The basic idea around it is power politics. Cuba is somewhat isolated at this point,
Kinda isolated. True from US companies, trade, and any other corporations under the Helms Embargo Act. But they are not completed isolated. And what makes you think this embargo is even "working". Its whole point was to lessen the Castro bros power and the Communist Parties power which it has done exact the opposite. It has actually strengthened them...
and any country that has interest in giving support will be operating on exterior lines. This was a land the Soviets overextended on. All we do is encourage democracy, then leave.
Right... Democracy....
I actually gave a speech on this and will post the outline of the speech here...
US Should end the Trade Embargo on Cuba
Introduction:
Opener: A trade embargo is a law or policy a state initiates which prohibits or otherwise restricts the importation/exportation of goods. Trade embargoes are typically motivated by political, economic, moral, or environmental reasons, and used as a form of protest against another country's practices. The US government has a trade embargo on the country of Cuba, a country we grew up to hate with a passion. Why? Mostly because of Fidel Castro, and how they are a “communist state”. The United States of America’s answer to the Cuba crisis was first to invade the country in the Bay of Pigs invasion then once that failed the US imposed a trade embargo. The Cuban people have been suffering from this for many years. According to the October 26 edition of the Examiner, a political paper, the United Nations General Assembly voted to request the US to end its “illegal” embargo on Cuba. The vote came to 187 for and two against, the only two nations that voted for were the US and Israel. This is a unjust, inhuman embargo that hurts the people of this world; the Cuban people.
Introduction Transition
• Topic Background: The Cuban trade embargo is unjust and inhumane. According to a article done by Time Magazine in August, 29 1994 a news magazine, “Even the U.N. sanctions against Saddam Hussein's Iraq permit it to buy food and medicine for humanitarian reasons; to get U.S. food and medicine to Castro's Cuba, someone has to donate it.” This is being done because of Fidel Castro’s “unjust regime in Cuba” and how they are a communist state. The US trades with supposed “communist regimes” all the time, EX: China and Vietnam. The trade embargo was enacted after Cuba nationalized US corporations in Cuba. It was put into law in October, 1960. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has had little to no one to trade with. Then in 1996 the US strengthened the embargo with the Helms-Burton Act. The act extended the territorial application of the initial embargo to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba, and penalized foreign companies allegedly "trafficking" in property formerly owned by U.S. citizens, so in other words it penalizes foreign companies for undergoing trade relations with Cuba.
• Audience “Need to Know” Statement: Since we are supposedly a just nation that wants the best for the world, why should we make a country suffer because of their beliefs on how their government is ran. If we are a humane country we should live up to our name and end this embargo.
• Speaker Background: I have a great interest in United State, Cuban relations and a great interest in Cuba as a whole.
Thesis: The Cuban trade embargo should be lifted because of many reasons:
Preview Main Points: it has clearly failed to remove the Castro regime, it is inhumane; it is condemned by the UN, old and outdated, hurts Americans, and is not the right way to “reform” Cuba.
Body:
I. Reason 1: It has failed to remove the Castro regime, and help the Cuban people.
A. The very purpose of the Cuban Trade Embargo was to remove Castro. This has clearly not done that. It has actually strengthened Castro and has gained more popularity from his people. According to a Time Magazine Article titled Cuba: Castro’s Brain: Castro’s popularity has grown over time and “increased with fervor.” It is common sense to see that the embargo has failed to remove Fidel’s communist regime.
B. The Cuban embargo has hurt the Cuban people, which is the exact opposite of what the embargo was supposed to do. It is very difficult for the Cuban people to get everyday items, like batteries, beef, and aspirin. It also deprives them of important imports like medical technology for their health care system.
II. Reason 2: It is Inhumane.
A. It is just simply wrong for the US government to use food, and medical supply as being as a instrument of United States foreign policy. Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation
of human rights in Cuba described the effects of the embargo on the economic, social and cultural rights of the Cuban people as “disastrous”.
B. Cuba has fallen into a “special period”, after the fall of their main trading partner the Soviet Union. With the embargo in place Cuba was left isolated.
III. Reason 3: Condemned by the United Nations.
A. The United Nations has condemned the US embargo against Cuba many, many times. According to El Mundo a Spanish Newspaper the United Nations has” condemned the embargo as a clear violation of international law every year since 1992. A question I ask is why does the United State hold itself above the United Nations, which is basically the world. “
IV. Reason 4: The Embargo is Old and Outdated.
A. According to Al Kamen author of At 50, the Cuban trade embargo is not aging well, that the embargo had wide support at the beginnings of it, but a recent poll shows that 53% of Americans would like to see the embargo lifted.
B. The Castro regime is open to negations so logic would indicate that the US should openly deal with Cuba instead of adding the hardships to Cuba.
V. Reason 5: Embargo Hurts Americans.
A. According to Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles who wrote an article for Sound Business Journal , the embargo is hurting American farmers. In particular the embargo hurts wheat, pea, and lentil growers “by depriving them of access to Cuba’s $700 million food import market.”
B. If we are a free nation we should have the freedom to travel. The embargo puts a strict restriction on American to travel to Cuba. It is illegal for an American citizen to travel to Cuba for whatever reason it may be. Most Americans who want to visit Cuba have to do it illegal by going through a third country such as Canada.
VI. Reason 6: This is Not the Right Way to Reform Cuba.
A. This is not the right way to reform Cuba. By hurting the Cuban people and oppressing the Cuban government, which is the exact same claim we are making why we hold up the embargo is because the Cuban government “oppresses the Cuban people.”
Conclusion:
Restate Thesis: The Cuban trade embargo should be lifted because of many reasons:
Review Main Points: it has clearly failed to remove the Castro regime, it is inhumane; it is condemned by the UN, old and outdated, hurts Americans, and is not the right way to “reform” Cuba.
Closer: The Cuban embargo should be immediately lifted. It is hurting the Cuban people and is making the US look like the all controlling state. We should immediately lift the embargo if we uphold our name of being a country of justice, and hope. We are destroying the Cuban nation and the Cuban people. We should look towards diplomacy instead of sanctions to try to reform the country of Cuba.
