The Cuban Embargo, Explained
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- The cause of the Cuban embargo explained, followed by analysis of its effects, and an explanation of why Cuba is still under embargo.
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0:00 Intro
0:45 The Cause Of The Embargo
10:44 The Effects Of The Embargo
20:00 Why Is Cuba Still Under Embargo?
Sources:
Cuba: Between Reform And Revolution - Louis A. Pérez
Economic Sanctions As An Instrument Of U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case Of The U.S. Embargo Against Cuba - Helen Osieja
Six Crises - Richard M. Nixon
Cuba Under Embargo - Joe Atikian
Sanctions As Economic Statecraft - Steve Chan & A. Cooper Drury
The Economic Impact Of U.S. Sanctions With Respect To Cuba - U.S. International Trade Commission
The Impact Of The U.S. Embargo On Health & Nutrition In Cuba - The American Association For World Health
The Confluence Of Domestic And International Interests: U.S. Policy Towards Cuba, 1998-2001 - Philip Brenner, Patrick J. Haney & Walter Vanderbush
Links:
The U.N. Vote: news.un.org/en/story/2021/06/...
JFK 1962 Executive Order: www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docum...
The Cuban Democracy Act Of 1992: 1997-2001.state.gov/www/regio...
White House 1959 Special Note Analyzing Castro: history.state.gov/historicald...
Castro's Sierra Manifesto Of 1957: www.latinamericanstudies.org/c...
The Declaration Of Santiago of 1959: www.oas.org/sap/peacefund/Vir...
I've seen a number comments say my sources were biased, and say they wanted to see more 'pro revolution' sources. Admittedly my sources probably aren't all perfectly impartial, but they were the best I could find on the subject. My process is to throw out anything that's nakedly partial. In this video that meant throwing out sources that were nakedly against Cuba's government and that dogmatically argued for keeping the embargo without strong supportive reasoning (like work from the Heritage Foundation), and also meant throwing out sources that were nakedly sympathetic to Castro and Cuba's government, and that openly vilified America (like Salim Lamrani's The Economic War Against Cuba). I don't have any illusions about my sources being fully impartial (the subject is very polarized and fully impartial, high quality sources are hard to come by), but this video is my attempt to strip out as much of that bias as I could to get as close as I could, however imperfectly, to impartiality on a politically fraught subject. Take it for what it is.
I explained
Brother why there arent subtitles in some of ur videos
people like ryan are keeping journalism alive, while the new york times and such are actively killing it.
what exactly would you say is the challenge of reviewing nakedly biased takes from both sides?
How can you just skip over the USA putting Jupiter missiles in Turkey? I've watched your other videos, and I notice you do a lot of lying by omission to downplay the aggressive behavior of the USA, and keep its image as a well-meaning world cop.
The strange thing about this is if you look at the cold war from the perspective of the Caribbean countries which took the neutral grounds and decided to choose to be self determinant and liberate themselves from colonial rule during the war. America still viewed these countries breaking their colonial chains as "communism". Furthermore, these countries did not want the U.S. style liberal democracy becausr the U.S. was the one exploiting them before the war, along with the British.
and they suffered for it. They should have just turned into a liberal economy and thrived like everyone else.
Oh absolutely agree!
@@nbmi4613 "transition" as though liberal resistance to exploitation from the US wasn't crushed just as brutally as anything more radical.
@@BrorealeK it wasn’t. Liberals were generally in favor of neocolonialist relationships with the imperialist nations exploiting them.
So two things: firstly, I think you would be hard pressed to defend a style of government aside from Liberal Democracy; Liberal Democracy, as a political philosophy, is the only form of government that has supported Liberty; Liberty is an inherent good, and so is Democracy. Obviously bad things can happen in Democratic countries, but again, that is the point of Liberalism, to defend minorities from popular Democratic policies. Capitalism is an inherent part of Liberal Democracy, because Liberalism inherently respects property rights.
Secondly,. I think that during the Cold War, one has to view all geopolitical policies through the lens of the Cold War. Communists were determined to enact global Communist revolution. The US had initially been willing to pursue a policy of nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union, before the Soviets had even developed their first nuclear weapons, but the Soviets declined. Shortly thereafter, the US was embroiled in the Korean War, just five years after a hard won victory in WW2. When you compare South Korea to North Korea today, it is clear that the United States did the right thing in standing up to Soviet aggression.
While the United States did pursue policies that look bad in retrospect, like supporting authoritarian dictators, it was all ultimately for the cause of stopping the spread of Communism, with the eventual goal of spreading Liberal Democracy. The Soviet Union and it's allies, on the other hand, had the ultimate goal of spreading Authoritarian Communism to the world. So while the US policies could be justified as wartime decisions that were a means to an end, Authoritarian Communism was the end that the Soviet Union and it's allies were seeking.
Through this context, I think the US's offensive actions during the Cold War are defensible, outside of two scenarios: Viet Nam, which we should have realized was unwinnable much sooner, and our total lack of support for Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan war; had the US helped to rebuild Afghanistan after the Soviet Afghan war, the war in Afghanistan in 2001 would have likely never happened.
Obviously, the US's defensive strategies were necessary, but at the same time, we should have put more pressure on US aligned dictators to ensure that they were not carrying out human right's abuses. It's easy to say this in retrospect, and who knows if we could have pursued those policies and still see to the collapse of the Soviet Union, but I'm not going to sit here and completely justify some of the terrible things that US backed authoritarian states did.
This is one of the most underrated channels on youtube. Keep it up!
