Travel to Cuba low now – travel restrictions and economies prevent

Links – Tourism KT Cuban Econ

American tourism is key to Cuban economic growth

But the creation of the tourism sector in Cuba had some progressive aspects to it, as well. As vice-president during the 1990s, Raul Castro ushered in some small but significant reforms that allowed for limited private enterprise. For example, in 1995, Cuba legalized paladeres -privately owned, family-run restaurants. Two years later, the country started allowing citizens to turn their homes into casas particulares -bed-and-breakfast hotels open to Cubans and foreigners alike.¶ Tourism has also brought back the capitalist practice of tipping. Taxi drivers, musicians, tour guides, waiters, bartenders, and bellboys are coveted occupations because they receive tips, one of the few ways to get ahead on the island. A Cuban guitarist earning just $200 a month in tips makes 10 times the average government wage -far more than most Cuban doctors.¶ Since assuming the office of president full-time in 2008, Raul Castro has continued to make small changes to foster free enterprise due to American tourism. Aside from ending tourist apartheid, he's also granted hundreds of thousands of new licenses to family businesses. Outside the tourism sector, he's passed massive agrarian reform, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers. And now that a few people in Cuba have disposable income, Raul has made it easier for them to spend it. In the past three years, he's made it legal for Cubans to rent cars, renovate their homes, and buy computers, cell phones, DVD players, and other electronics -all of which had previously been banned. Although Cuba is still not a market economy, it's impossible to deny that times are changing.¶ The American government has been responsive to the expanding freedoms. In 2009, president Obama made it easier for Cuban-Americans to send money to their families back in Cuba. Then, in January of 2011, Obama made it legal for any American to send up to $500 every three months, so long as the money goes toward funding private enterprise in Cuba. In other words, if you have a friend in Havana, and you want to help him start a restaurant, all you have to do is write him a check. The embargo may soon come to an end, and not because Americans renounced the Cuban economy, but because they helped rebuild it, one small business at a time.

Granting tourism will by the next step in helping Cuba’s liberalization

Lee 1/31 [Briana, Senior Production Editor of Council of Foreign Relations. http://www.cfr.org/cuba/us-cuba-relations/p11113#p3 6.25.2013]

Some U.S. constituencies would like to resume relations. U.S. agricultural groups already deal with Cuba, and other economic sectors want access to the Cuban market. Many Cuban-Americans were angered by the Bush administration's strict limits on travel and remittances, though a small but vocal contingent of hard-line Cuban exiles, many of them based in Florida, does not want to normalize relations until the Communist regime is gone. "When they're polled, the majority of Cuban-Americans say that the embargo has failed, and support lifting the travel ban or loosening the embargo or some steps along that continuum of liberalization and normalization," says Julia E. Sweig, CFR director of Latin American studies.

Increased travel between US and Cuba increases Cuban economic freedoms and democracy

Suchlicki 2/26 – Emilio Bacardi Moreau Distinguished Professor and Director, Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami (Jaime, “What If…The U.S. Ended the Cuba Travel Ban and the Embargo?” Cuba Transition Project, Issue 185, 26 February 2013, http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FOCUS_Web/Issue185.htm, Accessed 26 June 2013

If the travel ban is lifted unilaterally now or the embargo is ended by the U.S., what will the U.S. government have to negotiate with a future regime in Cuba and to encourage changes in the island? These policies could be an important bargaining chip with a future regime willing to provide concessions in the area of political and economic freedoms. ¶ The travel ban and the embargo should be lifted as a result of negotiations between the U.S. and a Cuban government willing to provide meaningful and irreversible political and economic concessions or when there is a democratic government in place in the island.

More tourism to Cuba increases Cuban economic freedom – plan solves

Bandow 12 – senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties (Doug, “Time to End the Cuba Embargo,” Cato Institute, 11 December 2012, http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/time-end-cuba-embargo, accessed 26 June 2013

Expanding economic opportunities also might increase pressure within Cuba for further economic reform. So far the regime has taken small steps, but rejected significant change. Moreover, thrusting more Americans into Cuban society could help undermine the ruling system. Despite Fidel Castro’s decline, Cuban politics remains largely static. A few human rights activists have been released, while Raul Castro has used party purges to entrench loyal elites.¶ Lifting the embargo would be no panacea. Other countries invest in and trade with Cuba to no obvious political impact. And the lack of widespread economic reform makes it easier for the regime rather than the people to collect the benefits of trade, in contrast to China. Still, more U.S. contact would have an impact. Argued trade specialist Dan Griswold, “American tourists would boost the earnings of Cubans who rent rooms, drive taxis, sell art, and operate restaurants in their homes. Those dollars would then find their way to the hundreds of freely priced farmers markets, to carpenters, repairmen, tutors, food venders, and other entrepreneurs.”

Ability to travel freely to Cuba promotes Cuban economic freedom

Kelly 4/14 – Columnist for The Washington Times Communities, and majoring in History & Political Science (Kevin, “Jay-Z and Beyoncé in the Limelight, Embargo Forgotten,” The Washington Times, 14 April 2013, http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/remnant/2013/apr/14/jay-z-and-beyonce-limelight-embargo-forgotten/, Accessed 26 June 2013

However, the lifting of the embargo should not be seen as appeasement of a dictatorial regime, but as an attempt to provide greater economic freedom to both American and Cuban citizens to travel and spend their money where they desire.

