The Current Discussion: The U.S. will lift travel restrictions on Cuba, but leave the larger trade embargo in place. Is that a smart move? Does it go far enough? Too far?

Lifting restrictions on Cuba can be seen as part of a more pragmatic foreign policy. One hopes it's an acknowledgment that long-term boycotts have limited success in producing their desired result. In this respect, it will be interesting to see how the new Cuban situation will affect American relations with Iran, which the U.S. has boycotted for decades with little to show for its actions.

If this indeed is the case we should expect a robust U.S. foreign attempt to reach a pragmatic solution with Iran and other problem areas. The moral of the story is that long-term boycotts simply don't work.