There are so few people who are actually interested in trying they're best to be impartial its sad please keep uploading there's not many like you.
their
@@Albert-ym9hx they're over there doing their best
This is incredibly partial lol
@@jandrashriker5861 no lol
@@stoicazoo7845 it is. The video quotes US govt. reports almost verbatim to make it's point. Without considering that they are the ones who have caused most of the miseries in Cuba.
Good and relatively neutral summary.
However, I don’t think the defense of "democracy" and "human rights" should ever be considered a genuine motive for the US Government’s actions. The entire history of the US has shown that its government doesn’t give a flying fuck about democracy and human rights when it gets in the way of economic and geostrategic interests. Case in point… the Cuban government they supported before Castro.
Besides, in 1962, half of the US still lived under a literal Apartheid regime, so it’s not like they were in any position to lecture other countries on that front.
Of course occasionally democracy and geostrategic interests align, but that is basically just the case with Ukraine. It's also technically the case with Taiwan and South Korea, but the democracy came after the support, so it's less justified.
I think people over consider history. The fault there lies in not appreciating how much things have changed from back then till now.
yeah if it cared more about freedom than about corporate interests it could not be such buddies with Saudi Arabia
I think the many years of UN resolutions should be included.
The overwhelming world position has been for quite some time that the embargo should be removed.
There is no embargo of the other world powers. Anyone outside the US can trade with Cuba unimpeded. Even the US embargo has been little more than a token gesture since Obama. The main problem with Cuba attracting investment is their exceptionally corrupt and unscrupulous despotic socialist government.
The part of the embargo that limits ships from docking in America didn't make trading with most countries difficult, it made it economically infeasible for almost the entire world to trade with Cuba, particularly for modern technologies, because it would result in huge expenses rather than profit to sail ships that close to the U.S. but not dock there to conduct commerce w the U.S. This is why they call it a blockade, technically its an embargo but in practice it is a blockade, as in war.
yes very true
Since there's no more Soviet Union it's kind of weird to keep the embargo, especially since it wasn't done against Communist Vietnam which actively put a large percentage of people who are now Non-Hispanic Vietnamese-Americans into concentration camps and the diaspora absolutely loathes the current government.
This is also why I don't buy into the "Cuban-Americans did it" justification. Especially since there are way more Non-Hispanic Vietnamese-Americans and those U.S.A. as a whole is way more bitter at losing three wars to North Vietnam (the South Vietnamese Civil War, the Secret War, and the Cambodian Civil War). Plus Hollywood films STILL paint Vietnam as a national trauma for U.S. Americans.
Meanwhile people are dancing to Vietnamese music on TikTok now and U.S. American businesses leaving Mainland China often do so for Communist Vietnam. This is despite a similar bitter embargo existing until the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was the only power that could have challenged those U.S.A. and Mainland China wasn't powerful during the 1990's. So it makes no sense to keep an embargo on Communist Cuba.
This is some of the best stuff on UA-cam Ryan. Excellent
As a content creator myself I'm impressed by the time and attention to detail you put into your subjects. Keep the videos coming man!
Once again, a well thought out video.
This material is professional caliber. Bravo!
this channel is super valuable. great job on these videos man
Reading the Soviet and Russian sources, one may conclude that the American attempt to invade Cuba was just a pretext. The real motivation behind the deployment of Soviet missiles was to reach geographical parity. One of the biggest fears Khrushchev had was deployment of American missiles in Western Europe and Turkey, which made a lead time to the most industrial hubs of the Soviet Union extremely short and not nearly enough to intercept the missiles in case of an attack. Soviet Union at the time did not have strong enough navy to match such a threat. Having Cuba as a base for Soviet missiles would allow Khrushchev to put the American industrial hubs in a similar position and reach a strategic parity (if not advantage). One of the main component of the post-crisis status quo was American refrain from deploying missiles to Turkey and reducing the deployment across Western Europe.
What it means, at least to me, is that Cuba fell victim of the conflict between the world powers, and the embargo was not really needed once the crisis was diffused. Especially after the Soviets developed a massive fleet of nuclear subs that effectively achieved the original goals rendering Cuba largely irrelevant.
Good point Castro,was a fool , Soviet funds dried up communism has spread into s. America.sinking the island would have been cheaper.
Of course it was a pretext. Isn't that obvious to everyone?
Did you consider the 10 to 1 advantage in troops/tanks/equipment that the Soviet bloc had over Western Europe?
That is the reason why America put so much effort/research into ballistic missile technology during the 1950's-1960's.
The Soviets sent 2 oil tankers a day to Cuba for their fealty. That ended when the Soviet Union collapsed. Now under Chinese hegemony allowing their spies a safe house.
You are missing the point that cuba is a totalitarian communism regime, based on stalinism, more similar to North Korea than China. The regime has been trying to subvert every latin american goverment by financing terrorism and narco guerrillas .
This video was excellent; it truly made me reconsider some positions. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video and presenting the materials from which you quoted!
Great content as usual!
Great content as usual.
Great work Ryan. Thank you 🙏🏻
Great informative video. Ryan is the Chuck Norris of political philosophy explainers.
He is extremely good. Agree or disagree, it's not because Chapman didn't do his research.
Informative video!
Can’t get enough of your videos
1:18 Great point! I wish more people understood that. I'd love to see a video from you about that; there's lots of ways to get it wrong. It requires great precision with words, which you seem to do quite well.
Awesome video!
Thank you Ryan for taking us on a trip into the embargo rabbit-hole. Appreciate all your methodical research and reference citing - A refreshing alternative to the MSM!
