DALE McFEATTERS: The right to travel to Cuba

[Say_What]

<clips>

(SH) - The United States has had a trade and travel embargo on Cuba for 41 years, and as a critic of that policy, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., puts it, "At some point, we need to concede that our current approach has failed and try something new." Exactly.

But President Bush, perhaps with an eye to the Cuban-American vote in states such as Florida and New Jersey critical to his re-election, has opted to revert to the same old, same old.

He intends to impose tighter travel restrictions on Americans wanting to travel to Cuba.

This is wrong in principle. Absent compelling reasons of national security, clearly not at issue in hapless Cuba, Americans should be free to travel wherever they want.

<http://www.tricityherald.com/24hour/opinions/story/1027135p-7206756c.html>

[GainesT1958]

1. I've never understood this one...

Every other Western democracy allows its citizens to travel to Cuba;

The United States allows its citizens to travel to Communist nations, excepting only Cuba and (for good reason) North Korea;

When the U.S.S.R. existed, U.S. citizens could travel freely to it, restricted in travel within the U.S.S.R. only by Soviet authorities;

The same applies to the Peoples' Republic of China, where we face virtually NO travel restrictions save for their military installations and government buildings;

We can now travel freely to--and we diplomatically recognize--the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, a Communist nation against which we fought a ten-year, bloody, bitter war;

Cubans can travel here--restricted mainly from our military and "national security-related" areas;

It would behoove EVERY Cuban immigre in South Florida and elsewhere to be able to travel to Cuba freely;

Travel promotes understanding---what is it about Fidel Castro and today's Cuba that we're so afraid to allow our citizens to understand? Does the current malAdministration think that all who travel there will suddenly become converts to Fidel's "Revolution", or something? After all, nothing he's told any Canadians seems to have worked on THEM!:eyes:

Restricting travel--and trade--to Cuba only promotes Fidel's ability to hang on to power until he dies, and them perpetuates his would-be successors. It does NOTHING to instill democracy, curb human rights abuses rampant under his regime, or make Cubans still living there love the United States and yearn for his deposition. In fact, it HURTS the cause of those trying to overturn his authoritarian abuses of their fellow citizens--is that what we want?:mad:

Let us travel to and trade with Cuba--like everyone else in the "free world"! When it comes right down to it, why should we, in effect, let Fidel Castro stand in the way of those things?

B-)

[Mika]

2. Fidel Castro stands in the way?

GainesT1958, I agree 100% with your sentiment to end the US embargo and travel sanctions placed on us by our government, but, having been to Cuba myself many times including during the 1997-98 elections, I don't agree with your characterizations of Cuba and Cubans.


First you ask this..

"Travel promotes understanding---what is it about Fidel Castro and today's Cuba that we're so afraid to allow our citizens to understand? "



The truth is what our government doesn't want Americans to see for themselves..


then you follow with this,

"Restricting travel--and trade--to Cuba only promotes Fidel's ability to hang on to power until he dies, and them perpetuates his would-be successors. It does NOTHING to instill democracy, curb human rights abuses rampant under his regime, or make Cubans still living there love the United States and yearn for his deposition. In fact, it HURTS the cause of those trying to overturn his authoritarian abuses of their fellow citizens--is that what we want?"


The Cuba you are describing isn't the real Cuba. The Cuban people would never tolerate a dictatorship nor rampant human right abuses for 40+ years. To even entertain such a though (especially after Cuban's perfomance at ousting a powerful US backed bloodsoaked Batista dictatorship) is pure fantasy, made possible only by ignorance of what Cuba and Cubans are really like.


Having been to Cuba many many times its easy to see from your post filled with presumptions and unsubstantiated accusations (iow, US gov/CANF propaganda) that the US government campaign to keep Americans from seeing Cuba for themselves has worked.


"why should we, in effect, let Fidel Castro stand in the way of those things?"


President Castro isn't the one standing in the way. Its us. Dems and repugs. President Castro has been promoting the idea of ending the US embargo since day one.