The key to understanding the foreign policy of a nation state is understanding that

state's national interest. The key to successful foreign policy is, as Henry Kissinger

stated in 1998, defining "an achievable objective". Thus United States policy towards

Cuba fails because it neglects these two key ingredients of foreign policy. The US

embargo of Cuba is four decades old and no longer serves the country's national interest,

rather it has proven to be a economic and political hindrance for the US. The embargo

also falls short in terms of having an achievable goal, since many of the requests that

embargo legislation calls for are simply not within the ability of the Cuban state. By

examining the sanctions and their economic, political, and humanitarian affect on both

the Us and Cuba a strong case can be made for a revision of US policy.

US policy towards Cuba and the government of Fidel Castro has, since the

1960's, been a policy based on the objectives of removing Castro, instituting a

democratic system, and gaining reparations for confiscated US holdings. The initial

sanctions were instituted because the US considered th

which they were born into. Of those who have power the military is most definitely in

The US embargo proves to be ineffective in both democratizing Cuba or

treatments for diseases such as AIDS, breast cancer, child leukemia, and cardiac illness.

successful. A peeling away of the first layer started in October 2000 when Congress

very nearly impossible in a non-solvent economy. Thus those with power maintain that

sanctions also increase the unlikelihood of rebellion because it has increased the class

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Approximate Word count = 1711
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)