If the sole purpose of the embargo was to topple Castro, then yes, it's been a monumental failure. But if it was intended to hamper his ability to export revolution in other parts of the hemisphere, then it has been a resounding success.
Calls to lift the embargo are a RED herring (pun intended). Yes Castro blames Cuba's basket case economy on the US embargo. Do you think Castro MIGHT have a bit of a motive to lie about the true cause of Cuba's economic problems? Because if the embargo is not to blame, then the blame falls squarely on Castro and his economic policies.
You've argued on this thread that this is a reason for ending the embargo. By taking away Castro's scapegoat, perhaps the Cuban people will finally realize Castro is to blame for their problems and overthrow his dictatorship. This sounds reasonable, but you've overlooked the fact that when a scapegoat dies, Communist dictators simply find a new scapegoat. Anyone who disagrees ends up in jail or gets shot. If the embargo is ended, the Cuban economy will continue to tank. The difference is Castro will then blame on the US for allowing greedy capitalists to exploit his countrymen. He's done it before.
When the US traded with Cuba, Castro said that American companies like United Fruit were "exploiting" the Cuban people. Now he blames Cuba's current economic woes on the US's refusal to trade with Cuba. Are we exploiting them by not exploiting them?
The truth is Castro was lying both times. Cuba enjoyed the second highest standard of living in the hemisphere prior to Castro's Revolution. Today, Cuba has one of the lowest standards of living in the hemisphere, comparable to Haiti. Speaking of Haiti, will you join me in asking President Bush to end the US embargo of Haiti? Applying your and Castro's logic, there MUST be a US embargo of Haiti -- otherwise they wouldn't be so poor. Let's end the Haitian embargo now, for the sake of the children of course! < /sarcasm >
Incidentally, do you know why the U.S. embargo of Cuba began? The media would have you believe that the embargo was imposed at the behest of those rabid anti-Communist Cubans in Miami as a way to overthrow Castro (funny how they make anti-Communism sound like a bad thing). But that was never the case. The embargo was imposed because Castro confiscated (i.e. STOLE) hundreds of millions in assets of American citizens and companies doing business in Cuba. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the embargo was continued because it hampered his ability to foment Communist insurrections in other parts of the hemisphere.
The truth is, we stopped doing business with Castro because Castro is a thief and a troublemaker. If we're going to let bygones be bygones, then he should first return the property he stole from us and prove he's changed his evil ways.
"The truth is Castro was lying both times."
Worth repeating, great post.