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US-Cuban Relations
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 17, 2014 11:36:26 GMT -5
Breaking News ?@breakingnews 18m18 minutes ago US plans to re-establish an embassy in Havana in the coming months, White House says - @felschwartz www.breakingnews.com/t/aCY
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Post by jimed14 on Dec 17, 2014 12:40:18 GMT -5
So can I book a vacation to Cuba yet?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 13:05:45 GMT -5
Giant long overdue news. So happy for the released prisoners and for the Cuban people. The old hardliners here in the States who have, for decades now, used property interests to justify a failed policy have finally been told to suck it. Reestablishment of relations and travel (and eventually trade) is going to be amazing for the sport of baseball. Through it all, the American and Cuban people have always shared a love of baseball and this sport is going to be a wonderful means of bringing us together again.
From the perspective of the Red Sox though, it is crucial that any interest we have in any available Cuban talent be turned into actual signings - including Moncada. The idea of an international draft, already widely being discussed, is only going to be accelerated with the opening of Cuba. Basically, the days of being able to bid on Cuban talent are going to go away. This is the last opportunity to exploit differences in financial resources to gain an advantage in talent. Sign Moncada!
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 17, 2014 13:32:46 GMT -5
I dont know enough about it, but a lot of Cuban American's who came directly from Cuba do not like it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 13:56:46 GMT -5
I dont know enough about it, but a lot of Cuban American's who came directly from Cuba do not like it.
They don't like it because they thought an embargo would eventually topple the Cuban government and somehow allow them to reclaim real estate that had been seized by the Cuban government. For a lot of reasons, this is never going to happen. But, that's the dream they still cling to.
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Post by dmaineah on Dec 17, 2014 14:06:33 GMT -5
February 7, 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the ongoing US embargo against Cuba, an island nation 90 miles off the coast of Florida. The embargo, known among Cubans as "el bloqueo" or "the blockade," consists of economic sanctions against Cuba and restrictions on Cuban travel and commerce for all people and companies under US jurisdiction.
Proponents of the embargo argue that Cuba has not met the US conditions for lifting the embargo, including transitioning to democracy and improving human rights. They say that backing down without getting concessions from the Castro regime will make the United States appear weak, and that only the Cuban elite would benefit from open trade.
Opponents of the Cuba embargo argue that it should be lifted because the failed policy is a Cold War relic and has clearly not achieved its goals. They say the sanctions harm the US economy and Cuban citizens, and prevent opportunities to promote change and democracy in Cuba. They say the embargo hurts international opinion of the United States.
On Dec. 17, 2014, President Obama announced a restoration of full diplomatic relations with Cuba for the first time since 1961. A deal between the United States and Cuba was brokered during 18 months of secret talks hosted by Canada, with a final meeting hosted by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Although the US embargo remains in effect and ordinary tourism by Americans is still prohibited, the United States will ease travel and remittance restrictions, release three Cuban spies, and open an embassy in Havana. Cuba will release 53 political prisoners, including American contractor Alan Gross. A White House official said "This is being done because we believe the policy of the past has not worked and we believe the best way to bring democracy and prosperity to Cuba is through a different kind of policy." US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) opposed the move, saying, "This is going to do absolutely nothing to further human rights and democracy in Cuba. But it potentially goes a long way in providing the economic lift that the Castro regime needs to become permanent fixtures in Cuba for generations to come."
My first instinct is yes the U.S. should maintain its embargo against Cuba because of the reasons below, but I am open to other points of view.
1.The United States should maintain the Cuba embargo because Cuba has not met the conditions required to lift it. Proclamation 3447 signed by President Kennedy on Feb. 3, 1962, established the embargo against Cuba to reduce "the threat posed by its alignment with the communist powers." The embargo was strengthened by the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act, and the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996 (also known as Helms-Burton) which specified conditions for terminating the embargo. According to US law, Cuba must legalize all political activity, release all political prisoners, commit to free and fair elections in the transition to representative democracy, grant freedom to the press, respect internationally recognized human rights, and allow labor unions. Since Cuba has not met these conditions, the embargo should not be lifted.
2.Ending the embargo before the Cuban government meets the conditions specified by US law would make the United States look weak. Lifting the sanctions unilaterally would be an act of appeasement that could embolden Cuba to join forces with other countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, China, and Iran to promote anti-American sentiments or socialism in the Western Hemisphere. The United States should not risk sending the message that it can be waited out or that seizing US property in foreign countries, as Castro did in Cuba when he took power, will be tolerated.
