Isn't it about time America kissed...

[p_p_man]

and made up with Cuba?

After all you haven't really got a problem with it any longer. Castro's getting older and is probably a sick man, and you're depriving yourselves of all that sugar and those great cigars as well as another holiday destination.

So go on, why not give it a try?

 

[Closet Desire]

It does seem...

...the epitome of absurdity. I mean, the country that has propped up leaders far worse than Castro has carried this one on so long that young adults don't even know what it's about anymore. Even the recent legislation to "ease up" included ridiculous limits that more antagonistic than appeasing. Yeah, it pisses me off...what can I say?

 

[fgarvb1]

well, I know i don't have a problem with cuba. Soon the people of cuba will be able to make their own choice about what kind of goverment they want one way or another. I say good luck to them! without castro i feel like cuba will have all the help they could possibly need doing anything they want.

I

 

[R Nitelight]

Plus we need their baseball players.....

 

[CW]

and we need their cigars too,,,

 

[unusuallyconfused]

and their men, lol.

 

[p_p_man]

forgotten their women?

 

[Problem Child]

It seems as if most of the U.S. thinks the economic embargo on cuba is pretty ridiculous and should come to an end. That's just my gut feeling, so if anyone has a poll showing otherwise, please share.

It's obvious that there are some world leaders that have figured out how to manipulate and fool their people so effectively that there is no way that the population will rise up and overthrow them. Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, and whoever the fuck is running North Korea these days are a few examples. They deprive their people of basic freedoms and basic human needs, yet the people allow them to remain in power.

The point is sanctions don't work in these situations, and only hurt the citizens of the nation they are levied against, and not it's leaders. There will always be enough money and resources to keep them fat and happy, no matter how retched the average man becomes.

I think one of the main reasons the embargo on cuba remains is that Florida is a valuable state to win during elections, and the Cuban-American population is very anti-Castro. Politicians in Florida and politicians trying to win florida during Presidential races must also be anti-Castro if they want to win.

A second reason is that there are just too many people in congress that still have the cold-war mentality and feel that if we relax sanctions on Cuba before Castro dies, he will proclaim victory, and we will look weak.

I disagree with fgarvb1 however. Do you really think that after 40 years in power, Castro is just going to up and die without first appointing a successor who will rule the country exactly as Castro wants it run? Not likely. The best we can hope for is a more benevolent dictator, or a cuban population that will suddenly realize they are oppressed and rise up against their government, and so far they haven't shown much enthusiasm for that.

 

[fgarvb1]

Problem Child, would you like to bet that one year after castro is dead cuba is well under way to being a whole different country?

say one hundred dollars ... i have no inside infromation.

 

[Problem Child]

No, I'm not going to bet on that.

You could be right, Castro could suddenly see the light and free the slaves, or appoint someone less dictatorial than himself, or whomever he appoints could unilaterally decide to have free elections and make the country more democratic.

The U.S. will probably end the sanctions as soon as Castro is dead, just because he's dead. That's how silly they are.

My main point was that just because Castro is gone, there is no guarantee that the Cuban government will not still be a communist dictatorship. Lots of other communist countries have had changes in leadership and remained dictatorial and oppressive. Let's hope Cuba is different.

 

[p_p_man]

It does seem that the USA...

...the USA is cutting off its nose to spite its face.

Canada, France and Italy are very large trading partners with Cuba and so far, with no American competition, have had an unopposed run in selling their products to the Cuban Governemnt.

In recent years, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Castro has been attracting hard currency to the island by allowing foreign investment which every country on the planet can take advantage of, except the United States.

Also to ease the poverty and shortage of consumer goods that have been a hallmark of sanctions Castro has allowed ordinary Cubans to become self-employed in a small way.

And is it not true that in Miami English is no longer the native tongue of the majority of residents thus causing some trouble between the Americans and the Cuban immigrants/asylum seekers. Which means, to me anyway, that a small band of foreigners are holding America to ransom by saying to Presidential candidates 'keep your hard line over Castro or we will not vote for you'. And as we have just seen Florida is a very important state to win.

It all seems to have got out of hand. Especially now the world is moving on. Pity really.

Anyway I've booked my holiday there for November and I'm going to enjoy myself...

Yeehaaay all those cigars, women, bacardi, beaches, women, sea food, bacardi, women (have I said that?) and all for £450 for the week (inc flight and hotel).

