Why hasn't the U.S. attempted to establish relatively peaceful relations with Cuba, especially in recent history?
Posted by 98Saman@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 115 comments
Why does the U.S. continue to impose an embargo on a relatively weak and poor country facing numerous challenges, especially when communism is widely unpopular what the fear of spreading Soviet style regimes is so low these days? The sanctions seem to harm ordinary citizens more than the government. Moreover, why is Cuba treated as the primary enemy, while the U.S. maintains favorable relations with other socialist or authoritarian regimes?
VULCAN_WITCH@reddit
Obama did
98Saman@reddit (OP)
It’s interesting once Trump came into power he undo all of these decisions, I think it could have been something that lead to peace (one thing which Trump likes to brag about) instead of the endless hostility. Everything in the US is polarized these days..
JimDandy_ToTheRescue@reddit
The Cuban government needs to realize that all they need to do is massage his exceedingly fragile ego and he'll do whatever they want. Russia and North Korea certainly figured that out.
prowler28@reddit
Muh Russia!
albertnormandy@reddit
Independence from America specifically is one of the core tenets of Cuban Nationalism. I think they'd rather starve than kiss the ring of the President.
prowler28@reddit
That's not entirely accurate. Trump was feeling the waters for a little bit, but then a little-known thing known as Havana Syndrome became an issue. That's largely when Trump cut them off.
notthegoatseguy@reddit
Trump did not undo everything. Americans can still travel to Cuba for one of 12 declared reasons, one of which is "Support for the Cuban people".
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
You realize an embargo is not a blockade, right? Other countries and non-American companies can and do conduct trade with Cuba.
DistributionNorth410@reddit
I think that's part of the issue. Cuba is a basket case despite massive aid from communist countries. So theoretically should be doing better no matter what the u.s. does. I kind of think that the unspoken policy is to have Cuba in crappy shape as a lesson in how fairly hard line communism doesn't work very well.
Fuzzy_Ad3725@reddit
Cuba Can’t trade with America, and if a ship decides to trade with Cuba they are bared from entering the US for around a year, this would destroy any economy especially since the us was Cuba’s largest trading partner before the revolution.
DistributionNorth410@reddit
That's the irony of a situation when a capitalist society is getting blamed for a communist society's economy sucking. That's why, in my opinion, there has been reluctance to play nice with Cuba by the U.S. It's great capitalist propoganda.
Fuzzy_Ad3725@reddit
its great capitalist propaganda to purposefully make people's life worse. you are a terrible person outside of these left vs right debates you are just a horrible human being you only value human life in terms to push your ideology, get some help dude.
DistributionNorth410@reddit
Please re-read my comments carefully. I was offering my perspective on why I think the policies have been maintained. If it was up to me that wouldn't be the case.
Beyond that I think that fingers should be pointed in a lot of different directions for the conditions in Cuba. Rather than putting it all on one boogeyman.
Didn't Fidel make the Forbes list of richest people in the world at one point? I doubt that any of the current leadership is living on beans and rice or driving 70 year old cars with a million miles on the engines.
Fuzzy_Ad3725@reddit
Fidel made the richest countries list because they counted the entire gdp of Cuba as his net worth, not because he just had so much money.
what’s your point on the second point, how many countries of Any system do the government representatives live like the Average person, I don’t see any us congress member driving a 07 Prius or do I see any member of the British parliament not turning their heating on, it’s just how things are even without the corruption in every system politicians are usually smarter/highly educated so they make more money, or start out wealthier so they can devote more time and money to politics.
DistributionNorth410@reddit
Nah, Fidel's wealth calculation was a bit different than that. But reminds me a bit of the tele-evangelist whose mansion, yacht, vacation home and fleet of luxury are actually "ministry property."
My point was that corrupt leadership locally was/is one of the many things that people could point fingers at in terms of Cuba's condition. If one is going to comment on the plight of the people in an objective manner. Fine living is kind of expected when it comes to British and American political leadership. Not so much in a workers' paradise like cuba At least theoretically.
This has been an interesting conversation, but has gone afield from my original comments. Time to call it a wrap.
Take care.
Lamballama@reddit
Cubas government rejected china telling them to lay off the hardline stuff to use the Chinese model
shaunrundmc@reddit
They did under Obama, Trump immediately trashed it amd tripled down on the bullshit.
