Will President Obama end the Cuban Embargo?

The United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo imposed on the Castro government on February 7, 1962.  The point of which is to keep hard U.S. currency out of the Cuban economy, thus strangling it and forcing democratic change on the communist island.

Obviously, the embargo has been in place for decades, but the only change in Cuba occurred when ailing Fidel Castro appointed his younger brother Raul Castro to replace him as the President of Cuba.  In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly voted to end the Cuban Embargo for a 17th consecutive year.  Cuba claims that the embargo has caused the island over $93 billion in direct economic damage from its inception until the end of 2007. 

A long-time writer about Cuba, Karen Lee Wald, has stated that the: "The United States has more pens, pencils, candy, aspirin, etc. than most Cubans have.  They, on the other hand, have better access to health services, education, sports, culture, childcare, services for the elderly, pride and dignity than most of us have within reach."

Cuba's only sin seems to be that Fidel Castro managed to create a society that serves as a successful example of an alternative to the capitalist model, and did so just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.  And despite all the hardships imposed on Cuba by misguided politicians who continue to hold on to a failed policy, Cuba continues to inspire the world.  

ARGUMENTS TO KEEP THE EMBARGO IN PLACE

1) The Castro regime has murdered many innocent people, stolen a lot of property, and put many innocent people, including homosexuals, in prison.

RESPONSE; have the war in Iraq where the United States murdered many innocent people, stole a lot of property and put many innocent people including homosexuals in prison (both as prisoners and guards) and Guantanamo Bay where most prisoners have not been found guilty by any court of law and are to be held indefinitely without access to legal counsel have been forgotten?  (The latter may be changed by the Obama administration.)  This is a similar argument offered before the invasion of Iraq... apparently the United States now has an interest in promoting human rights but not in Saudi Arabia (see Ordinary Things you, as a Woman, Could not do in Saudi Arabia) or China especially since their human rights abuses are far worse than any ever committed in Cuba.  

2) Cuba must be liberated and a democratic (capitalist) regime installed.  Why, so that Cubans can once again be exploited by American corporations just as they were during the Batista dictatorship?  

American propaganda designed to demonize Fidel Castro and his government runs so deep that for example; the Bush administration sent a note to American Internet Service Providers ordering them not to deal with six specified countries, including Cuba. This is one of several actions by Washington over the years to restrict Internet availability in Cuba, while simultaneously claiming that problems with Internet in Cuba are due to government suppression of freedom of speech on the island.  

CURRENTLY IN THE NEWS

White House officials have indicated President Obama will announce policy changes that would allow Cuban-Americans to send unlimited money back to family members, and travel freely to the island.  Obama signed legislation last month that temporarily eased the restrictions, so Americans with relatives in Cuba can now visit once a year, stay as long as they wish and spend up to $179 a day.  The Bush administration restricted visits to every three years and limited the duration to two weeks.  

Additionally, introduced on February 12, 2009 by Senator Dorgan, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, if it passes, will allow all U.S. citizens or legal residents to travel to Cuba.  The only exception would be during a time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba or if there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers.  The bill is currently under review by the Committee of Foreign Relations whose members need to understand that it is absurdly contradictory to allow Americans to travel freely to Iran, Venezuela and China but not Cuba which poses no threat at all to the security and stability of the United States.  

To date the Bill has been gained co-sponsors but is still under review by the Committee on Foreign Relations and the failed embargo against Cuba remains in place.