Normalizing U.S.-Cuban relations?

[KingOrfeo]

A new Reuters poll says 56% of Americans and 63% of Floridians support normalizing relations with Cuba.

In the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election, the candidates are lining up on opposite sides -- the incumbent Rick Scott is for the embargo, challenger Charlie Crist is against it. So it might be an actual election-year issue, for once, even though the decision to normalize cannot be made at the state level; might spill over into Florida Congressional races, too.

What do you think? Any chance relations will be normalized this year or next? Or at any time while Raul Castro lives? (I'm thinking Fidel's death would not be quite enough to change anything, since he's already retired.)

 

[JohnnySavage]

It's long over-due.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Cubans work for about 20 cents an hour, and being 90 miles from the US their labor oughta be a godsend for US corporations. Plus the hospitality industry in Florida. American workers not so much.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Cubans work for about 20 cents an hour, and being 90 miles from the US their labor oughta be a godsend for US corporations. Plus the hospitality industry in Florida. American workers not so much.

OTOH, Florida's Big Sugar lobby does not want the embargo dropped; they don't want to compete with imported Cuban sugar.

Never heard the opinion of the American cigar industry.

 

[KingOrfeo]

It's long over-due.

It's mainly the Miami Cubans, voting in a swing state, who have kept the embargo in place 20 years after the Cold War ended.

Really, it is that long since Castro has been any threat to anyone beyond his own shores. The names "Communism" and "Marxism" have lost their power to conjure -- the Zapatista rebels in Mexico do not even bother to call themselves "Marxist"; if their rebellion had started 20 or even 10 years earlier, they would have as a matter of course. Not even the Chavistas of Venezuela's clearly LW "Bolivarian Revolution" seem to mention Marx very much.

If we can trade with Vietnam and China, why not Cuba?

 

[JohnnySavage]

It's mainly the Miami Cubans, voting in a swing state, who have kept the embargo in place 20 years after the Cold War ended.

Really, it is that long since Castro has been any threat to anyone beyond his own shores. The names "Communism" and "Marxism" have lost their power to conjure -- the Zapatista rebels in Mexico do not even bother to call themselves "Marxist"; if their rebellion had started 20 or even 10 years earlier, they would have as a matter of course. Not even the Chavistas of Venezuela's clearly LW "Bolivarian Revolution" seem to mention Marx very much.

If we can trade with Vietnam and China, why not Cuba?

Ed Zachary

 

[KingOrfeo]

Ed Zachary

Googling turns up nothing WRT that name other than "Ed Zachary disease" (when your face resembles your ass).

 

[bill-pix-trade]

it's stupid not to.

 

[Killswitch]

I have great relations with a Cuban. My girlfriends Cuban. She's a real piece of work lemee tell ya.

I love her to death.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Googling turns up nothing WRT that name other than "Ed Zachary disease" (when your face resembles your ass).

It's a stupid internet phrase that's been around since ARPAnet

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ed+zachary


Ed Zachary = exactly; as pronounced in an ethnically improper way.

 

[Colonel Hogan]

Googling turns up nothing WRT that name other than "Ed Zachary disease" (when your face resembles your ass).

One of my all-time favorite jokes.

 

[Killswitch]

We always called that a case of the zactlys.

Her face looks zactly like her ass etc etc.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

OTOH, Florida's Big Sugar lobby does not want the embargo dropped; they don't want to compete with imported Cuban sugar.

Never heard the opinion of the American cigar industry.

What cigar industry?

NAFTA will kill American sugar, and Haitian immigration. It will also seriously harm the medical profession south of Atlanta. Insurers will fly you to Havana.

 

[KingOrfeo]

NAFTA will kill American sugar, and Haitian immigration.

Why will NAFTA kill Haitian immigration?

It will also seriously harm the medical profession south of Atlanta. Insurers will fly you to Havana.

That sounds like a good thing for the medical profession south of Atlanta (which includes Cuba).

 

[unregistered]

 

[Killswitch]

What cigar industry?

NAFTA will kill American sugar, and Haitian immigration. It will also seriously harm the medical profession south of Atlanta. Insurers will fly you to Havana.

You can get a 25 lb sack of sugar at Costco for less than ten bucks. I couldn't care less where it comes from at that price.

 

[Wrong Element]

What do you think? Any chance relations will be normalized this year or next?

Nope.

 

[Killswitch]

It's weird being in the Miami International Airport seeing all the people going to Cuba with TV's and Sinks and you friggin name it and they all have it wrapped tight in bundles with plastic wrap so no one will steal their shit.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Since the Senate is controlled by Democrats and the White House is controlled by friends of Communism and love to embrace the enemy, I expect Obama will decree it.

Of course you agree he should.

 

[unregistered]

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Why will NAFTA kill Haitian immigration?



That sounds like a good thing for the medical profession south of Atlanta (which includes Cuba).

Name one Haitian who cuts cane in Cuba.

 

[Dazzle1]

A new Reuters poll says 56% of Americans and 63% of Floridians support normalizing relations with Cuba.

In the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election, the candidates are lining up on opposite sides -- the incumbent Rick Scott is for the embargo, challenger Charlie Crist is against it. So it might be an actual election-year issue, for once, even though the decision to normalize cannot be made at the state level; might spill over into Florida Congressional races, too.

What do you think? Any chance relations will be normalized this year or next? Or at any time while Raul Castro lives? (I'm thinking Fidel's death would not be quite enough to change anything, since he's already retired.)

That pool is not an accurate one, well the question is will Cuba compensate those who had property stolen will political prisnors be released.

The ball has always been in cuba's court

 

[Killswitch]

Don't we get most of our sugar from sugar beets or something too now with new extraction methods?

 

[JohnnySavage]

That pool is not an accurate one, well the question is will Cuba compensate those who had property stolen will political prisnors be released.

The ball has always been in cuba's court

Why are either of those issues our problem?

 

[KingOrfeo]

I agree he will, after all he thinks he can do anything. He believes he is the law. It's time for you and Trou to jack off in celebration.

Look, let's keep this in perspective: A U.S. embargo is never going to starve Cuba into submission, because everybody else trades with them. But if we drop the embargo, that means 1) a lot more Americans get to visit Cuba and 2) a lot more Cubans get to visit America. If you want to destabilize the regime*, that's the way to do it.



* But I ain't sayin' which one.