This week marked another inglorious milestone for the U.S. at the United Nations. It was the 20th time the General Assembly has considered a resolution condemning the “economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.” And the 20th time it has passed overwhelmingly. This time it was 186-2, with the U.S. and Israel as the minority tandem of ignominy.
And about 1,500 miles to the south, plans were officially announced for upcoming exploratory oil drilling in the Florida Straits.
The events are very much related.
That’s because the drilling will actually be done in Cuban waters–less than 100 miles from the Florida coastline. Ironically, a 125-mile buffer zone remains in place in U.S. waters off of most of Florida’s coast. And in the wake of last year’s Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, there is obvious environmental and economic concern, if not worst-case paranoia. As has been well noted: Spilled oil doesn’t recognize political boundaries–or embargoes.
But even though there was dereliction of duty aplenty from BP to governmental-oversight entities, there remain U.S. laws and regulations in force as well as upgraded monitoring wherewithal and chain-of-command responsibility. Not so, when it’s another sovereign. Dramatically not so, when that sovereign is Cuba, with whom we don’t even have normal diplomatic relations.
Thus, when it comes to drilling south of Key West, we are leverage-challenged and largely at the mercy of foreign entities–notably Spain’s Repsol and Malaysia’s Petronas. Their prime allegiance is to the one who let the drilling and extracting contracts: Cuba.
Were we to have normal relations with Cuba, we could be on the case with additional environmental expertise, equipment and monitoring and all that falls under mutual self-interest cooperation. We could also be competing for the business. Since it’s going to happen anyhow, why not get a piece of the action while adding additional measures of safety?
Instead, we feel additional ripples from the counterproductive Cold War-era relationship that passes for contemporary Cuban-American foreign policy.
Which brings us back to the U.N. resolution vote.
The half-century-old embargo still makes the U.S. look stupid–as well as like a geopolitical bully and hypocrite. No wonder the rest of the world has a problem with American “exceptionalism.”
They see the embargo for what it is: a pandering, political grandstand that appeases the Cuban-exile base that still wields a vendetta veto over normalized Cuban-American relations.
And, yes, it is a copout for the Obama Administration to claim it inherited this failed policy from predecessors. It’s also disingenuous to recycle Bush-era rhetoric about needing to see Cuba clean up its human-rights act before we can even consider lifting the embargo and permitting unfettered American travel to that island nation. Would that we were so pristinely principled with China, Saudi Arabia or any of our other human rights-challenged global trading and security partners.
The Cuban embargo, as reflected in those U.N. votes that include our neighbors, allies and “friends,” erodes American standing in Latin America, harms our image around the world, is humanely indefensible and even costs American jobs during an intractable recession
The Obama Administration knows better, and it should be ashamed.
On most websites I frequent you would be known as a liberal troll. If your treatment of Cuba were to be allowed it would appear that we are condoning the actions of this socialist regime and affording the government the respect reserved only for freedom loving nations. While I agree that we are selective as to which nations we apply our standards, an excuse could be made as a result of the relative proximoty to our shores. In my opinion we should boycott all nations that do not live up to our standards. Yes you could say that this would leave us without very many friends, however as the old saying goes, “friends like this who needs enemies”.
Your comments regarding the drilling of oil and our missed opportunity to capitalize and control it somewhat are hypocritical to the highest degree. If we were to rid ourselves of the stifling regulations regarding our own drilling we would not be at the mercy of the rest of the oil producing nations to sell us some of their oil. What a position for the “greatest country on earth” to be in!. Yes we are the greatest country on earth, regardless of your opinion. If we were to give in to all of your liberal ideas we would very quickly become a third world nation such as the Cuba you seem to venerate. I say we build a fence around the entire country and tell the rest of the world to take a hike. We could take the money we spend on foreign aid and rebuild our defense system and not have to worry about foreign policy and what the religious freaks throughout the world are doing. Screw Cuba, Castro, Chavez and the rest of these tin pot dictators and while we are it throw Obama into the mix as a wannabe tin pot dictator.
Sr. Charron:
I almost violated my self-imposed rule to respond to those who take the time to write. You, sir, made it a challenge.
We don’t agree on America’s approach to Cuba. That’s not likely to change, but it’s important that we at least communicate.
We could normalize relations with Cuba without “condoning” anything. Certainly not human rights abuses nor an economy not even North Korea could envy. I’ve been to Cuba several times and seen for myself what an economic farce that is. No, I’m not some clueless American in a Che shirt.
Nor am I a “liberal troll” because I advocate normalized relations with Cuba. Anytime you can devise a rational, humane policy that benefits the U.S. economically and geopolitically, you’d be a fool not to implement it. Spinning a vendetta agenda that hearkens back to the Cold War era is not convincing, let alone helpful.
“Boycott all nations that do not live up to our standards?” Try participating in the global economy by trading only with Israel and Pallau.
Let’s leave it at that. We’re not destined to agree. But we don’t have to be disagreeable about it. And here’s hoping meaningful change comes soon to Cuba, and the era of the Castro brothers is relegated to the ash bin of history, where it belongs.
Sincerely,
Joe O’Neill