Wus just thinking bout you. Welcome back
great analysis
Good video I learned much
thank you so much for your videos! you are an incredible resource here on youtube. i think it's extremely important to try to make academic information more accessible since it's typically veiled by some sort of "elitist secrecy" lol. but keep it up!!! you are doing a great job at it
Me too (about Puerto Rico)
Great job on this video Ryan. I am Cuban and my family fled Cuba’s communism in the late 80s and 90s. You nailed all the key points and as always are presenting information in what is almost an impartial take. There is probably nothing that is fully impartial, we are humans, but you are very close to it.
ah yes the yet another “Cuban” whose family fled Cuba’s communism during the 19XXs.
Gusano
Leaches migrating to leach off another country
@@heroow37 Patria Y Vida
@@heroow37 A mamarla claria
Well done Professor Chapmen. Thank you.
Excellent channel.
Great as always. By the way is there any way to access your older videos? I can't find them on your channel and was planning to use some of them as resources for school. Thanks!
Thanks Shyam, and yes. Shoot me an email (in the 'about' section on my youtube channel page) and I'll send you private links.
What vids are missing! I want more Ryan!
Excelent video
What is Cuba’s current relationship with China?
Good video
yeah one of these about Venezuela would be amazing
This video is great. I have also made a video just 2 days ago explaining how the embargo does affect indeed the cuban people abd not so much the government. Good for anyone who is interested in the point of view of a Cuban, a cuban who do not live in Florida lol. The audio is in Spanish but it has subtitles as well.
Use a US study that says the US sanctions had minimal impact on Cuba... smells off
These studies are generally very good and relatively unbiased. Wish I could say the same for our news channels like CCN and MSNBC😮💨
I am somewhat confused by the explanation for continued embargo, how does those 4 factors contributed to US policy towards Cuba? Especially 4) I can't imagine any outside pressure on the US to keep the embargo
Could you add the intro/outro song to your description?
¡Todo es un gran espectáculo y una gran hipocresía! Ambos partidos políticos de Estados Unidos, al igual que muchas agencias de propietarios Cubano-Americanos que lucran con la necesidad y el dolor de los cubanos han estado manipulando los sentimientos de los cubanos a través de sus agendas de intereses personales...
Pero tristemente para ellos Cuba, es solo una herramienta más en beneficio de todos, menos de los cubanos dentro de la isla que necesitan desesperadamente ayuda para combatir las necesidades acumuladas por más de 60 años.
Estas necesidades las cuales se agudizan aún más como consecuencia de una pandemia mundial que ha estado afectando incluso a los países más desarrollados… Realmente solo a una mente genocida se le puede ocurrir mantener un embargo en la situación actual, convirtiéndose en una verdadera condena a muerte para todo un pueblo que morirá a causa de la sofocación del gran imperio Americano, o como consecuencia del Covid-19...
Muchos ponen sus pasiones e intereses personales por encima de lo que es justo, pero esto para nadie ha de asombrar, ya que hay muchos Cubanos que dicen amar a sus familiares, pero a la hora de ayudarles, ellos anteponer la idea de que al hacerlo ayudarían al "Regimen" de Cuba... Ellos murmuran entre si compadeciéndose los unos a los otros, mientras observan a un gato que se ahoga dentro de un tanque de petróleo, y el gato muere delante de sus ojos porque ninguno se atreve a embarrarse las manos he intentar ayudarle a vivir.
Por otro lado mientras el gobierno cubano QUIZÁS le deba dinero a los Estados Unidos como resultado de las propiedades incautadas hace más de 60 años atrás, ¿Cuánto más le debe Estados Unidos a Cuba especialmente a esas personas o a todo un país que ha estado sufriendo bajo nuestra supervisión durante más de 60 años, y que a causa de las presiones provocadas por los mismos Estados Unidos, muchos jóvenes movidos por el desespero, han perdido su vida en el mar, intentando alcanzar tener una mejor vida o futuro para ellos y para sus seres queridos?
Se suponía que Cuba hubiese sido un país libre durante muchos años, si no hubiera sido por la interferencia de los Estados Unidos que antes la llegada de los castros se habían apoderado de casi toda la isla... Nunca hubiese habido Un Castro, si no hubiese habido un Batista y una mafia que respondía a los intereses coloniales de los Estados Unidos de América... Para entender la situación actual de Cuba hay que instruirse en todo lo ocurrido mucho más allá del año 1959. Para muchos es más fácil repetir lo que otros dicen sin buscar información por ellos mismos, estos son como analfabetos o incapacitados mentales que se sientan en una, para escuchar todo los embustes mediante los cuales son alimentados...
Y yo preguntaría; en este gran imperio donde muchos vivimos y donde se defienden los derechos legales más allá de nuestras fronteras...¿Quién será responsable de los daños compensatorios a aquellas familias que han sufrido todos estos años de bloqueo bajo nuestra vigilancia? o como decimos aquí "Under our watch" Mientras que el gobierno de Estados Unidos intimida a los estadounidenses sobre el comunismo en Cuba, por otro lado hacen negocios con China, Rusia y otros países comunistas... Para aquellos que no saben, Estados Unidos cada año emplea más de 1.3 billones de dólares de los contribuyentes para mantener este Embargo a Cuba que lo único que busca es crear una situación desesperante dentro del pueblo de Cuba para que peleen contra el régimen, de esta forma una vez que este pueblo haya hecho el trabajo sucio, y haga brindado la sangre de sus hijos, entonces venga el "Gran Imperio" con aires de héroe, mientras trae escondido bajo su chaqueta las verdaderas intenciones de volver a apoderarse de todo un país, el cual nunca podrá disfrutar de una verdadera libertad... En otras palabras, sería como pasar de las manos de un yugo a las manos de otro yugo...
