As 2014 comes to an end and the general populace looks toward a new year, we all possess a vision of what we want 2015 to be. While of course this vision is usually personal (how we can change, or try to change ourselves, or ourselves in relation to others), we may possess a general worldview as well. In light of recent events, such as the increased number of issues revolving around social injustice, and the ambiguities of police jurisdiction, our worldview (regarding our home country) may not be as bright as it’s been in recent years.
There are still some bright spots that we should keep in mind as well. Recently, we have been bearing witness to far more gridlock than any of us could care to see, but there has been a rare occasion in which Democrats and a majority of Republicans have come together to aim toward a common goal. Approaching the failed, 50-year-old-or-so Cuban foreign policy has been met with overall praise, for a majority of reasons. Following each restructure to our Cold War policy (taken from whitehouse.gov), I will explain my reasoning as to why it could benefit our country.
Re-establishing diplomatic relations would prove to beneficial simply due to the pursuit of common goals. A US embassy will be worked on in Havana over the next few months, and with presence in the capital city, an image of what their government wants and what their people want will be ascertained. With the image, we can begin to work together internationally to benefit both of our nations.
What most people wanted most from this foreign policy re-form was to more effectively empower the Cuban people by adjusting regulations. It’s common knowledge that Cuba has a recent historical streak of improper treatment toward its citizens, which caused the immigration toward Miami and beyond. By opening up travel to and from Cuba, we are hoping that increased contact with its citizens will lead to more talking, more information, and more of a will reform Cuban domestic policy and improve their standard of living.
Facilitating an expansion of travel to Cuba was also an area that many people wished to approve upon, because of the uniting of separated families. Not only will the citizens of both countries have far looser reigns to travel, but also trade and the circulation of goods between the two countries will be easier to achieve, leading to shared wealth. Cuban cigars won’t be illegal anymore either!
General licenses will be made available for all authorized travelers. This change expands upon the expansion of travel, but is directed more towards the individuals allowed to travel. Family business, journalistic travels, humanitarian aid, Cuban support, and research of private foundations are just a fraction of what can be allowed in Cuba, starting throughout the next couple of months.
Another method of simplifying Cuban living standards would be the authorization expanded sales and exports of certain goods and services from the U.S. to Cuba. With this change, Cuban citizens will be able to easily access American products through the expansion of their private sector, and (of course) big businesses of both nations will benefit as well.
For Americans, the authorization of American citizens to import additional goods from Cuba will be permitted. Specifically, americans may be allowed to import up to $400 worth of Cuban goods and no more than $100 may consist of alcohol and tobacco products (see Cuban cigars).
Lastly, we will initiate new efforts to increase Cubans’ access to communications and their ability to communicate freely. The website threw a stat at me that I was completely unaware of, and it’s that Cuba has an Internet penetration of around 5% – that’s crazy. With this final change, we will be building over and refining Cuba’s telecommunication system, granting them access to the commercial Internet system with which we live on a daily basis.
Of course, all of these gifts will be wrapped in the wish for democratic reform and tied with a ribbon of human rights (if we want to talk Christmas analogies). The amount of opposition to our foreign policy reformation toward Cuba has been surprisingly small, because our goals are quite realistic. Ever since 1961, relations between Cuba and us have been strained, and the fashioning of this new approach to foreign policy is a step toward a better direction, and a more positive image of 2015.
Ian Barbour