Increasing Travel to Cuba in the squo will help Cuban econ—case studies prove

Zamora 07 [Randy, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, pdf. April 2007, HOW THE U.S. CAN PROMOTE DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISM IN A POST-CASTRO CUBAN ENVIRONMENT]

The heart of the U.S. Cuba policy for the past 48 years has been economic embargoes. Whether their intent was to force Fidel Castro into curbing human rights violations or to coerce him into capitalism to feed his people, the embargoes have been a dismal failure. The growing support for engagement strategies is in direct opposition to past economic policies. A 2004 Rand study on Cuba states: “Free trade and free markets have proven a viable mechanism for economic development and to lift entire societies out of poverty”.43 In this spirit, many economists who favor engagement now call for a complete lift of economic embargoes levied against Cuba by the U.S. An open market is the best way to affect a Cuban society that has lived in the past for nearly five decades. The U.S. could also grant Cuba most favored nation trade status. These tactics would likely foster a demand for political change among the Cuban people when coupled with the immediate end of another long-standing sanction—travel restrictions. Many Cubans rely on tourism as a source of income. By opening the opportunity for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba, the country’s economy would gain a much needed source of revenue while the people themselves would have the opportunity to interact with Americans face-to-face. Cuban-American exiles would be an especially valuable asset in promoting democracy and capitalism to friends and family in the island nation.¶ Critics of a free economic relationship with Cuba feel that such a policy would take away any leverage the U.S. might have against a Communist regime in Cuba. Trade, however, is not the only means by which American leaders can influence the spread of capitalism. Fidel Castro’s history of human rights violations resulted in his country’s expulsion from some of the¶ world’s key financial organizations. Membership in the World Trade Organization, the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), and the International Monetary Fund would go a long way in helping Cuba to build foreign investments to further boost its economy. The U.S. could offer to lobby for Cuba’s membership in such organizations if Cuban leaders respond to diplomacy and a free market by improving their government’s human rights record. If, however, Castro or his successor responds to these changes with continued human rights violations, the U.S. could lobby against Cuba’s membership in these organizations. The prospect of gaining membership in key financial, political, and economic organizations could prove to be too much for even Fidel Castro to pass up.

Links – Tourism -> Peace

Tourism Cooperation can significantly promote peace, reduce poverty, and promote cultural interactions

Verma, Sanjay Kumar, 2005 (Sanjay Kumar Verma is a nodal officer and junior editor at the NCUI (National Cooperative Union of India), a major cooperative in India’s history starting from the Indian colonial era, and a presenter at the third global IIPT conference, “Promoting Peace Through Tourism: Role of Cooperatives”, http://www.iipt.org/3rdglobalsummit/presentations/Sanjay-Kumar-Verma-presentation.htm)

