Embargo — noun: legal prohibition or restriction of trade.
The dictionary does not tell the whole story. It does not tell how an embargo can cripple nations and stunt their growth. The US embargo did little to affect the leaders of the Cuban government, but choked off the air supply to the Cuban people. The big bully beat up on the little kid because of differences in ideology. And now the local people suffer.
Rarely have I seen an economic system come to a virtual stand still. There are almost no visible signs of shops for the local people. There is little choice, and even less opportunity. And this is in the heart of Havana. The rest of the country is clearly in dire straits. The beautiful American cars hide in the country’s underbelly, engines that have been slapped together through local ingenuity, and little else.
As the embargo is lifted — and signs are that they are moving in that direction — the Cuban government and American corporations will rake in the money. It will be decades before the local people see the benefit of the trickle down effect.
It is the irony of life. The rich get richer; the poor struggle to feed themselves and focus on survival. I feel sad for the wonderful people of Cuba. They have lived in a socialistic bubble for an eternity.
About Hemant Rustogi