3.The Cuban government has consistently responded to US attempts to soften the embargo with acts of aggression, raising concerns about what would happen if the sanctions were fully lifted. President Carter tried to normalize relations with Cuba by opening the US Interests Section (a de facto embassy) in Havana in 1977. Fidel Castro then orchestrated the Mariel Boatlift, which sent 125,000 emigrants (including criminals and mentally ill people) to the United States. In 2003, President George W. Bush began to ease restrictions for visiting family members in Cuba, but tightened the rules in 2004 in response to Cuba's crackdown against political dissidents. President Obama relaxed the US travel policy in 2009 to allow unlimited travel to Cuba to visit family members. That same year, the Cuban government arrested an American aid worker & contractor Alan Gross and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. (Gross had been sentenced in 2011 in connection to an effort to create a communications network outside Cuban government control).
4.The embargo enables the United States to apply pressure on the Cuban government to improve human rights. Several international organizations have written about the long history of human rights abuses and repression in Cuba. At least 4,123 people were detained for political reasons in 2011, and an estimated 6,602 political detentions occurred in 2012. The Congressional Research Service reported that there are an estimated 65,000 to 70,000 prisoners incarcerated in Cuba as of May 2012 (although the Cuban government reports 57,337 prisoners) - among the highest in the world on a per capita basis. The freedom of expression and right to assemble are severely restricted by the government. The 1996 Helms-Burton Act stated that the United States has a "moral obligation" to promote human rights in keeping with the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the embargo is a bargaining tool.
5.Since there is virtually no private sector in Cuba, opening trade would only help the government, not regular Cuban citizens. The 90% state-owned economy ensures that the Cuban government and military would reap the gains of open trade with the United States, not private citizens. Foreign companies operating in Cuba are required to hire workers through the state; wages are converted into local currency and devalued at a ratio of 24:1, so a $500 wage becomes a $21 paycheck. A Cuban worker was quoted as having said, "In Cuba, it's a great myth that we live off the state. In fact, it's the state that lives off of us."
6.The United States is able to target the Cuban government with its embargo while still providing assistance to Cuban citizens. US policy allows people to visit family members and send money to relatives in Cuba, and also permits travel for humanitarian and educational reasons. Over one billion dollars in remittances (money transferred from abroad) are sent to Cuban families each year, mostly from relatives in the United States. Congress has given USAID a total budget of $197 million between 2001 and 2012 to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba.
7.The uncertainty over who will succeed Raúl Castro makes it unwise for the United States to change its policy before a new leader is in place. An aging Fidel Castro yielded power to his younger brother Raúl for health reasons, but Raúl is also over 80 years old and there are questions about how much longer the Castros will remain in charge of Cuba. John Hughes, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and former President of the American Society of Newspapers, stated: "The worst scenario would be the emergence of an Army strongman who plunges the country into martial rule." The embargo will be a necessary bargaining chip when a new leader takes power.
8.The majority of Cuban Americans, the people who understand the situation best, support the embargo. US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a Cuban American, and long-time proponent of the embargo, wrote in a press release, "In addition to imposing economic pressure on the Castro regime and holding it accountable for actions against U.S. interests, the embargo is a moral stance against the brutal dictatorship. Over the last 50 years, the embargo has served as a constant form of solidarity with the Cuban people." In 1991, 87% of Cuban Americans in Miami supported the embargo, and as of 2011, 53% still support maintaining it.
9.Cuba should be subject to sanctions because it is known to have repeatedly supported acts of terrorism. Cuba has been on the US "State Sponsors of Terrorism" list since 1982. The US State Department consistently finds evidence of Cuba's involvement in promoting violence, giving terrorists a safe haven, and harboring US fugitives. Members of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a terrorist organization that operates in Spain, live in Cuba. Black Panther activist and convicted murderer Joanne Chesimard, known as Assata Shakur, is one of 90 or more criminals who fled the United States and received political asylum in Cuba. In 1996, Castro's military shot down two American civilian aircrafts, killing four people. Cuba is believed to have supported armed insurgencies in Latin America and Africa.