India Marching Ahead In the recent years India has emerged as a major global power. India's economic reforms have made the Indian economy as vibrant as ever. A conducive climate for foreign investment has been created. Indian democracy despite its contradictions has given the nation political stability which has no doubt strengthened the country's developmental plank. However, despite all this India has been straggling with peace as the problems of poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, social inequalities, insurgency, etc. continue to plague the nation. The strategies formulated to tackle these problems have not paid full dividends. Tourism as an effective strategy to promote peace has not been discussed or debated despite tourism sector remaining in prominence in the recent years. Boost to Tourism The economic liberalization in India has given a big push to Indian tourism. Tourism is today projected as an engine of economic growth and an instrument for eliminating poverty, curbing unemployment problems, opening up new fields of activity and the upliftment of downtrodden sections of society. New opportunities are being tapped to promote eco, adventure, rural, postage, wildlife and health and herbal including medical tourism. With the increasing number of foreign tourists coming to India every year and domestic tourism gaining popularity, public and private sector bodies are actively involved in promoting tourism in the country. The international and regional dimensions of tourism are also getting due recognition. For example, travel links leading to establishing people-to-people contacts between India and Pakistan are given prime importance. As a result of this, tourism has been instrumental in softening the relations between India and Pakistan leading to peace. Peace Through Tourism At a time when tourism initiatives have gained momentum in India, the situation is ripe for popularizing the concept of "Peace Through Tourism" in a big way through strong advocacy and practical action. Tourism as a strategy to promote peace by solving the problems of poverty, unemployment, etc. can succeed if effective inter-linkages are established between "tourism initiatives" and "peace", and appropriate action plans are devised accordingly. India has strong community and democratic ethos. Community-based initiatives based on people's participation have been quite effective in India in solving the socio-economic problems of the people. They have also been successful in building up strong collaborations based on people's efforts which have led to creation of a peaceful and cordial atmosphere. In fact, the peaceful under-currents of Indian democracy are evident in the working of community-based ventures. Limitations of the centralized form of planning have compelled the policy-makers to pin their faiths on such people-based ventures. The paper argues that if the tourism strategies are geared towards involving the community-based organizations, they can promote peace in a real way. Cooperatives and Peace Cooperation means living, thinking and working together. It is working together to learn to live in our society peacefully and harmoniously. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common, economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. In an age of declining values, peace can remain elusive if the values are not well propagated and communicated to the society at large. No doubt, in this scenario the value-based organizations have an important role to play in peace-building. The cooperatives have a strategic advantage over other organizations in this respect. The principles and values of cooperatives are the best guidelines to create a sustainable and peaceful world. They are intended to safeguard the human rights and enable the members to practice democracy and enjoy freedom of action. Cooperatives are the organizations which have strong community roots. They are embedded within the communities in which they exist. They work for sustainable development of communities through emphasis on values which create a peaceful atmosphere within the community. Cooperative Contribution to Peace: An Indian Perspective 760 million people around the world are members of cooperatives. In Kenya 20% of the population is a member of cooperative, while in Argentina it is over 29%, 33% in Norway, 40% in Canada and US. The contribution of cooperatives to poverty alleviation can be gauged from the fact that they provide 100 million jobs and in some countries and areas are among the largest employees as in Columbia where a national health cooperatives is the largest employer at national level. Worldwide the cooperative movement has contributed to peace by helping eliminate poverty, sustain environment, provide employment, and enrich social standards of the people. The value-based orientation of the cooperative movement has played a crucial role in checking the capitalist tendencies in the society by creating an equalitarian society through which chances of conflict are minimized. Today, there are more than 5 lakh cooperative societies in the country with a membership of 23 crores and working capital of Rs. 198.542 million. IFFCO and KRIBHCO are two cooperative fertilizer giants which have matched global standards of performance. The cooperative credit institutions are disbursing 46.15% of agricultural credit and cooperatives are distributing 36.22% of total fertilizers in the country. Dairy cooperatives in India with their strong and extensive network have excelled in their areas of operations. They have ushered in milk revolution in the country. India is the largest producer of milk in the world. The housing cooperatives in India have not only reaped economic reforms, but have also contributed to peace through promoting social harmony and community living. The cooperatives in India have played a pioneering role in saving the poor from clutches of moneylenders by providing them credit at reasonable rate of interest so that they may start economic activities through a long chain of credit cooperatives set up at various levels. Besides, the cooperatives have convinced the poor that they are the institutions for their welfare, not exploitation. In the recent years the Self Help Groups based on cooperative principles have mushroomed in large numbers which have mobilized the rural poor by providing them avenues of income generation. In India the cooperatives have played an important role in employment generation. About 15.47 million individuals are employed in the cooperative sector and the number of persons who are self-employed in the cooperatives are more than 14.39 million. The cooperatives have shown their strength in social sector too. For example, the sugar cooperatives in Maharashtra have come up in the field of education and health. In the field of environment, the cooperatives have played an important role in environment preservation. IFFCO, has played a laudable role in protecting environment through pollution control measures through its plants and farm forestry cooperatives. Cooperatives and Tourism Considering the contribution of cooperatives to peace and the value-based peaceful orientation of cooperatives, it is natural that the cooperatives are well positioned to strengthen the agenda of tourism. Tourism spreads the message of peace. If tourism becomes a key agenda of all the nations, a peaceful world order is bound to emerge. The institutions like cooperatives can play an important role in peace building if they are involved in tourism. In India tourism policy shift towards promoting decentralized form of tourism in which there is participation of all sections of the society is clearly visible. Though instances of cooperatives involved in tourism are negligible, the Indian cooperatives have strong potentialities to emerge as a lead player in the field of tourism. Cooptour (cooptour@gmail.com), a cooperative organization of 55 members, is involved in mainly ticketing and outgoing tourism. Besides the business and support from cooperative organizations, its professional services has led to increasing business with non-cooperative organizations. Cooptour feels that it has tremendous opportunities of growth in the areas of international cooperative tour packages, transport, rural tourism, etc. if there is full support from national and international cooperative organization. The government has identified Rural Tourism as one of the thrust areas. The strength of rural tourism lies in the villages, and the cooperatives field 100% of the villages. A large chunk of foreign tourists have a high level of involvement in whatever they do about rural tourism as they want to participate in cultural affairs, traditional lifestyle, etc. The cooperatives in the rural areas in India have strong cultural affiliations. The cooperatives can not only acquaint the foreign tourists with rich culture of the region, but they can also understand their urge to participate in and experience the local culture closely. The cooperatives can play a big role in strengthening international bonds of cultural heritage by making the tourists feel that they are a part of cooperative culture which is built on peace. Formation of tourism cooperatives for guiding, escorting, maintain local handicrafts, etc., can generate jobs, and end their poverty. In India the primary agriculture cooperatives are the strength of the cooperative system in the rural areas. They can promote rural tourism directly. Their contribution in poverty alleviation along with their emphasis on rural tourism as a potential area of development can be important in promoting peace. The Indian Government is already sensitized on the importance of rural tourism, and the need for involving community based organizations in this field. The UNDP-Ministry of Tourism Project which has been started in India talks about strong community-private and public sector partnership for giving a boost to rural tourism. The Government has decided to develop necessary infrastructure for promoting rural tourism and has identified 31 villages to be developed as tourist spots. UNDP is helping in areas of capacity building, involvement of NGOs, local communities and artisans, etc. There is a dominant view that cooperatives and NGOs are the best agencies to promote rural tourism. Uttaranchal is a top tourist state in India. The Government is involved in formulating effective tourism strategies to promote tourism in the state. Uttaranchal Government has launched Community based. Tourism in which certain number of villages/clusters are developed for attracting foreign tourists. Development of environment friendly tourism development is a focal area of tourism policies in Uttaranchal in which cooperative societies of rag pickers are formed so that the environment is not affected. Similarly, tourism leading to self-employment ventures is also noticeable in Uttaranchal. Self employment scheme in which the focus of project is on setting up PCOs, small hotels, is being implemented. The large number of beneficiaries benefiting from the scheme is a symbol of its popularity. Infrastructure is the biggest stumbling factor in development of tourism. The cooperatives which have stronghold over the rural areas in the recent years have taken initiatives to promote infrastructure development. For example, the dairy cooperatives in Gujarat have built up the roads, and have come up with schools. The areas in which cooperatives are strong in infrastructure can be developed for formulating effective tourism strategies. The Government is willing to support the cooperatives who desire to come up in the field of tourism by providing them assistance in infrastructural development. Ethical Tourism Cooperatives by practicing ethical tourism can promote peace and justice in a big way. In India insurgency has been an age-old problem. For example, Jammu and Kashmir has struggled with terrorism for a long time. In this respect, an example of Manchester based workers cooperative practicing ethical tourism is worth mentioning. Olive Cooperative (www.olivecoop.com), a small workers cooperative in Manchester has been achieve on organizing 'solidarity' tours to Israel and West Bank to meet Palestinians and Israelis working at the front-line for peace and justice, in their communities and with national and international organizations. This has useful pointers for India where workers' cooperatives can be formed to promote ethical tourism. Even in the areas which are effected by natural disasters, ethical tourism, can be an effective instrument to promote peace. For example, in the Tsunami hit areas in South India, need was feet for community based organizations to spread the message of peace. The cooperative in the India due to their effective community inter-linkages can promote ethical tourism in the conflict ridden zones. National Cooperative Union of India along with International Cooperative Alliance are already involved in rehabilitation work in the tsunami hit areas. Cooperative Diversification and Tourism A review of the cooperative trends in the recent times indicate that cooperatives are aware to diversity in new areas like tourism. The India tribal life is rich in cultural tradition. Tribal life and tribal products can emerge as focal areas in tourism. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India is the national level organization of tribal cooperatives in the country. It has already identified certain regions for promoting tourism. The organization stands for holistic development of the tribal sector in all aspects and in this regard tourism is considered an important component. TRIFED is planning to start Tribes shops in all the major international airports so that all the traditional and ethnic tribal products are showcased for foreign tourists. The example of TRIFED clearly indicates that cooperative sector is aware of the need for marketing its products from a tourism point of view. UHP milk powder is already distributed in all the pilgrimage tourist sites. The cooperative products have developed strong brands which clearly indicate that cooperative principles and values can be used for effective business. For example "Amul", brand of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation is a household name in India signifying milk revolution. The cooperative products spread the message of peace. Successful Model of Cooperative Diversification in Tourism Eco tourism is a dominant plank of tourism strategies of any country. India is no exception. Tourism initiatives providing eco friendly clean environment with emphasis on sustainable development promote peace. A successful example of a cooperative in India venturing in tourism mentioned here symbolizes this trend very well. Medially Fishermen's Cooperative Society (MFCS) in Calcutta is a successful fishery cooperative which has successful utilized waste water to produce fish. It has a membership of 100 fishermen and around 300 families of fishermen are dependent on the society. The genesis of the cooperative can be traced when fishermen in Anta village of Howah had to migrate to wastelands near Kolkatta Dock in search of jobs due to drying up of Damodar River. By using the urban refuge and polluted water of the city, the society now undertakes these activities : l Improving waste water quality l Using waste water to produce fish, marketing fish, etc. l Providing credit facilities to fishermen, engaged in poultry, piggery, dairy and cottage industries The society has now ventured into developing a Nature Park which has now emerged as a hot tourist spot in the city where pollution is a big problem. The Park has attractive boating facilities and an ecosystem has been created that attracts many birds. The animal Park is another attraction having deer, rabbits, tortoise different kinds of ducks, etc. The society has adopted professional norms in functioning by indulging in multifarious activities. The production of fish by the society has been soaring high. The example of this society indicates that cooperatives involved in preserving environment can venture into tourism activities by diversifying their operations. Commercialization of tourism may lead to neglect of ecology as economic considerations for developing a tourist site may lead to neglect of social aspects, like environment. In this scenario forming a cooperative to promote eco tourism can be highly successful. Conclusion The tourism scenario in India is ideal for formulating effective tourism strategies for promoting peace. Amongst the tourism strategies for promoting peace, the cooperative strategy merits consideration. The Indian cooperative movement which is the largest movement in the world is best suited for promoting peace through tourism. National Cooperative Union of India is the apex organization of the cooperative movement in the country. 196 cooperative organizations at all levels are as its members. Being a promotional organization with emphasis on training, education, advocacy, research, publication, NCUI has worked hard to promote the cooperative movement in the country. It has always formulated effective policies to promote cooperative diversification. For example, due to strong champing of NCUI, the cooperatives were recently allowed entry into insurance. The NCUI has also taken initiatives in the new fields of insurance, electrification environment, etc. IFFCO, a major cooperative fertilizer giant, has already made effective forays in the fields of insurance, electrification etc. The NCUI has effectively popularized the concept of cooperation amongst the rural population by its Cooperative Education Field Projects located all over the country. NCUI is in a good position to promote rural tourism in the country. Taking into account the strength of Indian cooperatives in promoting peace through tourism, the international tourism bodies like IIPT, WTO, etc. must think of forging collaborations with Indian cooperatives in the field of tourism.

