Jimmy Carter: Lift Trade Embargo Against Cuba - The Nation

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

I'm old enough to remember when Fidel was the great Bogeyman and we "intervened" with covert operations and bombing.

http://www.thenation.com/article/159583/jimmy-carter-lift-trade-embargo-against-cuba

“I think one serious mistake that my country continues to make is the trade embargo,” Carter stated bluntly. The economic restrictions on commerce were “damaging to the well-being of every citizen in Cuba,” and “impeded rather than assisted” reforms that he hoped would be made on the island under Raul Castro’s leadership. “We should immediately lift the embargo,” Carter said, as well as all restrictions on travel to Cuba.

In perhaps his boldest—and riskiest—statement as a former US president, Carter also called for the release of the so-called Cuban Five, a handful of Cuban counterterrorism agents arrested by the FBI and convicted of spying against violent exile groups and other US targets in 1998. Carter noted that the five agents had been in US prisons for more than a dozen years and characterized their further incarceration as “unwarranted.”

In response to a question posed by The Nation about why Cuba remains on the State Department's list of nations that support terrorism, Carter was unequivocal: Cuba’s inclusion on the list was “completely unfounded” and based on “untrue allegations” that Cuba was harboring international terrorists from the FARC in Colombia and separatist Basque group ETA from Spain.

Accompanied by his wife, Rosalyn, American University professor and former Carter White House aide Robert Pastor, Dr. Jennifer McCoy, director of the Carter Center’s America’s program, and Dr. John Hardman, president of the Center, Carter’s three-day trip was skillfully organized to give him maximum credibility as well as substantive political cover in pressing for changes in relations on both sides. Repeatedly during the press conference he called for respect for human rights and full freedoms for the Cuban people. This morning he met the internationally popular Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sánchez as well as the recognized human rights activist Elizardo Sánchez Santa Cruz. Monday he visited Cuba’s only Jewish community center in Havana. During his three days in Cuba, he also conferred with diplomats from other nations who have full relations with Havana. In a remarkable gesture to the importance the Cuban government attaches to the case of the Cuban Five, Carter visited two mothers and three wives of the detained Cuban agents.

[bluestateguy]

1. It is a relic of the Cold War

And as I recall, a lot of businesspeople want that embargo lifted too---which is why it actually might happen.

[Billy Burnett]

2. A lot of business people want the embargo to remain.

Cuba would represent a major tourist attraction, taking business away from other tourism destinations - international and domestic. There is a strong and broad spectrum lobby against lifting it.

[bluestateguy]

3. All of the American hotels and resorts would be champing at the bit to get into the market

I see the whole hospitality industry as wanting to get their teeth into that market.

[Billy Burnett]

4. Some are, but the S.E. US based ones aren't.

You think that Disney wants to have empty parks, because, as several surveys show, people would be flocking to Cuba.

Also, the Canadian and European hotel/resort/hospitality businesses have been there for many decades now, and they have the best locations already as well as dibs on future projects.

The US has missed the boat on this.

[kenny blankenship]

7. They could open a Bay-Of-Pigs Disney park

I'll bet that spot isn't taken yet.

[Lucinda]

9. Somehow I can't really see Disney loving families rushing off to Cuba

I don't think there is quite the same draw for the kiddies

[kenny blankenship]

5. OMG He criticized the United States' foreign policy while speaking in Cuba!

OMG He's a traitor! Why don't you just marry Castro since you love Cuba so much, Mr. Carter?

(Just getting ready for the media frenzy of Carter bashing)

[EFerrari]

6. It's interesting because although he was roasted last time,

it may be that these trips of his are normalizing talking about our dumb Cuba policy. It will be interesting to see if the media goes off full tilt again or not. :)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. He's aiding and abetting a dangerous enemy about to invade Miami.

And, force the residents to accept universal health care, eat black beans and rice, and listen to great salsa music.

[Just_visiting]

10. I wonder...

would american cubans be offended or would they welcome this....hmmmm

[Billy Burnett]

15. The latest Bendixen polls show that most Cuban-Americans support normalization.

No time to dig for it now, but Bendixen has it online.

[Zorra]

11. If they had oil we'd simply conquer them and set up a new corporate state.

But since they don't have very much of major value (see oil) that multi-national corporations want, we simply economically punish the people of Cuba on principle.

Actually, it is because they are a rogue state. They're not getting with the global corporate program. They are trying to maintain their sovereignty among a sea of multinational corporate sharks. The corporate sharks are pissed cuz they want control, and the Cubans won't let them in to feed off them.

But again, Cuba has no oil, so the sharks can wait. They have lots of other bigger fish to actively prey upon.

They say Venezuela tastes like chicken.

[sarcasmo]

12. This should have been done years ago.

[Blue_Tires]

13. LONG overdue...

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. First Palestine and now Cuba.... bless his heart.

rec