Is It Time For The USA To Halt It's Embargo Of Cuba?

Is It Time For The USA To Halt It's Embargo Of Cuba?

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Discussion

KareemK

Original Poster:

1,110 posts

118 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
And join the rest of the world in trading with the small Caribbean island?

Every year since 1992 UN General Assembly has passed a resolution criticizing the ongoing impact of the embargo which the US ignores completely.

The Cuban Democracy Act was signed into law in 1992 with the stated purpose of maintaining sanctions on Cuba so long as the Cuban government continues to refuse to move toward "democratization and greater respect for human rights".

...and yet they freely trade with China and any other tin pot dictatorship around the world that they feel it's in their interests to deal with.

They'd get so much positive feedback globally if they did this which would help offset the massive anti-american feeling felt in many-many parts of the world.

I just don't see what they think they are achieving, but then I guess they don't care what the rest of the globally community think frown

A brief history here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo...

Miguel Alvarez

4,944 posts

169 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
Since I started smoking cigars I've been showing a bit more of an interest in Cuba and its relationshp with the US. My very basic understanding is leaning me towards thinking America is being a bit stubborn.

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
Yes. I recorded an album in Cuba in the late 1990s, and had to take my own bog roll, as there was none in Havana. Give 'em a break Uncle Sam.

elster

17,517 posts

209 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
As far as I can tell there is no real reason why there should be an embargo.

Apart form saying we were right so we are going to ignore you until change, which hasn't happened. Now more and more US citizens want to visit, the US Government are getting more pressure and as yet I haven't heard a reason why it should remain.

Shaoxter

4,048 posts

123 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
Doesn't make any sense but neither does US foreign policy in general.

There's far worse human rights abuses in other countries (Saudi Arabia being the prime example) but they're useful allies...

Also democracy does not work in all countries, and forcing it upon other countries definitely does not work.

pork911

7,088 posts

182 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
KareemK said:
The Cuban Democracy Act was signed into law in 1992 with the stated purpose of maintaining sanctions on Cuba so long as the Cuban government continues to refuse to move toward "democratization and greater respect for human rights".
Gitmo.

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

194 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
I supplied parts for a small fishing fleet being constructed on the Island. The torturous route the parts had to be shipped from Miami to the Dominican Republic, through Customs, get export licences and then to Havana was bad enough. Then payment had to go to DR, then to Canada and back down to Miami. What a faff.

The sooner it's lifted the better.

Leithen

10,800 posts

266 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
I've always held the view that the US would have succeeded in weakening the Castro regime far more quickly and effectively by having no embargo and allowing good old capitalism to re-infect the island.

Instead the've actually helped perpetuate Castro and his government.

ATG

20,488 posts

271 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
Yup. In recent years in particular the policy has looked counterproductive.

RDMcG

19,097 posts

206 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
I know Cuba fairly well, and interestingly, may Cubans are ambivalent. Yes, they want a bit more freedom of course, but they recognize that proximity to the US means that is there were to be complete freedom, all of the choice historic buildings in Havana would be bought up and renovated ( good news) but would be sold to very wealth foreigners and Havana would become a sort of Monte Carlo, the province of the rich. Ordinary Cubans would make some money selling the property, but in the end, it is unclear how Cuba would not become another Nassau with huge propertied of the mage-wealthy, the Coast owned by people with multimillion dollars properties ,and much of what makes Cube unique disappearing.

Sounds good in theory, but it would be tragic to turn the place into a theme park. I like Havana the way it is.

LucreLout

908 posts

117 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
quotequote all
The USA doesn't feel as though Cuba has honoured all the currency they'd just FXd into dollars, or made reparation for the asset seizures under Fidel.

Cuba still doesn't feel it should have to honour the FX as it views it as being stolen from the Cuban people at the end of the revolutionary take over. Cuba felt compelled to take over refineries because the US wouldn't refine oil for them due to the FX problem, and so it went.

Nothing has changed, so nothing has changed.

I'd love to see the embargo ended for the good of the Cuban people, but I'd also suggest if you have yet to visit Cuba, do so before that happens. The people are fantastic, the country amazing, but it'll change so fast within a year of the embargo ending that it'll be unrecogniseable.

BlackLabel

13,251 posts

122 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
Looks like things are about to change.

usatoday said:
Cuba has released an American prisoner it held for five years as part of an agreement to open talks about normalizing relations the United States and its long-time communist foe, Obama administration officials said Wednesday.

The biggest shift in U.S-Cuban relationship since relations were severed in 1961 includes more trade and travel between the nations, as well as a general easing of the U.S. embargo against Cuba and the prospect of a U.S. embassy in Havana, officials said.

President Obama, who has indicated a desire for improved relations, plans to address the topic shorty after noon on Wednesday, officials said.

In addition, Cuban television announced that President Raul Castro will also speak at noon and make "an important announcement on US-Cuba relations."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/12/17/obama-cuba-alan-gross-prisoner/20526497/

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
LucreLout said:
I'd love to see the embargo ended for the good of the Cuban people, but I'd also suggest if you have yet to visit Cuba, do so before that happens. The people are fantastic, the country amazing, but it'll change so fast within a year of the embargo ending that it'll be unrecogniseable.
The new 51st state biggrin

RDMcG

19,097 posts

206 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
Mermaid said:
The new 51st state biggrin
Sadly yes,,Starbucks, McDonsalds, all the villas bought out by Silicon Valley billionaires and hedge fund moguls,, and the place will just be another island.

KareemK

Original Poster:

1,110 posts

118 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
RDMcG said:
Mermaid said:
The new 51st state biggrin
Sadly yes,,Starbucks, McDonsalds, all the villas bought out by Silicon Valley billionaires and hedge fund moguls,, and the place will just be another island for the rich which it was in the first place but then along came a revolution.
EFA

essayer

9,015 posts

193 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
Now's the time to see Havana before it changes forever.


make sure you bring some dental floss

Art0ir

9,401 posts

169 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
I believe they've already started moving towards a market based economy anyway. Housing and land is now no longer state controlled for example.

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all

PorkInsider

5,877 posts

140 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
Interesting timing...

Wonder how Putin will respond?

krisdelta

4,566 posts

200 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
quotequote all
PorkInsider said:
Interesting timing...

Wonder how Putin will respond?
Spot on, these in my view are very clear moves to isolate Russia and punish it for its recent annexing in Ukraine. The reducing oil prices are plummeting their economy into chaos. I was very dubious when the initial sanctions (against very limited people) were announced earlier in the year, this is a much more compelling response. Let's hope the oil prices can be kept low for long enough to make any further indiscretions financial suicide for Putin. It would be an interesting time to get US and other European entities buying up chunks of stock in Russian companies and see where that leaves them once the ruble recovers.