibility to the president and allow him to respond to changing circumstances in Cuba. Revoking the law would have the added benefit of removing an ongoing irritant in our trade relations with Canada, Mexico and Europe.

Second, the president should take steps to rescind the harsh restrictions on travel and remittances that were instituted in 2004, which further limited travel by students, private citizens and Cuban Americans. Even better, the administration ought to consider revoking the entire travel ban to allow regular contact between Americans and Cubans.

Finally, the U.S. private sector and nongovernmental organizations have an important role to play. From church groups to humanitarian organizations to private businesses and trade associations like ours, it is important to make clear to our elected officials our desire for a change in U.S. policy. We must also stand ready to engage our counterparts and constituencies in Cuba when these changes come.

Engagement would demonstrate a spirit of friendship with the Cuban people and begin to reestablish ties and influence to a society with which we have had regrettably little contact, despite its proximity to the United States.

These are also no small tasks, which is why it is necessary to start changing direction now. Until U.S. policy changes, American businesses, educators, religious groups and humanitarian organizations will remain on the sidelines as a new era dawns.

We do not have to know what is coming next in Cuba to recognize that we need to chart a new course in the United States. The time to act is now.

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Sounds good to me.