Cuba is Doomed

Since the last presidential election nothing has saddened me more than seeing President Obama support the 50-year embargo and embrace our traditional “empire” mind-set towards Cuba. I’ve been trying not to think about it (and have avoided this forum) since Luis Posada Carriles was freed into American society, but now I must completely accept that Cuba is doomed.

Change? Not unless Cuba changes first, of course. And until that day, the first African-American President will continue to closely follow the failed Cold War policies of Eisenhower, Nixon… and Bush.

Hope? Not much.

The upcoming United Nations General Assembly vote on the need to end the embargo (October 25) isn’t likely to have any more effect on policy than common sense, but it’s sad to see how little Obama is willing to fight for the Cuban people, choosing to side with murderers and terrorists instead. The violent and drastic overthrow of “Castro’s regime” is the one Cold War fantasy that no American president seems powerful enough to end, even if it’s not in our collective best interest.

What possible threat is Cuba? Will embracing her force the idea of Free Education and Free Health Care into American communities? Not likely. But imagine that! Poor people getting an education and becoming consumers... instead of prison inmates, criminals or soldiers!

Will I be able to vote for President Obama again? It doesn’t seem likely, even though I haven’t missed a presidential election since I was old enough to vote.

Could I ever support a tea-party candidate? Not likely, although I have enjoyed the humorous debates.

Both presidents that I proudly helped elect (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) were more than happy to sell out Cuba, calculating that to fight for her would not be "politically profitable," but knowing deep inside that they should.

Bullying may not longer be accepted behavior at the school yard, but it remains our preference for dealing with this 500 year old country of 11.5 million people.

The true lack of moral values in our presidential politics has never been more apparent.