ThisPostToBeDeleted@reddit
I had a friend tell me we need our massively inflated military budget to protect us from them for some reason
Accomplished_Rush182@reddit
If they want the embargos to end they can adopt democracy
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
Because Cuba is still a horrible country with many human rights violations. The most supportive of US embargoes and tariffs on Cuba are Cuban refugees.
djinbu@reddit
Yeah, but the US literally doesn't care about human rights violations at all.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
Clearly, because the US wouldn't have a net positive immigration rate with literally all but one country in the world if they didn't care about human rights violations.
notthegoatseguy@reddit
I think there is a point to be made that we're happy to deal with many other countries with iffy human rights issues like China, Trump even met with Kim Il Un twice, but Cuba is completely different for some reason.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
Well, if we're going by that metric I don't think any country's hands are clean there. Cuba's probably different because we have little incentive, militarily or economically, to not intervene with the Cuban government's atrocious treatment of its citizens.
djinbu@reddit
No matter how you look at it, the only times The US even remotely cares about human rights issues is when they're looking for an out or reasons to choose sides. Which means the US doesn't actually care.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
This scholar seems to disagree
Do you have examples of other countries doing any better than the US in terms of Humanitarian interventions outside of the relevant country's national interest?
djinbu@reddit
I don't care who dishes. The US regularly supports countries committing hymen rights violations. The US has a history of committing human rights violations. Civicus literally just added the US to the human rights violation watch list.
You don't get to commit, help commit, and or supply/fund sunroof clothing human rights violations and claim to care about them. We literally have a prison in another country that we don't like or trust solely so we don't have to follow our own laws and get to torture prisoners. Those are not the actions of a country concerned in the slightest about human rights.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
"The US has a history of committing human rights violations."
Can you name a single country that hasn't?
"Civicus literally just added the US to the human rights violation watch list."
Because Trump dismantled DEI, Justified, honestly considering DEI is just racism but for anyone who isn't white. He is not hindering anyone of different ethnicities from achieving positions, he's making it so they don't have it easy just because they were born with a certain skin color. That's no human rights violations, that's equality. It's so stupid that I have to explain why DEI is not a good thing.
djinbu@reddit
Dude. You're just trying to justify the violations. "Look, we do good stuff, too." I'm glad we do good stuff, too. But it's the bad stuff I want stopped, not the good stuff. We don't have to supply genocides. We don't have to launch coups. We don't have to leverage resources out of others. You're never going to get me to say "stop helping people," but you're not young to convince me that hurting people is helping them no matter how many weird justifications you want to provide.
Stop justifying atrocities.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
"Dude. You're just trying to justify the violations. "Look, we do good stuff, too.""
I am not, I'm just saying we're better than most countries, and that by-and-large human rights violations shouldn't be your biggest concern about the United States. I'm not saying they don't exist, but once again, calling out the US for doing something literally everyone else does- or what everyone else without question would do in our position- is selectively petty.
"We don't have to supply genocides. We don't have to launch coups. We don't have to leverage resources out of others."
First of all, we don't supply genocides. Second, the last coup the United States backed was in 2003 against the genocidal Saddam Hussein. Thirdly, we don't but I see no problem with it. As I said, nobody would do ANYTHING different in our position... at least for the better.
"You're never going to get me to say "stop helping people,""
I have no intention of doing that, donate to the Red Cross all you want, not my problem.
"Stop justifying atrocities."
I am not, but thank you for your concern.
djinbu@reddit
Do you only compare yourself to others for validation? Just out of curiosity. Is that how you measure your value?
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
Considering we're comparing the US to Cuba I thought it relevant.
GRIFTY_P@reddit
Literally has one of the highest rates of home ownership and one of the longest life expectancy rates in the world. Ranks very high in global happiness surveys as well.
cbrooks97@reddit
"You will be happy or else!"
GRIFTY_P@reddit
Whatever makes you feel better about barely scraping by in America
cbrooks97@reddit
You're making a lot of assumptions there. If you're "barely scraping by", it may be because you live in one of the most expensive areas of the country. Largely due to politics.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
Human rights violations in Cuba:
JimDandy_ToTheRescue@reddit
Thought that was a list of human rights violations in the US for a second there...
