Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Headlines from around the world over the last
month have proclaimed, “Raúl Castro, Obama
Meet to Further Cuban Normalization
Process”, “Cuba, US launch normalization
process”, “Pope Francis Praises Cuba-US
Normalization of Relations”, “U.S. diplomat
tells pilgrims they can help normalize relations
with Cuba”, “Rubio, Christie take issue with
Pope Francis’ push for normalizing U.S.-Cuba
relations”, “Prospects for the Cuban Internet
After the Normalization of U.S.-Cuba
Relations”, “Tennessee seen as key player in
push to normalize relations with Cuba” and
“US, Cuba to talk about normalizing airline
service”.
We can see directly from these September
2015 news headlines that ‘normalize’,
‘normalization’ and ‘normalizing’ are the buzz
words being used to explain the process after
the formal reestablishment of diplomatic
relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The key
element being that this is a process and that
while Cuba and the U.S. now have embassies
in each other’s capitals, this is not a “done
deal” and things are not “back to normal”.
Normalize, normalization and
normalizing... what does it all mean?
In his book Modern Diplomacy author RP
Barston lays out a ten point list of “Stages of
normalization”. They are: 1. Re-establishment
of contact using formal or informal channels.
2. Informal exchange. 3. Low-level signaling.
4. Partial resumption of trade and financial
relations. 5. Initiation or resumption of
preparatory negotiations. 6. Removal of
trade restrictions. 7. Policy revision. 8.
Normalization negotiation on core issues. 9.
Conclusion of normalization agreement. 10.
Normalization implementation.
Normalization happens specifically after there
has been a period of “abnormal” relations. Such
is the case of Cuba and the United States.
Over the past 56 years since the triumph of
the Cuban revolution, and the past 54 years
since the U.S. government officially broke
diplomatic ties with Havana – things have
been more hostile than simply “abnormal”.
While author Barston noted that the stages
of normalization did not have to happen in
order – you can see that #6 is removal of trade
restrictions – which is the main road block
in the process towards real normalization
between Cuba and the United States.
The noun normalization literally means “the
act or process of making normal”. So is that
what is happening between the U.S. and
Cuba?
Are the U.S. and Cuba “normalizing” their
relations?
On September 29, 2015 the Wall Street
Journal published an article titled, "Raúl
Castro, Obama Meet to Further Cuban
Normalization Process”. The article outlines
some of the discussion that took place
between U.S. President Barack Obama and
Cuban President Raúl Castro during their
35 minute bilateral meeting at the United
Nations summit. The article mentions several
times that this discussion was all about how
the U.S. and Cuba are embarking down this
path towards "normalization". It explains,
“several thorny issues stand in the way of full
normalization, including the decades-old
trade and travel embargo." We see here that the
Wall Street Journal is making it clear that all
parties understand that the U.S. government’s
so-called “trade and travel embargo” (i.e.
trade restrictions, i.e. the blockade) on Cuba
is one of the big road blocks towards real
normalization.
The Wall Street Journal article continues,
“Mr. Obama last December announced
several steps to
loosen travel
and
trade as part of the move to warm ties with
Cuba, and then took additional actions
in September, including allowing U.S.
businesses to open storefronts and offices
in Cuba and allowing some companies,
including telecommunications firms, to
form partnerships with Cuban state-
owned businesses. Officials have said the
administration hopes to do as much as it can
before Mr. Obama leaves office to loosen
the embargo. Only Congress can act to fully
lift the trade and travel restrictions, but that
is unlikely to happen in the Republican-
controlled Congress before Mr. Obama
leaves office in January 2017.” Here we
see the Wall Street Journal explaining the
movements of the Obama administration to
try to convince Cuba that they are working
towards eliminating this road block, however
the Obama administration has not made all
of their possible moves to undo the cruel
U.S. blockade on Cuba and many people do
not believe that his administration is really
prioritizing the elimination of the blockade.
At the same time, while I would argue the
U.S. blockade on Cuba is the biggest road
block on the path to normalization, it is not
the only one.
