What About Cuba? A More Decent, More Compassionate Relationship With the United States……………………………… by Robert M. Katzman
So, let’s say it’s a perfect world and I’m President of The United States.
Which would mean a liberal, informed, and culturally aware Democrat with green sensibilities and no overwhelming desire to invade some other country and kill thousands of civilians, while at the same time being overwhelmingly concerned about this country, its people and the condition of America’s infrastructure.
I know, I know. A total fantasy, as of this date.
But, who knows? Something wonderful could happen.
Among the many, many changes and improvements I’d put into action, beside what I wrote in my earlier blog (6/12/08): Obama! A Blueprint for America (Written a few months ago. Check it out.), I’d change America’s relationship with Cuba.
Cuba, a country slightly larger than Ohio, about 11,800 sq. miles, with about the same population, 11,000,000 (though most likely a lot less Amish) is so rich in so many ways, so close to us, about 90 miles, and yet we hardly notice it. At least, because of the political influence of the Cubans already here, mostly in Florida, our cultural and economic ties with that island are few.  If the average American has any sense of the place, it is mostly likely through romantic movie images such as Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons in Guys and Dolls or the 2nd Godfather movie. Or ancient political intrigue stories involving Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, the Bay of Pigs invasion disaster or the “Cuban Missile Crisis” dramatic standoff and Nikita Khrushchev. All nearly 50 years ago, at this point.
And some old car enthusiasts find it romantic to think of Cuba as some Fifties car museum where all the cars driven after the revolution in 1959 are still there, undamaged by salt and parked everywhere like some permanent Hollywood movie set.
If ever there was a tropical paradise perfectly located for tourism, development and being regionally influential, it’s Cuba. Almost equally distant from the southeastern coast of the United States, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the northern coast of Venezuela, Central America and within kissing distance of popular and prosperous islands of the Caribbean and the Bahamas, Cuba is a real estate investor’s dream.
Location, location, location.
I would call the president of Cuba, Raul Castro, ask how Fidel is doing and then casually suggest that we meet for lunch someplace nearby, like say…Miami, or Jamaica or maybe even Costa Rica, and talk about some things. We should keep everything light and friendly. Because Raul might be suspicious of a president of a big industrial country that once tried to invade his little island 46 years ago in 1962, or who also contemplated killing his brother. I’d tell him to pick a place he likes and I’d be there. No big delegation of politicians or businessmen. No huge bodyguard. Just two guys.  Representing about 320,000,000 people.
I’d start out by expressing regret that we weren’t closer as countries, and as leaders, and then come right out and apologize for the half century of our being a threat to them and keeping our contacts to an absolute minimum. Raul wouldn’t expect it, it would suggest a completely different tone to our lunch meeting, and hopefully put him in a more receptive frame of mind, instead of being on guard and defensive before I said a word. It costs nothing to apologize–and as any wise husband will admit–and is essential in keeping potentially incendiary relationships on an even keel. It would save a lot of time and swiftly get across the idea that I came there to start fresh if he, too, was willing.
Then I’d tell him we want to return control of Guantanamo back to Cuba, and, if it seemed reasonable, then offer to pay Cuba a fair rent for it at market rates for the general region and develop the land and bay into a grand tourist destination for Americans or anyone else who wanted to come to it. That we would exclusively employ Cubans to build it, including whatever roads were necessary, and that income generated by the resort would generate taxes for Cuba.
I’d offer to normalize relations and let his people come to visit America and so on. I’d request that if this topic were interesting to Raul (he would call me Bob, of course) that I would be hopeful that the Cuban security police would promise to prevent a reoccurrence of that unfortunate previous expulsion by Cuba of ordinary people who wanted to leave for Miami, but among them were thousands of criminals, released from Cuba’s jails. Â Friends don’t treat each other that way, and did he agree?
I would ask if American farmers could sell Cuba whatever they needed, and perhaps also help modernize Cuba’s own farms, for free of course. I would acknowledge Cuba’s reputation for excellent health care for its people and ask if any of our citizens could come to Havana and learn something from Cuba’s medical practices, and also, would Raul allow any of his doctors to work in America, especially in smaller rural areas that were underserved by U.S doctors.
