For nearly half a century our government has maintained strict controls over trade, travel, and every imaginable form of contact with Cuba. I wonder why. It can't possibly be about Communism, or dictatorship and repression; or any of the other reasons they keep repeating. Communist controlled China and Vietnam are among our most important trading partners. What is the big deal about Castro? There is more here than meets the eye.

There is no good reason I can see for our policy towards Cuba other than special interest groups having too much influence where our foreign policy is concerned.

If it's human rights, that's a poor excuse. We are on friendly terms with other countries just as bad, if not worse, than Cuba.

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"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead." Thomas Paine

Military might doesn't make up for political stupidity.

The answer is easy,because Cuba defiance America.

Relic of the Cold war that was enhanced by Florida politics. Any party that broke the Cuban embargo could forget about winning FL in a presidential election.

It may be because Castro hates America and, after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Che Guevara (Marx Bless Him) told the U.N. that if the missiles had been in Cuban hands, they would have been fired on American targets (apparently, i can't remember where i read this)

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Perhaps after Fidel and Raul are both worm food, it will be lifted.

China and Vietnam aggressively sought trade with the U.S. and offered concessions to achieve trade relations.

Cuba has been nothing but recalcitrant in its hatred for the U.S. and Castro seizes every opportunity, including through his deluded puppet Chavez, to preach the downfall of the U.S.

I suspect that after Castro's death, and if Raul Castro doesn't achieve power, normalized relations with the U.S. may be a real possibility. Cuba's economic future may well depend on trade relations with the U.S.

Maybe if the US didnt interfere and undermine the revolution so much they wouldn't be quite so hated. If they didnt try to assasinate the president and stopped harbouring the terrorist who blow up an aircraft full of civillians. Hmm, i wonder why Castro hates the US.

And Castro doesn't preach hate through President Chavez. The President speaks on behalf of the Venezuelan people.

Castro tossed out Batista who was a willing partner to our mob operated gambling casinos in Havana. He stepped on some big toes. Batista had a lot of inportant friends here. Havana was THE place to go until Castro took over.

Castro then allied himself with the USSR and received aid and weapons including missiles aimed at the US.

We took a bath on the Bay of Pigs, it was humiliating. A lot of fingers were pointed. Our feelings were hurt.

We failed on several assassination attempts of Castro. Our feelings were hurt.

Castro ruined what was a very good thing for some of us.

Thats just a very small part of the story of course.

It's well known that Chavez views Castro as his mentor. His speeches read like copies of Castro's speeches and he espouses support for Castro's long time desire to dominate the Carribean basin and S. America. The US threw a wrench in that plan when we destroyed the Cuban military presence in Grenada and restored its elected government.