What Does Driving Cuba into the Ground Accomplish

 


Conventional wisdom is that sanctions against Cuba will cause the current post-Castro government out of power. One has to wonder, what kind of government will come next if that happens? A Catholic posted the plight of the Catholic operations in Cuba. Except for the wealthy in high places, the entire island is destitute. 

While conventional wisdom would tell us the current government, run by remnants of the Castros, is running things and that if citizens rise up that government will be replaced with something "better," we can wonder if that is reality. I've read that the military owes all the important assets of the island. It owns things like the source of electricity, water, etc. They pay themselves well. Where does "revolution" fit into that situation?

From this distance, it's hard to tell what difference it makes to the mighty U.S. if Cuba is run by a corrupt military or something better. The U.S. had something at stake when the Soviets were going to put weapons on the island decades ago. Neither Russia nor China seems to have any interest in Cuba today.

It seems to me we could send help, as in food and technical aid, to Cuba and have at least a small chance of influencing its direction instead of boycotts which seen to have no effect. Even if its corrupt government steals some of our aid, they can do us little harm. 

By expanding trade and dialogue with Cuba the U.S. could learn more about the island's politics and how to garner more support for the U.S. among its population. The reason this is not happening is because Cuba remains a great place for "patriotic" politicians to demonize. If the past has tells us anything, it is that demonizing Cuba will drive it into the arms of our enemies.

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