Tournament: Notre Dame | Round: 1 | Opponent: Harker | Judge:
The US embargo on Cuba is the ROOT CAUSE of all Cuba-related problems. The embargo is outdated and lacks international support.
Smith, 2-4-13 (Wayne, Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana (1979-82) and is now an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, D.C , “An Isolated and Outdated U.S. Cuba Policy”, Center for International Policy)
Despite the Obama administration’s easing of restrictions on Cuba, the Embargo remains.
Bandow, 2012 Doug, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, Dec 11, Time to End the Cuba Embargo, http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/time-end-cuba-embargo
The Embargo costs billions annually to American Small businesses and devastates employment
Hanson, Jan 16th 2013, {Daniel, economics researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, Forbes, It’s Time for The US to End It’s Senseless Embargo of Cuba, http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/01/16/its-time-for-the-u-s-to-end-its-senseless-embargo-of-cuba/
Small business growth is necessary to prevent economic collapse
Stephen Otto, 4-22-13 (“Symptoms of the economic collapse: Small business and self-employment are in decline”, http://economiccollapsenews.com/2013/04/22/symptoms-of-the-economic-collapse-small-business-and-self-employment-are-in-decline/)
Economic collapse triggers global nuclear wars – multiple flashpoints in current world order would escalate rapidly
Ockham Research, independent research branch of Financial Market Management Inc, 2k8 (Nov 17th, “Economic Turmoil Begets Geopolitical Risks”, http://wallstreetpit.com/2008/11/economic-turmoil-begets-geopolitical-risks/)
The Embargo severely hampers US International Credibility
Reuters, 2012 Nov 13, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/us-cuba-embargo-un-idUSBRE8AC11820121113, U.N. urges end to U.S. Cuba embargo for 21st year | Reuters
Unilateral hard power inevitably fails - Soft power is the only way to mobilize action to solve all problems, including world war, disease, climate change, and terrorism.
Joseph Nye, professor of international relations at Harvard University, 2008 or later (n.d.) (“American Power After the Financial Crises,” http://www.foresightproject.net/publications/articles/article.asp?p=3533)
The embargo makes US responses to oil spills impossible- creates a ticking time bomb for a uniquely vulnerable ecosystem
Cammy Clark, 7-18-11 (“Cuba's offshore push puts pressure on U.S.: Experts: Embargo, politics would limit response to oil spill”, ProQuest)
Cuban oil spills threaten a keystone ecosystem – they would be uniquely worse than the BP spill
CubaNews, 3-4-13 (“EDF: What about environmental impact?”, Cuba News)
Ecosystem collapse results in extinction
Nautiyal and Nidamanuri 10 (Sunil and Rama Rao – Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources @ Institute for Social and Economic Change and Department of Earth and Space Sciences @ Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, “Conserving Biodiversity in Protected Area of Biodiversity Hotspot in India: A Case Study,” International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 36 (2-3): 195-200, 2010)
The plan solves the economy - Embargo Removal boosts the American and Cuban Economy
Bloomberg, Feb 20th 2013, Obama Can Bend Cuba Embargo to Help Open Economy, Groups Say, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-20/obama-should-bend-cuba-embargo-to-buoy-free-markets-reports-say.html
Eliminating the embargo boosts US soft power
Ratliff, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, 2K4 (William, “CUBA: Surviving Fidel,” The Hoover Digest, Winter, Number 1, http://www.hooverdigest.org/041/ratliff.html)
The plan solves oil spills- US tech superiority and exports are a necessary response to p Bert and Clayton 12 (Captain Melissa –2011-2012 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake – Fellow for Energy and National Security, “Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill”, March, http://www.cfr.org/cuba/addressing-risk-cuban-oil-spill/p27515)revent the worst impacts of an oil spills