It is related that on an evening, some 47 years ago almost to the date, February 6, 1962, then President John F. Kennedy gave his press secretary Pierre Salinger a simple but urgent shopping list - 1,000 H. Upmann brand petit corona Cuban cigars. As we all know, soon after that fateful evening, the President issued his most famous of executive orders, a comprehensive Cuban trade embargo. From that day forward, a 'Cuban' cigar was contraband.
A decade earlier, Americans had been the biggest purchasers of Cuban sugar and tobacco. The island nation was a friendly island, U.S. investors owned most of its agricultural land and processing facilities, and if you believe in certain myths, plans of luxury casinos and residential housing and corporate expansion was just about to become reality.
But, in 1959, the military dictator Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro promising prosperity, democracy, and the restoration of Cuba's civil constitution. From that moment on all foreign owned land was expropriated with counter moves by the U.S. involving export prohibitions. A half century later the American trade embargo against Cuba endures. The illegal trade of fake 'Cuban' cigars is a thriving business. But enough about cigars.
The promise of prosperity, democracy, and restoration of civil constitution resulted in a non-democratic communistic form of government, far worse than the dictatorship. Government take over of Banks, re-distribution of wealth, under the guise of Government 'knows best' has resulted in an island country staled in the 1950's. In 1959 Cuba's GDP was higher than Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. What should have been a glorious island nation now still lives in an ever deteriorating society. If one reads Edmund Burke, one knows the quote that is more prevalent today than when written: Government, at it's best, is a necessary evil, at it's worse an intolerable one.
This isn't about politics. This isn't about the righteousness of a democracy versus other forms of government. This isn't even about 'God-fearing' countries versus 'non-God fearing' countries (gasp! - that isn't any more of a contradiction than Vice-President Joe Biden appearing on national television with ashes on his forehead and still promoting abortion; also applies to Pelosi). This is about Economics and Wealth creation versus redistribution of wealth and Government Control.
Castro can be blamed for the debauchery of Cuba, but stubborn U.S. lawmaker's reaction was one of stupidity and remains so, and likely now to even get worse. We (the USA) could have use our economics and market-oriented form of economics thereby defeating a Control Government form of politics with investment, trade and tourism forcing a free-market island. Economic development, and entrepreneurial actions work; ask China. Government run 'anything' fails!
Nationalization of Banks, Auto Manufacturers, and 'Pizza Parlors' is not only a slippery slope, its falling off the cliff to total Government control; and frankly, Washington DC has no record of actually knowing what a 'Balance Sheet' or 'Income Statement' actually are! Bailing out Banks, Automobile companies, Insurance companies and home owners undeserving of a mortgage in the first place is simply throwing good money after bad; and the money they are throwing is ours!
We can't even protect our own borders, provide 'assistance' where it is actually needed, control an increasing High School drop out right, and yet continue to fight wars over 'the domino theory' or some other political made up reason (if one must to go to war; then go to war to win and stop with the limitations placed on the military). Unfortunately, this list continues to grow and will continue as we place more control and power in the Government to solve our problems and simply become the place where people go to get assistance and be told what to do and how to do it.
We better stop meddling in the affairs of other people, learn to be accountable for our actions and strive for individual greatness. This must be done by the government as well as individuals.
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