McCain 'stands up to Cuba'

Why do US conservatives still harp on about Cuba as though it's some kind of material threat to the United States? Castro's presidency has never been a realistic danger to American interests in any way, except by making reactionaries more indignant than usual.

Cutting Cuba off with the embargo has been an awful policy that has only served to cement Castro's popularity by both hiding from the Cuban people what they are missing, and giving him an obvious and tangible 'enemy'.

The USSR did not disintegrate because of Reagan's incredible military spending, nor from our covert operations, nor from our support of Afghan fighters. Detente brought about the end of the USSR by slowly letting the populace know that there was more out there and that they were missing out. Once they became dissatisfied with their government, change was only a matter of time.

The Cuban situation is exactly the same; we should lift the embargo, allow trade with Cuba, end the illegal occupation of Guantanmo Bay, and wait for the Cubans to work it out for themselves. If experience is anything to go by, they will quickly realize how much they have been missing.