with cuba now under the rule of the more moderate of the castro brothers, i wonder what might happen with our relations with them. i honestly dont know why we have been at odds with cuba in particular, why befriending other nations with less than democratic rule. (saudi arabia, for one) communism isnt the buzz word it once was. and cuba is no longer shored up by the ussr, and hasnt been for more than 15 years. it really bears no threat to us, and if we invade another country, it will obviously be in the middle east, not the carribean.
so lets start to build up relations with them. to extend the olive branch to raul castro and lift the ancient an silly embargo with them. its a start at least. and its diplomacy, rather than an invasion. i think people will be much more likely to like us if the see the benefits of it, rather then toppling their govt and causing general anarchy. we need to set up a mutually beneficial situation, and step one is to open trade.
ideally, we should have this with every nation. with a level playing field most products are cheaper the closer they are made to you. then the ones that cant be produced near you, you trade for with something you have and they dont. we should be able to trade grain we grow for spices that we cant, to break it way down. but in today's slanted playing field, it makes it cheaper to manufacture many things abroad due to low wages. this is partly because the US has been blessed with prosperity while other countries havent. this is also because some US wages(UAW) are unnaturally high. the new UAW contracts with the big 3 help to address this, but there are a number of jobs that are over payed in the US that make our products generally uncompetitive globally.
so there are a number of problems, but step one with cuba, and many others in my opinion, is to open up trade relations. all this comes from driving by a building in downtown DC with a Jefferson quote that was similar to this, but this one supports my conclusion better.
"I think all the world would gain by setting commerce at perfect liberty."
there is a growing evil in america that we must put to bed. it has been growing for some time. this is that the american electorate is largely uneducated and uninvolved in politics. i have been guilty of this, just as have been most americans. we owe it to ourselves to change this trend. to take this coming election very seriously. to do the research. to vote for who we feel is most qualified. to select the one person who can really lead our nation through a difficult time.
i don not envy our next president. he or she will inherit a colossal deficit, a seemingly endless war, and a country teetering on the edge of recession. thats just naming the real big ones. and whoever our next president is, he or she needs to be able to guide us through these times. and it is our voice who calls for that leader. our voice must be strong and clear. we must choose wisely. not just picking the guy we'd like to have a beer with, but the guy who can end a mired war, and turn around the economy.i honestly dont feel confidant that anyone in the race will be able to do this. i hope that the candidates can lay out a way that they will approach these tough issues and we, the voters, can decide which path is best. but to find out what candidate is right for the job, we have to look into their past, their experience, their goals, their plan. it is their job to lead us. it is our job to choose the leader.
making the wrong choice again could be tragic. we have seen the deficit grow exponentially, an unjust war, and the erosion of our rights due to our past choices. to prevent more of this, and to right the wrongs we need to be active. we need to research, and think, and vote.
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