10.Cuba has not demonstrated a willingness to negotiate in good faith with the United States. President Barack Obama stated in a Sep. 28, 2011 "Open for Questions” roundtable, "Now, what we've tried to do is to send a signal that we are open to a new relationship with Cuba… We have to see a signal back from the Cuban government... in order for us to be fully engaged with them. And so far, at least, what we haven't seen is the kind of genuine spirit of transformation inside of Cuba that would justify us eliminating the embargo." Fidel Castro responded the following day by calling Obama "stupid" and saying, "Many things will change in Cuba, but they will change through our efforts and in spite of the United States. Perhaps that empire will fall first."
11.The embargo should be maintained because open travel is insufficient to promote change in Cuba; many democratic countries already allow travel to Cuba with no results. Lifting all travel restrictions to Cuba would not lead to improved conditions or the spread of democracy. More than 2.7 million people from around the world visited Cuba in 2011, including more tourists from Canada than any other country. Despite the steady flow of tourism from western countries, the Cuban government still maintains total control over its people. Most Cuban nationals are banned from tourist areas such as resorts and beaches, so there would be limited contact with US citizens vacationing there.
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dd
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Post by dd on Dec 17, 2014 14:37:22 GMT -5
I think there's a differnce between diplomatic relations and the embargo. The former Obama can do by himself and he may even be able to ease the sanctions in certain respects. There are a number of acts of Congress though that might need to be repealed in order to drop the embargo altogether. We know how likely it is that Congress will act on something like that (or anything at all for that matter).
Which part of all that applies to travel to / from Cuba and doing baseball business there openly I just don't know.
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Post by johnsilver52 on Dec 17, 2014 14:47:56 GMT -5
Wrong in so many ways, it's not even really worth attempting to try and correct such thoughts on a young brain that clearly didn't grow up, nor went through the communist takeover of the Cuban isle.
Maybe start with basic 60's history and I don't mean revisionist that has been taught the last couple of decades either.
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Post by rafael on Dec 17, 2014 16:06:44 GMT -5
Maintaining the embargo just because Cuba is a dictatorship must be a joke, as the US government helped to start dictatorships in countries all over the world, such as Iran, Chile, Brazil, that violated human rights as much or even more than the Cuban government does. And about socialism/communism, it isn't the US government job to decide if a country can or cannot be socialist.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 16:30:12 GMT -5
Wrong in so many ways, it's not even really worth attempting to try and correct such thoughts on a young brain that clearly didn't grow up, nor went through the communist takeover of the Cuban isle. Maybe start with basic 60's history and I don't mean revisionist that has been taught the last couple of decades either. Since you can't enunciate your reasons for maintaining a failed policy, it's you who need to be educated on the matter. It's a moot point, however, since you and your kind lost this battle.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Dec 17, 2014 16:56:58 GMT -5
... Proponents of the embargo argue that Cuba China has not met the US conditions for lifting the embargo, including transitioning to democracy and improving human rights. They say that backing down without getting concessions from the Castro regime will make the United States appear weak, and that only the Cuban Chinese elite would benefit from open trade. ... I hope that switching the context makes it a little easier to understand the debate. Much of it is laden with endless hypocrisy. And I seriously hope no one is going to argue that Cuba needs to adopt capitalism, because that would be completely out of keeping with our own standards. We don't have capitalism in the US. Any country that has to re-float its thieving financial "giants" by fronting them $20+ trillion in free money is as far from that as you can ever imagine. Call it what you will an oligarchy, gold-plated socialism with a watered down and heavily manipulated marketplace for the rest of us, whatever. But it isn't about free markets. You can fail if you're small enough. That won't happen if you carry enough weight. We left "moral hazard" behind a long, long time ago.
