Some Americans yet to wake up from Cold War
US President Barack Obama announced on Dec 17 that he would pursue normalization of relations with Cuba, the island country only 144 kilometers from Key West in Florida, ending the 54-year-old US embargo, but many Americans are still living in the Cold War.
Though Obama's decision has been applauded internationally, many within the US have criticized him for appeasing the communist government in Cuba and undermining the cause of freedom and democracy there. There have been plenty of op-eds on these lines in mainstream US media in the past four weeks.
Indeed, Obama faces a tough battle to make good his announcement, for he needs the help of Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo with powerful people such as Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American, standing in the way.
