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As the above chart shows, Cuba's population has had a steady increase through the years. In 1959, when Castro took over Cuba, the population was 6.9 million, with steady growth thereafter. One did have the Mariel boatlift of 1980, in which some 125,000 (estimated total) left Cuba to come here (an appalling time, which helped doom Carter's bid for re-election).
Plus, people certainly did flee Cuba in rather large numbers when Batista took over in 1934 (with help of the USA). One of those who fled was a band leader named Desi Arnaz (who's family estates had been confiscated). However, even then, the population of Cuba kept increasing year by year.
Anyway, Batista is long dead, Fidel is retired, and his brother is elderly himself. I think this portends better days from Cuba. Time will tell. Certainly, 53 years of isolation (by the USA, not other countries) has done nothing to improve anything.
How am I getting excited? I'm probably like you, sitting in front of a computer drinking coffee and browsing in the internet.
who's fault is it that the U.S.A had to isolate Cuba? Who confiscated all the American investments in Cuba and refused to pay Cuba's debt?.....and you expect for the U.S.A to do business in Cuba and lose money? what bank will guarantee any loans in a totalitarian government?
Castro's actions hurt Cubans not the U.S.A......we are doing fine.
Since Castro's took over in Cuba, millions have fled during the 50 years......it would be more if they weren't surrounded by shark infested waters and a totalitarian regime always checking on them 24/7......if Cuba was in the border like Mexico, easily millions of more Cubans would cross that border walking.
Of course Cuba keeps multiplying, poor countries multiply, just like Haiti and any poor 3rd world country what is your point? people still flee totalitarian government if given the opportunity.
Last edited by Hellion1999; 12-18-2014 at 09:09 AM..
Anybody else think Castro has been dead for a while now and shortly after this " victory" he'll "die peacefully" and be out of the way? I'll be they have people already lined up waiting to sell the country out to the highest bidders.
Since I honestly don't have too much respect for the Cuban people( the ones who left are okay) living as they have under a bass ackwards repressive regime and never showing any effort to try to improve their situation, they deserve what they're going to get: Another screwing.
I haven't been there, although I could have gone on an educational trip there, under the sanctions, and I wish I had. All I really know is that when I was in Jr. High, the Cuban Missile Crisis took place, and the Castro regime does not seem to go away.
I hear Cuba is a time capsule from the 1950s, which would be great to see. I also realize that they have had trade relations with everyone but us all this time, and yet it is the US which gets blamed for their backwardness...not Communism.
I went there back in the 90s. Fascinating place. Havana is East Berlin thrown into Latin America with a bit of Calcutta.
People are friendly, but basically just want money from you as they have nothing. Lots of people just milling around (full employment?) with nothing to do.
Heavy police presence and they sometimes would frown upon me chatting with locals.
I did not meet anyone who had a favorable opinion of Castro.
Yes, it is a 50s time warp just as East Berlin and Budapest were a 1945 time warp. Communism is so inefficient that buildings go unpainted and potholes unfilled. Thus, everything is frozen in time, but detiorates.
At the end of the day, just another half-assed Latin American dictatorship run by goons in uniforms.
Actually, the US is the only country in the world that has embargoed Cuba. This might suggest that opening trade with Cuba won't change the Cuban government, but then, compared to China, Vietnam, and a number of other countries the US trades with, Cuba is already no worse.
OTOH, a review of current Cuban life and economics points to a country that is positively hungry to be influenced by American culture. Heck, they only outlawed trade in American dollars ten years or so ago. Americans even now make up one of Cuba's largest trading partners, even under the table. More overt trade (and some Yankees season tickets to the Castro brothers) will probably have a great effect.
Most people do not have cell phones or internet access.
There are no McDonalds, Walmarts, or Marriots in Cuba.
Cruise ships will eventually deposit thousands of tourists each day, ready to tour, buy cigars, eat, drink and shop. The port will impose a p/p head tax as all cruise ports do, which is passed along to passengers.
Not true, Millions of Cubans have not migrated to the USA.
On the other hand, millions of Italians and Germans have migrated to the USA.
If you are going to use migration as a measuring stick then Ireland and Italy were much worse places than Cuba.
How many Cubans are living in the U.S.A and other parts of the world since 1959?
you want to compare countries in Europe under an economic depression that many fled to America to Totalitarian governments like Cuba and North Korea? you put them in the same category?
How long do you think it will take before American companies, who have moved off shore already, start eyeing up Cuba as the next low-wage slave labour market lusting for jobs and blue jeans.
Good bye Taiwan, Bangladesh and China....... hellooo Cuba.
Imagine a Cuban's chagrin when he drives to work in a 1953 Buick and when he gets there, he's busily employed building a 2016 Buick he can't begin to repair himself if he manages to actually buy one.
The population of Cuba is about 11 million which will cap how much could be reasonably off shored before demand for cheap labor exceeded the supply.
We had the ability to presure them into improving in some areas that would benefit the Cuban people, unfortunately obama skipped over that opportunity.
We've been using that 'ability' for the past 55 years and it has never worked.
What do you think Obama could do to pressure Castro that hasn't been tried in 55 years?
Cuba already gets nothing from us besides miniscule rent on Guantanomo.
What would you do? How did Obama skip that opportunity?
Just throwing words out is a waste of time if there is no thought behind them.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shooting4life
So because we have not improved human rights in other countries, we should not try and improve human rights in Cuba where we have influence?
We have nothing to gain and everything to lose re this change. It was poorly played by obama.
The argument is that you shouldnt single out one country, if you do, then you just look like a hypocrite seeing as all those other relationships predate Obama and you cant blame him for those, but you can blame him for this one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shooting4life
Btw, I actually agree with the change. It was just done very poorly, like most of obama's foreign policy ventures.
Now, you are just admitting you are nitpicking.
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