Relations that are more “abnormal” than
“normal”?
At the United Nations General Assembly on
September 28, 2015, Cuban President Raúl
Castro explained the issues that are preventing
Cuba from having a normalized relationship
with the United States. He explained, “After
56 years in which the Cuban people put up
a heroic and selfless resistance, diplomatic
relations have been re-established between
Cuba and the United States of America. Now,
a long and complex process begins toward
the normalization that will only be achieved
with the end of the economic, commercial
and financial blockade; the return to our
country of the territory illegally occupied by
Guantanamo Naval Base; the cessation of
radio and TV broadcasts, and of
subversion and destabilization
programs against the Island;
and, when our people
are compensated
for the human and economic damages they
still endure.” Here Cuban President Raúl
Castro has done an excellent job of outlining
many of the injustices Cuba continues to live
through at the hands of the U.S. government.
Here he makes it clear that this path towards
normalization is going to be a bumpy road
and Cuba is going to continue defending its
principals and is in no way handing itself and
its revolution over to the U.S. government.
The formal reestablishment of US-Cuba
relations, has been a historic victory for
Cuba. After 56 years of the Unites States
government trying to isolate Cuba and defeat
its revolution, they have not been successful.
In fact, the U.S. government has had to:
release all 5 of the Cubans who were being
held unjustly in U.S. prisons; take Cuba off
their list of “state sponsors of terror” and
finally the U.S. government has had to begin
dismantling their cruel blockade against the
people of Cuba. Meanwhile Cuba has stood
firm in the principals it has been defending
since the triumph of the Cuban socialist
revolution in 1959 and continuation of
Cuban socialist project.
The Future of U.S.-Cuba relations
For the past 23 years in a row the U.N. General
Assembly (UNGA) has internationally
condemned the United States’ blockade on
Cuba in a resolution put forward by Cuba. In
fact in October 2014, for the 23rd time, the
UNGA voted to condemn the US blockade
on Cuba with 188 countries voting against
the blockade and only two in favour (the US
and Israel).
On September 21, 2015 the Associated Press
printed an unexpected headline, “US weighs
abstention on Cuba embargo vote at UN”.
The article explains, “As it does every year,
the U.N. General Assembly will vote as early
as next month to demand the embargo’s end.
But this time, U.S. officials told the AP that
the United States could abstain instead of
voting against the resolution as it normally
does. It is unheard of for a U.N. member
state not to oppose resolutions critical of
its own laws. And by not actively opposing
the resolution, the administration would be
effectively siding with the world body against
the Republican-led House and Senate, which
have refused to repeal the embargo despite
calls from President Barack Obama to do
so. [...] No final decision on how to vote
has yet been made, said four administration
officials who weren’t authorized to speak
publicly on sensitive internal deliberations
and demanded anonymity. [...] The very
idea of an abstention prompted immediate
Republican criticism. Republican presidential
candidate Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American
senator from Florida, said that by abstaining,
Obama would be “putting international
popularity ahead of the national security and
foreign policy interests of the United States.””
This idea is very controversial for the
United States government and its ruling-
class circles. That the U.S. could abstain in a
vote that condemns its own policy towards
Cuba? Wouldn’t it be a small sweet victory?
Of course, the resolution at the UNGA is
non-binding, as it has been for the past 23
years just condemning U.S. for its cruel and
inhuman blockade of Cuba, and at the same
time it would seem to be some form of poetic,
ethical and moral justice, even though it is
not the real and full justice that the Cuban
people deserve.
The path forward for the United States and
Cuba is unclear at this time. It seems there
is a goal, the “normalization implementation”
stage. However, is the United States really
interested to get there? Is there really a will
to treat Cuba with the dignity it deserves and
is required for normalization? Until we have
the full dismantling of the U.S. blockade,
the U.S. military out of Guantanamo and an
end to the U.S. “regime change” programs in
Cuba, it is unrealistic and naive to believe it.
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