Links – Plan Key to More Travel to Cuba

US travel would be huge

Hemlock 11 – Business reporter covering the business of nonprofits, autos, international business (Doreen, “Survey: 75% of U.S. consumers interested in Cuba visit,” SunSentinel, 26 April 2011, http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/south-florida-travel/2011/04/26/survey-75-of-u-s-consumers-interested-in-cuba-visit/)//AB

Would you consider a trip to Cuba if restrictions on U.S. travel to the island were lifted? A U.S. consumer survey released Tuesday found that 75 percent of respondents would visit or at least consider a trip to Cuba, if Americans were allowed to travel freely there. Another 1.7 percent said they’d already traveled to Cuba, according to the survey of 953 consumers conducted by the Travel Leaders travel agency network from March 10 to April 10 across the United States. The survey comes as the Obama administration issues new rules that make it easier for U.S. religious groups and educational groups to travel to Cuba with U.S. government approval. Most Americans are effectively barred from travel to the island under Washington’s nearly 50-year embargo on Cuba. “Culturally and historically, Cuba fascinates a large number of Americans. Physically, it’s amazingly close to the Florida coast, yet so far away because of continued restrictions for most citizens,” stated Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group in a statement. “Like the traveling public, our Travel Leaders experts would welcome the opportunity to experience the country for themselves – the food, the music, the architecture, the beaches and the people – and then assist their clients in realizing a trip of their own to this forbidden destination that has been off-limits for nearly a half century,” he said.

Impact – Extinction

Economic freedom helps solve extinction from species and deforestation.