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Post by johnsilver52 on Dec 17, 2014 17:28:06 GMT -5
Wrong in so many ways, it's not even really worth attempting to try and correct such thoughts on a young brain that clearly didn't grow up, nor went through the communist takeover of the Cuban isle. Maybe start with basic 60's history and I don't mean revisionist that has been taught the last couple of decades either. Since you can't enunciate your reasons for maintaining a failed policy, it's you who need to be educated on the matter. It's a moot point, however, since you and your kind lost this battle. My kind? How great thou think thou are. Nothing being done the last several months is possibly permanent. Policies can be reversed, especially ones that are not for the overall good of the country and we have been seeing those flying left and right of late. The "power of the pen" means absolutely nothing to the next man in charge. The Cuban people? Nothing against, have mentioned that before. I was in the USN during the mariel boatlift and was onboard the USS Engage, helping pickup refugees. The people are fine, only suffering under a FAILED form of government. Contrary to some "enlightened" youngsters nowadays.. The embargo is still being maintained because the isle is still communist, a no-no in this hemisphere that even the Democrat idol Kennedy wanted eradicated, not because (also) some longtime refugees had land claims. That is nothing more than an Ed Schultz/Chris Mathews talking point.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 19:11:49 GMT -5
Since you can't enunciate your reasons for maintaining a failed policy, it's you who need to be educated on the matter. It's a moot point, however, since you and your kind lost this battle. My kind? How great thou think thou are. Nothing being done the last several months is possibly permanent. Policies can be reversed, especially ones that are not for the overall good of the country and we have been seeing those flying left and right of late. The "power of the pen" means absolutely nothing to the next man in charge. The Cuban people? Nothing against, have mentioned that before. I was in the USN during the mariel boatlift and was onboard the USS Engage, helping pickup refugees. The people are fine, only suffering under a FAILED form of government. Contrary to some "enlightened" youngsters nowadays.. The embargo is still being maintained because the isle is still communist, a no-no in this hemisphere that even the Democrat idol Kennedy wanted eradicated, not because (also) some longtime refugees had land claims. That is nothing more than an Ed Schultz/Chris Mathews talking point. You and your kind have zero power to dictate the form of any Latin American country's form of government. Whether or not Communism lasts in Cuba will be decided by its own people. Relations between our two peoples will be normalized and the embargo will go into the ash heap of history. Baseball and its fans will be among the beneficiaries. Don't feel too bad though. You've still got a few other groups you can preach to about what is supposedly "good for them." For another six months or so, you can continue to rail against same sex marriage here in the U.S., until the Supreme Court finally legalizes it nationwide. There's also the abortion "debate" you can rail on about, trying to tell women what they can and can't do with their bodies, despite those rights having been established over 40 years ago. You can argue until you're blue in the face against granting legal immigrant status to millions of hard working honest Latins who form the backbone of numerous industries ranging from agriculture to construction here in the U.S. Even without resorting to unnecessarily quarantining eleven plus million people on an island, I'm sure you can find a ton of other ways to oppress all kinds of other people. Haters gonna hate. We don't doubt that. We're just asking you to eventually make your way closer to the real source of your hate.
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Post by sdiaz1 on Dec 17, 2014 19:47:55 GMT -5
It is a good thing that the Obama administration is attempting to normalize relations with Cuba, and even moreso while a Castro is still in power. The US has a long history of trying to force it's will on Cuba and the whole of Latin America. The result of this has been animosity, distrust, and skepticism. If we really want to see a more democratic Latin America, we need to do a better job branding and marketing it.
To this end the embargo (which is still in affect as the executive action does nothing to end trade restriction) has been the single greatest piece of political propaganda that the Castro regime and other pretenders in South America have used to vilify the United States and halt the progress of liberal democracy. Fidel and Raul have used the embargo as an excuse for every problem and tragedy that has fallen on Cuban people in the past 50 years. Let's take that away from them, lets leave them with no excuse so that they have to stand accountable for their failures.
If we make changes now in our policy based on concessions made by the Cuban Governmment of today, then we make it much easier for the next political system to take its place.
As a Cuban American, I think we should be looking fifty years towards the future and not fifty years to the past.
With that said there are many who still bear the physical and emotional scars from the Revolution and the early years of the regime. Those like my late father and my aunt and uncle, may never come to the point where they are ok with the idea of the US negotiating with the regime that robbed them of their families, friends, and national identity. That should be expected. And though our government should not base it's foreign policy based soley on their experiences, please don't be a disrespectful asshole because someone disagrees with you. They have their reasons.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 20:23:48 GMT -5
The amusing aspect of this is the hypocrisy of Cuban Americans here in the U.S. For at least three years now, it's been legal to purchase real property in Cuba. Technically, foreigners are still not permitted to have title to real property in Cuba. However, in under the table deals, wealthy Cuban Americans have been plucking up prime real estate, particularly in Havana. Now that relations are going to normalize, you're going to have tons of Cuban Americans returning to Cuba, attempting to reclaim lands long since nationalized and now legally owned by other, wealthier Cuban Americans. What Communism took away with one hand will simply pass into the grip of another fist in the form of Capitalism.
