Well this isn't the party line, many of my fellow Republicans are upset with Obama for his direction with Cuba. I for one though think it's long overdue. It's a failed policy that gained the US nothing, and besides we maintain relations with all sorts of despotic countries that are much worse than Cuba. If Cubans in Miami were thinking this pressure would reverse Castro's regime or allow them to get back the property their parents lost when they fled to America...well that was never happening. I don't think this will be a big deal for the US, Cuba has not much to offer us besides some good expensive cigars. But still it's time.
I agree. See... here is where you get to see that Corey 'the socially liberal fool' is really a capitalist monster. This policy has failed forever. It is a perfect example of our short sighted idiocy and hypocrisy.. Also, we can't actually steal the god damned thing back if it's illegal for us to be there. What teetotaling asshole thought it would be a good idea? Oh never mind. Let's get over there with some Big Macs and Levis and whatever the hell else it is they want so we can eventually take this back and build the casinos where God originally intended them to be.
It's about the cars... They have a ton of old 50's cars down there that the classic car moguls want to get their hands on. 8)
It's probably a dual edged sword for Classic Car Collectors, value is dependent on scarcity to be sure, so a flood of new "Old" cars on the market would seemingly devalue at least temporarily some collectors assets.
I was kinda being funny, After this many years, anything left down there will surely be pieced together franken-cars. Cuba isn't exactly a great place for "rust free" storage...
Ditto on Cuba it's about damn time and piss on Rubio and his greened teeth Miami cronies and this from a whacko conservative... Long overdue
:roll: This is a disaster. President Pantywaiste just saved the Castro bros. The only source of revenue left for Cuba was aid from Venezuela; now Venezuela is going down the socialist drain, because their only source of income is oil and fracking has caused the world oil market to collapse. All the White House had to do to win was nothing...
I agree with Jim. Again, any deal they leaves the Castros in power is no deal. All we have done is add another dependent to the list list of aid recipients.
I guess I'm just closer to the point of origin than either of you, hell my round trip drive to work exceeds the distance to Cuba. We currently trade happily with China, Vietnam, Burma and Russia (Even though that is in flux at the moment). I'm sure over the past fifty years of isolating Cuba the prevailing thought has been all we have to do is wait and watch for the collapse, how has that worked out. Cuban Americans currently are mailing $2 billion per year to relatives, the change has already occurred. We can continue the John Wayne approach, it's done so much to improve conditions the past fifty years... :roll: Or move forward as the Castro Cartel ages into non-existence and allow American businesses to invest in our third closest neighbor.
Just saved the Castro Bros? How? It's no longer about Castro either Fidel or Raul. I don't think if Cuba goes completely broke that there will be a sudden change and the Cuban people will throw off the dictatorship and a free society will flourish. That's what we kept hoping would happen I guess. I'm wondering if Sanctions have ever worked? How have they affected Iran? Syrian, Russia...sure the little people get hurt and the eocnomy goes in the shitter but the govts stay the same. The govts will just let their people starve and blame it on the Americans. I guess they (sanctions) make us fell good, feel like we are doing something to affect behavior of despots...but I'm wondering if it ever does.
What do we get out of it? Cuba by all accounts is on it ass. They have been supported primarily by Russia and Venezuela. The sinking oil market and other factors have reduced their ability to support Cuba to next to nothing. If some someone could just tell me what is in it for us ( no cigars and rum do not count ). Another thing. When we start pumping money south does anyone really think it will go to the peasants?
Hmmm as a conservative type of guy as least so labeled by the media I kinda believe in trickle down economics where investment works it's way down to the common man. So if American business makes investment it will slowly and of course disproportionately make it to the little man. At least it is building the society that has endured 50 years of tyranny. Hotels, cruise ships, telecommunication, etc..... Wide open for business..
I would agree with you wholeheartedly if Cuba was even a little democratic. But it is a communist dictatororship. I'm fairly certain that any money we divert to Cuba stops with the Castros. The last time the US had a big business presence in Cuba, La Cosa Nostra was the Board of Directors.
What year was that.... Dean Martin was still throwing dice... Hey I hear exactly what your saying and agree to large parts of it, I personally don't expect them to be our best friends and would never trust them, then again can we trust any country... Look for Cuba to open up their economy slowly as China did until it becomes the force that moves government itself...
like I said, you can't steal the damned thing if it's illegal for us to be there. Let the cancerous power of capitalism work it's way through the lymphatic system. Every year of my life was the year Cuba falls, and I'm 45 years old now. How about we try a proven method?
I've finally got an opportunity to post a response to this. First of all, let's address the "failed policy" arguments. Has the war on drugs been successful? It continues because it is the right policy even if it's not successful. Same with the War on Poverty. While the boycott has not had a direct effect on Cuba, just how many other countries in the Caribbean have gone Communist in the past 50 years. Who else wanted to be a boycotted wasteland? And while we're at it, let's remember that Cuba was a repository for missiles aimed at us from terribly close range. Just how many other countries have gone for that choice? So has the boycott of Cuba been "unsuccessful?" I'm not ready to agree to that. So now we'll be able to visit Cuba. I guess it something although there are other closer antique car museums here.