It is time for the United States to let up on its economic embargo of Cuba. It has been in force for 50 years and is doing little good now in its original purpose of keeping communism out of the western hemisphere. There is very little threat of that today.
Pope Benedict visited Cuba this week and told the people to change, that communism no longer responds to reality. And evidently Cubans agree with him.
A major surge by the Cuban government in granting permits to individuals to operate private businesses reportedly is underway. And you can tell it in the people’s faces.
The economy is improving as individuals are allowed to set up businesses that provide services to the public. The free enterprise system there that was a no no after Fidel Castro took over seems to be on the way up.
Churches are free to practice their religions openly. And the people are taking advantage of it.
With smiles on their faces, they exclaim their happiness in their newfound freedom in doing what they want. And top officials are expressing great pleasure in letting them do it.
The government insists however that it will continue some socialist strategies to help those in need. But most countries that have had a free enterprise system for years find ways to help those in need.
Cuba could be a valuable economic partner to the United States if we let it be. Right next door and sharing a population that once was all Cuban makes it sort of a family relationship.
Pope Benedict chose a good site to spread his spiritual-political messages. May he succeed in bringing Cuban-Americans together.
Local governments can handle many things better
Last week, House Republicans unveiled a debt-reduction plan that would cut $5.3 trillion of the country’s budget proposed by the President during the next 10 years. It includes tax reforms and major cuts in national programs.
One of the major aims of the cuts is to allow states to take over many aspects of the programs which they can do more effectively on a local basis. The federal government is too big to manage programs that have a lot of local significance.
Reducing the sphere of responsibility of many government involvements from the federal to the state level would save a lot of money and make government service much more effective
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