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Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan
Okay, so let's say that everything about the hardships of Cuba is because of American sanctions. On the other hand, the people themselves say it isn't sanctions themselves, but a poorly run country that is to blame, and many are calling for an overthrowing of an authoritarian regime.
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Which people are these? There are plenty of Cubans who are supportive of the regime or at least the ideology behind the regime. There are also some Cubans who believe that the CIA may be stoking the current round of unrest.
That narrative doesn't usually play on CNN, MSNBC, an FOX, but there are independent outlets out there who are reporting on it.
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The slightly cynical but positive side in me says he is issuing sanctions to pressure the government to make substantial changes in policy or perhaps creating enough tension in the population to make wholesale government changes.
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How many times has this ever happened in the history of sanctions? The goal is almost always to cause unrest by hurting the general population in the hopes of influencing a regime change. It's very much an "ends justify the means" approach to foreign policy.
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Either way, if the end result is a loosening of authoritarian control of a poor country, or a wholesale government change leading to eventual progress for the people, is that not a good thing overall?
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The end result the U.S. has always been looking for is for the communist regime to fall and a U.S.-friendly regime to rise that is happy to sell off its resources and exploit its people so U.S. companies can turn a profit.