Open Up Trade with Cuba
Cuba, Castro, Che Guevara, etc all suck. It is ridiculous to even have to keep making this point against folks who are trying to sanctify them.
That being said, it is way past time to open up Cuba to US trade. When will we learn that we are doing the Castros work for them?
- If the US did not go out of its way to limit contact with Cuba, the Castros would have to try to do it. We are just playing into their hands. Totalitarian governments have a very dicey time in this era of free communications. China interacts with the west, and is improving. North Korea blocks all contact and is not.
- The economic boycott gives the Castros a fig leaf to hide behind as their entire population wallows in poverty. Yes, they are poor, and they are poor because of communism, but the Castros are able to blame the failure of their country on the US embargo.
But they have free health care! They get all the leeches they want.
Tom:
Great post! I added you to my RSS feed a few months ago and you're right up there with Don Bordeaux as having some of the best common sense insights into public policy. Thanks for the great work.
February 21, 2008, 11:20 pmAllen:
Well, I think one of the leeches retired recently, so he's no longer available.
February 22, 2008, 10:11 pmwordson:
Frankly, I would assume leech shortages.
February 23, 2008, 7:11 amGreg:
If Castro can't prosper with trading with 75% of the world's economy, then I blame him, not the U.S.
March 4, 2008, 8:40 pm