by Tim Williams

Created on: March 08, 2010   Last Updated: March 11, 2010

With The United States still engaged in a economic recession, our political parties still bickering over policies with no meaningful cooperation between them, our continued halfhearted attempts to increase the employment rolls, and the United States ongoing blockade against Cuba have made it only all to easy for the countries like Brazil, Russia, China, and India to capitalize on our struggling economy and Washington's same-old old foreign policies.  

 Thorough the lackluster and failed approach in the United States foreign policies from the Bush Administration till now have only increased other countries to capitalize on foreign markets and increased their economic potential. Call it a stale-mate in Washington from Healthcare to Job Growth have undermined the United States economy and wrought the American citizen helpless in improving their quality of life.

The United States blockade against Cuba has only encouraged Cuba to seek economic opportunities from other countries and has not helped our own economy from growing particularly in Southern States like Florida where that state has been hit relentlessly in loss opportunities amounting to over a 12% unemployment rate state wide. This translates in a continuing reduction in states tax revenue further pushing any hope of economic recovery away. It is this type of foreign policy by Administrations that have only hindered the growth of our economy but have induced economic hardship on a country that should be our neighbor and ally regardless of political differences. No longer can the United States afford to be so distant from a country that is so close in proximity as Cuba.  

 It is vital that Washington change its current policy on Cuba if the United States ever expects to fully recover from this economic crisis that, by the way, was created right here in America. With countries like Brazil stepping in and securing a major economic role not only in Cuba but all of the Caribbean all nations will continue to become more economically stable leaving the United States with out much economic impact. Only through private investors from the United States business community have offered any significant growth opportunities in countries like Haiti and Cuba. This is the only bright spot on an otherwise feudal attempt by Washington to spur any economic growth in the Caribbean.  

 The longer we delay in recognizing that the blockade in Cuba has only further isolated the citizens of Cuba form Americans, kept all in a vicious cycle of diminished economic opportunities, and have almost stymied any hope of a real economic recovery from happening anytime soon it's no wonder why Cuba and Brazil are moving forward in economic renewal leaving the United States to wallow in its own outdated foreign policy.  

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