The Price of Freedom, in Seven Rules
- As we saw in the introduction, America will allow Cuba to be independent only if the country creates a constitution that includes the following seven rules.
- They're short and sweet, so let's take a look at each one.
- (Remember, America created these rules, so don't be surprised if it seems like they are all a bit one-sided.)
- First rule: Cuba must stay Cuba.
- No other countries can claim Cuba, colonize it, make it their own, or put any military bases on the island.
- In other words, Cuba cannot allow "any foreign power" to take away its independence.
- You might be thinking, "Well, yeah: why would they ever allow that?"
- The point here is that America doesn't want Cuba to be used by other countries, even if Cuba is given a very tempting offer.
- Remember, Cuba is very close to the U.S. (ninety miles, to be exact), so America wants to keep a close eye on anyone near the border.
- Think about it this way: it's 1901 and Cuba is a brand new country, one that could be easily bribed by a powerful or rich nation.
- Let's say that powerful nation happened to be a European one that wasn't friendly with the U.S. Just like that, America has an enemy controlling land right at their front door. That's a no-no, and that's why this first rule is so important.
- The second rule is kinda confusing.
- Basically, Cuba can't have any debt. Um, easier said than done, right?
- This second rule is like a warning. America is telling Cuba that they must be smart when it comes to money and always be able to pay back any debts from what the country can make on its own.
- What's the deal here—is America just being a helpful parent to Cuba? Perhaps.
- Or, similar to the first rule, America doesn't want Cuba to owe money to other countries because then those other countries could take advantage of Cuba and start moving in on the island.
- Which we know the U.S. doesn't want.
- That leads us to Rule #3, and this is where America starts to sound a bit like a bully (or at least an overprotective parent).
- This rule says that the U.S. can get involved in Cuba's business at any time, "for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty" (III).
- If that sounds pretty vague, it's probably on purpose. America wants to be able to step in and deal with any situations that might pop up in Cuba, and this rule gives them that permission.
- A good example for this rule would be if a corrupt or anti-U.S. government took over in Cuba. America wouldn't like that, so this third rule allows them to legally deal with that situation, whether it's to help Cubans, Americans, or both.
- Continuing with the bully/overbearing parent attitude, the fourth rule says that if the U.S. ever needs to put military forces in Cuba, they can do so legally.
- Any military actions taken by America are "ratified and validated" (IV), meaning that the occupation would be legal and not an invasion.
- This rule is most likely to make sure the U.S. can deal with any problems that could come up in Cuba without other countries looking at America like imperialist invaders.
- Okay, on to Rule #5. So far, the rules have been mostly about how the U.S. wants to keep a tight grip on what happens in Cuba.
- The fifth rule continues that pattern, except that it's about disease.
- It says that Cuba's government must keep their cities clean and do everything they can to prevent "a recurrence of epidemic and infectious diseases" (V).
- (You may recall that during the Spanish-American War, many soldiers in the Caribbean died of disease.)
- There is special mention in this rule of "commerce," meaning business. Sure the U.S. wants to protect the people of Cuba from disease, but they also want to make sure business runs smoothly. There are a lot of valuable resources in Cuba (sugar, for example), and there's nothing like a good epidemic to stop the flow of money.
- Of course the U.S. wants to protect its own borders as well, so this rule mentions the fact that Cuba needs to prevent disease because many of their ships will be entering the "southern ports of the United States" and could affect "the people residing therein" (V).
- We've got two more rules to go.
- The sixth rule may seem a bit bizarre, as it's pretty out of place compared to the others we've seen. It says that a location in Cuba called the "Isle of Pines" does not count as part of the boundaries of Cuba.
- What's the deal with this Isle of Pines? It's a small island off the southwest coast of Cuba and today it's called "Isla de la Juventud" (Isle of Youth in English).
- The U.S. may have wanted to use this island to set up a base to keep an eye on Cuba (or maybe to make an offshore prison …).
- However, a few years later America ended up giving the island back to Cuba.
- The last rule, Rule #7, may strike you as pretty imperialistic.
- It says that America is allowed to own or rent land in Cuba for "coaling or naval stations" (VII). So, whenever and wherever the President of the U.S. decides, Cuba has to give land to the U.S. with no questions asked. The land could be to extract resources like coal or to house military forces.
- The text says that this rule is to help "maintain the independence of Cuba" and to "protect the people thereof" (VII).
- That sounds fine and dandy, but if you combine it with all of the other rules, America sure has a lot of power in the island of Cuba.
- The Platt Amendment ends with a reminder that Cuba must agree with these rules. The final sentence says that these terms are part of a "permanent treaty with the United States" (VIII).
- One introduction, seven rules, and one forced reminder.
- There you have the Platt Amendment. Fair? One-sided? Necessary? Tough questions to answer.