Beefy
Worst gambler ever
For the better part of the last 5 decades, Cuba has been under the rule of Fidel Castro. It was a very different political climate when Batista was overthrown, specifically with regard to the cold war. Batista was a bastard, but he was OUR bastard. Castro threw him out, assumed power and then was shortly thereafter faces with the dilemma of standing on his own or allying himself with the USSR, which meant going Communist. (This thread is a gross oversimplification, so spare me the details)
Next thing we knew, Castro was a Communist, the Cold War was raging, polarity was as high as its ever been between World Powers, and Washington knew it had to do something, thus the Bay of Pigs.
A huge embarrassment, a miserable failure and a predictable result for underestimating the power demand in order to overthrow something we did not have enough intelligence on nor understand. The Bay of Pigs leads to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy comes out smelling like a rose, and the embargo is given momentum.
43 years later, 5 or 6 assasination attempts later, Castro is dying. The people of Cuba are bearing the consequence of a decades old embargo, Americans are being deprived of good cigars (not joking), fine sugar, a grand culture, and all else that Cuba can offer.
Bush recently has changed the rules as well making it more difficult for families that live in Cuba to see their loved ones. He has made it more difficult on account of a 40+ year old failed policy that has not harmed the Cuban Government, but surely harmed the Cuban people.
Isn't it time we addressed the issue without a jaundiced eye?
Next thing we knew, Castro was a Communist, the Cold War was raging, polarity was as high as its ever been between World Powers, and Washington knew it had to do something, thus the Bay of Pigs.
A huge embarrassment, a miserable failure and a predictable result for underestimating the power demand in order to overthrow something we did not have enough intelligence on nor understand. The Bay of Pigs leads to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy comes out smelling like a rose, and the embargo is given momentum.
43 years later, 5 or 6 assasination attempts later, Castro is dying. The people of Cuba are bearing the consequence of a decades old embargo, Americans are being deprived of good cigars (not joking), fine sugar, a grand culture, and all else that Cuba can offer.
Bush recently has changed the rules as well making it more difficult for families that live in Cuba to see their loved ones. He has made it more difficult on account of a 40+ year old failed policy that has not harmed the Cuban Government, but surely harmed the Cuban people.
Isn't it time we addressed the issue without a jaundiced eye?
