[Boiling Pots]

**When you don’t have formal diplomatic relations with a country, it becomes very difficult to protect your citizens when they get in trouble in the host country.**

That may be true, but that doesn’t mean I want to take Uncle Sam with me wherever I go.

Allow people to use their judgment on where they want to go without Government interference.

A lot of people complain about Russian/Venezuelan influence in Cuba, yet won’t allow Americans to exert any influence themselves.

[kabar]

In order to travel they must have a government issued document, i.e., a passport. Other countries will not let you in without it, except in certain circumstances, e.g., status of forces agreements.

If a citizen gets in trouble, he expects his government to assist him. Allowing everyone to use his/her judgment is fine if it is understood that you are on your own. The reality is that is never the case.

American travel to Cuba is not going to influence events. The Europeans and Canadians have been going there for a long time. As long as Cuba is a communist dictatorship, it will be very difficult for the people to revolt without outside assistance.