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Post by johnsilver52 on Dec 17, 2014 20:49:33 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 20:59:20 GMT -5
Tony Oliva thrilled about U.S. planespn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12042690/tony-oliva-thrilled-obama-plans-us-cuba-relations"Nine days after the disappointment of falling one vote short of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Golden Era Committee balloting, Tony Oliva had a much happier day Wednesday. Oliva, a native of Cuba and a three-time batting champion for the Minnesota Twins, told Outside the Lines that President Barack Obama's newly announced steps toward normalizing relations between the U.S. and communist Cuba are 'the best thing that can happen for the United States and Cuba and will help both countries.' The 76-year-old Oliva has three sisters and two brothers who live in Cuba. He visits the country regularly, most recently last month. 'It's hard to explain all the good things that can come from this for me and my family,' Oliva said. 'It's what I've been waiting for for 50 years, and, oh man, this could be great.' 'I think it's going to be beautiful,' said Oliva, who batted .304 in a career that spanned from 1962 to 1976, all with the Twins. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1964."
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 17, 2014 21:11:11 GMT -5
My kind? How great thou think thou are. Nothing being done the last several months is possibly permanent. Policies can be reversed, especially ones that are not for the overall good of the country and we have been seeing those flying left and right of late. The "power of the pen" means absolutely nothing to the next man in charge. The Cuban people? Nothing against, have mentioned that before. I was in the USN during the mariel boatlift and was onboard the USS Engage, helping pickup refugees. The people are fine, only suffering under a FAILED form of government. Contrary to some "enlightened" youngsters nowadays.. The embargo is still being maintained because the isle is still communist, a no-no in this hemisphere that even the Democrat idol Kennedy wanted eradicated, not because (also) some longtime refugees had land claims. That is nothing more than an Ed Schultz/Chris Mathews talking point. You and your kind have zero power to dictate the form of any Latin American country's form of government. Whether or not Communism lasts in Cuba will be decided by its own people. Relations between our two peoples will be normalized and the embargo will go into the ash heap of history. Baseball and its fans will be among the beneficiaries. Don't feel too bad though. You've still got a few other groups you can preach to about what is supposedly "good for them." For another six months or so, you can continue to rail against same sex marriage here in the U.S., until the Supreme Court finally legalizes it nationwide. There's also the abortion "debate" you can rail on about, trying to tell women what they can and can't do with their bodies, despite those rights having been established over 40 years ago. You can argue until you're blue in the face against granting legal immigrant status to millions of hard working honest Latins who form the backbone of numerous industries ranging from agriculture to construction here in the U.S. Even without resorting to unnecessarily quarantining eleven plus million people on an island, I'm sure you can find a ton of other ways to oppress all kinds of other people. Haters gonna hate. We don't doubt that. We're just asking you to eventually make your way closer to the real source of your hate. Wait didn't you call exYankee players spies and you didn't trust them in your dugout?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 22:04:51 GMT -5
Cubans cheer historic renewal of U.S. relationswww.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/17/cubans-cheer-historic-renewal-us-relations/ Students and teachers celebrate after listening to a live, nationally broadcast speech by Cuba’s President Raul Castro about the country’s restoration of relations with the United States, at a school in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014. Castro said profound differences remain between Cuba and the U.S. in areas such as human rights, foreign policy and questions of sovereignty, but that the countries have to learn to live with their differences “in a civilized manner.”
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Dec 18, 2014 1:07:45 GMT -5
Since you can't enunciate your reasons for maintaining a failed policy, it's you who need to be educated on the matter. It's a moot point, however, since you and your kind lost this battle. My kind? How great thou think thou are. Nothing being done the last several months is possibly permanent. Policies can be reversed, especially ones that are not for the overall good of the country and we have been seeing those flying left and right of late. The "power of the pen" means absolutely nothing to the next man in charge. The Cuban people? Nothing against, have mentioned that before. I was in the USN during the mariel boatlift and was onboard the USS Engage, helping pickup refugees. The people are fine, only suffering under a FAILED form of government. Contrary to some "enlightened" youngsters nowadays.. The embargo is still being maintained because the isle is still communist, a no-no in this hemisphere that even the Democrat idol Kennedy wanted eradicated, not because (also) some longtime refugees had land claims. That is nothing more than an Ed Schultz/Chris Mathews talking point. Communism is dead and buried. There's absolutely no reason to care about it anymore.
