Cuba, not U.S., needs to make changes

Published: June 23, 2008 6:00 a.m.
Cuba, not U.S., needs to make changes
By Robert Blanton

I read the op-ed column in The Journal Gazette on June 9, "Time for U.S.
to end sad era with Cuba," by Leonard M. Goldstein and want to make some
comments to balance his article.

Goldstein stated our policy toward Cuba was "the worst foreign policy
decision we have ever made." He reports that nine U.S. presidents have
upheld the embargo. More than one president and political party have
reviewed and deemed it the correct policy.

The U.S. companies, in the past, had invested a great deal in Cuba.
Fidel Castro took over everything, and the companies lost all they had
invested. These companies had created many jobs for Cubans. However,
Castro let the railroads and industries deteriorate, and the Cubans lost
jobs.

Goldstein states that "the country's obsessive fear of communism and the
Cold War" is the culprit. I disagree. I believe that the magnitude of
the brutality, the human rights atrocities of the Castro government and
the confiscation of U.S. business properties are the real reasons.
President Kennedy stopped the Cubans from keeping Russian missiles, but
did nothing to keep Russia out of Cuba. Life and living really fell
apart in Cuba when Russia pulled out its economic support for Castro.

Goldstein makes other statements: "one has to recognize some progress";
"medical care is available to everyone"; "and small mom-and pop
enterprises are permitted."

I question where Goldstein has gathered his facts. My information has
come from Cubans who came to the U.S. in the last five to 10 years and
those visiting in the last two or three months.

They report that when Castro took power, the country went downhill.
Thousands have been killed or put into prisons for political reasons.
Farmers had their land taken away. Many farms, yet today, are abandoned
with no crops being raised. Since Russia stopped its monetary support,
the crisis in Cuba has increased.

On medical care, I'm afraid Goldstein's only source must be from the
news media that Castro uses for his propaganda. If Cuba's medical care
is so good, Canadians would be flocking to Cuba instead of the U.S.
Several doctors who have left Cuba indicate "good medical care" comments
are very misleading. The professional medical people are well trained,
but many medical supplies and medications are not available. However,
these needed supplies could easily be purchased from other countries
such as Canada.

The world has no embargo on Cuba. Canada, China, Spain and others all do
business with Cuba. So when the U.S. embargoes Cuba, why should that
bring the whole country down? The only thing Castro wants from the U.S.
is our money (the economic support lost when Russia pulled out). Other
countries do not want to prop up the government either.

Finally, Goldstein reports, "small mom-and-pop enterprises are
permitted" in Cuba. Recent visitors from Cuba tell me that the people in
Cuba think this information was more propaganda released for the U.S.
news media. They believe they will see no great change.

The fact is most people will have trouble setting up an enterprise
because the average person makes about $10 per month. If you have no
money to start a business or purchase tools and do not have access to
people who can afford to use your services or goods, how can you get
started? I'm afraid that only mom-and-pop ventures that are
government-sanctioned and close friends of the government will be started.

I hope that things will get better in Cuba, but I believe it will get
done when the Cuban government makes the necessary changes to help its
own people, release political prisoners, allow open elections, establish
a free press and allow home and land ownership. The Cuban people will
probably have to help the government along by demanding changes.

The cause of the decline of Cuba was not the embargo but Castro and his
government. Changes need to be made by the Cuban government, not U.S.
policy.

However intentioned, I believe Goldstein's article is only one side of
the story, and that is the Castro-inspired side.
Robert Blanton is a Fort Wayne resident with ties to Cuban immigrants
living in the Unites States. He wrote this for The Journal Gazette.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/EDIT05/806230306