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A couple of years ago, I was invited to Cuba to speak at an International Wetlands Symposium. I applied for permission to attend from our federal government. After jumping through many hoops, I was on my way. I was eager to explore this mysterious place that most U.S. citizens are not allowed to visit. What I found made me believe that it's time to end our embargo and isolation of Cuba, and start interacting with this most fascinating country.
Being in Cuba is kind of like being in a living museum, 1950s style. Most cars are American-made, from that era. Many of them have unique repairs, since parts are nearly impossible to find, making ingenuity a necessity. Automotive paint is also non-existent, so cars are painted with house paint. A lot of basic things are not to be found in Cuba. Even though Cuba trades with most other countries in the world, the United States is blamed for the shortages. It is much more expensive to ship things from China or South America than it would be to ship them from the U.S., which is only 90 miles away. No fingernail polish in the stores? It's the American embargo. No materials to fix potholes? The American embargo. The United States has become the scapegoat for Cuba's problems, and therefore the Cuban government does not have to be accountable to its people.
The thing is, the Cubans get this. They know their government is not telling them the truth. They have no enmity toward Americans. They are ready to move on to the post-Fidel era. More interaction with Americans would hasten this process. Ending the embargo would take away the Cuban government's excuses for not providing for its people.
Ending the embargo would also be beneficial for Kansas farmers. In 2003, the U.S. government estimated that if trade sanctions were not in place, the U.S. would provide half of Cuba's food--valued at more than $600 million. Kansas would be in a good position to increase its exports to Cuba. We currently export a small amount of feed grains, mostly wheat, to the country. Kansas manufacturing sectors such as aircraft and telecommunications would also benefit.
I know Cuba's government has committed human rights violations and many people believe we should not "reward" it by allowing more Americans to visit or by ending or even loosening the trade embargo. However, the best way to encourage change is to expose people to new ideas and ways of thinking. Right now, only the people of Cuba are suffering.
Published November 8, 2009 by Shari L. Wilson |
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| Tags:
Cuba
Foreign Policy
Globalization
Public Policy
Trade
Comments (2)
Here ! Here ! Thanks for this post. We have normal relations with communist China and Saudi Arabia, it is past time for normal relations with Cuba.
Posted by Jim Ramelis
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November 8, 2009 4:51 PM
Posted on November 8, 2009 16:51
I agree: it's time to open normal relations with Cuba. This is true for many reasons, and I very much like how you bring the reasons home even to the interests of Kansans. Great blog!
Posted by Peter Tramel
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November 10, 2009 2:14 AM
Posted on November 10, 2009 02:14