I suppose as being one of the few Cuban-Americans who post here, I need to add my tuppence. First, for clarity's sake, I must declare I am a Cuban-American by culture only, both I and my parents were born and raised in the USA. But all four of my grandparents were Cuban born, even if they spent most of their adult lives in this country. Still, I am familiar with the Cuban culture and language, and had many relatives who left the island fleeing Castro's regime (most are dead now). They have shared their experiences with me, and I have listened carefully.

To begin with, I also agree the embargo has been both cruel and unusual punishment for the people of Cuba, and has done little or nothing to hurt the regime. On the contrary, it has provided it with a convenient excuse for its war on the Cuban people. We know from experience that exposure to the west through trade and travel is devastating to Communist regimes. The fact that other Communist countries enjoy normal trade relations with the US is further evidence of the stupidity and unfairness of this policy, and how it is counter-productive even in its stated aims.

It is carried out for two reasons only, first, to save face; the Cuban government has repeatedly humiliated the American administrations that have opposed it. Second, it is carried out to pander to a politically influential sector of the Cuban Exile community in South Florida, who uses it to manipulate American politics in their favor, and who carries out the policy to save its own face: it cannot bring itself to admit the obvious, the embargo has failed miserably in its stated purpose of bringing Castro down.

To their credit, not all Cuban exiles support this policy, and it is a source of great division and conflict in that community. It should also be noted that, like all Cubans with relatives on the island, even those who publicly support the embargo routinely violate it privately by sending US currency and merchandise to their people back home. The entire proceeding is a vulgar farce that must be stopped.

None of these comments should be interpreted as support or justification for the Cuban regime, which is a brutal and corrupt dictatorship, whose major internal support is from those who collaborate with it and share in its patronage. Neither should these remarks be interpreted as a blanket condemnation of the exile community. These people are often unfairly characterized as wealthy reactionaries and fascists. No doubt some of those exist, but they are of all economic and social classes and all elements of the political spectrum, including former socialist supporters of the regime, who have seen it betray their principles as well.