U.S. needs to change its illogical, ineffective Cuba policies

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus delegation that visited Havana last week was naive not to notice — or disingenuous not to acknowledge — that Cuba is hardly the paradise of racial harmony and equality it pretends to be. Still, that's no reason for the United States to continue the illogical, ineffective, hard-line policies that have produced an unbroken 47-year record of failure.

President Barack Obama's action Monday — he eased some restrictions on travel, gifts and remittances, but only for Cuban-Americans — is barely a start. He should go so far as to actually base our Cuba policy on reality.

After all, we've tried everything else.

Those who argue for keeping in place the trade embargo and what remains of the travel restrictions — and go so far as to predict that these measures, imposed at a time when the Cold War was getting chillier, will bring the Castro government to its knees any day now — have been drinking too many mojitos. Claims that the United States would somehow surrender valuable "leverage" by lifting the sanctions are purest fantasy.

People, we have no leverage in Cuba. If we had any, we'd have managed to move the Cuban government an inch or two toward democratic reform in the last five decades.

What we should do is lift the embargo, which Obama hasn't disturbed, and end the travel ban for everyone. That would put the onus on the Cubans to somehow keep hordes of American capitalists and tourists from infecting the island with dangerous, counterrevolutionary ideas. But we should take these steps with our eyes open, seeing Cuba as it is, not as we might want it to be.

By now it should be dawning on the seven U.S. legislators who got the red-carpet tour last week — including six members of the Black Caucus — that first impressions can be unreliable. Three members of the delegation were granted a rare audience with the ailing Fidel Castro. "He looked directly into my eyes," said Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., "and then he asked: 'How can we help President Obama?' Fidel Castro really wants President Obama to succeed."

No, he really doesn't. As it happened, Castro quickly demonstrated that he doesn't even wish the delegation well, let alone the current occupant of the White House. After the meeting, Castro issued a statement claiming that one of his visitors had said the United States should "apologize" to Cuba and that another had said U.S. society is still "racist." Members of the delegation denied that any such exchanges had taken place — and I believe them.