Es hora de que muchos entiendan que no se trata de lo mucho que estas personas se preocupan por la gente dentro de Cuba, se trata de sus propios intereses... No hay peor ciego que aquel que no quiere ver....
¡Hipocresía! y mentiras! Si no hay embargo a Cuba como dicen algunos; Entonces, pidamos al Congreso de los Estados Unidos que lo elimine de una vez y por todas, Sí, ¡Porque realmente existe! Si usted no lo sabía, hay 184 países que llevan 29 años consecutivos exigiendo en las Naciones Unidas que se levante el bloqueo, y nuestro país viene actuando como un verdadero matón que ignora las demandas del mundo... Y si no crees que exista este llamado Bloqueo o Embargo, lo invito a ver el siguiente enlace... news.un.org/es/story/2021/06/1493662 perteneciente al sitio oficial de las Naciones Unidas.
Qué irónico, por otro lado, es el hecho de que Estados Unidos pueda gastar millones de dólares para restablecer el Internet en Cuba, porque están muy preocupados por los Cubanos dentro de la isla... ¿Es que acaso el Internet llenará el estómago de esas personas? ¿O solo servirá a los macabros intereses de nuestro imperio que lejos de verdaderamente detener el hambre y la miseria ocasionada por su embargo, lo único que quieren es ver "La Sangre Correr" para buscar por todos los medios una justificación de intervenir esa isla con sus macabros y ocultos propósitos?
¿Por qué mejor no usar el dinero de los contribuyentes Americanos, para proporcionar alimentos a las personas necesitadas a causa de una crisis que todos estamos viviendo especialmente en estos momentos de escasez y necesidad a causa de la epidemia? Por supuesto, esto sería así, si en realidad este país nuestro realmente se preocupara por el bienestar de esas personas en Cuba.
Mucha gente intenta distorsionar la realidad, y aunque deberíamos condenar el régimen totalitario de Cuba y su represión, quizás también deberíamos preguntarnos; ¿Es inocente el imperio de Estados Unidos? ¿O también es en gran parte responsable del dolor y sufrimiento de un país que está luchando y sufriendo a causa de nuestras manipulaciones y asfixia económica?
Bien dice las escrituras en el libro de Mateo 7:15-20 "Por sus frutos les conoceréis" No puede haber bondad o un sentimiento para el bien de esas mujeres, ancianos y niños dentro de la isla de Cuba, cuando aprovechándonos cobardemente de un momento en el que todos los países del hemisferio están muriendo o sufriendo el golpe de una epidemia mortal, ahora más que nunca asfixiamos a un pueblo entero con el único fin de hacerlos enfrentarse a sus líderes...
¿Qué Líderes? preguntará usted indignado, haciendo referencia a la corrupción dentro de la isla que todos conocemos; Bueno, le invito a que mire para su lado, ya que aquí en los Estados Unidos también tenemos corrupción, discriminación, y abusos a los derechos humanos, y nadie nos bloquea o interviene para hacernos la guerra.... Nuestro Ex-Presidente utilizó la fuerza militar, golpeando y tirando bombas de gases y balas de gomas indiscriminadamente a una población por el simple hecho de posar frente a una iglesia mientras se tomaba una foto con una biblia en sus manos... Y aquí no termina todo, porque a pesar de que muchos de nuestros agentes policiales son enjuiciados y encontrados culpable como resultados de sus abusos, muchos otros casos de racismo o abuso policial quedan impunes a causa de la corrupción que también existen a los diferentes niveles de nuestro sistema de "DEMOCRACIA" que queremos exportar o imponer a otros países...
PARA AQUELLAS PERSONAS QUE INOCENTEMENTE SE PREGUNTAN ¿POR QUÉ CUBA NO ACEPTA LA AYUDA DE EE. UU? CREO SABER CUAL ES LA RAZÓN;
Verás, la libertad y la dignidad no se piden, o se mendigan, Esto lo dijo José Martí, y la cuestión es que muchos han cambiado su dignidad por un plato de comida, un techo, un carro, o una posición política y social. Ellos han dejado su país, para vivir aquí bajo el amparo de los Estados Unidos.
Pero escucha; Ahora yo quiero ilustrarte de la siguiente manera; Si alguien te hace la vida imposible impidiéndote conseguir un trabajo, o hacer negocios con otros sin ser intimidado, asfixiándole a usted y a su familia y llevándoles a la miseria, haciendo que tus hijos se vayan de tu lado, culpándole por no poder mantenerlos, y luego; tu vez que el causante de todos tus males se presenta ante la Prensa y los medios pretendiendo ser un héroe que te quiere ayudar... ofreciendo las migajas de su mesa como una gran ayuda humanitaria... ¿Lo aceptarías? ¿O lo enviarías a coger "Su ayuda" y ponerla donde la luz del sol no brilla? ¿Entiendes? Hay muchos que no conocer este tipo de reacción o comportamiento, porque desconocen el verdadero significado de la palabra "DIGNIDAD"
¿Por qué los canales de noticias silencian y ocultan sus voces sobre esta gran verdad? ¿Por qué los estadounidenses mantienen este tema en complicidad silenciosa, cuando tantos países han estado exigiendo justicia?
La mera verdad, palabra por palabra.
