If You're Going To Enforce An Idiotic Policy, It Helps To Be An Idiot

Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez

Since Fidel Castro stepped down as head of the Cuban government, a lot of changes have taken place (link link). Dissidents have been released, Cubans are blogging, and for the first time Cubans are allowed to buy DVDs and cell phones. So that means that we'll see an end to the American trade sanction on Cuba, right?

Wrong:

Everything we hear is that it is the same exact repression, fear, brutality that has existed over 49 years. We believe the people deserve to know, and we believe that the political prisoners in those dungeons deserve to know that the international community is paying attention to them.

--Carlos Gutierrez, May 18, 2008

Well, if there haven't been any changes in 49 years, that means the embargo has been unsuccessful and will be lifted, right? RIGHT???

Wrong:

The purpose of the embargo is to deny resources to a regime who is clearly anti-American, who doesn't like our country, and in that regard the embargo has been extremely successful.

--Carlos Gutierrez, May 22, 2008

So, that means that regime change and human rights in Cuba weren't the reasons we were boycotting trade with Cuba?

No:

The policy in Cuba is designed to create changes, and anything that strengthens the regime is something (Bush) is not in favor of. We think what really needs to happen in Cuba is for that system to change.

--Carlos Gutierrez, May 22, 2008

Huh? So the embargo wasn't meant to bring about change, but change is what we want, and it's not what the embargo has produced, so we're going to stick with the embargo. I wonder if Carlos can make that any more clear for us:

Gutierrez said the embargo, imposed in 1962 to undermine the government of Fidel Castro, deprived Cuban leaders of resources they would have used for "ill-focused goals."

(emphasis added, idiocy in original)

(cross posted at Liberal Avenger and appletree)