Bailey 5/10 – award-winning science correspondent at Reason magazine and author of Liberation Biology (Prometheus) (Ronald [his work was featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004. In 2006, Bailey was shortlisted by the editors of Nature Biotechnology as one of the personalities who have made the "most significant contributions" to biotechnology in the last 10 years], “Economic Freedom Is Good for Women, Children, and Other Living Things,” Reason.com, 10 May 2013, http://reason.com/archives/2013/05/10/economic-freedom-is-good-for-women-child, Accessed 1 July 2013)

Economic freedom is, as Martha Stewart might say, a good thing. That's not just my bias as a libertarian: I've got science on my side. In a new study published in Contemporary Economic Policy, two of the authors of the annual Economic Freedom Index set out to see how other researchers were using their work. Specifically, West Virginia University economist Joshua Hall and Southern Methodist University economist Robert Lawson found 402 scholarly articles that use some aspect of the index, which the Fraser Institute has published each year since 1996. The institute broadly defines economic freedom as “the extent to which you can pursue economic activity without interference from government, as long as your actions don't violate the identical rights of others.”¶ Once Hall and Lawson identified the articles citing the Index, they whittled the list down to 198 papers that use it as a substantive variable in their analyses, usually trying to correlate economic freedom with some other outcome, such as economic growth, income levels, productivity, poverty, inequality, and so forth. Based on the effects identified in each study, Hall and Lawson sorted the articles into three outcome groups: good, bad, and mixed. An example of a good outcome would be a 2008 study in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization that found that “those societies that rely upon individual economic freedoms to promote women’s well-being have been more successful than those societies relying upon greater political rights.”¶ Similarly, a 2006 study published in the Journal of International Trade & Development correlated child labor rates with the index's ratings of countries' openness to trade. From 1960 to 2000, the article reported, “Child labor force participation rates declined on average by 3 percentage points per decade while trade openness increased on average by 6 to 7 percentage points.” A third study, published in Contemporary Economic Policy in 2008, found that economic freedom correlated with greater protection against the extinction of species. Insecure property rights, for example, are associated with increased deforestation.¶

Impact – Poverty/Econ Instability

Economic liberalization and freedom solves poverty and economic stability

Vergnaud 08, Director of the Colombian think-tank Instituto Libertad y Progreso, in Bogota (Andres Mejia, “Cuba needs economic as well as political freedom,” International Policy Network, 26 February 2008, http://www.policynetwork.net/es/development/media/cuba-needs-economic-well-political-freedom, Accessed 27 June 2013)

BOGOTA -- FIDEL CASTRO'S legacy will be discussed, mourned and even celebrated in editorials, blogs, obituaries and street demonstrations. But the only important question right now is whether his resignation means any real change to the life of ordinary Cubans after decades of economic and political oppression.¶ The right freedoms could not only liberate Cubans from political oppression but help them to build a prosperous economy and eliminate poverty. Political liberties will not be enough. Economic freedoms and private property are the keys to any economic development and the debate must start now.¶ Cubans were told they needed to surrender their freedoms to liberate themselves from capitalist oppression. This is the totalitarian paradox: If you want liberation, you need to give up liberty. Whatever oppression Cubans suffered before was quickly replaced by the brutality of an authoritarian one-party regime, or rather, a one-person regime ruled by his desires, prejudices and ambitions.¶ Cubans were also told that giving up their freedoms was essential to another kind of liberation -- liberation from poverty -- with similar results. Shortly after the revolution, Cuba's economy collapsed. Later, the helping hand of the Soviet Union provided some stability and a minimum of supplies. But, whatever the propaganda, the Cuban economy was always struggling to survive: All was revealed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the regime was left to its own devices. Hunger, poverty, malnutrition and shortages became part of everyday life.¶ Developing countries that insist on restricting markets have so far achieved only one result: perpetuating poverty, whatever the political model. But a working model for transition can be found in the experiences of some eastern European countries, such as Slovakia and the Baltic republics and even some African countries, such as Botswana and Mauritius: opening to free trade, allowing private enterprise and imposing light taxes, and adopting a flat tax.¶ There are no reliable statistics about the Cuban economy but every indicator puts it among the poorest in the world. Nevertheless, Cubans are well positioned to make a leap toward prosperity: In spite of political indoctrination, education levels in Cuba are higher than in most poor countries. If only the Cubans had the right institutions, if only they could live under the rule of law and enjoy free markets, this human capital would generate prosperity. In fact, if there is a proof of the inability of socialism to create wealth, it is that Cuba, with its educated population, remains poorer than many countries where illiteracy is the rule.¶ Of course, opening markets will not be enough: The rule of law is a crucial element, giving protection to property rights, impartial courts and the stability that underpins business, trade and development.¶ The first step now, after Fidel, should be a no-strings gesture from one of the main actors in the Cuban transition: The United Sates should quickly repeal its infamous embargo. It is not true that the embargo is the cause of Cuba's economic ills, as admirers of Castro maintain, but ending the embargo would create immediate economic opportunities along with a show of goodwill.¶ Economic freedom is an essential part of human rights and Cubans have long been deprived of all their rights. The history of the United States shows how solid foundations of prosperity and stability underpin the building of political freedom. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown how political rights are worthless without the prosperity and stability that come from economic freedom. Please don't get it back to front again.

