PRESIDENT Obama has made it clear that he is now committed to reversing course and opening up with Cuba in a meaningful way. That means pursuing expanded trade, communication and cooperation. Obama believes that if a policy doesn't work it is time to try something else. But opponents of Obama's new Cuba policy are not convinced with his explanation for restoring diplomatic relations after 50 years of hostility, and have threatened to block his efforts. Florida Senator Marco Rubio promised to block the nomination of any US ambassador to Cuba. Other anti-Castro legislators suggested that Congress would remove funding for any normalized ties with the country. Apparently, hardline US politicians still have significant clout when it comes to preventing a new course in bilateral relations, even when others have moved on beyond these traditional views. Only Congress has the power to end the full trade embargo, and with many Republicans deeply opposed to such a change, it is unlikely to happen soon. But while there are critics pointing out what the deal with Cuba does not contain - such as removal of the Castro regime - it is important not to limit discussion about the US relationship with Cuba to a family dynasty. Cuba is just 90 miles away from the US and is in the sphere of influence of Russia, one of America's great rivals. True, the Russia that was America's enemy during the Cold War is nowhere near the geo-political superpower it was when the embargo went into effect in 1960; however, this year's Russian foray into Ukraine and Crimea proved that Russia is still a force to be reckoned with. The US will now seek to set up an embassy in Cuba, expand the number of US visitors to Cuba, open up banking and increase caps on how much cash Cubans can post to relatives on the island. To realize the full potential of the new measures will, however, require some changes in Havana as well. If the new US-Cuba policies are to get political backing in Washington, there needs to be some indication that Cuba is taking steps toward greater political opening and an improvement in human rights in Cuba. US-Cuba ties have been frozen since the early 1960s, a policy of isolation Obama has condemned as a failure. He wants to end efforts to isolate Cuba diplomatically and to stop squeezing it economically. In 2013, Obama drew praise from advocates of changing US policy toward Cuba when he said that the US had to be "creative" and "thoughtful" about fostering change on the island. His current moves are far more sweeping than generalizations. The notion that the same policies that the US put in place in 1961 would somehow still be effective today does not make sense. As for double standards, the US has managed to do business with other communist nations without viewing them as a threat to national security. It has also done business with other nations accused of gross human rights violations without questioning its own morality. Although he still has to work within the legislatively mandated embargo, Obama has ample space to build political momentum toward ending an anachronistic policy. In turn, if the US-Cuba deadlock is over, it could - though not easily or quickly - produce some positive changes in Cuba.
