Obama’s Moves Insufficient for Change
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, Sept 16 – Lifting the travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans and their ability to send remittances or packages to Cuba repairs “a grave injustice” to that population but has “a very limited reach” as far as rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, noted Cuban representatives at the United Nations.
From Cuba’s perspective, what’s top on the list for change in US-Cuba relations is the economic blockade that has caused it more than US $90 billion dollars in damage over the last half century.
However, on Monday, President Obama signed an order maintaining the blockade for another year, “in the national interest of the United States.”
Recent polls show that a majority of US citizens disagree with that appraisal and would like to see the Cold War policy finally come to end.
In October, the UN General Assembly will once again consider Cuba’s demand that the blockade be lifted. Last year 185 countries voted for the resolution telling Washington to end its time-worn policy against Cuba and only 2 countries supported the US position.
Another unresolved internal US issue being discussed on Capitol Hill is the travel ban prohibiting ordinary US citizens from visiting Cuba.
Although those of us on the left wish for more substance, so far Obama has been more about form; esecially as revealed by the choices he has made for his economic advisors; he lacks depth–or perhaps just lacks the courrage and polictical imagination to confront the real issues. I hope he can grow into the job, like F.D.R., but this is wishful thinking. Unlike F.D.R., he has no Elinor, who propelled her husband forward in confronting the critical economic and social issues of his day. I see no such depth in Michelle. Perhaps a rule of history is that the (reforming and/or renegading) members of the economic/political aristocracy make the best reformers/revolutionaries, a la the Grachii (and I say this as one who traces his roots to the working-class and lower middle class).