Economic liberalization in Cuba is directly linked to an increase in political and human rights – our ev is also reverse causal

Borg 12 – Fordham Master of Arts (M.A.), Economics; Fordham Master, International Political Economy of Development, Economics; Minnesota State University Bachelor, Finance (Brittany, “Economic Liberalization in Cuba,” Fordham Political Review, 4 November 2012, http://fordhampoliticalreview.org/?p=326, accessed 6/27/13)//IS

As a great deal of political rhetoric in the United States revolves around measures to alter socio-economic inequalities, its neighbor to the south, Cuba, presents a rare case study on economic liberalization and its effect on equality. With economic equality comes not only a fairer society, but also a more stable one, and it is time that the United States focuses on bettering itself for everyone and not just a few.¶ Economic equality in Cuba stems from the communist system, surely, but there seems to be more to it than that. Contrary to the beliefs of many, Cubans are able to buy and own more than the limits placed on them by rations and government handouts. A Cuban, while only recently able to buy or sell his or her home, has always been able to purchase other luxury items to distinguish himself or herself – even American-made products find their way there.¶ Cuba, despite its economic woes, has seen significant gains in social indicators. There remain signs of a widening gap between the rich and the poor–yet, it is not uncommon for the “chauffer” to sit down with the “doctor” at his home for a meal. Gender equality in the country is on par with that of developed countries and getting better each year. There are no private schools. As argued in an article by The Atlantic, educational equality equals economic equality, and Cuba’s schools are not only equal: they receive high priority in the national budget, with over 10% spent on education.¶ ¶ The prevalence of remittances threatens economic equality and does create some disparity, but often these remittances have been distributed among so many family members, they rarely make anyone rich. That, however, is changing rapidly as Obama has lifted restrictions on remittances. The cash-strapped island will be reluctant to stop the currency inflow. These remittances are also disproportionately concentrated in Havana and a few other cities, as these places have historically had higher migration opportunities. Already, there are neighborhoods in Havana where the houses are better maintained and the feeling is more affluent.¶ Illegal economic activity also undermines economic equality and will play a bigger role as the state further opens itself to tourists. Illegal sales of goods and services are very pervasive. Nearly every Cuban household engages in some sort of illegal economic activity in order to supplement their government wages and rations. As in a capitalist society, some entrepreneurs are more successful than others. However, the clandestine nature of this income generation has generally limited its potential to create any obvious economic disparity between neighbors. This, too, will change as the tourism sector flourishes and the U.S. eases its restrictions on travel to the country.¶ The political and economic reforms that have taken place since the 1990s (Over 300 modifications have been made in the last decade alone) have seemingly put Cuba on a slow path toward modernization. Now, Cubans are free to buy and sell homes and used cars, a practice banned since the Revolution. While still swearing allegiance to socialism, Raúl Castro has called for an end to monthly ration books and for the expansion of private enterprise. He has assured Cubans that they would continue to receive free access to health care and education, but has maintained that Cuba’s economy could not support the ration books and other government handouts. He had called to lay-off over 500 public employees, encouraging them to find work in the limited private sector, but later postponed those plans.¶ ¶ These changes have led to an increase in foreign direct investment and tourism. Cubans working in these sectors stand to see an increase in their economic prospects, whether they be gained legally or illegally. Already, there is increasing disparity between the rural Eastern part of the island. Legal hurdles remain prohibiting the free relocation of Cuban citizens to other areas of the country. While a citizen may be free to buy and sell his house, he is still unable to relocate to Havana without permission from the state.¶ ¶ The U.S. has already started easing restrictions imposed through its embargo against Cuba and has flirted with the idea of ending it altogether. The embargo has been criticized by the international community. While Cuba has asked twenty times for the end of the embargo at the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. has continually refused. If the embargo is lifted, the island nation will undoubtedly see an increase in tourism profits as well as an increase in foreign direct investment and trade. While this could be achieved through government run and controlled operations, it is unlikely that the U.S. will lift the embargo without some sort of provision that limits this scenario.¶ ¶ The timid steps taken by Raúl Castro have shown that the government understands change must take place, as its current economic situation is stagnant and unsustainable. However, Castro is unsure how to move forward while still hanging onto the rapidly fading ideals of the Revolution. Nevertheless, even while Raúl Castro has spoken of liberalization and freedoms (even proposing political reforms that may signal an end to dictatorial rule), he has kept Cuba’s repressive legal and institutional structures in place. Cubans cannot leave the country legally without a Carta Blanca (an exit visa, which is not guaranteed) or freely relocate within the country. There are still repressive limits to free speech and expression. Even after the hunger strike of Orlando Zapata Tamayo in 2010 provoked the release of over 40 political prisoners, many remain in Cuban prisons. It is clear that these tactics serve only to keep the Castros in power, and they keep relations with the U.S. tepid at best. Many critics argue that any reforms will be constrained by the memory of the Revolution and the goals of its founders, rather than sweeping, generational changes. The remains of the Revolution may put a chokehold on further political reforms.¶ ¶ As Cuba seeks ways to grow its economy, it will undoubtedly see the creation of some economic inequality. It has no choice but to liberalize the economy in order to maintain its social spending, but in doing so it will create new social problems. The central government will need to move away from universal social policy to more diversified programs. Centralized planning has not, historically, had much success in broadening programs to meet the needs of different sectors of its population, but this will be essential for the political structure to maintain its legitimacy. In order to address these different needs, the government will need to admit that there is inequality, which it may be reluctant to do. It will need to decide how much inequality is acceptable and what the requirements for attaining it are.¶ ¶ The pace and scope of these changes will not only alter the future for the country–it could possibly be the trailblazer for a liberalized market economy with a high level of economic equality. Clearly, Cuba is a long way from a liberalized market economy, but unlike other economies moving in this direction (China, for example), Cuba is the only one starting from relative equality. How it proceeds in the coming years as it is gradually integrated into the global economy could show the world another way of doing things.

