Regime change for dummies
On the world since the Cold War, the price of change, and why the US doesn't seem to get much out of efforts for regime change
One of the first items every new President should be issued is a copy of “Regime Change for Dummies“ (or “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Regime Change”). Nevermind that no such books currently exist; they should. And the very first page could read, “If six consecutive decades of trying haven’t made it happen in Cuba, name one good reason your plan will work better somewhere else”.
■ Despite vexing every President since John F. Kennedy, Cuba still has a nominally Communist government that doesn’t look substantially more liberal than it did in the 1960s. There has been enormous suffering and hardship for the Cuban people, but little in the way of change.
■ USA Today is reporting that diplomatic talks between the US and Cuba may be close to yielding some kind of economic cooperation.
■ It still doesn’t sound like regime change is actually on the table, though, offering the prospect (perhaps) of some material relief for the people. But it should not go unnoticed by any President (or the people around him or her) that the stated goal has eluded America’s efforts. Despite the ease with which the phrase “regime change” rolls off the tongue, we have few if any case studies illustrating how it can be successfully done.