The economic embargo against Cuba has been nothing but 49 years of abject failure and hypocrisy; the embargo enacted in 1960 hasn't produced one single iota of change in the Cuban government as it was intended to do by the US government at the time and every Administration since. The embargo was supposed to hasten the fall of the so-called "communist" government in Cuba, even though US law does not provide any definition of what a "communist" country is. (1)

Yet, the US does business in, has relations with and allows citizens to travel to many other so-called "communist" countries and even terrorist states. US citizens are allowed to do business with and travel to China, North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Syria and Vietnam.(2) How can the US government logically justify the fact that it allows trade and travel with countries that have killed at least 85,000 Americans (China, N. Korea, Vietnam) but does not allow trade or travel with Cuba.

The US government attempts to restrict and sanction other countries from doing business with Cuba, as well, it opposes Cuban membership in any international financial institutions and in international bodies such as the Organization of American States along with several other unfair, unjust and illegal conditions it tries to impose on Cuba that it does not impose on other countries. (3)

Scores of US and world leaders such as former President Carter and Pope John Paul II have supported ending the embargo against Cuba. In fact, every year since 1992 the United Nations has condemned the embargo against Cuba as a violation of international law. Even the allies closest to the US like the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan have consistently voted in favor of ending the embargo. Over the past several years these votes have become overwhelmingly in favor of the US ending the embargo, in 2002 the UN voted 173-3 - In 2004 179-3- In 2005 182-4 - In 2007 184-3 - In 2009 187-3 (4)

In the United States, over the course of the last decade, people have unanimously been in favor of ending the embargo, restoring normal relations and the elimination of travel restrictions established against Cuba. Several leading public opinion polls have made it clear that the American people feel that it is definitely time to "move on", for example-

In 2001 the Cuba Policy Foundation poll showed that 60% of people were in favor of ending sanctions.
In a Zogby poll from October 2008 60% were in favor.
Fox news poll Jan. 2009 59% were in favor and a CNN poll Apr. 2009 64% were in favor.
April 2009 Gallop poll 51% were in favor; Insider Advantage poll April 2010 61% were in favor of ending sanctions.

The most amazing aspect of the embargo that people do not know about is the fact while it does hurt Cuba, it actually costs the US considerably more in economic terms. American businesses are losing 4.5 BILLION dollars annually in lost sales and exports because of the embargo. (5) In addition, the US government spends 27 million dollars a year broadcasting TV and Radio Marti to Cuba even though the signals are completely blocked by the Cuban government; this alone has cost American taxpayers half a billion dollars over the past 20 years.(6)

In these most difficult of economic times we as a country can ill afford to keep squandering and losing this kind of money that we so desperately need to improve our economy especially when the rationale behind it all makes absolutely no sense at all! It is finally time to end this senseless, counterproductive and asinine policy that does nothing but hurt ordinary people and makes the US look like even more of a bully in the eyes of the rest of the world!

If you agree with this and want to end this insanity, there is something you can do about it. First, share this information with your family, friends and neighbors; second, you and others should call and/or write your state and national lawmakers and tell them that you support ending this madness and that they should as well!

SOURCES/REFERENCES: (1) Congressional Research Service, October 2009 (2) US Government Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Requesters, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, November 2007 (3) H.R. 927 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (4) United Nations News Center (5) Cuban Policy Foundation (6) Council on Hemispheric Affairs