If the doctors from Cuba would agree to that for a fixed minimum number of years, their salary would be subsidized by the Federal Government, they would receive a house free of charge–a nice, modern house–and that after ten years, if they wished, they could become American citizens, automatically. Or have dual citizenship, if Raul felt better about that.
By the time we were ready for dessert, I suspect Raul would ask me if he could come visit Disneyland. I’d respond that I would be willing to work out some efficient and inexpensive shuttle system employing both of our local airlines to bring day tripping Americans to Havana (or wherever) to add some hard cash to their economy.  Ditto for Cubans who wanted to visit Disneyworld or Miami for the day.
In an effort to stimulate their economy further, I’d ask if Americans could attend colleges in Cuba to better develop their language skills and make friends with other people while there. I’d ask if he would be willing to let American companies build (again employing local workers whenever possible) any other tourist destinations on the island and would it be acceptable for gambling to be legal there as well.
If Raul suggested, in return, that that was quite an interesting proposition for him to consider, as we thoughtfully puffed on our (Cuban) cigars. But it would be a lot more interesting to him if the Castro family were able to own a small piece of the action of whatever was built, in order to maintain the exceptional standard of living that he and Fidel had come to enjoy over the last 50 years. After an appropriate pause, suggesting I was thinking it over, I would quietly murmur that I had no objection to extremely focused… “Foreign Aid”… especially if it contributed to greater peace and prosperity between our two nations.
Or as my father put it to me in Yiddish, when I was a teenager,
“Ast du gehst, schmertz du”
Translating essentially that “as you grease the wheel, so goes the ride.”
Or in other words, if a small amount of bribery got the job done, he tried to explain to me, don’t be so aloof from the way the real world works that my inflexibility would kill any chance of accomplishing my ultimate goals.  As I grew older and acquired some real world experience in negotiating with people, I saw his wisdom more clearly. There may be saints in heaven, but rarely on Earth.
Between the yacht traffic going back and forth between the USA and Cuba, necessary repairs to those yachts made there, winter storage, fishing trips, cruises, and a whole range of other business relationship possibilities that would benefit both countries, it could be a lift to both sides. More butter, less guns.
Perhaps America could supply Cuba with water turbines, windmills and a solar infrastructure to enable the island to become mostly energy independent to vastly reduce its total dependence on imported oil. With our cooperation and a different attitude all the way around, Cuba could, and should, be the central hub of tourism in the Gulf of Mexico. Its prosperity would be a blessing and all the countries in the area would gain from the increase in the standard of living of Cuba’s citizens.
As to Cuba’s communism? Well, it’s not our country and we don’t control the world. I suspect that within a few years of vastly increased commerce between our countries, and a gradual rise in Cuba’s middle class, the politics of whoever was running the country would slowly liberalize, by choice, not by revolution. When a country has a solid middle-class, they want peace and stability for their families and businesses. Cuba would figure it out. We did.
Lastly, after I retired from politics, and with a long ago (by then) very personal signed agreement I’d received from Raul Castro safely in my pocket, after one of our many subsequent lunches together, I would leave the Washington press corps behind me and sail down to beautiful Cuba, to live out my remaining years in a beautiful cottage overlooking the sea.
Once I moved there, after an appropriate amount of time went by and the world forgot about me, I would go and visit some of my thousands upon thousands of perfectly preserved 1950’s era automobiles that Raul had quietly (and cheaply) bought up from his grateful citizens, and which he then promised to store for me until I retired from politics.
Within a short time and with the assistance of some recently retired CIA computer wizards (and now company shareholders, of course) a locally incorporated and privately owned “The Fonz Antique Auto Parts Supply“–the largest single collection of 1950’s auto parts in the entire world–would come into being, easing my sunset years.
Like I told Raul, years ago, anything that contributed to the continuing peace and prosperity between our two friendly nations………
Publishing News!Â
Bob Katzman’s two new true Chicago books are now for sale, from him!
Vol. One: A Savage Heart  and Vol. Two: Fighting Words
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