Lots of information about the Embargo, for sure. I was born in the U.S. okay. When I was about 18 years old ( that was around 1987) I said "We should end the Embargo" Oh my! Friends and Family of mine were Outraged! Nevertheless, I believed, that if the Embargo was not in effect, that would open up travel for Americans to Cuba. Could you imagine 100,000 College students descending upon Havana for Spring Break..? Remember, this was 1987, when travel to Cuba was limited and there was no internet... For the young people of Cuba to see and experience how young Americans lived, behaved and how much Money they had to spend Frivolously on vacation..? I truly believe that would have had a much greater effect than any economic embargo..! Of course looking back now, the Cuban government would have never allowed it..! For all the talk about the Embargo... Whether to end it or to continue it... The reality is that its the Cuban government imposes an Embargo upon its own citizens... Cubans cannot travel freely, not just abroad, but even within their own country. Yes, Cuba has allowed a few private citizens to open up some small businesses, like paladares (home based restaurants), but ALL stores are owned and run by the State. There are no department stores, hardware stores or even small Mom & Pop Groceries Stores in Cuba. So ending the Embargo will have little effect on regular Cubans. In Cuba the people, especially the young generation, see little, if any hope for a future. Think about it. How can you expect to afford to get married, have children and buy a house when your monthly salary is $20 dollars, $240 a year!!! A "modest home" by their standards!!! Can cost anywhere between $25,000 and $40,000. Used cars can cost anywhere between 50,000 and 180,000. Yet government officials drive Mercedes Benz and even Ford and GM SUVs... No matter what the Cuban government says about the Embargo... they need it! If only to have something to blame for all of failed policies and oppressive measures taken upon their own people. Let's be honest. Why did Spain the U.S. and other counties invest and even exploit Cuba for centuries? Because Cuba, has many rich resources, including Mineral wealth and not least, some of the worlds richest farmland..! The U.S. embargo did not eliminate the minerals and certainly did not do away with the fertile soil..! Even without trade, which they do with many countries, they still cannot produce enough FOOD for its meager population..! As far as not having replacement parts for its 1950's equipment? Please. Cubans are resourceful and ingenious. How do you think they keep so many 1950's cars running? Besides, the USSR supplied them with equipment for decades and still they couldn't produce enough to be profitable..? Truly, I'm not being biased! A country and an independent government in power for over 65 years that cannot be prosperous with all the advantages that Cuba has..? After declaring the U.S. "The Enemy" for decades, siding with and selling their souls to the USSR, now that the USSR and Venezuela, no longer gift them Free oil, now they need the U.S. ? It sad to say this, but the reality is, after more than six decades of indoctrination and living suppressed of human rights, the people are Cuba are ill equipped to change anything for themselves. Recently, my cousin from Cuba, immigrated to the U.S., I took her to Walmart!!! after about ten minutes... she said "please take me outside" I asked whats wrong? She said seeing so many things at once was so overwhelming that she became DIZZY! Cubans will adapt eventually, but their path is unique to them and nothing like anything we can or ever will understand..!
This video's rendition acknowledges that the US by imposing suffocating sanctions was effectively inflicting punishment upon Cuban people-for what?
Give this man his due!
I think remittances is an important factor to discuss.
This is very interesting and educational. Thank you so much. Can you also talk about the western embargo against China from the 50s to the 70s?
It's simple when the executive committee of the ruling class meets in Washington, DC it decides what it thinks are in its best interests.
I've subbed and am 4 videos in. There is huge potential in this channel and structurally and methodically I am very excited for this channel.
There is one major (perceived..by me) issue however. So far I have only seen one source that is not American or Western English language.
It's astounding to me than in 2023 that the study of non Western countries and I.R. can be based on almost exclusively Western Sources. In this video on the impact of sanctions, this video references EXCLUSIVELY US sources??? (I dont count Castro's speech as a source due it's distance from the core thesis of this video.)
There may be a good reason for it. Off the top of my head, I'm sure the Academic training Ryan has received is largely responsible?
But in a time when if you were to make assumptions or judgements about an Foreign INDIVIDUAL exclusively on what other AMERICANS told you, you would be crowdshamed. Yet somehow when we conduct research on a Foreign PEOPLE GROUP (ie nation, religion etc), that is still what we do.
Today all we have to do to understand people from other countries is use a simple translation app and we can contact foreign governments, individuals and representative organizations for free anywhere in the world, it is unacceptable to be so biased and arrogant in the belief in the supremacy of our domestically generated sources.
I was 5 vids in until I saw this one and it made me question everything else I saw. Yikes. You pretty much summed it up.
The idea that the US has an embargo on Cuba for 60 years, despite the UN opposing it for decades, only because of Cuban immigrants in 1 state is beyond laughable, its in fact insulting.
$130 Billion . Thats how much damage the US did to Cuba, a small island nation dependent on trade, over 60 years of embargo. These are United Nations estimates so he had no reason not to include this info and expand on it! Estimates of a leading Cuban economist are not far off, stating a $144 Billion number.
Not only that, but he had the need to interject his opinion on how Cuban government can point to the sanctions to blame the US for the problems of socialism, while never exploring the idea what Cuba would look like today if it had free trade with the rest of the world and the advantage of 130 billion dollars.
Very bad video.
@@korosensei4384 The united states is not obligated to trade with anyone. If you pointed guns at me, it doesn't matter how many years pass, you're never invited to the potluck again.
@@korosensei4384 Cuba choose to be anti american. You make your bed, you lay in it.
Fascinating. I really expected to end the video cheering the embargo, because I thought that was cheering for freedom and democracy for Cubans. I wish I knew what to do to be supportive of the people there.
What makes the embargo complex, and isn't covered much in this video, is that the embargo was in some ways self-imposed by the Castro regime in an effort to prevent class divisions from developing.