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
You, my friend, consume too much Reddit.
JimDandy_ToTheRescue@reddit
That's an odd take, my man.
Murky_waterLLC@reddit
It is a perfectly sound take, considering the fact you can find Reddit threads that develop into misinformation echo chambers in real time, and the constant anti-US vitriol that proliferates this site.
AvonMustang@reddit
Communism only works under threat of or sometimes actual force. That means the government has to do some pretty terrible things to keep their citizens in line...
amcjkelly@reddit
Many Cubans have relcocated to the US and take a very dim view of the government their.
All things being equal, if they had to flee and see it as a hell hole, who am I to argue?
All it takes is free elections and the sanctions will go away.
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
Cuba allowed Russia to set up a bunch of missiles pointed at the US, so fuck em
98Saman@reddit (OP)
But didn’t we do the same thing with Turkey pointing at Russia? It was Cold War and those days all over, but I understand your perspective. I just don’t understand endless hostility
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
lol I gave a smartass very American answer. I actually have no idea. I think Obama did the right thing. Idk why Trump reversed it. I would like to go to Cuba one day.
MyUsername2459@reddit
Because undoing things others did and making things much, much worse is pretty much his entire thing.
Breaking, tearing down, or burning down our whole country is all he does.
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
True.
Highway49@reddit
My folks just went. It wasn't their favorite trip lol.
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
Good to know lol. I still wanna go tho lol
Highway49@reddit
Sure. Obviously they wanted to go too lol. They went on a dance/arts trip through a University, as it is still against federal law to travel to Cuba for tourism. So it was a very restrictive experience, so I just wanted to warn you if you do go before relations improve.
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
I am a patient person. I will wait lol. Thank. You for your comment . I appreciate it!
heatrealist@reddit
Because Miami cubans don’t want good relations with Cuba and politicians want their votes.
MackSeaMcgee@reddit
Because Florida was a swing state so all of the crazy Cuban expatriates want nothing good for Cuba out of spite.
Monte_Cristos_Count@reddit
What socialist regime does the US maintain favorable relations with? Things aren't exactly cozy between us and Venezuela either
bunny-hill-menace@reddit
Israel. The US gives enough money to Israel annually to fund their healthcare (including free abortions) and education.
jabbergrabberslather@reddit
US and Vietnam have become friendly in the last 10 years due to a mutual distrust for China
notthegoatseguy@reddit
Apparently not friendly enough for visa free access like most of Europe gets. Still need an evisa to visit.
Monte_Cristos_Count@reddit
Relations have thawed, but they definitely haven't become friendly as of yet
Abdelsauron@reddit
Vietnam is routinely in the top 5 of countries for public approval of the US.
LoudCrickets72@reddit
Vietnam has become a viable option for US companies looking to move their operations out of China. We'll have to see how American foreign direct investment will improve the relationship.
Roadshell@reddit
Aren't there only something like four or five true socialist regimes in the world? Not exactly a huge sample size.
Eric848448@reddit
Vietnam and China. China isn’t “favorable” but we maintain very strong relations.
NormanQuacks345@reddit
We fought a war against socialist Vietnam and now we hold joint exercises with them and sell them military equipment.
BjornAltenburg@reddit
Maybe vietnam? But 90% out of spite for China on both parties.
Monte_Cristos_Count@reddit
Even then, things between Vietnam and the US aren't great (although there has been a thaw)
BoS_Vlad@reddit
As someone who was traumatized and thought they were going to die in a nuclear holocaust during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 I’m fine with that entire country pounding sand until they totally get rid of communism. Let Russia, China and North Korea supply their dear comrades with basic goods until then.
forgotwhatisaid2you@reddit
The south Florida cuban vote could swing a national election either way. Therefore, neither party will normalize relations.
Eric848448@reddit
Florida is not a swing state.
im-on-my-ninth-life@reddit
Children should be disqualified from commenting on things that they obviously do not know about.
devnullopinions@reddit
Generally swing states are defined by close races that could swing either way. The votes are generally close for candidates of both parties.
Looking at the data from 2024, Florida does not really meet those criteria any longer.
Figgler@reddit
It used to be. Bush winning Florida was a huge controversy in 2000. They voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. There was a huge influx of conservatives during Covid to reach where they are now.