Yeeehaay!

 

[Problem Child]

It's "yee-haa!" you arrogant twit.

 

[lavender]

 

[p_p_man]

Sorry...

**hanging head with shame and embarassment**

 

[Problem Child]

yee-haa and yee-haw are both acceptable spellings.

yee-haay is not.

Don't fuck with me Lavy, I lived in El Paso.

 

[lavender]

 

[Problem Child]

Don't tell me how to spell, wench.

I knew you were going to say that about El Paso. All you east Texas types are such snobs.

Hummmphhh.

 

[Dillinger]

What kind of kiss? Lots of tongue?

 

[lavender]

 

[Elegance]

You forget ...

Cuba, Castro particularly, wanted to drop a nucleur bomb on the US during the Bay of Pigs invasion ... at the time, even Nikita Kruschev recognized what a loose cannon Castro was, and took his toys and went home.

The people in Cuba still suffer under a dictatorship. There are many Cuban nationals in this country that deplore the existing Cuban government and support continued pressure through embargoes to facilitate freedom for their homeland.

Before finding fault in the embargoes, explore WHY they began ... and ask "has anything changed?". The passing of time doesn't equate to reasons for lifting an embargo ... only change does.

 

[lavender]

 

[Problem Child]

You are not allowed to correct me on the spelling of a slang term that has liberal allowances for interpretation.

p_p_man is not allowed to interpret the spelling liberally because it's an American colloquialism and he's a British twit, whereas I am an American twit. I don't go around telling him how to say "spot on!" or correct his spelling of bangers and mash.

And I think y'all down in Tejas should be a little more kinder and gentler to your poor retarded step-child of a city El Paso. If you're not gonna treat her right you should give her to Mexico or Nuevo Mexico so she will feel wanted and loved.

 

[Problem Child]

Re: You forget ...

Cuba, Castro particularly, wanted to drop a nucleur bomb on the US during the Bay of Pigs invasion ... at the time, even Nikita Kruschev recognized what a loose cannon Castro was, and took his toys and went home.

The people in Cuba still suffer under a dictatorship. There are many Cuban nationals in this country that deplore the existing Cuban government and support continued pressure through embargoes to facilitate freedom for their homeland.

Before finding fault in the embargoes, explore WHY they began ... and ask "has anything changed?". The passing of time doesn't equate to reasons for lifting an embargo ... only change does.

Q: How many nuclear bombs does Castro have?

A: 0

Q: If Castro had one nuclear bomb and a plane with enough oomph to make it 90 miles to Florida, would he be stupid enough to drop it?

A: no

Q: Has our embargo reduced Fidel Castro's oppression of the Cuban people one whit?

A: no

Q: Has our embargo hurt the Cuban people tremendously?

A: yes

Last question: What part of this is so tough for you to figure out?

 

[Closet Desire]

I'm just thankful...

...you guys don't have nuclear weapons...do you?

Now that a lot of the documents surrounding Cuba/US relations in the late 50's and 60's have come out I think it's clear there was no shortage of idiots and rhetoric.

As islands in the Carribean go Cuba seems to have been more successful economically than most of the rest and, let's face it, when people are dirt poor (like most of St Thomas), the political system isn't high up on the list of priorities. Many English go to Cuba on holiday and have a wonderful time. Perhaps much of the antagonism on both sides is due to American dominance of the island pre-Castro and the fact that the US basically got kicked off following the revolution. I'm actually rather resentful that I'm still not allowed to travel to Cuba and decide for myself (US policy, not Cuban). The closest I've been is the side of the island still occupied by the US military (rather ironic don't you think?). I guess US committment to principle doesn't include giving up a 100 year lease on that part of Cuba.

There are some rather positive and progressive aspects to Cuba including the way they openly handle and treat the AIDS problem with state funded hospices and treatment centres.

Admittedly, I don't know very much about Cuba so this is only what I've gleaned over the years and my humble opinion.

As for spelling "yee-haw" it does sort of sound like "yee-haaay" when spoken by the English. Do phonetics count? Or is that fonetics?

(grin)

 

[Weevil]

Boy oh boy. I sure do love sitting here, dressed all in flannel, smoking a big Havanos and smiling.

Viva Cuba!!