After four decades, the people of Cuba have no inclination to become the next Iraq. In fact, our fiasco of reconstruction in Iraq is the best example of why they should not associate with us. And there are, of course, two more reasons why they will never turn north. They have been swamped with European and Canadian tourists for at least 20 years. Those tourists have provided a one-sided view of American imperialism which hasn't been pretty recently. It would have been so much better if Americans had been allowed to visit. (We really aren't that bad in person!)

And finally, there's that festering sore of Guantanamo on their soil. What an example of American democracy, to use to lure them back.

Watch the celebrations today. Most of the dancers will be geriatric, and most are destined to be pretty disappointed in the next few months as a new transition government gets elected and it becomes apparent that one man's resignation and eventual death won't change the country.

Michaela

Getting old, without your faculties or drive: that's life's bitter revenge on Castro.  Not the Americans.  I think that he and his brother thought that they had all the time in the world. They blew chances to keep the revolution alive in several generations.  It is alleged they got involved in the drug trade.  If anything, the revolution survives in his social and health programs.  Black Cubanos especially owe a lot to him (his mulatto mother was reputed to be a witch). But his human rights--including gay rights--stances suck big.

I hope that Raul is pragmatist enough to start bringing Cuba back into the real world, allowing the younger generation of socialists and Castroists to run things, freeing some political prisoners.  Because that crew in Florida--they only know about running Cuba in the 1950s, not now.  That era is fucking dead, just like Castro nearly is.  And if they try coming back there to take over things, they're going to find a rude awakening.

An untypical Negro

http://thisblksistaspage.wordpress.com

Both Obama and Dodd have been way ahead of the curve on this for a while. Hillary has been afraid of this issue, just like Bill and every other president has been forever.

Some older people might be a bit stunned by starting negotiations with Cuba but people under 40 would probably be really excited about this opportunity. It's a win-win for Cuba and the US from my point of view. This hard-headed and ineffective attitude toward our neighbor has always bothered me. I realize there have been some disagreements, but if you don't talk your problems out with your family members, you are just left with a broken and miserable family.

Lift the travel ban. Lift the money transfer restrictions. Lift the pharmaceutical trade ban. Lift the agricultural trade ban. And set some immediate human rights DEMANDS. Then once they've met some longer term conditions like their people being able to negotiate their own pay and organize unions and such, we can go ahead and open up all trade.