Hi everyone!
Maaaaan that last blog entry was a stretch....and yes it's been too long since I last blogged. Coursework is incredibly intense right now and post Dec. 20th I want to blog something great.
I'm putting together my thesis project proposal, which has to do with American perceptions of Cuba.....specifically of the Cuban embargo (bloqueo).
Quick question for everyone: do you think that the majority of Americans want to maintain the embargo or to end it?? (I'll update next week with what polls show)
*Update*: Various polls (Gallup, PEW, Harris, Pollingreport.com) show that the great majority of Americans want diplomatic normalization with Cuba (this majority has been incredibly stable since the 1970s) and in the last ten years polls are showing that most Americans are in favor of ending the embargo completely. In late October of this year, in the UN General Assembly 187 countries voted for a resolution condemning the embargo as breaking various international norms and against the spirit of the UN Charter (amongst other critiques) with 2 countries voting against the resolution. (The US and Israel)
So the international community of nations is against it, and so are we actually........
For those interested in why other countries are so unanimously opposed to the embargo, click here for a summary of statements at the UN General Assembly debate and here for the two page pdf of the resolution (65/6)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
END IT!
ReplyDeleteIn our decision to impose a trade embargo against Cuba, the United States stands alone in the world. After four decades, it is clear that our approach has failed to achieve its intended goals – the end of Fidel Castro’s regime and a peaceful transition to democracy. Today, Cuba remains under totalitarian rule, and Castro remains firmly in power.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the only real victims of our policies are the 11 million innocent Cuban men, women, and children. Our embargo has exacerbated the already-miserable living conditions for Cuban citizens. Cuba’s economy has suffered greatly because it is prohibited from exporting goods to the United States. In addition, ordinary Cubans have very limited access to American products. Moreover, our policies abridge Americans’ right to travel freely to Cuba, making exchange between our two cultures essentially impossible.
There are many other nations in the world whose governments are not freely elected. Yet none of our policies towards these nations resemble our treatment of Cuba. With the Cold War over and Cuba posing no threat to the United States, there is simply no justification for our outdated approach to Cuba. To make matters worse, we are spending extraordinary resources enforcing sanctions against Cuba – resources that could be used to secure our nation against terrorism.
The time has come for a fundamental change of direction in our Cuba policy. We can start by ending the trade embargo – and just as importantly, by lifting the ban on travel to Cuba by American citizens. Only by engaging the Cuban people, and by building bridges between our citizens and theirs, will we succeed in bringing freedom and democracy to our neighbor.
Amanda
I meant to say that I agree with the article below not claim to have written it...plus its outdated which would have given it away.
ReplyDeleteAmanda