The moment I heard yesterday that conservatives were criticizing Obama for shaking hands with Raul Castro I had to scoff out loud. This is ridiculous. The United States embargo against Cuba is a spiteful and punitive policy held in place because of a hard-line voting bloc stuck in a Cold War mentality of cutting off ties with any self-proclaimed communist country. This is an outmoded policy that should be repealed as soon as possible.
The footage of Obama shaking hands with the Cuban leader should not be a surprise to anyone. The Cold War is over. China has embraced its own version of capitalism after Nixon changed US policy toward China in 1972. Why shouldn’t Obama at least show Mr. Castro the same respect any head of state would expect at a state funeral?
The far-right, conservative wing of the Republican party is showing its complete disregard for reevaluating a decades long policy that hasn’t led to its intended outcome; regime change in Cuba. The feigned outrage from the other day should be called out and ridiculed for its pettiness. Our politicians need to grow up and learn to embrace change instead of run away from it.