The embargo of Cuba is the first thing I would end if I were president: in my opinion, it's both ineffective and unfair. It hurts only innocent people. Anyway, the US has no business trying to smother socialism.

I recently made a research about the healthcare and education systems in Cuba, and what I found was quite impressive. I believe Castro is the best thing that has ever happened to Cuba. We cannot afford to lose one of the most brilliant socialist successes in History. In my opinion, the embargo has to end. Now.

I couldn't really care less. Lifting it wouldn't do a damned thing to help the normal population of Cuba, it would just mean more money being filtered into Castro's regime.

Castro may be the best thing thats every happened to Cuba, but thats not really saying much at all. Castro and his government still sucks, just it sucks mildly less than Batista or Colonial rule.

And I feel that we can well afford to lose the current totalitarian and oppresive state in Cuba at the moment. I don't really have an affinity to a nation that gets by via jailing of thousands of political dissidents, a nation ruled by a dictator for nearly what, 50 years now, in schools that indoctrinated children.

As Blizzard said elsewhere:

Cuba's people have been freed from U.S. colonialism. They've been freed from the autocratic regime of Batista. And now one day they will be freed from the Stalinist dictatorship of Castro.

Also, because this topic has been gone over before, I'm going to quote what LP said concerning the embargo and how much it has "hurt" the Cubans

The US embargo has done more to hurt the US economy than the Cuban one. It is a stupid move, I agree; but you cannot blame the troubles of the Cuban economy on it.

Pretty much any product which Cuba cannot buy in the United States is open for purchase from Europe and elsewhere, and the EU has capitalized on this state of affairs.

The real damage to their economy comes from the fact that no one will invest in the Cuban economy. Their socialism means that companies find little reason to pour money into Cuban businesses, as nationalization threatens any possibility of returns. And that is not the result of an embargo, but because of Cuba's own policies.

I quote it because I agree with it, and LP says it better than I could have attempted to restate it.

Just two days ago, the United Nations General Assembly (for the 15th consecutive time) passed a resolution condemning the US blockade against Cuba and demanding that it be lifted.

If we go into more detail, the resolution obtained the support of one more country than last year with 183 votes for, whilst the USA, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands voted against it.

The Federated States of Micronesia abstained.

The embargo has hurt the Cuban population, and the only reason behind such a policy is that Washington despises Castro's defiance of US imperial ambitions.

Under the terms of the Helms-Burton Act, the embargo is aimed squarely at the Cuban people. In addition to blocking imports from the US and through US ports, the Helms-Burton Act also sought to deprive the Cuban people of critical imports (including food and medicine) from other countries by actively discouraging persons and companies outside the US from engaging in commercial transactions with Cuba.

For example, a Canadian businessman was found guilty (in 2002) - by a US court - of the "crime" of selling water purification supplies to Cuban hospitals and factories.

Eventually even Amnesty International, in 2003, denounced the US embargo on Cuba in humanitarian terms, calling for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the sanctions.

Even Oswaldo Paya has said that the embargo "has led to privation for most Cubans".

As Delta said, if the embargo is lifted, the money will still be going through Castro's government's hands. That said, the US has no ethical standing for the blockade (especially concerning the fact that it does business with China). In sum, it's dumb and even if it hurts just one Cuban family it should be lifted.

In all honesty, I think most people threw the idea that it had any ethical standard out the window a long time ago.

I'm not sure, honestly, how much it does hurt the regular people though. I don't know, mainly because I don't see how it would be any different if it was lifted. A few dollars might trickle down from Castro's government, but I doubt much. Any insight?

The thing is, regardless of the embargo Cuba still gets money through the US. Cuban emigres living in the US are basically now supporting their families back home, and if not for these US dollars the Cuban economy would have crashed a long time ago. I'm not sure what lifting the embargo would achieve in terms of an actual effect on Cuba's people. Regardless, we might be finding out soon if Castro dies and Raul quits the country.

To minimal effect. Cuba's external trade with nations other than the US has been pretty much unaffected by our embargo. If that weren't the case, Cuba's economy would have imploded long ago. The prices they pay are slightly higher (and profit they receive slightly lower) because of transportation and lack of US competition, but the overall effect is negligible.

If we really wanted to hurt the Cuban economy, we'd put up an actual blockade around the country and actually destroy their foreign markets. But that would be silly. As it is, the embargo is really only hurting ourselves.