The only effect the embargo has is to make the Cuban populace poorer.

Poorer people have to devote more energy to getting the necessities of life and thus have little time and energy for trying to resist an oppressive government.

The net effect of the embargo is to punish the Cuban people and strengthen the communists’ grip on power. In soccer they call that an “own goal”.

No. McCain is wrong. What’s the point of the tough talk? It’s pure demagoguing.

Libertarians can have quirks. I know I do.

But to somehow suggest that any useless rhetoric that maintains a firm line against normalized relations with a country is simply ridiculous.

Cuba would have everything to gain. Normalized relations with Cuba would get government out of the way of regular people communicating, trading and traveling. Such a simple idea of regular people being able to interact would do far more than over 40 years of tough talk has done.