Carter’s Cuban Visit and the U.S. Embargo

Kudos to Jimmy Carter for becoming the first American president to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution and takeover (May 13-15). As a libertarian, I remain a staunch advocate of representative democracy and basic human rights. I feel Carter’s action undermines the most damaging policy our government has undertaken to deal with Castro’s insidious regime, the Helms-Burton Act. Initiating a wide array of embargoes on Castro’s government has only served to strengthen his hold on Cuba and justify his misled despotism.

The U.S. needs to approach the democratization of Cuba in the same fashion that it has so far approached China--using free trade as a catalyst for greater freedoms. The Helms-Burton Act only tightens the tyranny of the Castro regime at the expense of everyday Cuban citizens.

Ken Wood

Agoura Hills

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Why in the world would a former president go to a communist country to bad-mouth his own country? And this while we are at war! This guy showed us all that he was a fool when we elected him, and he continues to do so. Either leave Carter in Cuba forever or send him back to the farm.

Robert D. Clay

Jamul, Calif.

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The Bush administration wants to have it both ways with regard to its claims that Cuba is creating biological weapons. As usual, a close look at the language separates spin from reality. According to President Bush’s undersecretary of State for arms control, “The United States believes that Cuba has at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort.” The word “effort” clearly implies that Cuba is actually working to this end.

Contrast this with Secretary of State Colin Powell’s attempt to backpedal when he said, “We didn’t say that [Cuba] actually had some weapons but it has the capacity and capability to conduct such research.” Well, so does my daughter’s kindergarten class. As the Bush administration continues to play the terrorist card indiscriminately for its own ends (here to undermine Carter’s visit), post-9/11 caution becomes fear-mongering and reeks of political opportunism. This sort of irresponsible spin and hyperbole is in danger of undermining the administration’s credibility at a time when vigilance and accurate assessments of the world situation are of dire importance.

Rick Krizman

Santa Monica

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If the administration is afraid that Castro would sell biotech information for money, then why not just let him trade with us for the cash? It is a win-win situation for both countries. We do not need the Miami Cubans dictating American policy anymore. Enough is enough!

Leonard Zivitz

Fullerton