Whether For or Against

Since independence over 100 years ago, Cuba's existence has been destructively linked to the United States. During the drive to independence, the revolutionary writer José Martí warned his country against simply exchanging Spanish colonialism for American imperialism. Martí's words have proved prophetic.

From independence until the Revolution, Cuba was ruled by corrupt dictators who had the full support of the United States. Fulgencio Batista had two reigns as the de facto ruler of the island nation and stripped the country of what amounted to millions of its dollars. Bastista formed a coalition with American mobsters to turn Cuba into a sordid tourist paradise. Bastista's actions ultimately hurt his country for numerous reasons, not least because the highest position a citizen could hope to achieve included either working in Bastista's crooked regime or for American gangsters. The system of rewards was skewed to a devastating degree for Cuba.

After Fidel Castro overthrew Batista in 1959, Cuba held the opposite position with regards to the United States. Cuba stormed out from under the grip of the United States and took a firm stance against its neighbor to the north. But every policy put forth by Castro was meant as an anti-imperialist gesture against the United States. This frame of mind also had a destructive impact on the island. Castro's revolution had the misfortune of occurring during the polarizing times of the Cold War, which provided the political circumstances to oppose the U.S. to such a strong degree. It is not accurate to say that the era forced Castro to choose sides- an ever-strengthening coalition of non-aligned developing nations persisted throughout the period- it simply enabled him to take a hard stance against the United States. Policies such as the campaign to produce 10 million tons of sugar in 1969-70, which ultimately destroyed the Cuban economy, were attempts to embarrass the United States, even if they rarely had Cuba's best interests at heart.

Cuba and the United States need to find a balance between a relationship based on subjugation and one of extreme antagonism. Cuba's unique culture and potential cannot thrive given the pervasiveness of the United States in Cuba's decision making, regardless of the nature of their relationship over the last century. (International Affairs Edition)