#8 - Analysis of CQ Researcher Pro/Con argument

Pro/Con: Will the new Cuba policy strengthen human rights in Cuba?

“Pro” thesis: The new Cuba policy will strengthen human rights in Cuba.

1. After 50 years of experience with the embargo, it has not weakened the repressive apparatus of the Castro government, strengthened Cuba's civil society, given us the leverage we need to press for change, or given the Cuban people the hope they crave.
2. For decades, in capitals around the world, the Cuban government has succeeded in making our embargo and its isolation from the United States a bigger issue than its own repression. Shifting the blame to America has worked for the Castro government.
3. The new Cuba policy, by removing the embargo, will enable the Cuban people to focus on their own repression and will result in strengthening human rights there in the long run.

It would be good to see some citations of evidence for #1 and #2; compare conditions early on in the embargo with 50 years later to show that nothing has changed, and give examples of how the Cuban government has chastised the U.S. embargo “in capitals around the world.”

#7 - Evaluation of authority and currency of book in post #3

William LeoGrande, the author of Back channel to Cuba: the hidden history of negotiations between Washington and Havana, is a Professor in the Department of Government at the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, DC.  His university website says he is “…a specialist in Latin American politics and U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America, Professor LeoGrande has been a frequent adviser to government and private sector agencies. He has written five books, including Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977 – 1992. Most recently, he is coauthor of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana. Previously, he served on the staffs of the Democratic Policy Committee of the United States Senate, and the Democratic Caucus Task Force on Central America of the United States House of Representatives. Professor LeoGrande has been a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, and a Pew Faculty Fellow in International Affairs. His articles have appeared in various international and national journals, magazines and newspapers.”  http://www.american.edu/spa/faculty/wleogra.cfm

Amazon.com also indicates that Leogrande received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. https://www.amazon.com/Back-Channel-Cuba-Negotiations-Washington/dp/1469617633

Peter Kornbluh, the co-author of Back channel to Cuba, directs the Cuba Documentation Project and the Chile Documentation Project at the National Security Archive in Washington, DC, and is also the author of The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability. https://www.thenation.com/authors/peter-kornbluh/

Based on these credentials, both LeoGrande and Kornbluh seem well qualified to provide information on political relations between Cuba and the United States.

This book was published in 2014, and relations between Cuba and the United States have changed significantly since then as a result of President Barack Obama’s new policies.  Any discussion of Cuba/U.S. relations could use this book as a good background source, but it would have to be supplemented by 2015 and 2016 publications that take into account President Obama’s new policies toward Cuba.

#6 - Search results in Discovery

Search phrase: cuba and "united states" and "foreign relations"

Total search results: 14,860

Source types:

Magazines                        5,917

Academic Journals           2,207

News                                 2,037

Books                                510

Reviews                             392

Trade Publications             263

Reports                              225

Electronic Resources         78

eBooks                               58

Databases searched:

Business Source Complete                      1,295

MAS Ultra - School Edition                       1,269

Readers' Guide Retrospective:

1890-1982 (H.W. Wilson)               820

Military & Government Collection                  809

America: History and Life with Full Text        577

NewsBank - Archives                                   563

Peace Research Abstracts                           545

SocINDEX with Full Text                             397

Louisiana State University                          346

#5 - CQ Researcher Bibliography Books and WorldCat Subject Headings

1. Hufbauer, Gary Clyde, and Barbara Kotschwar, Economic Normalization With Cuba: A Roadmap for US Policymakers , Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2014.

Not available at LSU Libraries.

United States -- Foreign relations -- Cuba.

Cuba -- Foreign relations -- United States.

POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- International.

POLITICAL SCIENCE -- International Relations -- General.

Diplomatic relations.

2. LeoGrande, William M., and Peter Kornbluh , Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana , University of North Carolina Press, 2014.

https://lsu.louislibraries.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5/0?searchdata1=4579529{CKEY}&searchfield1=GENERAL^SUBJECT^GENERAL^^&user_id=WEBSERVER

United States -- Foreign relations -- Cuba.

