Yahoo! Contributor Network. By Matthew Hartmann.Only 90 miles off the coasts of the Florida Keys is a lively country that the majority of American citizens alive today haven't had the opportunity to visit.The restrictions on traveling to Cuba that have been in place since Feb. 3, 1963 are slowly beginning to be lifted after nearly five decades of using economics to weaken the reign of the Communist party in Cuba. (This has, ultimately, been a failure when one considers that although there have been multiple administrations since 1963 Fidel Castro remained in power up until a few years ago and even then he still wields a strong influence over Cuban politics.)">Yahoo! Contributor Network. By Matthew Hartmann.Only 90 miles off the coasts of the Florida Keys is a lively country that the majority of American citizens alive today haven't had the opportunity to visit.The restrictions on traveling to Cuba that have been in place since Feb. 3, 1963 are slowly beginning to be lifted after nearly five decades of using economics to weaken the reign of the Communist party in Cuba. (This has, ultimately, been a failure when one considers that although there have been multiple administrations since 1963 Fidel Castro remained in power up until a few years ago and even then he still wields a strong influence over Cuban politics.)">

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Cuba Tourism, Visits Are a Positive Development for U.S.

Yahoo! Contributor Network. By Matthew Hartmann.Only 90 miles off the coasts of the Florida Keys is a lively country that the majority of American citizens alive today haven't had the opportunity to visit.

The restrictions on traveling to Cuba that have been in place since Feb. 3, 1963 are slowly beginning to be lifted after nearly five decades of using economics to weaken the reign of the Communist party in Cuba. (This has, ultimately, been a failure when one considers that although there have been multiple administrations since 1963 Fidel Castro remained in power up until a few years ago and even then he still wields a strong influence over Cuban politics.)

Although the ability to travel to Cuba is currently only for a few unique groups such as Cuban-Americans, scholars and journalists, this is potentially the beginning of a new era of relations with a country that whether those in the United States like it or not is a neighboring sovereign state.

Although it's difficult to say what's going to happen in the long term the one obvious detail is that the trade embargo on Cuba have proven fruitless. Although the purpose of the embargo was to weaken the Castro administration and force it out of power after decades of following this policy the only people who are truly hurting are the poor civilians in Cuba. A new era has begun in which we should consider strengthening our ties with one of our closest neighbors in order to have a more peaceful coexist. In the bigger picture improving relations with Cuba would alleviate some of the Iranian influence on the Americas. Improved relations would allow our two peoples to have cultural exchanges that would allow both nations to prosper.

The continued trade embargo on Cuba comes down to one detail that must be addressed no matter how uncomfortable it may be to admit it. The vice that keeps this policy going is one of pride from a different era. The Cold War is over everywhere except for Cuba. It's time to change that and move forward to the opportunities that tomorrow may yet bring to our two peoples.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-tourism-visits-positive-development-u-1647005...

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