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According to several Cubans here in the Tampa area, Uncle Raul does not operate a real Communist society. Instead, he operates a Mafia society where he and his generals (Cronies) are the Godfathers and everything exists to benefit them, the people be darned....so long as Uncle Raul gets his cut first, the people can starve and exist in unarmed poverty
Viva la Revolution is dead! It is now Viva Raul's Wallet
My sarcasm aside, your points are pretty much right. The Embargo has FAILED.
SO Trade first, tourism next I would not trust Raul or his Generales to provide for a safe haven for Americans, but then again, Canadians, Brits and even Oompa-Loopas like to vacation there so it cannot be all that bad.
Would be nice to have had this had happened 30 years ago when I could have smoked a Cuban Cigar. I cannot now.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Raul was no longer in power. Before the war Russians ironically were big tourist group to the island.
Cuba has a lot of potential and on paper should be the most influential and prosperous nation in that region. Hopefully the tide turns. We’ve seen other communist nations go from down and out to prosperity (China, Vietnam). The biggest hinderance to Cuba is the US unfortunately. Seems like the goal post keeps moving in respects to relationship normalization. First it was, "once Fidel is no longer in power. Then it went to "once his brother is no longer in power." Now it's "once the communist party is no longer in power." There seems to be deep seated interest in this country in maintaining the status quo. I assumed that once Democrats lost Florida (no longer competitive) that they would change their stance, but this hasn't materialized. Obama tried, but Trump reversed his work, and Biden is basically Trump 2.0 in his stance towards the island. Must be well funded donors lining the pockets of powerful people in the government.
To start, I don't support the embargo as I don't support the government telling its citizens where they can/can't go, especially due to ideological and political reasons. I also don't support government taking action against people who violate the embargo (call it prosecutorial discretion), though it's not something I'd make noise about either.
I don't think the Cuban government or communism are as benign as they would have anyone believe.
But more importantly, our embargo has accomplished nothing. It obviously hasn't caused the isolation or destabilization that we intended. The Cuban embargo has been the excuse for so many South American countries' hostilities with the US. Dictators and would-be dictators use the embargo as an excuse for why they need to block trade agreements, military/security alliances, and "western aid". See: Venezuela. Argentina. Brazil.
A good first step would be for the Cuban government to return all of the property, real estate, etc to the people (now ancestors) they stole it from.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marianravenwood
i don't think the cuban government or communism are as benign as they would have anyone believe.
But more importantly, our embargo has accomplished nothing. It obviously hasn't caused the isolation or destabilization that we intended. The cuban embargo has been the excuse for so many south american countries' hostilities with the us. Dictators and would-be dictators use the embargo as an excuse for why they need to block trade agreements, military/security alliances, and "western aid". See: Venezuela. Argentina. Brazil.
lol why does a commie paradise need the USA so badly?
Once again people Cubans don't have any money to buy stuff. If you are an American company what are going to sell to Cubans who can afford to buy anything.
Last edited by Mike from back east; 02-11-2024 at 11:30 AM..
Reason: Merged 3:1
A good first step would be for the Cuban government to return all of the property, real estate, etc to the people (now ancestors) they stole it from.
lol why does a commie paradise need the USA so badly?
Once again people Cubans don't have any money to buy stuff. If you are an American company what are going to sell to Cubans who can afford to buy anything.
Two countries benefit bilaterally from trade. Otherwise, trade would not occur.
If you don't want to deal with Cuba than don't buy anything from them. Stop keeping people who want to go visit the beaches there (or whatever) from going there, drinking rum, and smoking Cuban cigars.
Two countries benefit bilaterally from trade. Otherwise, trade would not occur.
If you don't want to deal with Cuba than don't buy anything from them. Stop keeping people who want to go visit the beaches there (or whatever) from going there, drinking rum, and smoking Cuban cigars.
Go ahead and go. My friends are going again next month. They go for humanitarian reasons and take food and whatever supplies are needed. The people don't have any money. There's no hotels to stay in where they go.
Are you old enough to remember when Castro first took over the government? The nightly news showing videos of rows of Cuban citizens standing in front of ditches, the machine guns going off and the bodies falling in the ditches? The people tortured and killed by Che Guevara?
As long as his government is in power will never go there and no matter how much BS Michael Moore puts out that it's a great country "for the people"
Freedom of choice, people here in America follow the laws of the land as long as it suits them and don't think twice about breaking a law if it suits them. So it doesn't mean squat that the government has laws pertaining to Cuba.
"his government"? Maybe you missed it. Fidel died around 8 years ago.
It's high time this country got over losing one. Because that's really all it is. It seems very difficult for America to admit, occasionally, that we don't always win.
Forbidding travel to Cuba makes a world of sense. I see no reason to permit travel to Cuba by those Americans who wish to enrich the Castro boys and provide hard currency for that prison-nation, regardless of how ignorant the potential travelers might be of the consequences of their trip.
Once Cuba comes to its senses and makes reparations for its crimes, the travel restriction question may be reconsidered. Until then, let los Cubanos enjoy their fly-infested garbage heap without American dollars to prop up absurd Stalinist politicians and swollen cold-war-era military.
You mean like reparations we have made over the centuries? Perhaps you could share with us all the times that American has made reparations for things it has done that were hardly humanitarian. Go ahead. I want to see your list. It seems as if you have the 'my country, right or wrong' idea.
Go ahead and go. My friends are going again next month. They go for humanitarian reasons and take food and whatever supplies are needed. The people don't have any money. There's no hotels to stay in where they go.
That is my understanding. I don't particularly have a desire to go to Cuba. However, I don't see why anyone who wants to go should be prohibited from doing so.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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I think it's absolutely ludicrous that I can fly to Berlin, Tokyo, or Hanoi tonight, all capitals of countries we've fought long, bloody wars with yet going to Havana can be a hassle, just more government overreach for no good reason.
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