Candidate Charlie Crist Wants US to Lift Cuba Embargo
HAVANA TIMES — Noting that it would bring many jobs to Florida, Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist now favors lifting the US embargo on Cuba.
“The embargo has done nothing in over 50 years to change the regime in Cuba,” said Crist, “If we want to bring democracy to Cuba, we need to promote American values and investment there,” he said in a statement.
The former Florida governor (2007-2011 as a Republican) has now switched parties in his attempt to regain the post in the general elections scheduled for November 2014. The primary elections are set for August 26.
The following is his answer on the Cuba question on the Bill Maher TV program.
While the embargo in itself will not bring democracy, the pre-conditions for lifting the embargo include the restoration of democracy in Cuba.
Lifting the US embargoes on Vietnam and China did not result in either of those countries becoming democracies. That’s evidence against Crist’s facile justification. Furthermore, consider the fact that the Castro regime constantly calls for the embargo to be lifted. They would not do that if they thought doing so would bring democracy to Cuba, or increase US influence. The Castro regime want the embargo lifted because the resulting increased trade will help maintain their grip on power.
Empowering despots like the Castros with increased tourism revenues, trade opportunities with the US and improved borrowing capacity will certainly lead to greater repression, increased beatings and arrests of women and expanded anti-US activities. While your argument that maintaining the embargo has not led to increased freedoms for Cubans does have historical merit, lifting the embargo is simple common sense. Giving tyrants more money NEVER leads to less tyranny.
“Crist makes the assertion that lifting the embargo will somehow bring
democracy to Cuba, yet he offers no evidence or argument as to why it
would have that effect.”
Griffin offers no evidence or argument as to why continuing the embargo will somehow bring democracy to Cuba, while 50 years of evidence points to the contrary.
Crist makes the assertion that lifting the embargo will somehow bring democracy to Cuba, yet he offers no evidence or argument as to why it would have that effect.
Furthermore, he fails to explain why lifting the embargo would bring jobs to Florida. Cuba already imports food and other products from Florida. Hundreds of thousands of Floridians already travel to Cuba every year. What would bring new jobs to Florida? The huge purchasing power of a few millions Cubans living on $20 per month?
Unprincipled political opportunists like Crist and creepy minor celebrities like Maher have their own reasons for calling for the end of the embargo, but they doesn’t seem to be based on any knowledge of Cuba.
Purely political answer. Like his party switch, he realizes that supporting the embargo will bring no new votes not already his as the democrat candidate nor already committed to the current governor. This is an appeal to the independent or undecided voter in Florida who knows nothing about Cuba but likes the sound of things like “lifting the embargo” or “normalizing relations” or “50 year-old failed policies”. If that was all I know about US/Cuban relations I would say lift the embargo too. As governor, he will have no power whatsoever to lift the embargo so this issue is good for sound bites but is not up for debate to determine who is best-suited to be Florida’s next governor. Dontcha’ love politicians! BTW, Bill Maher is no ‘Cuba expert’ either. He should have said ‘mojitos’ and not mai tais if he knew what he was talking about.
He switches opinions like he switches political parties. And now with new allegations of some sorta quid pro quo with convicted ponzi schemer, Scott Rothstein, Christs gubernatorial aspirations may be coming to an end