Junior_Tutor_3851@reddit
The gubernatorial election in ‘18 was also razor thin. DeSantis barely won that election.
EpicAura99@reddit
That’s a pretty recent phenomenon
BrightGuyEli@reddit
As an American, I have no idea. I’m pretty sure it’s like… fuck Castro or something? /s
OhThrowed@reddit
It is fuck Castro, no /s.
Miami's Cuban expats hold a grudge like you wouldn't believe.
BrightGuyEli@reddit
/S is for sarcasm and what would be said to the contrary. Why are you refuting sarcasm my guy? Lol Obviously I’m not saying fuck Castro, I’m saying that’s the position.
OhThrowed@reddit
Then I just misunderstood, as I thought you were tagging it on the end to indicate that you weren't entirely sure of your answer. As in, 'Oh, I dunno, Fuck Castro or something' and I wanted to solidify it.
My apologies.
BrightGuyEli@reddit
No dude, I know that’s the position capitalists take on Castro because he stood against EVERYTHING the US has done and will do. I know that the general consensus is “but he was violent”. Most people especially in the US just dont understand that they can thank having weekends off and 40 hour work weeks to communists, labor unions and socialists. Actively fighting against what’s best for them. Still think I’m really shitting on Castro? Lol.
im-on-my-ninth-life@reddit
Reddit moment
paulrudds@reddit
I have no idea, I'm just a peasant lol
LoudCrickets72@reddit
Obama tried to.
Life-Ad1409@reddit
Biden also loosened our stance on Cuba, but nowhere near as much as Obama
Eastern-Plankton1035@reddit
Because the United States would like to see Cuba liberated from it's failed government, and embargoes and diplomatic distance are a part of that strategy. Having a communist dictatorship just a few miles off our coast is (rightfully) an intolerable state of affairs.
Quite frankly, the Castro regime is rather fortunate the French asked us to clean up their mess in Indochina. Had we not been burdened with the Vietnam War, I could well see American intervention in Cuba at some point. Hell, if the Bay of Pigs hadn't failed due to Kennedy's wishy-washy approach to the issue, we might have liberated the Cuban people by 1965. Granted we'd have risked sparking a general war with the Soviet Union, but I don't really know if the Soviets would have stuck their necks out too far for Castro's benefit.
ColaEuphoria@reddit
Exactly. People seem to be forgetting the Cuban missile crisis.
WhatAreYouSaying05@reddit
Cuba pointed missiles at us. America is never going to forget that, no matter the administration
98Saman@reddit (OP)
I understand your perspective. However, circumstances change over time. I believe that if we had implemented a more constructive policy, we could have positively influenced Cuba rather than adopting a hostile stance without clear justification. Nowadays, when Cuba appears more vulnerable and has less global influence, it might be more beneficial to assist them as neighbors. Instead of 60 years of imposing economic hardship and sanctions after sanctions, we could work to gradually open up their country through soft power and cooperative engagement, fostering mutual growth and stability. At least I know it’s something we could give a thought to it
Highway49@reddit
Why do you believe this?
98Saman@reddit (OP)
What have been the actual outcomes of our policy so far? For six decades, we have imposed sanctions and embargoes, yet not a single policy has been reversed. In hindsight, we might have taken a different approach—especially after the Cold War ended—to influence them more effectively rather than simply intensifying pressure. Ultimately, our strategy toward Cuba has not succeeded; after six decades, the core government remains in place.
Highway49@reddit
Well, we haven't done much for Haiti's or Jamaica's issues, so I guess I don't see the US would automatically help out Cuba lol!
SleepyZachman@reddit
I mean we did prop up a brutal dictator in their country and then embargo them when they nationalized their sugar industry and redistributed land to the peasants. I’d be mad too.
TipsyBaker_@reddit
We can't even establish peaceful relations with ourselves
Highway49@reddit
I just told this to my cousin visiting from Australia for my Grandma's memorial service. The US never had the level of social cohesion of most of the countries we are compared to -- even as geographically divided a country as Australia!
Right-Boot884@reddit
The reasonings vary depending on who you ask. Nowadays, it seems the common justification is that it just isn't a priority at this point in time.