On paper, the embargo mostly targets the Cuban military, and a lot of things NOT included in the embargo the Castro regime itself chose to keep out of Cuba, this actually ties into the "special period" mentioned in the video that ended in 1994. What happened in 1994 that turned Cuba's negative growth around? Answer: Castro relaxed some of his own rules to allow foreign money into Cuba. For example Cuba's Ministry of Tourism was created in 1994 to grow a state controlled tourism economy. He allowed foreign tourism companies to setup resorts in the country and bring in foreign tourists and money. Relaxing their rules allowed them to increase their trade with neighboring countries to make up for the lost trade with the Soviets.
Cuba has democracy and the embargo infringes upon Cubans' freedoms
@@thabiso5792 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@thabiso5792 Get out of here with your lies and propaganda!
@@supermonkey321 Cuba has one of the most unique political systems in the world, you can read about it in a book called Cuba nad it's neighbour: Democracy in motion. It is a biased book, but it is well written and helps you understand the system and the reason why Cuba has an argument for being a democracy
Great video. I recommend BadEmpanada's video titled "How Cuba works" for anyone who wants to know more about Cuba
Badempanada is a hidden gem of historical reason.
one of the few voices of sanity on the internet
A little bit of time wise with the Monroe Doctrine . You mostly were referring to the corollary to the MD.
You should do a video on America’s constant fear of being anti-Soviet Communism since this time.
Sir, military conflict with Soviet communism wasn't all fear mongering, not even close. It is written into actual Soviet doctrine and a fundamental tenet of Marxism.
Many attempts at pure Marxism devolve into auto liquidation with the death of complete societies. The great experiment of communism comsumed well over 100 million lives over the 20th century.
Your statement is stained with more emotional thinking than reality.
I'm now reading other comment and your response. Having lived some of this history myself, and studied it since, I'm made ever more aware of who writes history. Have you done one yet on the "TRANFORMATIVE" presidency of Ronald Reagan? It could be illustrative of the effectiveness of singularly focused "think-tankerism" . Ok back to your video, btw, us agreeing to not invade Russia? Nothing else???
Why did you delete your video on when life begins? 🤔
@RyanChapmanPolitics I found very often a lot of people referring to Pigs Bay as an American invasion, which it wasn't. The US backed the invasion with training and guns, but it wasn't the US Army involved on the attack but a militia of Cubans who wanted to overthrow Castro's regime. This seems irrelevant, but it's a target of Castrist propaganda saying they defeated the US Army when they didn't, actually the one time Cubans troops faced the US Army was on the landing of Grenada in 1985, where after short combats the Cuban troops surrendered unconditionally.
Roberto Martínez, Cuba has never said it was the US army, they have always said it was an army of mercenaries.
@@zilvente they call it the first defeat of Yankee Imperialism in America, and always recount it as an US invasion.
@@robertomartinez8966 Yes and no, what they consider a defeat of Yankee Imperialism is the fact that US couldn't stop Fidel Castro, the specific invasion was always called a mercenary invasion backed by the US govrnmnt.
Also not all members from brigade 2506 were mercenaries, most of them were people who just wanted to overthrow Castro, but the regime would never acknowledge that.
My grand-father fled Cuba, he's still waiting for the day he can return and he's almost 90 years old now.
It would be nice if we learned from our mistakes. Russia and now China are more than willing to accept our throw-offs.
My wife works for the FDA and the stories of the irreparable harm to our (USA) place in the world during the Trump administration is staggerring. As we pulled back from The WHO, threatened to abandon NATO, failed to lead with Covid, and threatened security and aid, Russia and China were more than willing to be their new best friend.
Thank You, Now please tell these people that Venezuela wasn't embargoed until Maduro disbanded the judiciary and installed party loyalist in their supreme court there-bye allowing him to run for president indefinably.
Precisely. I will watch this later.
Very helpful, thanks. Although remote, I find it interesting that in the 1850's, U.S. southern/slave interests made multiple failed attempts to purchase and/or militarily invade Cuba (with its 400,000 slaves), so as to add it to the U.S. as a slave state.
HELMS BURTON ACT aka EMBARGO will only be recinded by the US SENOT after CUBA has compensated foreign properties that where confiscated plus intrests !!! This ACT is basd on INTERNATIONAL Property Law !
I think you’re wrong at 10:45. The reasoning was not ideological. It was because the communist ideology led to nationalization of US private property that it became a US government objective. US objectives abroad usually don’t line up with ideology, but rather with property interests.
The furthest left leaning President since FDR, Obama, showing up and chilling with the Cubans was an anomaly imo.
good point.. the real objective of the gov't is corporate interests abroad, not freedom.
the original 9/11, 1973, chile proves your point. so many others do too. always a huge price for the average citizen of the countries US corporations move into.
Earlyish!
A further point worth noting about the Castro regime in the 1970s was its commitment to “revolutionary” causes in a number of African countries notably in Ethiopia’s war with Somalia and in fighting against UNITA and their backer South Africa in Angola. Cube sent tens of thousands of troops into hard fighting in both conflicts. Cuba’s expenditure of blood and treasure on wars in another continent (where even Soviet advisors tendered to ignore its views) could hardly be described as enhancing the security or economic well-being of Cuban citizens.
cuba was helping others get free. They truly were living up to the socialist ideals
I'm Cuban and am disappointed in the regurgitation of Propaganda I just watched. The embargo isn't about politics or about "sticking it" to the murderous Castro regime.
