News US to normalise relations with Cuba?

[Second Summer]

US President Barack Obama has hailed a "new chapter" in US relations with Cuba, announcing moves to normalise diplomatic and economic ties.

Mr Obama said Washington's current approach was "outdated" and the changes were the "most significant" in US policy towards Cuba in 50 years.

Cuban President Raul Castro said he welcomed the shift in a TV address.

More: BBC News - Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties (17. Dec. 2014)

The US is planning to open an embassy, and prisoners have been released. 3 Cubans were released by the US, and Cuba has released the contractor Alan Gross and an unnamed intelligence agent.

However, hardliners in the US Congress say they will make sure the trade and economic embargo continues.

Personally, I don't understand the reasoning for the embargo. For example, there is no embargo on China or Vietnam, who are also authoritarian socialist nations. Or indeed, no embargo on a number of other authoritarian nations, e.g. in the middle east.

 

[Joe]

I am frankly amazed by this.

 

[Joe]

Personally, I don't understand the reasoning for the embargo.

It is a relic of the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, the Bay of Pigs and domestic politics regarding the Cuban exile community in Florida.

John F. Kennedy made some pronouncements as President to the effect that the US wanted to topple the Cuban regime. The embargo was supposed to help do this but did not prove effective.

See: United States embargo against Cuba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Second Summer]

I am frankly amazed by this.

Same - I didn't think Obama had powers to do anything much without the approval of the Congress.

 

[Mischief]

It's high time for this.

 

[Joe]

The US has legitimate concerns about human rights violations in Cuba, but whether this was the (or a) real reason for the embargo is highly debatable.

 

[Second Summer]

The US has legitimate concerns about human rights violations in Cuba, but whether this was the (or a) real reason for the embargo is highly debatable.

Yeah, somehow I'm not convinced the human rights situation was much better under the Batista regime.

 

[ledboots]

There were Cuban-Americans protesting the President's proclamation on street corners on my way home from work. They seemed mostly upset that there were no human rights improvements for the Cuban people included in the deal.

Tampa's government is mostly delighted because they believe it will bring the $$ here.

 

[yakherder]

We never had any real problems with Cuba. They were a pawn of the cold war, and it's over. Let's get over it. We've got a completely different cold war to focus on now, after all.