Strange Doings Are Afoot At Babalu Today: Updated

It started with a post. Val asks what would happen if the trade restrictions and the embargo were lifted upon the death of Castro? He may be on to something. Today is chemo, and I have to leave. More, hopefully, when I get back.

The question of what should be the American policy toward Cuba is a complicated one, fraught with unintended consequences. Just when I am convinced that the only slim chance of effecting change is to seize the moment of Castro's death and introduce a dramatic new factor, I read Penultimos Dias which leads me here to an article aptly entitled "When Should the US Change Policy toward Cuba," which has a different perspective to what I've been thinking. I'm familiar with and respect at least one of the authors, so I have to stop for a minute, especially since
it makes two very good points among others-

Principles play an important role in American foreign policy and we should not callously abandon them in Cuba in the pursuit of mollifying a domestic constituency for minor economic gains or in the hope, some would argue quixotically, that trade, tourism and investments will soften a hardened dictatorship and produce a regime change toward democracy...

... If anything, the easing of economic sanctions on Cuba without major concessions from the Cuban government would send the wrong message “to the enemies of the United States” in the Hemisphere and elsewhere: that a foreign leader can seize U.S. properties without compensation; allow the use of his territory for the introduction of nuclear missiles aimed at the United Sates; espouse terrorism and anti-U.S. causes throughout the world; and eventually the United States will “forget and forgive,” and reward him with tourism, investments and economic aid. Moreover, one could argue that Cuba has an even higher burden to meet in a post September 11, 2001 world since it has clearly chosen to side with the likes of Iran and other terror states, individuals, and groups.

Food for thought.