I like the video but I feel like there were a few errors. The modification of the Monroe doctrine in 1904 did not apply to US sentiment toward the Soviet union since the Soviet union did not form until 1917., thirteen years after 1904. ... Jeb bush was the Florida Secretary of Commerce in 1992. It does not surprise me that Pres. Bush tightened sanctions given that fact. While I think all your facts are correct, there are a number of omissions. The situation both before and after Castros seizing power was far more complex than presented. Certainly there were irrational actions by the US but they were not all in a vacuum. Lastly, you mentioned your dissatisfaction with Trumans characterization of the Soviet union but did not go into detail.
Love your videos. But in this one I think you missed good points. The embargo has more than a mere economical effect. It has a political and social effect which is difficult to quantify. It's cumulative. Has been an important contributor to feed social discontent, corruption, criminality. Don't get me wrong: there have been mistakes. Many. But it's hard to minimize the contribution the embargo and also the continued political pressure (acts of terrorism, sabotage, propaganda, etc).
Words from a Cuban who criticizes what's wrong in my beloved country but also understands the source of some of the problems and how they have affected Cuban society. I didn't read it in books, I lived it
As somebody who has been to Cuba there is a good reason Cubans are trying flee that island lol
I've got a funny feeling there are a few more reasons that we aren't lifting the embargo besides Florida. The US Government does NOT want the embargo lifted. This isn't just some voting thing.
This is true, but are they "good" reasons or just ideologically outdated and rooted in imperialistic baggage.
Great analysis! It’s true the the embargo is the #1 propaganda piece for the Cuban government.
One of the dumbest things you can do is give you're enemy an easy victory!
I don't know how to say it but the video comes off as a very one sided view of the embargo. It completely undermines the Cuban pov on this discussion. E.g. the embargo has caused Cuba to deploy war time measures at all times. Also, they have never been against opening the economy. They did trade with US under Obama's ruling.
One curious thing that you failed to mention about special period was, Cubans did a lot of things during that time to adopt. One of the key changes was how regular Cubans started farming food crops at smaller pieces of land to adjust. Mentioning that they ate cats and not provide other numerous ways how they coped during the special period is a definitive rhetoric tactic. Not to mention, how did Americans find out the cat population in Cuba was almost eliminated when most Americans weren't even allowed to enter. As a closing statement, Cubans did allow dissent. Even from American side, Noam Chomsky went on Cuba's national radio and television to have discussion about pros and cons of the revolution. I don't know whether it is intentional or not. But if you want to, I can mail you some reading material on Cuba too.
The solution for food production was black market. It was an illegal practice for which you could be jailed. You are given a ration card to meet basic necessities and get to purchase supplemental food at state sanctioned stores or ones that are state run and accept foreign currencies. Their prices are out of reach for most Cubans unless they are receiving $ from their foreign relatives. Last time I was there was 99 and they were just starting to allow Cubans to have small private businesses in some of the poorer provinces (where I am from and most of my family lived). Not sure what was happening in Havana as my only family there are party members so they live much better than the general population. They have a disgusting classist, racist and fear based system.
This dude doesn’t actually care, he’s clearly biased in favor of capitalism and US hegemony as evidenced in pretty much all his other videos. As I said in another comment, I don’t care that he advocates for his ideology, but it’s deeply insidious to pretend to be “neutral” while doing it.
@@Poopmannn I'm so relieved other people have picked up on this. Ryan is definitely hiding his hands.
@@Poopmannn well you would have to be an idiot not to be biased in favor of capitalism.
@@damonmcdowelljr2782 The issue with people like you is that you see enemies everywhere, and in the long tern end up creating them.
Patria y Vida
Living in Russia from 2007-2015, I was surprised to see how sanctions had the surprising effect of strengthening Putin's power and gaining net support.
Fast forward 2022, post COVID Putin's popularity was in dire straits... Need help to purge your country of opposition, gain unprecedented control of the economy?
We sure showed him🙃🙃🙃
The fact that he gained territory through military conquest also made him more popular, regardless of sanctions. IMO we've been thinking about sanctions wrong this whole time; sanctions aren't going to lead to revolution. What they are good for is making sure dangerous actors weak. If we hadn't imposed sanctions after 2014 Putin would have done far better in Ukraine, and the sanctions we've applied now will cripple Russia economically and militarily in the future, as well as hurt Putin's current war effort.
@@user-cx9nc4pj8w hurt his current war effort? He won't be able to buy diesel from himself because of sanctions? He won't be able to semd troops from the population, or the tanks and missiles in stock? The only real issue is restocking after the fact, things like electronics components that aren't manufactured in Russia, but like with Cuba and the USSR, China blunts the impact. Putin's personal wealth and control in relation to the GDP of Russia has greatly increased since 2014 and Feb 2022. The sanctions have helped him, not interfered. That's why he has zero reservations provoking us to impose more.
As far as territory, I really don't think people are excited about it. If anything, it's made visiting or business in those territories more difficult than it was before. But there are plenty who view Russia as liberating them, including the majority of Donbas and Crimea residents I know personally. Not saying he's justified, but disingenuous the way the media exclusively refers to them as "Russian backed separatists" dehumanizing them, as though their opinions are invalid by association with Russia.
i could listen to any topic you do. the nuance and measured pushback against oversimplified narratives is the scientific and journalistic mindset that rational thinkers aren't allergic to.
there's too much of that blatantly biased, blatantly fallacious dogma being pushed by mainstream news and is the dominant style of voice on social media too.
I feel like you should have mentioned that a lot of Cubans liked Castro. It was a key factor in how shit went down. A lot of people in the US were ignorant about how much he was liked in his country, which resulted in assumptions that action to topple his government had a strong chance of success.
That's why the US government is punishing the general population. To destroy confidence in the government.
