Us_Embargo_on_Cuba

The American Embargo on Cuba has failed after nearly 50 years. As a young sailor in the United States Coast Guard one of my first duties was on board a patrol boat patrolling the waters between Cuba and Florida. I will never forget the first time we came across what seemed like hundreds of Cubans all literally cling for life to an overturned boat. These poor people where dehydrated, hungry, badly sun burned and barley alive, but their where several dead among them. One more night at sea and there is no doubt that all of them would have been dead by morning. There where young and old among them even whole families. As I was helping them aboard our, Cutter and I remember having this profound thought, how bad is it in Cuba that a mother would put herself and her young children on a small un-seaworthy boat and try to cross a dangerous track of ocean to come to America. The original goals of the Cuban embargo where to stop the spread of Communism by toppling the Cuban government, give the Cuban people basic human rights, and to eliminate a threat to US security. In almost 50 years of an American trade and financial embargo Cuba still exist in its same forum as it did nearly 50 years ago. After over sixty years America has made no real progress with the Cuban Embargo. America refuses to change its failing policy towards Cuba and it is the Cubans that pay. In 47 years of rule that have made him the worlds most durable head of government, Fidel Castro has locked horns with 10 US Presidents. He has survived an invasion, a Naval Blockade, and decades of diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions while his regime stays in power (Cromwell, 2). While Castro and his cronies have been standing up to the mighty United States, it has created another phenomenon. The Cuban leadership has been looked upon as heroes by some of the world’s leaders (Cromwell, 20). This has lead to partnerships with countries that are not traditionally friendly to the US, such as North Korea, China, and Iran. Another result of the embargo is that it has given Castro an excuse for all of his short comings while running his country. He can tell the Cuban people the large problems plaguing the country are not his fault but America’s fault. In reality, Castro does not want the embargo to end because then his people could blame him for all of their woes (3). Even after all of these decades later, the current US policy towards Cuba has not succeeded in ending communist rule. In some ways, it has helped by keeping its leaders in power. The Cuban people have had to suffer over the years with some of the most horrific living conditions that any citizenry has had to suffer in modern time. The Castro leadership has one of the most oppressive and deplorable human right records in recent times (Shultz .9). The Cuban government has put students, journalist and anyone who speaks out against the government in prison, and many have never been heard from. Castro has Carried out thousands of political and religious executions to anyone that has challenged his leadership (9). The level of poverty within the Cuban society is some of the highest in the western hemisphere. Over 80% percent of the people live below the poverty level. 90% percent of businesses in Cuba are government owned (p.9). With almost all of Cuban commerce being run by the state, the Cuban people are not even given the chance to better them self’s, they are at the mercy of what the government will give them to live with. As you walk through the market places in Cuba all you will see are very barren or very meager stocked shelves of the government owned shops. There is and has been for many years a very saver shortage of basic goods needed for living that the citizens can not get to buy, and people are starving to death. (LaFranchi 1). The Cuban medical system does not fair much better than the economy does. Castro, for years, has boasted about the wonderful medical care that his people receive and it is all free. When one looks to facts, this is just not true. The Cuban medical system is lacking in modern equipment and facilities, due to the lack of money and recourses “Cuba is forced to make due with what they have, and in most cases what they have is very old and antiquated” (Weiss Par.2). Drugs are also lacking in Cuba most pharmaceuticals are ether made in the USA or have patens held by US companies (Schawb par.20). The US holds patents on so many medications they can not be exported to Cuba even if they are made out side the US. This has caused a critical shortage of medications to Cuba, which has resulted in many preventable deaths (par.28). Cuba is also suffering from a shortage of trained medical personnel. Most of Cuba’s doctors and nurses are aging and are ether retiring or dying. Cuba has not had the founds to open a modern medical school for decades, and in result most of the young Doctors that Cuba does have are very poorly trained (par. 33) Given Cuba’s human rights record, Cuba has had a problem recruiting quality young doctor from out side its own boarders. It has been said that receiving medical care in Cuba has been compared to receiving medical treatment at the turn of the last century. America had hoped to make the quality of life better for the average Cuban by ending its tyrannical rule and pouring American recourses into Cuba. But after nearly 50 years of the embargo that has not worked, most Cubans have been forced to continue to suffer for many generations. Every year hundreds of Cubans try to flee Cuba, and the vast majorities are trying to reach America. The U.S. has had an open door policy for years when it comes to Cuban refugees or immigrant (Tamayo par. 2). Unlike people from other countries Cubans have been allowed free access to enter this country due to America’s attitude towards the Cuban government. Unfortunately, some Cuban migrants might have questionable back grounds. Recently, there have been half a dozen spies identified and arrested in with the Miami Cuban community. These individuals all come to America as refuges crossing the sea on boats. During this investigation the CIA and FBI were being helped by Cuban exiles which had also indentified several criminals and medically insane defectors (par.1). The presence of the criminal convicts coming to this country with innocent refugees is not by accident. It has been orchestrated by the Cuban government as a means to bring their government spies to the US and to ride their country the burden of caring for the insane and criminal population. “It has also been feared that organized terrorist groups may also find this and easy route to America” (par.4). The very policy that was developed to help Cubans come to this country has also made it easier for Cubans with questionable backgrounds enter America. It is not hard to see how allowing theses type of people into our country is not only a burden but is also a threat to our security. The policy that was established nearly 50 years ago has failed to meet its goals. Not only is Cuba still a communist nation, but the leaders are in some ways stronger than ever. The people that this embargo was supposed to help have actually contributed to most of the hardships they have had to endure every day. America is not safer from Cuban, anymore than it was 50 years ago. Castro does not have much of a military might any more, but sending spies, criminals, the medically insane, and possible terrorists to the US posses just as big a threat as his army ever could have. It has come time for America to realize that if after all of these years, this policy has not worked it is finally time to consider another approach that can help all involved. Worked Cited Cornwell, Rupert“The enemy without who has seen off none US presidents” Belfast Telegraph news paper Ltd (2006):LexisNexis Web.12 Oct 2010. LaFranchi, Howard“America’s embargo of cuba: What Results After 35 Years'”Christian Science Monitor (1979 to2006):International (1-3) Lexisnexis Web. 5 Oct. 2010. Perez, Nonoska“Cuba must show respect for human rights” USA Today first edition (2008): Edit 11A LexisNexis Web. 12 Oct 2010. Ruiz, Albor“Cuba Embargo’s a Bust, so why stick with it'” Daily News (New York)(2007): Suburban (3-4) Lexisnexis Web. 12 Oct 2010. Schwab, Peter“Cuban health care and the U.S. Embargo” Monthly Review (1997):49(6) Master file Premier. EBSCO. Web 10 Oct 2010. Shultz, Debbie“Don’t reward atrocities ending the embargo” USA Today first edition (2010): Edit 9A LexisNexis Web. 12 Oct 2010 Tamayo, Juan“Dozens of migrants picked off as possible spies” Miami Herald (2010):` ` Nation 1 miamiherald.com Web.18 Oct 2010. "U.S.-Cuban relations." Background Notes on Countries of the World: Cuba (2007): 10- 12. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Wies,J"It's time to admit Cuban embargo has failed in advancing U.S. goals." New Orleans City Business (1994 to 2008) 25.49 (2005): 24. Regional Business News. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.