One of the things that I am most often shocked by in my study of world history and international relations is just how volatile human relationships can be. Too much of history has been determine by the ripple effect. A seemingly small shift in ideology or actions has many times irrevocably altered the course of human history. I believe that acknowledging this fact goes a long way to understanding the course of US Cuban relations. As we set out to attempt to understand why, at this time, the U.S. and Cuba are beginning to thaw to one another a basic understanding of history is of paramount importance. The Spanish American war set the stage for much of US Cuban relations, but is a largely de-emphasized conflict. When I first became interested in this topic, I found the Council on Foreign Affairs interactive timeline of U.S. Cuban relations to be extremely helpful. When we look back through the lens of time much of what caused or conflict with Cuba in the first place seems rather silly.

However, although recognizing that solid background knowledge is important to our understanding I want to move away from the past and look to the future. U.S. Cuban relations are undergoing a thawing period, although the complicated history between our two nations should not be forgotten I would like to argue that it is time to look towards the future. Our policy of hostility is not working. Fifty years later Cuba is still under a communist regime. Our attempt to snuff out a nation based on an ideological difference is nothing short of silly. Do we have to support Cuba’s system of government, no absolutely not, however our current approach isn’t working. In December president Obama released a statement that pointed out that the U.S. has, for more than 35 years, maintained a relationship with communist China. Considering this our continued severed relations with Cuba just don’t make sense anymore. Although I believe there are far more complex reasons why we are choosing to heal relations with Cuba now, perhaps the most obvious reason has to be that what we are doing just isn’t working anymore. Einstein said that the definition of insanity was to repeat the same thing and expect a different result. For decades the US has done just that. If we wish to defend democracy and human rights in Cuba then we need a new approach. Whether we like it or not, our world is becoming increasingly interdependent. Simply put, its time to move on, its time for a change!