[sphinx]

As a tool of regime change, the American trade embargo has been a complete failure. The Castro government is now the longest serving in the world. But as an exercise in immiserating a small country, it has been a smashing success. Turns out that locking 11.5 million people out of the world economy does, in fact, result in radically higher prices, crumbling infrastructure and widespread human suffering.

It is amazing to find an author who does not realize that the rest of the world has been trading with Cuba for decades. We have not locked Cuba out of the world economy. We have only locked them out of the U.S. market, which is a different thing entirely.

[dfwgator]

Castro IS the Embargo.

[Stosh]

From the article:

“Everyone in Cuba desperately wants the embargo lifted.”

Here’s the point I could never understand: presumably, before the Castro boys, the Cuban economy was exploited by the Yankee capitalists, who reduced all but the elites to poverty. So you’d think they’d welcome strict separation from those dastardly Americans, especially (as you point out) everybody else can trade with them.

I wish the heck they’d make up their minds - do they want to get exploited by us, or not?