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This week, Fidel Castro announced that he would not seek to continue his presidency of Cuba, nearly 50 years after taking control of that island nation. Like any world leader, Castro’s regime has had its good points - such as universal health care and higher education for all, and its deplorable points - such as human and civil rights abuses and less than transparent elections. He was welcomed initially as a liberator, ridding Cuba of the despotic Batisa regime, and eventually became a polarizing figure in his own nation, jailing dissidents and inducing others to flee to Florida, some 90 miles to the north.
However, what Castro should represent in 2008 is an object lesson to the west, especially to the United States, which has sought to change his regime, even to the point of attempting to assassinate him several times during his long tenure. In addition to the abortive invasion of the Bay of Pigs and the multiple failed assassination attempts, the U.S. has tried to use its greater financial position to force Cuba to accept American democracy and - more importantly - American capitalism. Nearly half a century of embargo has failed to alter Castro’s regime; indeed, it has strengthened it by increasing nationalism among the majority of Cubans.
And the elderly Cuban leader is now retiring, under his own terms, having thumbed his nose at ten American presidents. If his health had permitted, he probably would have outlasted ten more.
Cuba is a microcosm for the failures of American foreign policy, especially in the last 50 years. It is essential that we as a nation learn that our model of democracy and capitalism is perhaps not the best possible model for all nations in the world. We cannot possibly hope to communicate with other nations, let alone solve the problems between us, if we hold that all political and economic models are inferior to our own.
Compared to our generational struggles with religious militantism in the middle east, Castro’s Cuba resembles a pleasant walk in a tropical park. This greater crisis will soon eclipse whatever minor irritation the United States felt from Cuba (with the notable exception of the missile crisis 45 years ago). But unless we learn the lessons of why we failed to effect change in little Cuba, right in our own dooryard, we will never succeed in the coming struggles half a world away. In Cuba, we had the advantage of sharing religion and culture, at least historically. In the middle east, we have neither advantage.
It is essential for us to look at Cuba and see why we failed to sway Castro and the majority of Cubans who live there. When we figure that out, we may see why we are not winning hearts and minds in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will be unlikely to do so in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Pakistan, either. The hallmark of intelligence ... including an intelligent foreign policy ... is learning from one’s mistakes.
Let’s consider our policy toward Castro’s Cuba a mistake, and learn from it.
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