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When Fidel Castro took over the Batista regime, many middle-class Cubans who had fled to the US were furious because Castro made Cuba a socialist country where no one class would reign at the expense of another class as had happened under Batista's regime. When Castro took over Cuba, the well-to-do middle class left Cuba. They are really the only ones who still hate Castro. When Kennedy was in office and failed with his Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis, that was exacerbated any animosity the US had toward Castro because Castro was able to foil any plan that the US attempted to make against Cuba.
I saw a political cartoon in 1992. A new American president, Bill Clinton, was standing on the shores of Florida yelling to Cuba, "I'll get you Castro." Castro stood silently on the shores of Cuba next to a blackboard with a whole bunch of names crossed out: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush, and Clinton. Fast-forward a few years and Castro has just about crossed out a second Bush name, and stands ready to cross out yet another Clinton.
It seems to me (not in the US) that the US and it's citizens either dislike or fear Cuba. Perhaps somone could explain why this is so if true.
The balance of power in the US and Florida decides to maintain a travel and trade embargo on Cuba, middle-class Cuban exiles from the late 1950s and 1960s hate Castro, as mentioned, the rest of the US population, generally speaking, has no clue about the issue one way or the other.
Castro's Cuba is convenient because it cuts off potential competition for Florida as a haven for retirees and tourists (and, indirectly, gambling too) and because it serves as a propaganda tool for the US in general to show that socialism/communism leads to poverty.
This balance of power in the US tolerates Castro as long as he doesn't get too mixed up in the dangerous side of foreign affairs, as the 1962 missile crisis for example. Otherwise, the US has no interest in toppling the Castro regime, in fact the US trade and travel embargo is his best ally, the two sides even cooperate militarily, and the US nowadays is Cuba's number one foreign supplier of food.
Don't believe propaganda you read in such dubious sources of information such as newspapers and magazines. Conduct your own studies of economics and history and draw your own conclusions.
Americans do not fear or dislike Cuba. Indeed I doubt Americans think very much about Cuba at all.
The US-Cuba conflict is actually a Florida/New Jersey vs Cuba conflict. Its the continuation of the Cuban civil war on different stages with the rest of us just watching and shaking our heads. Its pretty silly at this point, but it makes Cubans on both sides feel pretty good about themselves.
Well then why the several plots and even reported attempts by CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro?
Why a trade embargo?
Your first question is a non sequitur.
First of all reported. What does that mean, reported? Any plots there may have been, were probably pursued by Cuban exiles, possibly in conjunction with some Cuban insiders, maybe also in conjunction with rogue elements of the CIA (which, by the way, has nothing to do with the US population in general), maybe not.
In any case, it all makes for sensationalist newspaper articles and spy novels, doesn't it?
Besides, at one point or another, all dictators are subject to plots and assassination attempts, it is as natural as rain, nothing particularly Cuban about that.
As for the second question, read and reread the above posts, it's already answered.
In the overall scheme of things, Cuba is not really that important, there's no reason to become obsessed with it, unless one is directly involved of course: it's more like a parochial turf war (sort of like the N. Ireland-UK thing, Palestinian-Israeli thing - again, with all due respect for those directly involved), unless Señor Chavez tries to take it over, by hook or by crook, then it would become serious (sort of like Saddam invading Kuwait, sort of).
Reported aside, northsider, what is your own answer to your questions based on your own conclusions from your own studies of economics, politics, and history and your own experience?
Your own opinion would be much, much more interesting than repeating hearsay in the mainstream mass media. What is your impression from your point of view? We have expressed ours. What is yours?
Well then why the several plots and even reported attempts by CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro?
See the above answer. I would merely add that during the Cold War, Cuba was a major battleground between the US and the USSR.
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Why a trade embargo?
Well, one might point out El Jefe started it himself by nationalizing foreign holdings without fair compensation. Very illegal and not the best way to get IBM and Microsoft to invest in your country.
At the end of the day, does it matter? Cuba is free to trade with every other nation in the world. And indeed Canada, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico and many others do just that. Go to Cuba and you will see American products for sale. In fact you can buy anything there...with hard currency.
Anyway, I think the two of us have answered your questions.
It seems to me (not in the US) that the US and it's citizens either dislike or fear Cuba. Perhaps somone could explain why this is so if true.
I have nothing against Cubans. I don't like the Cuban government and I despise Fidel Castro.
The embargo in my opinion is stupid because all it does is give Fidel Castro someone to blame for Cuba's economic woes...we aren't to blame, but it makes for good propaganda. The embargo won't end before dies, perhaps not for a long time afterwards.
I also object to the special wet feet/dry feet immigration rules we have for Cubans. How lame.
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