Alan Gross tragic story is an opportunity to reexamine the US-Cuba diplomatic crisis, which has raged on for far too long — with much misunderstanding, overreaction, secrecy, and paranoia along the way . . . When it comes to US-Cuba relations — a history wrought with covert coup plans, bureaucratic missteps, and Cold War-era paranoia — one struggles to know what to believe . . . [A] World Public Opinion poll suggests that 69 percent of US Americans support the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with Cuba — even if their voice is overshadowed by the opposition of hardline Cuban-Americans (PDF, p.2). Though such figures are not always reliable, a wide range of polling data suggests that the majority of US Americans support some kind of policy change . . . It is telling that recent reforms on Obama’s end, though extremely limited, constituted the most substantial diplomatic change between the two countries in 50 years — yet his administration still deems independent tourist travel to Cuba a criminal offense. Only Cuban-Americans are allowed to travel freely to and from Cuba to visit family and send remittances . . . The futile embargo has caused many unnecessary tragedies, arrests, deaths, and hardships — not to mention mountains of wasted money. Piecemeal reforms mean the status quo of secrecy and hostility remains. Last week, Gross’s lawyer reported that Gross was making arrangements to say goodbye to his wife and children — a tragic situation reflecting 50 years of botched, immature, and absurd policy.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 18:17:29 +0000
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