America's longest war? Not Afghanistan

The Afghan war is winding down (we hope) with all troops expected out within months. It’s often called America’s longest war, currently at 19 years and 8 months.

But there’s another war I’d pick as America’s longest. It’s our now 61 year effort to remove the communist government of Cuba. Fidel Castro and his revolutionary band ousted the tyrant, Gen. Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959, culminating a 7 year long effort by Castro.

Castro was a Cuban of privilege, growing up in a prosperous Cuban family, becoming a lawyer and starting a political career. But his first campaign was thwarted when Batista, running third for president in 1952, re-grabbed power he initially stole in 1933, by launching his second coup in 19 years. Castro morphed into a revolutionary.

Once Castro assumed power, the U.S. tried to keep the gravy train of U.S. economic exploitation under Batista flowing. Castro said ‘NO’. He followed thru with land reform and expropriation of U.S. businesses that had been funneling billions of Cuba’s treasure into their coffers for the previous 60 years since Uncle Sam grabbed Cuba from Spain in the Spanish American war of 1898.

How much power did Uncle exert over Cuba? Earl Smith, U.S. ambassador at the time of Batista’s fall said: The U.S. ambassador to Cuba is the second most powerful, IF NOT THE MOST POWERFUL, person in Cuba, next to the Cuban president.”

Ike no like. In March, 1960, he transferred U.S. – Cuban relations from State, which does diplomacy, to CIA, which does regime change. It took 13 months but CIA got the greenlight from green prez JFK. The CIA’s winning streak of successful coups (Iran in ’53; Guatemala in ‘54) was crushed at Bay of Pigs. JFK, and especially RFK, never quit trying to kill Castro. Congress imposed an economic embargo that continues to this day.

Obama tried to set things right in his second term by re-establishing diplomatic relations and encouraging trade and tourism. But he couldn’t get Congress to end the embargo which degrades life for Cuba’s 11 million citizens to this day.

Trump, undoing all good things Obama, re-established a hard line that reduced trade and tourism, and ramped up demonization of Cuba that is no threat to the U.S. whatsoever. He imposed over 200 new sanctions, 55 of which occurred during pandemic. Cost to Cuba’s dwindling economy? $20 billion.

Those of us seeking a Cuba free from U.S. economic sanctions and bullying, believed Biden’s victory would quickly bring a return to Obama’s 2013-2016 détente. Biden’s campaign promised it. So far zilch. Biden press secretary Psaki stated: ‘No sanctions relief till more democracy in Cuba.’ That mentality sure doesn’t stop U.S. from selling billions in weapons of civilian destruction (WCD) to some of the worst tyrants on earth.

Dumping the Afghan war is a promise Biden appears to be keeping. Dumping the war on Cuba, is for Biden, a bridge too far.

Say it ain't so, Joe.