"Their abhorrent record on human rights is not the product of US sanctions"
I keep hearing this tripe, mostly from friends in the USA. The first American president kept slaves as did the authour of their constitution where all men were created equal and women over a century later, and visable minorities still fight the battle, so I would say some blemishes appear in their history as well.
The USA is a great country and does many good deeds in the world but there is much that it could learn from Cuba about all being created and treated as equal.
Now setting history aside including past deeds of both these countries human rights in China are much worse today than most other countries and far worse than in Cuba. Perhaps Ron would like to comment why China is treated with kid leather gloves by American diplomats. No trade sanction there! Try and buy anything at that great Capitalist bastion known as Wal-Mart. Almost everything in the damn store comes fom China. No Cuban cigars though!
Every American should spend a couple of hours watching the movie Sicko. Don't look for it on the Fox network!