And poverty directly leads to oppression

Hallquist 09 – recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, with a BA in Philosophy. Graduate student in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2009. (Chris, “How bad is poverty, really?,” The HallQ, 6 October 2009, http://www.uncrediblehallq.net/2009/10/06/how-bad-is-poverty-really/, accessed 6/28/13)//IS

Most people think that poverty–maybe not as it exists in the first world, but at least as it exists in the third world–is pretty awful. For one thing, most people think–or at least often talk as if–premature death is one of the worst things that can happen to you. They understand what is meant by “a fate worse than death,” but think such fates are extraordinarily rare. Murder gets a special place in the ten commandments, and questions of causing or preventing death have gotten a key place in ethical thinking ever since: famed ethicist Peter Singer is best-known for writing about questions like “is it OK to kill animals for food,” “how strong are our obligations to prevent other people from dying?” “when is it OK to make medical decisions that we know will result in death?”¶ All this means poverty must be pretty bad, because really extreme poverty increases your risk of starving to death because you can afford food, or dying from disease because you can’t afford medicine or maybe even basic sanitation, or freezing to death because you can’t afford shelter. There is also a definite correlation, though perhaps a harder to explain one, between poverty and your chance of being murdered.¶ And death isn’t the only reason to think poverty is awful. Pain is pretty bad, and in the case of every bad thing listed above, there is an extremely painful if non-lethal version: starving, just not to death; having a horrible illness you don’t die from; constantly suffering from lack of shelter, but never freezing to death; and being brutally maimed, oppressed, raped, or tortured, though never murdered. And aside from these positive evils, poverty may simply deprive people of the things that make life worthwhile, like education or even “time spent not worrying about survival.¶ A corral of these seemingly-obvious facts is that a world where the population is kept in check by shortages of food and medicine is a much worse place than a world where the population is kept in check by birth control. Thus, we should be glad for the invention of birth control, and sickened by the thought that evolution may one day cause an innate distaste for birth control to be universal in the population. Or should we? Robin Hanson recently said otherwise:¶ Our ancestors were designed with pleasure and pain to motivate them in a near subsistence world. Lives of continuous torture, where they’d rather be dead, were rare. Our descendants will be similarly adapted to find joy and meaning in their near subsistence lives. And intense pain may well be eliminated in favor of other ways to inducing the required focus. Contact with virtual worlds and with a vast larger society will be far cheaper for them that it was for our ancestors, though contact with a real wild nature will be more expensive.¶ One easy assumption to pick on is the assumption that a life of continuous torture = you’d rather be dead. The evolutionary pressure not to prefer death is a lot stronger than the evolutionary pressure not to experience a life of torture. A quote from David Hume is relevant here:¶ All animals might be constantly in a state of enjoyment: but when urged by any of the necessities of nature, such as thirst, hunger, weariness; instead of pain, they might feel a diminution of pleasure, by which they might be prompted to seek that object which is necessary to their subsistence. Men pursue pleasure as eagerly as they avoid pain; at least they might have been so constituted. It seems, therefore, plainly possible to carry on the business of life without any pain. Why then is any animal ever rendered susceptible of such a sensation?¶ Hume was using pain as a powerful refutation of the idea of a benevolent creator, but while the existence of pain does come into any such conflict with evolutionary theory, Hume’s question is still a puzzle for evolutionary theory. There’s no particular reason for evolution to have settled on a particular pain-pleasure system for motivating animals, no reason for it not to settle on a system of mostly pleasure, but also no reason for it to settle on a system of mostly pain. And it may be that in fact the latter is what has happened–but we don’t see how horrible the situation is, because evolution has programmed us not to kill ourselves under mere ordinary horribleness.¶ And it does in fact seem that ordinary horribleness is quite horrible. The quote above is from the two chapters (X and XI) of Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, which put all Hume’s literary talents to describing just how awful the pains that many people of Hume’s day felt were–a must read for thinking about this issue. Spend enough time reading literature from before modern prosperity came to be taken for granted, and you’ll start to feel like such descriptions are all over the place. In his book Utilitarianism, John Stewart Mill conceded to critics of his theory that moments of really great pleasure tend to be brief, and few escape the really awful calamities that life can visit upon us. Bertrand Russell once wrote that in his day, advances in technology were just beginning to make life tolerable. I have never actually read Malthus, but I can imagine what he said about this issue.¶ I am tempted by Hanson’s alternative explanations for why rich people like me are so horrified by poverty, and on a theoretical level I can think of arguments for why we should care less than we do about premature death. But when I think about the basic reasons why poverty is so horrible, and about the way people closer in touch with it have written about it, such explanations (to quote Hume again) appear to me so cold, and strained, and ridiculous, that I cannot find in my heart to enter into them any further.

Impact – Human Rights

Liberalism is a precursor for human rights

Watson 12 - a British Politician, served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was the leader of the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party 2002–2004 and the first leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe 2004–2009. Since 2011, he has been the President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. (Graham, “Interview: Graham Watson Rethinking Liberalism and Human Rights,” Liberal International, 2012, http://www.liberal-international.org/editorial.asp?ia_id=1492, accessed 6/26/13)//IS