👍🏻
Such a strange country their surrounded by lobsters yet no one can eat lobsters on the island? Their problems have nothing to do with the USA
OSA failed? Orrrr what?
Review #11J
The effect of embargo sounds just like what North Korea experienced. When Soviet fell, a devastating famine fell on the land in 1994. They call this period the March of Suffering. It’s not the effect of embargo but a byproduct of communism
Not really the same thing…
If communism is so bad that it will collapse on it's own, why do they actively try to destroy it
If communism cuased the north korean famine, how come they had zero famine until 1994? And how come they don't have famine since 2000?
@@davidstrelec2000 Because NK was financially supported by the Soviet Union till 1991. But they've always had food shortages. They're still in "famine" since the great "Arduous March" in 1994. It's just that the government no longer provides rations since 1994 so people find a way to survive on their own (wives selling in street markets). Even today the NK government can't feed their soldiers. They all become malnourished when they enter the military. The military goes around robbing, literally, the citizens to eat.
Pretty poor video actually , you have not explored the roots of the embargo or the revolution both of which have their roots in US exploitation of sovereign cuban lands . So why is cuba still under embargo bcuz american corporations are unable to acquire wealth the way they want and so they are punishing cuba for it . But they will still hang on to Guantanamo Bay so they can commit human rights violations off US soil
Buh buh buh, muh embargo!!!
The U.S. embargo does not deny medicines and medical supplies to the Cuban people. In fact, on March 20, 1998, President Clinton announced that the U.S. government would take steps to expedite the sales and donations of medicines to Cuba. This was done through the streamlining of export procedures for medicines and medical equipment, and reduction in license processing time. For information on sending medicines and medical supplies to Cuba, please refer to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The health care available to the average Cuban has deteriorated. Yet, not everyone in Cuba receives substandard care. The Cuban government has chosen to develop a two-tiered medical system -the deliberate establishment of a kind of 'medical apartheid'- that funnels money into services for a privileged few while depriving the healthcare system used by the vast majority of Cubans of adequate funding. Senior Cuban Communist Party officials, foreign 'health tourists' and those who can pay in hard currency have access to first rate medical services.
Yeah from what i seen medicine and at times food are the only things the US would allow some sort of trade with
A purpose of the embargo on Cuba was to send a clear message to other nations of the Western Hemisphere: "We respect your sovreignty and independance, but reserve the right to decide how you will exercise these rights. Stray too far from the approved path and we will squash you - economically at least - like a bug". (Militarily too, in Grenada, Haiti, Panama, etc. ) The embargo also played well in domestic politics, signalling unwavering anti-Communism and playing well with an emigree population in Florida that nurtured a longstanding dream of returning to Cuba and retaking possession of property that had been lost in the wake of the revolution.
IMO we have been thinking the wrong way about sanctions. Sanctions aren't going to create a revolution whenever we want. However, sanctions are still useful and important; but instead of regime change they need to be used to weaken potentially dangerous enemies. If it weren't for the sanctions after 2014 Russia would have done far better in Ukraine, and by keeping sanctions around we can make sure Russia is no longer a threat to Eastern Europe in the future. But this only applies in cases where the sanctioned state has the potential to be a serious threat in the future. Cuba is a small country with only 10 million people that is outmatched in every field by the US, so this view of sanctions does not justify the embargo at all.
Timing is perfect check out chavez
So you said it had negative effects on their health and this somehow has no effect on general population ? BTW is it democratic when 184 countries ask for ending embargo and US and its illegitimate son refuse ?
The world's governments positions are not a democracy
184 countries ask for ending embargo, because they want to trade with Cuba and exploit Cuba! Or do you really believe that they have Cuba's best interest above their own..?
Cuban Americans vote for politicians who support the sanctions , too. Interesting.
It's called Stockholm syndrome
Maybe Cuban Americans know more about Cuba?
This has the least views. Why?
Ultimately, we all get the government we deserve. External influences can certainly push us but it's the citizens decide whether to stay "pushed". IMO Cuba will for the foreseeable future have a corrupt/authoritarian government with or without the current leadership.
The Streisand Effect.
Yea u need to pic a side .so pic!
Wasn't Cuba's economy propped up by the Soviet Union? The money poured in from the USSR until the Soviet union collapsed.
Plato and Socrates warned about the flaws in "Democracy" which is why, for now, we are a constitutional republic!
Which is practically the same thing! All senators and representatives (state and federal), governors, mayors. etc. are chosen by the majority of the people.
@@ricomajesticNot really, constitutional republic moves slower. That's why we haven't destroyed ourselves yet. Most people don't vote. It's been under 40% most of my life.
Sorry Ryan, love ya, keep doing what you're doing but I'm 8 minutes in and both your contexts and conclusions are too shallow, to have been mere ignorance.
Castro did confiscate without compensation vast amounts of property of foreigners and Cubans. There is no way that could be done with impunity. Castro was not going to backdown especially with support from the USSR. Anger and frustration in the US only increased.
Castro developed a relationship with the USSR after the US started to become aggressive.
Ahh yes, the US international trade commission, a totally unbiased assessment of the harm caused to the Cuban people by the United States.
Sorry but enemy nations aren't Entitled to our wealth or trade. And Cuba can trade with anybody else it's not a blockade their just not allowed to trade with the US.
@@blazingkhalif2 💯
This podcast sucks "Pause the video and read it", that's not how I watch UA-cam. 😅
Intelligent people who want to be well informed will WANT to pause the video and read. I do it often in this and in other videos.
Why don’t you get the opinions of some pro revolution authorities on the matters of this video for balance. Seems this information heavily relies on sources that are adverse to the Cuban government