The United States and Cuba: An Embargo for the Ages Essay -- Essays P

The United States and Cuba: An Embargo for the Ages Cuba’s colorful history can be documented to before the days of the American Revolution in 1776, but today, American policy directly affects many Cubans’ lifestyles because of a nearly 45-year-old trade embargo that has been placed on the island nation. It is crucial to analyze the development of Cuba and its neighboring island nations in order to discern the reasons for Cuba’s current political situation with the United States. The following paper will discuss the events that shaped Cuba and larger Caribbean nations like Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica; next, a detailed description of Cuba’s turbulent history will help in explaining the Cuban transformation into a socialist economy; then, a detailed account of the U.S. embargo on Cuba will document the ups and downs of the policy all the way to the present day; finally, the current news surrounding American-Cuban relations will depict the most recent happenings in the ongoing disputes between t he two nations. Before analyzing the situation leading up to the Cuban embargo, it is important to look at the history of the development of the Caribbean as a whole. This means analyzing the factors that led to the modern development of islands like Hispaniola (consisting of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, and of course Cuba. It is also essential to observe and examine the economic and social changes that resulted from these islands’ shifts from colonial outposts to independent producers. It seems important to look at all of these islands separately, as each one has its own unique background that explains its place in the world today. These islands also share many strikingly similar characteristics. Up... ...n that U.S. businessmen want to trade with Cuba. The problem lies behind the interests that drive the U.S. government, and until those interests are satisfied, it is doubtful that this embargo will go anywhere anytime soon. References http://story.news.yahoo.com http://www.countryreports.org http://www.cubatravelusa.com http://www.dominicanrepublic.com http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Jamaica_History.asp http://www.factrover.com/Jamaica.html http://www.haiti.org http://www.hispaniola.com http://www.historyofcuba.com/cuba.htm http://www.uscubacommission.org/history.html http://www.ustreas.gov http://www.worldrover.com http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-26-us-cuba_x.htm http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ Kaplowitz, Donna Rich. Anatomy of a Failed Embargo. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998.