Pd+6+Cuba

=Editorialist: Should The Cuban Embargo Be Lifted?= I believe the Cuban Embargo should //**stay**// because for many years the U.S. embargo has served to protect America's national security interests; today it is also serving to prevent Cuba's regime from drilling near U.S. shores, and that's a plus for the environment. Cuba’s President Raul Castro and his brother, ex-leader Fidel Castro, have tried to sabotage U.S. moves to improve ties because they fear it will threaten their power. The United States shouldn't abandon the Cuban people by relaxing or lifting the trade embargo against the communist regime. Instead, the U.S. government must reject all pressures to ease the embargo until all of the objectives for it are achieved. Anything less would be unacceptable with the Cuban people, who today are among the very few people left in the world who still suffer the brutality of a communist dictatorship, not at all being U.S's fault. Obama has said the economic embargo will stay until Cuba improves human rights and frees political detainees, and Clinton said the outlook was not good on either front. “It is my personal belief that the Castros do not want to see an end to the embargo and do no want to see normalization with the United States, because they would lose all of their excuses for what hasn’t happened in Cuba in the last 50 years,” Clinton said “I find that very sad, because there should be an opportunity for a transition to a full democracy in Cuba and it’s going to happen at some point, but it may not happen any time soon.” The point of this embargo being the weaken Cuba and prove our point they clearly need us more then we need them. Why lift the embargo when the point clearly hasn't been proven yet? It won't be hurting the U.S to continue the embargo, it hurts Cuba more at the end of the day. We've waited 48 years.. The U.S could easily stand to wait another 48 years. - **Brandon Scheitrum.**

I believe the Cuban Embargo should be **__lifted__** because the embargo intended to pressure Fidel Castro to demoratize, instead, it's made a martyr and has helped proped up his regime. It is ridiculious that there are still travel restrictions after this long. The cold war is over, and Cuba is not the enemy, there are far worse countries. No democracy based on liberty should tell its citizens what country to visit or who they should trade with, regardless of the government under which they live. even though the Castro brothers, Fidel and Raul, would obtain a political victory in the very short run, the embargo could no longer be justified. Except for flooding Florida with boat people, Cuba poses no threat to U.S. national security. There is really no legit reason why the embargo is still around. The U.S doesn't want to look weak in a sense, to Cuba or any other country for that matter, so i believe that plays a huge reason in why the embargo is still there. The U.S believes Cuba should "compensate" them before even considering the embargo be lifted. Castro himself has said the embargo hurts the Cuban people to an extent that sanctions against dictator-led nations typically hurt the citizens, not the leaders, but with the embargo Castro can blame his own failed economy and the island's deplorable living conditions and the lack of food and basic supplies on capitalist greed, in other words.. blaming the U.S for Cuba's issues. The U.S should admit the embargo was a mistake and normalize relations with Cuba. It has prevented U.S oil companies from exploring the oil rich north coast of Cuba, and left the door wide open for China to take it all. It makes no sense that we get our oil from the other side of the planet. The U.S has had 48 years of failed policy. Why not try something new? Why not lift the embargo, start trading and see what happens? With that, I believe without the legitimate reasons to keep the embargo the Cuban embargo should be lifted. - **Lark Staley.**

= = =Political Cartoons: Richie Hill=

In this political cartoon cubians are trying to come into the U.S. by a plane, but the U.S. Guards stop the cubians from goin into the U.S. the U.S. guard says that it is another bay of pigs invasion, he is calling the cubians animals and is saying they are dirty. Some of the cubians are trying to give the Guard money to go into the U.S. but the Guard wont take the money so everyone has to go back onto the plane.

In this political cartoon George Bush an another politic in the white house are walking and talking about getting a stronger relationship with cuba because we might need resources that cuba as that the U.S. doesn't have. George Bush thinks that since we are letting cuba know the we wont to get a better relationship with cuba that cuba will be willing to trade.