[Blueface]

Originally Posted by markem

The article that Poker linked (thanks, Kelly!) attempts to paint a specific picture of Cuba in about 2000. It may or may not be accurate (suspect some of both). My read is that it is a "sway piece" written for a specific aim and audience, although the writer isn't quite up front about it. Lots of ways to read it, so lots of possible aims and/or audiences.

That all said, accurate information on the state of the Cuban economy, conditions for the average citizen, etc. is available. Lots of first hand reporting by the countries (nearly every one besides that US) that have relations with Cuba. The Canadian press has been pretty good about balanced reports, or so it seems to me.

My question would be this: are there any countries similar to Cuba (in terms of political structure, state of the citizens, etc.) with whom the US has relations or is in the process of seriously pursuing relations? I think that the answer is 'yes' and that begs a second question: why are normal relations with Cuba not an active part of US policy? Why is Cuba being treated differently?

Normalizing relations with China in the 70s could be seen as the driving force behind the modernization of China and the growth of the democracy movement there. Could the same happen with Cuba?

The one thing that I will toss out there is that if there was unrestricted travel to Cuba from the US, the amount of money flowing into the economy and the substantial contact between the peoples of the two countries would eventually have an impact on both countries. I would hope that the impact would be beneficial for the average Cuban citizen.

Here is your answer Mark assuming we believe what the article states.
4. The embargo causes intense suffering and many deaths. Wrong! In fact, almost no other country observes the embargo. Certainly, it causes problems, because America should be a closer and cheaper source of many things Cuba, which is an island of limited resources, regularly buys. But Mexico is just as close. Venezuela, a major oil producer, is now very friendly. Cuba makes most of its own medicines; I ask in every pharmacy I pass and they always tell me they fill virtually all prescriptions; and when I went to the Ministry of Health and asked for a list of actually critical medical needs, I got a very short list. Most importantly, the absence of any general suffering in Cuba is dramatically visible to the naked eye.

I love it.
I have to tell all my family and friends to stop sending all the medications they do. There is ample down there and we are getting bad information. Our relatives have been lying to us when they tell us they don't have novane for teeth extraction.