His solution - find and punish American tourists.

[link|http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8163-2003Oct10.html|http://www.washingto...63-2003Oct10.html]

President Bush announced yesterday that his administration will work harder to identify and punish Americans who visit Cuba in violation of U.S. laws, whether they travel from the United States or through a third country.

Such travel only helps "prop up the dictator and his cronies," Bush said, referring to Cuban President Fidel Castro. "Clearly, the Castro regime will not change by its own choice, but Cuba must change".

Sure - but this is the same strategy we've been doggedly following for OVER 40 YEARS and maybe you haven't noticed but ITS NOT FUCKING WORKING!

Bush also established a government committee to plan for Cuba's post-Castro future, naming Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel R. Martinez as co-chairmen. He said the administration will allow more Cubans to emigrate and will expand the U.S. distribution of radios and reading material in Cuba.

The measures, Bush said, are "only the beginning of a more robust effort to break through to the Cuban people."

You want to break through to the Cuban people? Why don't you send them some pharmaceuticals and maybe a little FOOD. Also welcome would be shipments of building supplies, soap, and cooking oil. Because apart from crumbling infrastructure and chronic shortages, Cuba is a true gem of a country. In fact, I'd suggest importing Cuban administrators to teach our government how to provide universal education and health care with practically nothing.

In a Congress largely united on the desirability of transforming Cuba but seriously divided about how to achieve it, Bush's announcement drew calls for a follow-through from some quarters, but others, who belong to a bipartisan majority that favors more engagement after a 41-year-old embargo, criticized it.

"For more than 40 years now, our Cuba policy has had the same effect as beating our head against a wall. By tightening enforcement of the travel ban, we will essentially just be beating it harder," said Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

"At some point," Flake continued, "we need to concede that our current approach has failed and try something new."
...
Dagoberto Rodriguez, head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, spoke out against U.S. policy and the embargo at a news conference on Thursday. He called on the U.S. government to "stop acting like a lawless cowboy" and "stop making the policy toward Cuba a circus led by the Miami mafia."

The travel ban is a particularly sensitive subject. Supporters say that foreign visitors help perpetuate Castro's rule, but opponents counter that the presence of tourists undermines the Cuban leader by enriching ordinary Cubans culturally and financially.

This is absolutely true. Cuba must be (and can be) modernized gently. My plan would include initially opening it up for limited tourism and trade and providing foreign aid in food, medical supplies, and building supplies. At the same time locking out the mega corps for awhile. Micro-mortgages will allow Cubans to establish small businesses to serve the tourists as tourism expands and in general the economy establishes itself.

Bush said he had instructed the Department of Homeland Security to increase the questioning and inspection of travelers and shipments between Cuba and the United States. He also said the government will "target" people who travel to Cuba through third countries and those who reach Cuba illegally on private boats.

The travel crackdown, Bush said, will also weaken Cuba's prostitution trade. He called the business "a modern form of slavery which is encouraged by the Cuban government."

This is a blatant lie. Cuban prostitution is strongly and actively discouraged - to the point of forbidding Cubans to foreigner's hotel rooms in major hotels in Havana. Its quite difficult to come up with a private meeting place if you do get lucky at the disco. Of course, that doesn't keep it from being rampant.

Furthermore, prostitution works against the Castro regime - apart from being embarrassing, the money goes directly into the pockets of citizens and then into the black market to buy foreign goods. Typically electronics (CD players/TVs/etc cost about 10% more there than they do here). The average Cuban makes $6-10 per MONTH. This means that without foreign income, it will take 2-3 years to get a CD player or TV (not that there's anything much to watch on).

There are also those Miami Cubans sending dollars and goods home - dwarfing the contribution by american tourists into statistical noise.

What Shrub and company don't quite realize is that the embargo suits Castro very well and is a key force keeping him in power. Brer Rabbit Lives!