Will Obama Liberate Cuba?

During the campaign for President, Barack Obama made it clear that he intends on talking with the leaders of Cuba and renewing a relationship that is long overdue. It will be interesting to see how the Cuban people look at the new President Elect and if he can put his money where his mouth is. If you lived in Cuba, isolated from what most people still consider the economic engine of the world, how would you perceive the possibility of renewed relations with the United States?

It is almost fair to say that the embargo on Cuba has run its course. Even the former Soviet Union has bailed on the island nation ninety miles from our coast. Over at MSNBC they have this from the Associated Press on it…

Obama vows change in U.S. policy on Cuba
President-elect has indicated he's open to talks with Raul Castro

ANALYSIS
updated 6:59 p.m. ET, Sat., Nov. 8, 2008

HAVANA - Cuba's communist leadership has long cast itself as David standing up to the U.S. Goliath and the crippling force of America's punitive trade and travel embargo.

Now they have a problem: If Barack Obama follows through on campaign promises to ease restrictions on the island, he could chip away at the Castro brothers' best case for staying in power.

And if a new Democrat-dominated Congress takes Obama's moves even further, Cuban leaders may have a hard time maintaining their tight control over Cuban society. - MSNBC

If the United States can work with the current government of Cuba then the possibilities are endless. This is not a one sided conversation and the government of Cuba has to work diplomatically with the United States as well. My first concern is that President Elect Obama not offer direct aid to what is still a communist run government, but the simple fact that Americans and Cubans could interact freely and openly is more than enough to plant the seed for a democracy eventually in Cuba again. Democracy is almost like a weed once people experience it and try and weed it out of the government restricted garden, the little suckers keep popping up over and over till people realize that it isn’t really a weed but a natural pesticide.

Many President’s have tried to diplomatically deal with Cuba before and all have failed. Now that the Castro dynasty is coming to its natural life end there is the distinct possibility that Cuba will no longer be just a resort location for the CIA and a terrorist hotel called Guantanamo Bay. Now is the time to end the embargo that has imprisoned an entire nation less than one hundred miles from our nations shore. We can work out all the other idiosyncrasies after we all agree that we can agree to disagree but still keep talking.

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If President Elect Obama can open up Cuba then that would be the last piece of the Berlin wall to fall. It is within reach for Cuba and its people to be free once more. It would be refreshing if this can be done without one single military engagement would it not?

Papamoka

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