Half A Century Of War, New Millennium Of Harmony Essay Example

Last 17 of December 2014, President Obama announced the restoration of full diplomacy of US and Cuba, which idea has been dropped as an option by the previous presidents of the country for the past half century. It was reported in that the negotiation of the two country heads has been ongoing through secret phone calls for the last 18 months which eventually led to prisoner swaps and agreement on the restoration of diplomacy of the two countries.
President Obama’s policy shift included less restriction on traveling to Cuba for family visits, official business educational activities a hopefully wider economic ties and restoration of US embassy in Havana that was closed in 1961 during the regime of Fidel Castro. According to the president, US isolation of Cuba failed to accomplish the enduring objective of promoting the emergence of a democratic, prosperous and stable Cuba. Verbal approval of Raul Castro said that Obama’s decision deserves acknowledgment and respect by the people and that they should start learning that they have to live accepting the differences of each other.
But it doesn’t seem that this will be an easy thing because only the congress can end the embargo and the members of the congress has been negatively reacting to the action that was taken by the president without their approval.
The news has been covered by several newspapers showing same stories in various angles. Two of which are New York Daily News and New York Times. Comparing the two newspapers, New York Daily News and New York Times, the former showed the benefits and good side of the news, although somehow it gave a glimpse of what’s awaiting to be opposed but mostly it focused on the good things and the good reaction of the people whereas the latter mostly showed opposition point of views and the negative things that happened between the two countries.
Daily News interviewed people who have good words for the ongoing change of the status of two countries. They interviewed Cuban immigrants who have families left in Cuba who are happy to hear that they can see their loved ones again. They also interviewed young ones of the immigrants who have been imagining what their parent’s homeland look like. It also featured the benefits of this to the Americans such as great access to Cuba’s island market and cigars and alcohol since the ban will be lifted.
As for the New York Times, it featured mostly the opposition. People against the change were interviewed such as Sen. Marco Rubio, who said that the action made was based on an illusion and lie that more access to money and goods will liberate the Cubans. It was also mentioned that the Republicans as well as the senior Democrats would resist lifting the long posted trade embargo.
Most of the politicians are showed negative reaction to the matter due to the history of the two countries. At the end of the Spanish-American War, Spain surrendered Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam. US set Cuba free with the condition that they can intervene in the country’ affair if necessary and that they can use the Naval Base Guantanamo Bay which did not happen. US have been helping in crushing the rebellion and in investing in the country’s economy. But after several years of Cuban Rebellion, Fidel Castro was able to overthrow President General Fulgencio Batista in Jan 1, 1959. For some time, US supported Castro, but just after a short time of being in the position, a communist disposition has been observed in his regime. Then it was followed by several actions of nationalizing hundreds of companies including the local ones sponsored by United States and heavily taxing US products that halved the counties export in two years.
With this action, Eisenhower imposed trade restriction in all products except food and medicine, which made Cuba, extended their trade to Soviet Union to which US responded with cutting all diplomatic ties. Then on Feb 7 1962, President Kennedy, imposed a permanent embargo on their trade with Cuba. Aside from this, US made several attempts to overthrow the dictator, including the infamous failed Bay of Pig Invasion and Operation Mongoose. But it was on Oct 15, 1962 when US spy planes reported to Pres. Kennedy that found evidence of Soviet Union building missile bases in Cuba that destroyed the relationship of two countries. With this, US and Russia went to almost a nuclear face-off which ended when Nikita Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba after Pres. Kennedy’s offer of removing US’s missiles in Turkey.
With all this history, the two countries are like children in a cat fight who do not want to lose to one another. US are mad with Cuba because after everything they have done Cuba still chose to associate itself with the Soviet Union. Cuba on the other side is mad at US for putting them in such difficulty of losing supplies and having their people leave the country. That’s why seniors in the senate and the ones who are very much aware of this history wouldn’t want to have a diplomatic relationship with Cuba anymore. But President Obama and Castro seemed to agree on setting the anchors of the past be set loose for a better future for both countries.

Bibliography

Barker, Peter. “U.S. to Restore Full Relations With Cuba, Erasing a Last Trace of Cold War Hostility.” New York Times, DEC. 17, 2014. Retrieved from <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/americas/us-cuba-relations.html?_r=0>
Friedman, D. E. Sandoval, and L. Mcshane. “Obama announces talks for U.S. to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba.”. New York Daily News, December 17, 2014 Retrieved from <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-set-normalize-diplomatic-relations-cuba-article-1.2048425>
Suddath, Claire. “U.S.-Cuba Relations.” Time, Apr. 15, 2009. Retrieved from <http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1891359,00.html>