NOW THAT FIDEL IS DEAD and Trump wants to renegotiate — NOT CANCEL as the liberal media would have us believe — Obama’s Cuba-U.S. agreement, maybe there is a way for the Cuban expats who turned South Florida into “Cuba North” can help their homeland and — maybe — go back to Cuba (and return South Florida to Americans).
Cuba’s new president — Fidel’s brother, Raul — seems more inclined to loosen controls on the populace. Don’t expect an “American-style” democracy in Cuba — ever. It’s been tried there and always failed.
The U.S. can improve conditions for Cubans by providing them with educational opportunities in high tech. If high tech is combined with a return to at least limited capitalism, then Cuba could become an Israel in the Caribbean.
ISRAEL IS A “REVOLVING DOOR” country, with few natural resources. It has to import raw materials, do “something” with those material, and then export the finished products to “the world.”
It’s been successfully doing this for decades.
Much of Israel’s exports are high tech, although there also are many “low tech” Israeli products on shelves around the globe.
Cuba has — perhaps “had” — two natural resources: sugar and tobacco. Cuba’s cigars apparently were so good that then-president John Kennedy laid in several year’s worth of the product and only agthen instituted the embargo on Cuban products.
The problems with sugar and tobacco are two: farmers in the U.S. increased sugar cane and sugar beet production and “science” developed sugar substitutes (that may or may not be healthy alternatives). Smokers now are shunned in most societies and tobacco use is banned in most public places. (The middle east is one place where the threat of tobacco-induced cancer seems to be ignored; perhaps Cuba should consider export agreements with countries in that region.)
Cuba does have universities, but it needs technically focused schools.
The problem is: What should the schools teach?
It would not be to the U.S.’ advantage to (help) establish tech centers to train people to perform tasks detrimental to the U.S. While missile development is out of the question, perhaps components of sundry high tech systems is in order. Israel, a long-time ally of the U.S., is “allowed” to sell the U.S. high tech components for weapons’ systems. The difference between Cuba and Israel is a relatively agreeable, long-term coexistence between with the U.S. that Cuba has not enjoyed since Castro assumed control of the island.
If Cuba would — as almost ALL Communist countries have done — allow some capital ventures, perhaps — a small perhaps — some of the Cubans who promised to go back “as soon as Fidel is gone” would go back.
The Cuban expats’ return would benefit Cuba: they would bring “Yankee dollars” as well as U.S. expertise in business and possibly provide a taste of U.S.-style democracy to their fellows on the island while at the same time helping South Florida to return to America, where English is the language. I’m not sure how many expat Cubans still receive government assistance, but any reduction in the amount doled out would help the local, state, and federal budgets.
FOR THE RECORD, I am not against any non-English language being spoken at home or in the community, but I do object to a non-English language being the only language used in commerce in U.S. cities and towns. I believe people should keep their cultures and language while integrating into life in the U.S..
I don’t know what Obama promised the Castros or what Trump might renegotiate, but now seems an excellent time to send a message to Raul Castro that a Trump administration might be a good thing for Cuba, its people, and its expats in south Florida . . . even if some of the expats are against any rapprochement with the island nation. (It's OK to have trade with China and Russia — both of which threaten the U.S. economically and militarily, but not Cuba, a nation that is neither a threat militarily or economically? Strange — and petty.)
No comments:
Post a Comment