The American Trade Embargo Against Cuba should be eliminated

D1. Rights of businesses According to your own logic, any person or business with means has the right to trade with terrorist organizations. Should this be allowed? No. Terrorist organizations want to destroy the United States. The United States government has the right to place embargo's on countries as Congress has the power to regulate commerce. An embargo is nothing more than a regulation on commerce. As for Venezuela, Cuba has a one party-communist system. Venezuela has a multi-party system (in fact, in 2006 36% of the vote was for Manuel Rosales). Hugo Chavez while criticized was elected in a democratic manner. The blockade is still the only leverage we hold over Cuba. If the United States can starve one dictatorship is that not better than starving no dictatorships? D2) Nationalized Economy This is not a transition period. It is an attempt to boost the dormant Cuban economy. The housing "market" (if you want to call it a market there is no real market) is still partly under government control as people can own only two houses at most, people have to go through the central bank in order to make a transaction, etc. And I pose this question to my opponent, there are hundreds of countries in the world. Only one has an embargo on Cuba, the United States, why can't Cuba trade with other countries " to drive new cars" the United States does get most of its cars from foreign countries? It is because of Cuba's governmental policy that Cuba's economy is so bad. Not the United States. D3) Castro But, they still have this policy of hating the United States and a Cuban-Iranian Alliance is already in the works. (1) It just is not fully implemented because Cuba really has nothing to offer Iran. Why should the USA allow Cuba to give the Iranians an incentive to become a permanent MILITARY alliance? A wise man once said "always expect the worst, and you will never be disappointed." This applies to everyday life. Once the Castro's die whose to say that there will not be a Stalin of Cuba? Someone more oppressive could come into power. In the world of foreign affairs and international relations, ambassadors and presidents ALWAYS expect the worst outcome that way you can plan for this outcome. If you expect the world will be good, you WILL not plan for the bad because, in your mind, there is no bad. In foreign affairs, you must expect the worst. In this case, the worst case scenario is a second Cuban missile crisis, my question for my opponent is: because there is a possibility of ending a trade embargo with Cuba resulting in a second missile crisis should the leaders of the United States of America, whose sole purpose is to the people of the United States, end the embargo on Cuba when there is the rather large possibility of harm? D4) Negotiations Why should we negotiate at all? What is the United States incentive? R1) Out of date Embargo I will reiterate, "always expect the worst, and you will never be disappointed." In other words, plan for the worst, and with Cuba, the United States definitely should. There IS an Iranian-Cuban alliance in the making, with an added American trade influx all this will do is increase Iran's incentive to want to create a permanent military alliance. R2) Benefit You say potential for friendship. I say potential for harm. Allowing Cuba to modernize their infrastructure, and modernize their military only increases Iran's incentive to want to create a permanent military alliance with Cuba. Expecting Pro's outcome is many times more dangerous than expecting Cons. R3) Ideas "The Cuban internet is among the most tightly controlled in the world. A special permit is required to use the Internet and all e-mails are intricately monitored." (2) Cuba controls ALL radio broadcasts, all newspapers, the entire Internet and all entertainment. (2) How exactly is opening trade with Cuba going to change this? It will not. People in Cuba cannot access any sites which are pro capitalism, people in Cuba cannot access sites such as Twitter or Facebook. A majority of people cannot even legally use the Internet. Opening trade with Cuba does not change this. *Opening trade with Cuba == a large chance of harm coming to the United States *The Embargo has a reason to exist *The Cuban leaders are causing the Cuban people's economic hardship *Cuba is closely tied to Iran and anti-American countries The blockade on Cuba should stay in place. Sources: 1. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov... 2. http://en.wikipedia.org...