I am so tired of a small group of Cuban emigres dictating our lost policy toward the poor island. Seriously, I mean, we trade with China, we used to deal all the time with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries. Shoot, we were one of the few countries in the world to recognize the Khmer Rouge in Kampucheam just to spite Vietnam. And we refuse to even glance ninety miles south of Florida because a bunch of wealthy refugees insist that Cuba is somehow qualitatively more horrible than they ever could have been. The fact that Fidel Castro managed to outlast, and even outlive, most of the American Presidents who sought his ouster should have been enough a quarter century ago to give the embargo the old heave ho.
Cuban policy has always held all sorts of other worthy projects hostage, and cost us money. Ronald Reagan set up Radio Marti, and the Cuban government managed, with little effort, to block the signal. Yet, despite the fact that no one in Cuba could hear it, it continued to be funded - and perhaps still is - because of the Cuba lobby. Now, Robert Menendez, Democratic Senator from New Jersey and a Cuban emigre himself, is "sending a signal" to the Obama Administration not to touch that holy of holies, the Cuba embargo, by putting a hold on some of the President's nominations to head up science offices.
Here's my idea. Obama simply bypass the Senate, and officially recognize the current Cuban government, reserving the right, as is always the case, of criticizing certain policies and practices of the current regime, headed by Fidel's brother and longtime successor Raul. Once done, and all the howling from south Florida is over and done with, we might notice that the world hasn't ended. Then this kind of happy crappy can stop.