Cuba -- Foreign relations -- United States.

Negotiation -- United States -- History.

Negotiation -- Cuba -- History.

Reconciliation -- History.

United States -- Foreign relations -- 1945-1989.

United States -- Foreign relations -- 1989-

POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- International.

POLITICAL SCIENCE -- International Relations -- General.

HISTORY -- United States -- 20th Century.

Diplomatic relations.

3. Pérez-Stable, Marifeli, ed., Looking Forward: Comparative Perspectives on Cuba's Transition , University of Notre Dame Press, 2007.

https://lsu.louislibraries.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5/0?searchdata1=3311941{CKEY}&searchfield1=GENERAL^SUBJECT^GENERAL^^&user_id=WEBSERVER

Cuba -- Forecasting.

Cuba -- History -- 1990-

4. Sweig, Julia E. , Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know , Oxford University Press, 2012.

Not available at LSU Libraries

Castro, Fidel, -- 1926-

Castro, Raúl, -- 1930-

Cuba -- History.

Cuba -- History -- Revolution, 1959.

Cuba -- Politics and government.

Cuba -- Politics and government -- 1959-1990.

Cuba -- Politics and government -- 1990-

Cuba -- Social conditions.

Cuba -- Foreign relations -- United States.

United States -- Foreign relations -- Cuba.

#4 - Scholarly article in Academic Search Complete

Understanding a Cuban Transition.

Authors:

SMITH, ROY C.¹
WALTER, INGO¹

Source:

Independent Review. Spring2016, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p531-546. 16p.

Document Type:

Article

Subject Terms:

*Commercial treaties
*HISTORY
Cuba -- Foreign relations -- United States
Economic reform
21ST century
Economic development -- Cuba

People:

Castro, Raúl, 1930-
Obama, Barack, 1961-

Abstract:

The article focuses on events involving politics and government transition of Cuba, following the joint diplomatic relations efforts of Cuban President Raúl Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama. An overview of the market-oriented mixed economic systems of Cuba and the impacts of existential crises is mentioned. It also outlines the economic transition of Cuba.  

SMITH, R. C., & WALTER, I. (2016). Understanding a Cuban Transition. Independent Review, 20(4), 531-546.

#3 - Book in LSU Libraries catalog

Title:

Back channel to Cuba [electronic resource] : the hidden history of negotiations between Washington and Havana

Author:

LeoGrande, William M.  

Publisher:

The University of North Carolina Press,

Publication date:

2014.

Physical description

1 online resource (xiv, 524 pages :) illustrations ;

ISBN:

9781469626628 

Subject term:

Reconciliation--History.

Subject term:

Negotiation--Cuba--History.

Subject term:

Negotiation--United States--History.

Geographic term:

United States--Foreign relations--1989-

Geographic term:

United States--Foreign relations--1945-1989.

Geographic term:

Cuba--Foreign relations--United States.

Geographic term:

United States--Foreign relations--Cuba.
 

https://lsu.louislibraries.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5/0?searchdata1=4579529{CKEY}&searchfield1=GENERAL^SUBJECT^GENERAL^^&user_id=WEBSERVER

#2 - Interesting fact about topic

"To help warm relations with Cuba, Obama has removed the country from a U.S. list of terrorism-supporting nations. He also has loosened red tape for travelers to Cuba, but only for approved purposes that do not include tourism — although U.S. tourists are going anyway.  

"In addition, Obama has eased, but not fully lifted, the long-standing embargo on trade. Among the changes: Building materials for private home construction and digital communications equipment can be exported. And travelers will be able to use U.S. credit and debit cards in Cuba. Meanwhile, talks are underway between Washington and Havana to re-establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries." 

Katel, P. (2015, June 12). Restoring ties with Cuba. CQ Researcher, 25, 505-528. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/