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

[KareemK]

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

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

[KareemK]

RDMcG said:

Mermaid said:

The new 51st state

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

[KareemK]

A US Republican is saying they shouldn't be negotiating for normal relations with repressive regimes.

You couldn't make it up

[KareemK]

fblm said:

KareemK said:

A US Republican is saying they shouldn't be negotiating for normal relations with repressive regimes.

You couldn't make it up

Why would you need to make it up? That seems to be the overwhelming opinion of most Cuban Americans as far as I can tell. You do know you're talking about about Senator Rubio from Florida right? You know the 'Cuban' one. Menendez, NJ Democrat, and another 'Cuban' also said it “sets a dangerous precedent” and will “invite further belligerence toward Cuba’s opposition movement and the hardening of the government’s dictatorial hold on its people.” .

I think you mis-interpreted my meaning.

It's the hypocrisy in the statement that is laughable.

Like the US doesn't do business with repressive regimes around the globe when it suits!

[KareemK]

JagLover said:

What left wing site did you get that from?. By value the most important US assets seized were sugar factories, mines and oil refineries

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/04/18/cuba-y...

If some tin pot dictator grabbed assets owned by British companies and individuals I would hope our government would impose sanctions on them.

That 'Tin Pot' dictator was a hero to his people and actually overthrew an American puppet in Fulgencio Batista who had seized power in a military coup and canceled the 1952 elections. In fact John F. Kennedy described the Cuban government as a "complete police state" in 1960.

Now thats a Tin Pot dictator.

It's also well documented that Batista greatly angered the Cuban people with his links to organised crime whilst letting US companies to control the economy. The poverty was chronic and education, health care and housing almost non-existent for the average cuban and Black Cubans even more so.

Indeed, at the time of the revolution 3/4 (yes 75%) of the arable land was owned by the USA and not the Cuban people or even Cuban interests. Imagine if one of the Eastern European countries owned that much of Britain. Crikey, UKIP wouldn't have enough application forms!

Things aren't great in Cuba by any stretch now but they are a damn sight better now than they were under the old order.

As for the seizure of US assets well exactly how do you expect a country as poor as Cuba to repay that debt? Perhaps with the normalizing of relations and allowing them to trade freely with the outside world the US might just get some compensation at some far off point because it's for sure that whilst they remain this poor the American land owners won't even be getting a penny in the pound.

[KareemK]

Digga said:

but the government should not be led to believe they have anything like the sort of human rights record to gain a place at the table of international politics or civilisation.

It appears to me that the worst vioations of human rights happening in Cuba are actually being perpetrated by, well, guess who?

[KareemK]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Exactly.

Who exactly are the "smug euro-leftie elite" anyway? I feel I need some names to hang this tag on, just so I'm clear when I watch the news.