Personally, I think the reason the embargo is in place is to ensure that, if needed, the US can take action against Cuba without being influenced by internal or outside pressures. Cuba is the closest foreign land mass of any significance near the mouth of the Mississippi. If there is going to be a threat to the US from outside forces, it will need to come through Cuba.
The closer intertwined economies are, the more difficult it becomes to take action against them. This is especially true for democracies, where key decision-makers need to worry about upcoming elections. By ensuring no economic relations exist, the decision-making becomes simpler due to the lack of lobbying from representatives/business groups with a vested interest in continuing trade with Cuba.
NorwegianSteam@reddit
The leader's last name is still Castro.
friendlylifecherry@reddit
We got about a 1/4 of the current Cuban population as diaspora living here and until they start holding free and fair elections, that embargo is staying up
RosietheMaker@reddit
I don't know, but I wish it would end. The Cuban people are suffering. My family ends on the island, and the lack of food and medicine is overwhelming. I am doing what I can to support my immediate family by sending them food and medicine, but it's never enough.
I'm really scared that Trump is going to make it difficult for us to send help to Cuba. If that does happen, I am seriously considering leaving the United States.
planodancer@reddit
I believe the Cuban government wants it that way, opposition to the USA is the Cuban government’s rationale for legitimacy and power.
Roadshell@reddit
Because Republicans continue to reward the Cuban emigre community and Democrats have a billion other things to prioritize.
Current_Poster@reddit
There's a large Cuban voting bloc in Florida, Florida is a swing state, and (on a national-stage level, anyway) they're single-issue about Cuba.
emartinoo@reddit
This hasn't been true since 2012. New York was closer than Florida in 2024. Florida is (probably) no longer a swing state due to massive rightward shifts in Hispanic voting trends. I'm hedging slightly, because it's hard to tell if the demographic shakeup is purely a phenomenon of the Trump era, or if it's a true ideological shift, but I tend to believe it's the latter.
NoneOfThisMatters_XO@reddit
Obama did. How quickly people forget.
DOMSdeluise@reddit
the purpose of the sanctions is to harm ordinary citizens, to immiserate them enough to overthrow the government.
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v06/d499
B_Rush33@reddit
We should just invade it and free it from communism. Then all the people living there don’t have to risk their lives trying to enjoy the freedoms they deserve. We could annex Cuba, benefit from tourism, and allow any Cubans to return to their homeland if they wish and still enjoy the same freedoms we do. Everybody wins, except the communist scums.
HVAC_instructor@reddit
Obama started the process, trump discontinued it as one of the first things that he did when elected the first time.
emartinoo@reddit
Cuba allowed the USSR to place nuclear weapons mere so lrmiles off of the coast of the US during the Cold War, because they were sympathetic to communist ideology.
Cuba
NormanQuacks345@reddit
Because no one wants to piss off the Cuban diaspora.
Brilliant_Towel2727@reddit
Obama tried to open up relations but Trump reversed it.
Crayshack@reddit
It's a controversial topic. For a while. Florida was a major swing state and Cuban-Americans are a substantial voting block in Florida. While it might sound surprising, Cuban-Americans tend to really hate the Cuban government. Keep in mind that a lot of Cuban-Americans either fled Cuba or are the children of those who fled. So, there's a visceral personal hatred of Cuba within that population and they vote for anyone who convinces them that they will stick it to Cuba. Not every Cuban-American votes that way and they aren't the only ones in favor of embargoing Cuba, but they are probably the most influential voting block in this matter.
newfyorker@reddit
The USA under Obama started to lift the embargo. Guess who reversed the deal…
stringbeagle@reddit
I’m sure the reasons are many and complicated. But a big one is that Florida is a big political Chopin National politics and there is a strong bloc of people who were chased out by Castro or are descended from them. The anti-Castro sentiment is very strong, even years after he died.
jebuswashere@reddit
The Red Scare is still firmly embedded in the minds of Americans, especially those who control the levers of economic and political power.
It's also part of a long tradition in US foreign policy of punishing those who dare to gasp assert their sovereignty rather than deferring to the empire.
Alert-Algae-6674@reddit
We still have a grudge against them even though they are not a threat anymore. Cubans in Florida especially hate them, and a lot of Americans still
ncc81701@reddit
Because FL is a swing state and a lot of Cuban exile that despise the Castro regime lives there.
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