Voting

This is what voting in Havana was like the last time I visited there. Perhaps with the transition in government that has occurred over the past 6 months, real voting will start. In the past the results were always nearly unanimous and certainly maintained the status quo. Now, with a change, even a small shift, there is the chance of real reform. Since it is abundantly clear that the "embargo" has not been successful, perhaps a change in the US official posture might hasten the advent of real freedom. If our goal was freedom for the Cuban people rather than satisfying the understandable anger of a powerful political group, the embargo would be long gone. Encouraging reform by giving tangible support is likely to be more successful than continuing the harshness of a failed policy. Our leaders have persisted in this failed policy for 45 or so years. There is a window of opportunity at present, the US should seize it. There was perhaps a window of opportunity just after the revolution in 1959-1961. It was certainly lost in the fears and anxieties of the Communist threat of the Cold War years. Let's not pass up another chance to help a neighbor.