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Post by jimed14 on Dec 18, 2014 7:35:42 GMT -5
My kind? How great thou think thou are. Nothing being done the last several months is possibly permanent. Policies can be reversed, especially ones that are not for the overall good of the country and we have been seeing those flying left and right of late. The "power of the pen" means absolutely nothing to the next man in charge. The Cuban people? Nothing against, have mentioned that before. I was in the USN during the mariel boatlift and was onboard the USS Engage, helping pickup refugees. The people are fine, only suffering under a FAILED form of government. Contrary to some "enlightened" youngsters nowadays.. The embargo is still being maintained because the isle is still communist, a no-no in this hemisphere that even the Democrat idol Kennedy wanted eradicated, not because (also) some longtime refugees had land claims. That is nothing more than an Ed Schultz/Chris Mathews talking point. Communism is dead and buried. There's absolutely no reason to care about it anymore. Except for the kind where people get to vote for their new communist leaders every 4 years so they think they're free. They pretend they are different but in reality they don't care about freedom of speech, the media is controlled, and you can be put in prison forever for your political beliefs as long as you're branded a terrorist first. There are only two kinds of government - corrupt and not corrupt. I haven't seen the latter last for long. The corrupt all look the same in the end no matter what the label was.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Dec 18, 2014 8:48:49 GMT -5
Yes thanks teenager who just listened to his first Bill Hicks album for letting us know that government stuff is messed up and stuff. But that's not relevant to the US's diplomatic and economic relationship with Cuba.
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Post by jerrygarciaparra on Dec 18, 2014 9:33:27 GMT -5
Django. Don't let the curmudgeon's around here tell you all about their wisdom. Your opinion is imperative to healthy discourse. The sad fact is with age may come wisdom.. but also an irrational definition of younger generations
I would advise to give space to the many people's families who lost people during the revolution. Those were real wounds and lives lost for a revolution that really hasn't delivered for the people.
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Post by jimed14 on Dec 18, 2014 10:16:55 GMT -5
Yes thanks teenager who just listened to his first Bill Hicks album for letting us know that government stuff is messed up and stuff. But that's not relevant to the US's diplomatic and economic relationship with Cuba. I'm 43 and lived through the propaganda about how awful the Soviet Union was and how great the USA was. We turned into the Soviet Union. I bet life here is no different now, except we get to export the economic misery through inflation because of the reserve currency status of the dollar. And of course protecting that is what every war, insurgency, and economic sanctions are about. I'm sure there is something about the Cuba news that no one is hearing about. It's a matter of time before it's revealed that some people/corporations positioned themselves to make billions right before the news broke. And this is the off topic forum so who cares? What teenaged Red Sox fans even know what JimEd is for or would care about him?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2014 11:54:18 GMT -5
Normalizing relations with Cuba is a good thing for the United States.
This from Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo_against_Cuba
Socio-economic effects of the embargo
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that the embargo costs the U.S. economy $1.2 billion per year in lost sales and exports, while the Cuban government estimates that the embargo costs the island itself $685 million annually. The United States has spent over $500 million broadcasting Radio Marti and TV Marti, even though the transmission signals of the latter are effectively blocked by the Cuban government. The self-proclaimed non-partisan Cuba Policy Foundation estimates that the embargo costs the U.S. economy $3.6 billion per year in economic output.
The 1998 U.S. State Department report Zenith and Eclipse: A Comparative Look at Socio-Economic Conditions in Pre-Castro and Present Day Cuba argued that the U.S. embargo has added, at most, relatively small increases in transportation costs. It claims that the main problem is not the embargo but the lack of foreign currency due to the unwillingness of Cuba to liberalize its economy and diversify its export base during the years of abundant Soviet aid. Cuba also amassed substantial debts owed to its Japanese, European, and Latin American trading partners during the years of abundant Soviet aid.
According to critics, one of the major problems with the embargo is that the United States is the only major country that has such an embargo against Cuba in place. Cuba still receives tourists and trade from other countries making the embargo appear both illegitimate and pointless.
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