The following video is excerpts of a speech given earlier today by Barack Obama in front of the Cuban American National Foundation. The video from the Associated Press shows Obama bemoaning the “injustices” over several decades in Cuba and how he would change policy towards Latin America if he were elected president.
The Democrat presidential hopeful also countered criticism made against him on Tuesday by John McCain and added that “we've heard enough empty promises from politicians like George Bush and...McCain.”
Sources- The Swamp, Lynn Sweet, The Latin Americanist, YouTube
But really what change is he promising here? He says , for example, that he plans on maintaining the embargo against Cuba. Has that embargo really changed the political situation in Cuba for all the years it has been in effect
ReplyDeleteAccording to the transcript (and a Miami Herald editorial months ago) Obama said that he would relax the Bush admin's restrictions on travel to Cuba. In terms of the remainder of the embargo it seems like it will stay unless major, meaningful change occurs in Cuba.
ReplyDeleteIn short, it seems like the meat and potatoes of the embargo would remain under Obama unless serious non-material reforms occur in Cuba.
(Whether this is better than McCain's planned hard-line against the Castro admin is up for debate.)
It is a shame to think that the embargo will remain in place. It has no reasonable justification.
ReplyDeleteHowever I do think the arguement, from Obama, that the lifting of the embargo ban be used as a bargaining tool in negotiaitions with Cuba is a valid one. Not because it has ever been succesful in the past, but because the recent changing of the guard in Cuba leaves open the possibility for the type of progress the US would like to see.