End to the embargo will unleash free enterprise forces
07/20/2000
There's a lot of Brer Rabbit in Fidel Castro. Even as the communist
dictator demands that the United States end its 38-year-old embargo, he
knows that it provides him with an excuse for Cuba's penury.
But there's one big difference between the furry quadruped in Uncle
Remus' tale and Mr. Castro. Brer Rabbit actually wanted to be thrown into
the briar patch, though he begged the fox not to, because he knew that it
would be his salvation. The Cuban tyrant demands that the United States
end the embargo despite knowing that it would contribute to his undoing.
The United States is too smart to allow itself to be suckered so. It should
end the embargo. Then it should watch as Mr. Castro tries to cope with
the flood of U.S. tourists and businessmen, the stampede of U.S. cellular
telephones and computers that would ultimately undermine his rule.
Congress is considering legislation that would lift the embargo on sales of
food and medicine. It is too little, but it is a start.
The version that has already cleared the Senate would permit food and
medicine sales as long as no U.S. government financing is provided. The
House version, which still awaits final approval by that body, would permit
no U.S. financing – public or private – whatsoever. It would also restrict
the president's discretionary power to allow more Americans to visit Cuba.
The Senate version is best. It makes no sense to restrict U.S. financing if
Cuba has the money for its purchases. As Sen. Jesse Helms says, every
dollar Mr. Castro spends on U.S. food and medicine is one less dollar he
has to make trouble. The North Carolina Republican and chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee is an archcritic of Mr. Castro.
Furthermore, it makes no sense to hinder the president's discretion on
allowing visits to Cuba when those visits give average Cubans a glimpse of
how disadvantaged and persecuted they are.
More and more, the embargo is looking like a dangerous and silly
abnormality. Recently, the United States concluded a trade agreement with
Vietnam; the agreement awaits Congress' consideration and is expected to
pass. The United States also relaxed its trade sanctions against communist
North Korea. And the Senate is expected to follow the House's lead in
granting permanent normal trade relations to communist China. All of these
agreements are popular because they would spread free enterprise and
democracy.
If them, why not Cuba? The answer: the powerful anti-Castro lobby in the
United States. But that shouldn't stop Congress from doing what's in the
interest of all Americans, not just a vocal few.
Let's give Mr. Castro his wish. And then let's watch him wish that we
never had.
dallasnews.com
Further on the Viet Nam analogy - guess who opened up a stock exchange today - dailynews.yahoo.com
Trade with them - in goods, services, ideas ... clearly this works better than napalm and blockades. |
