It's amazing what illness and Easter will do to a blog. Yes, there weren't any posts this weekend, but on the other hand, nothing too incredibly significant occurred. The Obamas got a lump of fuzz, the captain was rescued by American sniping, some cable news-worthy trials and celebrity musings occurred, but nothing that will forever change the course of human history went down, unless Mel Gibson being single again signals a turning point in human progress.
One very interesting matter seems to be inching closer and closer to a boil, that being the pointlessly contentious matter of of U.S.-Cuban relations. The Obama administration is now toughening up its pressure for the 47-year embargo against our tiny Commie neighbor to be slowly lifted. According to the AP, first those of Cuban descent will be granted visitation rights and the ability to transfer money, and then eventually the island could very well be open to American tourists.
This, despite what those of us who mumble about Red heathens in our sleep may think, is a change in policy that has been long overdue. Who, exactly, does the embargo serve to benefit? It doesn't help the people of Cuba, it merely allows the government to further consolidate what limited resources the country has and makes it a sort of rallying cry for the rest of the world's bumbling socialists like Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. It doesn't really do America any good, it's not like keeping Cuban goods out of the country protects our own industries or serves any legitimate economic interest.
It's really just a vestigial limb, a leftover from antiquated Cold War dogma. In effect, it's just the same as a jerky little kid pulling up the rope ladder to his tree house and sneering at that little Castro kid from down the road because he smells like cigars and has a beard at a freakishly young age.
This ties in to something that has always amused me, that being the idea that most folks in favor of policies like those in place with Cuba, believe that American ideals are the best, that Old Glory represents everything that's good and golden in life and eventually everybody should be privy to those same principles. Fair enough. But when a country or its government doesn't agree with said ideals, the gut reaction is to retract behind bunkers and throw snide remarks at them or ignore their existence altogether. If we're really so great (and obviously so, given that without the Soviet Union Cuba has been mired in economic stagnation) why not open up communication and the borders and allow our goods and people to intermix in a great melting pot, with everything nice and tasty floating to the top?
Oh, I remember now. They're pinko Commies.