Sometimes it sounds like a broken record playing on my family's old console stereo system that looked more like a piece of furniture than an entertainment system:

"The Cuban embargo hasn't worked in 50 years, we should scrap it.."

--the needle jumps--

"The Cuban embargo hasn't worked in 50 years, we should scrap it.."

--the needle jumps--

"The Cuban embargo hasn't worked in 50 years, we should scrap it.."

--the needle jumps--

"The Cuban embargo hasn't worked in 50 years, we should scrap it.."

--the needle jumps--

I remember trying to time a finger-nudge of the turntable's tonearm at the precise moment the needle would skip, but most of the time I would go too far. Sometimes, though, I would hit it just right and the song would continue with nary a break in the beat.

Unfortunately, there is no tonearm to nudge on the broken and scratched record being played by embargo opponents. They continue to repeat over and over and over and over again that the embargo is a failed policy and we need to get rid of it.

I have to admit that although they have never been able to provide a shred of evidence that scrapping the embargo would produce any positive changes in Cuba, their incessant repetition has the world believing this is the case. So, imagine my surprise when I came across this news article:

Israel urges U.S. to adopt Cuba-like embargo on Iran

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States should impose sanctions unilaterally against Iran in the same way it acted alone by clamping an embargo on Cuba 50 years ago, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday. Israel, which sees a mortal threat in the prospect of Iran getting a nuclear bomb, has lobbied for "crippling" U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran's energy sector.

I guess the embargo against Cuba is not as ineffective as some would have us believe.

In all fairness, Israel is one of the only two nations in the UN that stands by the US when that body has its annual vote to condemn this country's embargo against Cuba. Nevertheless, it should also be noted that there is quite a bit of hypocrisy behind Israel's call for an embargo against Iran since Israeli businesses do extensive business with the despots in Havana.

I guess embargoes are good only cuando convienen.