In what sense are human rights central to liberalism? ¶ Watson: ¶ It seems to me that a liberal approach to life, the whole basis of philosophy of classical liberalism revolves around the dignity, and freedom of an individual. Therefore, if anything that is damaging to individual freedom or individual dignity is an attack on liberal ideas. And that is why, although you will find people from other political ideologies also defending human rights those who always consistently and actively defend human rights are liberals. ¶ What distinguishes liberal from other ideologies?¶ Watson:¶ I think we achieved a huge amount in the last two hundreds years in spreading and in deepening the concept of human rights. If you go back to the earliest thinking about human rights, it was very limited. Our ideas of human rights now are very much board, and have even let to debate among liberals about how board human rights can be considered. For example, some people would argue that a women's right to have abortion is a human rights. Some would argue that it is not. But the fact that we are in the territory that we have moved the human rights so far that have told us that we have huge success in this debate. It is because we have been so successful, that you find people from other political families defending and promoting a human rights agenda which is no longer a sole liberal agenda. It is an agenda shared by others.¶ How much have liberals achieved in promoting human rights in recent history?¶ Watson: ¶ If one looks the slightly more recent history of human rights, you will find liberals behind the International Declaration on Human Rights, and you will find liberals active in the development of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on Economic and Social Rights. If one takes another more recent and equally powerful example, the campaign to establish an International Criminal Court for those guilty of crimes against humanity was a liberal led initiative. W can also find all examples all over the world of liberals in governments vastly improving the “Rights Culture” in the countries they govern. ¶ ¶ What are the most urgent human right issues that should be addressed?¶ Watson: ¶ Liberals need to have a further debate about how widely we define human rights. I think it is possible that we risk the dimension the campaign for basic human rights, if we widen our definition to far and therefore lose the support of some of those who will otherwise come with us. If you look across the world today. You can see in developed democracies, a well-establishment rights culture, and a debate about new rights, we ignore that our peril the fact that many of the world citizens live without even basic rights. Whether we are fighting for the rights of freedom of speech and assembly in Singapore or in the People's Republic of China, or whether we are arguing about the rights to basic education and health care in Africa or in some parts of Asia. The campaign to achieve basic rights for a large percentage of humanity should be in my mind take precedence over the camping to extend our conception of rights in developed democracies. The two are not neutrally exclusive. But let us remember that many people have very few rights.

The coercive measures of a non-liberalized economy and a unilateral force destroy human rights

Voltaire Network 12 – commenting on recent UN legal activity, an international non-profit organization, based in Paris. It stated aim is the promotion of freedom and secularism, that is separation of church and state, faith and politics. (Voltaire Network, “UN Condemns Unilateral Coercive Measures,” 20 December 2012, http://www.voltairenet.org/article172190.html, accessed 6/27/13)

The UN General Assembly condemned the implementation of unilateral economic coercive measures with extraterritorial effects, considering them an instrument of political or economic pressure against any country and their inhabitant’s rights.¶ The rejection was adopted yesterday by 137 votes in favor and 54 against, with no abstentions.¶ Among the votes against are the United States, Israel and almost all European Union countries, but none from Latin America and the Caribbean or Africa.¶ The text is titled Human Rights and Unilateral Coercive Measures, and states that the condemned actions were intended to prevent countries from exercising their right to freely determine their political, economic and social development.¶ Such measures also preclude the full realization of economic and social development of the population of the affected countries, harm their welfare and create obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights, including health, food, medical care and necessary social services.¶ The text also warns that food and medicines should not be used as an instrument of political pressure.¶ It also rejects the extraterritorial nature of unilateral coercive measures for threatening the sovereignty of States and urges not to recognize or implement them, but to counteract them with administrative or legislative decisions.

Impact – Value to Life

Only an autonomous life free from coercion is worth living.

Moraro 8 – moral and political philosopher, working mainly in the area of democracy and political obligation (Piero, “Autonomy and Autonomy-based Duties: an argument for disobedience?,” University of Stirling, 2008, http://www.pol.ed.ac.uk/__data/assets/word_doc/0016/15631/Moraro_paper.doc, Accessed 1 July 2013)

Raz identifies three ‘conditions of autonomy’ that must be fulfilled for the agent to be able to lead an autonomous life: (a) appropriate mental abilities, (b) adequate range of options, and (c) independence. By (a) Raz means that the autonomous agent must be in possession of a minimum of rationality, i.e. the mental faculties to set one’s own goals, the ability to comprehend the means required to realize them, etc. More interesting in (Raz’s account is b): the idea that ‘autonomy’ requires the availability of an adequate range of options to choose from. In order to understand this point, we should have a glimpse at Raz’s notion of well-being: a person’s well-being depends on her being the maker or the author of her own life, and on the availability to her of a multiplicity of valuable options. There is a direct connection, therefore, between having a valuable life and being autonomous. A life in which an agent is not in the condition to choose would be much less valuable than one in which s/he is. To be autonomous a person must not only be given a choice, but s/he must be given an adequate range of choices. Someone whose decisions are extracted from him/her through coercion is not acting autonomously: equally, someone who is paralysed and cannot take advantage of the options available to him/her lacks autonomy. If the autonomous life is about choosing, then, guaranteeing someone’s autonomy entails providing the individual with an adequate range of options from which to choose. By ‘adequate’ Raz emphasizes not the ‘number’, but rather the ‘variety’: “[a] choice between hundreds of identical and identically situated houses is no choice, compared with a choice between a town flat and a suburban house”. Furthermore, ‘variety’ in the strict sense is not enough either: choosing between a variety of morally repugnant actions does not qualify as ‘autonomous choice’. If I am faced with a choice between applying for a PhD at the university, or killing someone, then I am not autonomously choosing what to do: for Raz, the choice between good and evil is no choice at all.

AT: Ban Key to Regime Change

Continuing travel ban won’t cause regime change

Warren 10 – Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights (Vincent, “Open Letter to President Obama regarding Travel to Cuba,” Center for Constitutional Rights, 26 August 2010, http://ccrjustice.org/files/Cuba_Travel_Letter_to_Obama_82610.pdf, Accessed 1 July 2013)

While we support the Administration's changes concerning remittances last year as a matter of principle and policy, the reality remains that a portion of that multi-million dollar export to the island nation inevitably returns to the Cuban state. Thus, to limit currency flows to Cuba by strictly limiting travel-related transactions remains irrational and unlikely to achieve even the averred goal of causing regime change within the country.

Directory: rest -> wikis -> openev -> spaces -> 2013 -> pages

Download 0.7 Mb.

Share with your friends: