(Blood) Ties That Bind

There are two arguments for ending the embargo against Cuba’s Castro communist regime that I hear the most.

One is the Embargo hasn’t worked. The other, we trade with China, why not Cuba?

It occurred to me while watching a video of the ghastly results of China’s crackdown in Lahsa, Tibet that trading with China, as some people argue, doesn’t exert any influence whatsoever in preventing China from brutally crushing the peaceful protests by Buddhist monks and Tibetan citizens. On the contrary, the west is so commercially tied to Beijing, that it’s forced to basically look the other way at the abuses and brutality being perpetrated on the peaceful and unarmed Tibetans by a ruthless military lead by a bunch of totalitarian oligarchs.

They way I see it, not having binding economic ties with the current Cuban regime, allows the US the freedom to condemn any brutality without any ecomomic repercussions like those that could potentially occur in the relationships with China and Venezuela, for example.

Take a look at these images-Warning-they are graphic-. Does it seems that having strong commercial ties with China has brought about a more open and tolerant society? Obviously other than giving the Chinese lots more hard currency to continue to invest in implements of oppression, it hasn't.




You have to wonder if the profits that the Chinese Regime made the Christmas lights that you bought in December could have gone to buy the bullets that killed these innocents or the trucks to move their troops into position or the fuel that got them there...

Essentially doing business with tyrants rather than oppose them at every turn, ultimately makes you complicit in the innocent blood that they spill.

So no, the Embargo hasn't gotten rid of Castro. But it has worked in isolating Cuba's totalitarian regime and put the US on the right side of history and humanity. Ironically it is usually those floks that always argue that the US is always on the wrong side and is to blame for everything, that argue the loudest to build ties with the Cuban regime.

When the day comes when Raul unleashes his dogs on the Cuban citizens at least some of us we'll have the piece of mind of knowing that none of the weapons used against our brethren weren't bought with our money.