On Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, Governor Charlie Crist shockingly stated he’d like the Cuban Embargo lifted. This is a contradiction of Crist’s longstanding view on the issue from when he was a member of the Republican Party, but a welcome change.
Let me state first off I oppose economic sanctions and embargoes in all but the most extreme cases. I am a strong opponent of the sanctions the US had on Iran currently and have strongly opposed divestment legislation at the state level. I have often wondered why conservatives who claim to love the free market impede free trade so regularly for political reasons. History has proven sanctions and embargoes generally DO NOT work.
From a policy standpoint what Crist is articulating makes too much sense. Cuba would be a natural market for American and in particular Floridian goods, while providing an opportunity for families to visit one another. Also, from a historical standpoint most economic embargoes fail. The British led embargo on Italy following the invasion of Ethiopia did virtually nothing to stop Mussolini’s aggression, sanctions against Rhodesia and South Africa for racist policies probably played little role in the eventual downfall of those white minority governments and thirty-three years of US led sanctions against Iran have done less to cripple the Iranian economy nor the pariah behavior of Tehran’s fundamentalist religious regime than its proponents claim. Only when western European countries joined the sanctions regime in recent years did it have an impact.
The US sanctions against Cuba have been long viewed as a joke in western Europe, and arguably have done little over a half century to modify the behavior of the Cuban regime. Since President Clinton signed the embarrassingly onerous Helms-Burton law in 1996 which among other things aggressively sought an international embargo against Cuba, trade between Western Europe and the Communist regime in Havana has more than doubled according to the Financial Times.Tourism from Europe to Cuba is most certainly up significantly since that law was signed by President Clinton though I could not find a statistic to verify this.
More recently we have seen data that attitudes towards the embargo have even shifted within the large Cuban-American community in southeast Florida. While most Florida politicians in either party have been scared to step out on this issue, Crist could help lead the way to some sanity in our policies towards one of Florida’s closest neighbors. His courageous stand hopefully will give cover to other elected officials and public figures who know it is the right thing to do.
The Florida Squeeze 
Courage? All but a tiny minority of South Florida Cuban-Americans have wanted the embargo lifted for years.
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No prominent Florida politician with the exception of Kathy Castor and prior to that Jim Davis have advocated this position actually. Democrats have run SCARED on it for years. E. Clay Shaw flirted with this position at one time then backed off when it was obvious the Democrats would use it against him. I do think it is courageous. Maybe done for political expediency like everything else Crist has done in his public career, but this is one most of us can embrace.
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Nan is also a proponent of ending the embargo, however only the Feds. have the power.
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True…be nice if DWS etc, took a similar stand. Too scared to. Nan is right on every issue it seems. Too bad others in Broward lack the courage to step forward on this important matter.
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There is something to say about electing an elder statesman or woman who has no ulterior motive and wants to make our state and nation a better place.
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Unfortunately, the Democratic establishment will NOT come out and support Nan Rich. She supported lifting the embargo when Chain Gang Charlie was against it. She was in favor of Gay Rights when Chain Gang Charlie was against it. She was in favor of OPEN adoption when Chain Gang Charlie was against it. She supported WOMEN when Chain Gang Charlie hid his head and refused to take a stand.
The DEMOCRATIC PARTY of, and in, FLORIDA best reconsider its positions. NAN RICH has ALWAYS been on the side of the DEMOCRATIC PARTY platform…Chain Gang Charlie continues to “evaluate” his position on DEMOCRATIC VALUES as we speak, and write. If it’s good for Chain Gang Charlie, he will support it. If it HINDERS his political futire, he will not speak a word in favor…regardless of the DEMOCRATIC PARTY position.
NAN RICH for GOVERNOR of FLORIDA…the ONLY Democrat in the race.
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Courage!
http://cltampa.com/politicalanimal/archives/2014/02/11/mitch-perry-report-21114-new-poll-shows-support-everywhere-in-us-to-end-cuban-embargo#.UvodGPZSlgo
A new poll from the Atlantic Council published today shows 56 percent of Americans and 63 percent of Floridians support changing U.S. policy toward Cuba. The sentiment is even stronger amongst Miami-Dade county residents (64 percent), the citadel of anti-Castro sentiments.
Although support is strongest amongst Democrats, a majority of Republicans (52 percent) also believe in changing the policy. The poll also shows even stronger support across the board on eliminating the travel restrictions that make it prohibitive to get to the island.
The Castro regime’s abysmal human rights record is cited as the main factor why the policy shouldn’t be changed.
So, does this mean anything? Yesterday in Seminole, both Marco Rubio and David Jolly said they’re quite content to maintain the current embargo, though Rubio said he respected those who felt differently. Trust me, a new poll isn’t going to change his feelings. But consider it just another small step in leading the country to a consensus that the old way isn’t working. But does it have to move at such a glacial pace?
As mentioned above, Senator Rubio (who weirdly doesn’t get out to the Tampa Bay area much) joined David Jolly at a campaign event yesterday in Pinellas County. Jolly took a shot at the Tampa Bay Times when asked about the perception that he’s more conservative than the man he’s trying to succeed in Congress, Bill Young.
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Nan Rich gave her position on Cuba on Feb. 5th well before Crist flip flopped on this one: “If you’ve done something for 51 years (and it hasn’t worked), we should try something else,” she told a group of about two dozen students and other supporters at Plant Hall on the University of Tampa campus. http://cltampa.com/politicalanimal/archives/2014/02/05/nan-rich-says-she-supports-engagement-with-cuba#.Uv2-3vldWN9
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Charlie done good here. Too bad that after he endorsed ending the embargo he went ahead and endorsed Jebbie for President. Go figure!
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