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Not me -- I don't work in the tourist industry, don't smoke cigars, not interested in sex tourism, and if I want a good Cuban sandwich I can get it almost anywhere else in Florida. But maybe you have different tastes.
Obviously for Americans, but maybe also for some of the Cuban people.
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The people in Havana are hungry, living in crumbling structures with no indoor plumbing, and now have no hope for change. Do you think that U.S. tourist dollars will benefit the people?
Yes. Some.
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Why should it be any different from the money that the Dictator has made from European tourists? A few lucky Cubans have been selected by the government to "service" the tourists, and the rest are subject to arrest if they even try to get close to the tourist areas. Instead, they get to play the hungry dogs at the butcher shop window.
The embargo was a failure. 50 years of embargo did nothing to help those starving people and did nothing to remove the Communists. It's just as bad now as it was 50 years ago. It's time to try something else.
The embargo was a failure. 50 years of embargo did nothing to help those starving people and did nothing to remove the Communists. It's just as bad now as it was 50 years ago. It's time to try something else.
Yes, the embargo was a failure. The Castros managed to outlast every other dictator on the face of the earth. Now, just as the younger brother is getting to an advanced age, and there was some hope for real change in leadership, in walks the U.S. and rubber stamps 55 years of political oppression, paving the way for more of the same.
They aren't located 90 miles away and welcomed nuclear weapons onto their soil that were aimed at me when I was a baby however. We should have bombed that crap out of them (not with nukes) after the Soviets tucked tail and ran but the President decided not to. I still respect that decision but don't agree with it.
Nuclear armed submarines were in international waters off of the coast of the United States so putting them on an island where they are far easier to monitor is/was a substantially smaller threat. And not one was launched that resulted in the loss of American lives. And as the other poster pointed out - more American lives were lost at the hands of the Chinese and Vietnamese and we're ok with them.
With that said, how many Americans have died at the hands of the Mexicans?
Yeah, just conveniently forget our attempt to invade their country and overthrow their leadership. A leadership that Cuban people wanted at the time BTW.
BTW, the last time that the U.S. invaded Cuba was at the turn of the 19th century, when we helped Cubans achieve independence from Spain. Cubans definitely did not want that leadership. If you're referring to the so-called Bay of Pigs Invasion, that was a 100% Cuban effort.
In fact, part of the average Cuban-American's long-standing animosity towards the Democratic party is a result of the perception that the Kennedy Administration promised to support the invasion and then backed out.
I predict that Disney will step in and build a theme park: "Third World Land." Tourists will be able to don typical Cuban attire -- torn jeans, T shirt and old Nikes -- and go on such rides as the "Standing on Line For Toilet Paper," "Raft Ride Thru Shark Infested Waters," "Let's Torture Pedro," and "Bopping Rats in Solitary Confinement." It will definitely be a lot of fun for those progressive middle-class American and European tourists.
Last edited by CapnTrips; 05-22-2015 at 12:35 PM..
Yes, the embargo was a failure. The Castros managed to outlast every other dictator on the face of the Earth. Now, just as the younger brother is getting to an advanced age, and there was some hope for real change in leadership, in walks the U.S. and rubber stamps 55 years of political oppression, paving the way for more of the same.
If they want to end political repression, it's up to them to do it.
Otherwise, it's none of our business. I just want the trade.
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Originally Posted by CapnTrips
BTW, the last time that the U.S. invaded Cuba was at the turn of the 19th century, when we helped Cubans achieve independence from Spain. Cubans definitely did not want that leadership. If you're referring to the so-called Bay of Pigs Invasion, that was a 100% Cuban effort.
In fact, part of the average Cuban-American's long-standing animosity towards the Democratic party is a result of the perception that the Kennedy Administration promised to support the invasion and then backed out.
The Bay of Pigs was a CIA operation from top to bottom.
So saying that it was a 100% Cuban operation is an outright lie.
Guys like E. Howard Hunt...who was involved, know differently.
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Originally Posted by CapnTrips
Not me -- I don't work in the tourist industry, don't smoke cigars, not interested in sex tourism, and if I want a good Cuban sandwich I can get it almost anywhere else in Florida. But maybe you have different tastes.
My tastes run towards no longer paying tax money to finance Radio Free Cuba/Marti.
BTW, the last time that the U.S. invaded Cuba was at the turn of the 19th century, when we helped Cubans achieve independence from Spain. Cubans definitely did not want that leadership. If you're referring to the so-called Bay of Pigs Invasion, that was a 100% Cuban effort.
In fact, part of the average Cuban-American's long-standing animosity towards the Democratic party is a result of the perception that the Kennedy Administration promised to support the invasion and then backed out.
BTW...the Kennedy Administration held up their end of the bargain. They did give them all of the logistical support they promised.
But Kennedy warned Dulles that NO AIR SUPPORT will be given whatsoever. So the CIA and the Cubans both knew that there were limits on what support they'd get from Kennedy.
The CIA took it for granted that Kennedy WOULD give them that air support if they got In enough trouble.
Unfortunately, they underestimated JFK's resolve to stick to his guns.
No one backstabbed the Cubans in Bay of Pigs. They screwed themselves.
If they want to end political repression, it's up to them to do it.
Otherwise, it's none of our business. I just want the trade.
The Bay of Pigs was a CIA operation from top to bottom.
So saying that it was a 100% Cuban operation is an outright lie.
Guys like E. Howard Hunt...who was involved, know differently.
My tastes run towards no longer paying tax money to finance Radio Free Cuba/Marti.
That's benefit enough for me.
Well, at least you're honest about your interest -- I get a little tired of hearing about how its all for the benefit of the Cuban people.
The CIA? Yes, they were involved, but it was mostly Cubans being shot at on that beach. I know a few of the ones who survived.
As to Radio Free Cuba, we can agree on that. I pay taxes too and I don't think it accomplished much. I don't think the U.S. taxpayer should finance political change in Cuba, I just think BHO should have stayed out of it.
Last edited by CapnTrips; 05-22-2015 at 12:52 PM..
Well, at least you're honest about your interest -- I get a little tired of hearing about how its all for the benefit of the Cuban people.
The CIA? Yes, they were involved, but it was mostly Cubans being shot at on that beach. I know a few of the ones who survived.
As to Radio Free Cuba, we can agree on that. I pay taxes too and I don't think it accomplished much. I don't think the U.S. taxpayer should finance political change in Cuba, I just think BHO should have stayed out of it.
Let's be clear. No one gives a damn about the Cuban people. Not even conservatives or Cuban-American exiles, who REALLY care more about the politics of this policy and ultimately, getting back their property.
But no one in the United States is losing sleep over the plight of the Cuban people. So let's just dispel that notion up front.
I want a thaw in relations because it's stupid to be at odds with your neighbor while claiming to have allies thousands of miles from our shores. Cuba has never done one bad thing to this country and doesn't deserve the treatment they've received at our hands. We're far too powerful of a nation to have sour grapes just because one nation in our hemisphere declined to kiss our asses.
We should have full trade and diplomatic relations with Cuba and leave internal matters in Cuba to Cubans.
As for Bay of Pigs, yes, the Cuban exiles were most of the people hitting the shores, but they were duped by the CIA into doing one of the stupidest halfass military actions ever attempted in this hemisphere. It never stood a chance.
So as far as I'm concerned, it was an American backed invasion, which is the same as an American invasion. There's no real distinction.
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