• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Majority of Americans Favor Ties With Cuba, Poll Finds

brothern

brothern

DP Veteran
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
4,134
Reaction score
2,932
Location
Chicago, IL
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Centrist
NYT said:
After more than a half-century of official United States hostility toward Cuba punctuated by a comprehensive trade embargo, a majority of Americans — and an even greater majority of Floridians, home to this country’s largest Cuban-American population — now favor normalizing relations or engaging more directly with the Cuban government, according to a nonpartisan survey.

The results of the survey (pdf), commissioned by the Atlantic Council, a prominent Washington research institution, and released on Tuesday, were described by the group as an unprecedented reflection of shifting American attitudes toward Cuba that confound some long-held assumptions, particularly about Cuban-American antipathy toward the government of Raúl Castro.

The results also come against a backdrop of increasing sentiment in Florida and elsewhere that the American economic and political isolation of Cuba, one of the most enduring elements of United States foreign policy, not only has failed to satisfy its purpose of unseating the Castro government but may even be helping to perpetuate it.

“This survey shows that the majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle are ready for a policy shift,” Peter Schechter and Jason Marczak, the top two executives at the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center of the Atlantic Council, wrote in an introduction to the survey. “Most surprisingly, Floridians are even more supportive than an already supportive nation to incrementally or fully change course.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/w...mericans-favor-ties-with-cuba-poll-finds.html
Click to expand...
This isn't much of a surprise poll if you are politically attuned. I haven’t the slightest of ideas why we still have trade embargoes and travel restrictions on Cuba. Although I'm certain that we might be able to tease out some DP posters who believe this is a bad idea.

My only concern is - as the NYT article mentions - human rights in Cuba. Yetl I find it strange that anyone would believe that the US (and Cubans) is better at increasing respect for human rights by isolating the Cuba. All that type [of diplomacy] achieves is an echo chamber for the Cuban government. Free trade, American tourist dollars and free movement are much better at spreading ideas and (given Cuban censorship) sharing restricted materials deemed to be dangerous.

Moreover, I'm jealous that only the Chinese and Venezuelans are able to sit on Cuban beaches sipping piña coladas.
 
Last edited:
I'm going to come off ignorant when I say this... but I thought cuba was famous for drugs and crime? and the travel restrictions were to keep the american people safe.... But I don't know much about cuba :/
 
Chocolate said:
I'm going to come off ignorant when I say this... but I thought cuba was famous for drugs and crime? and the travel restrictions were to keep the american people safe.... But I don't know much about cuba :/
Click to expand...

In that case we should have an embargo on Florida.
 
Chocolate said:
but I thought cuba was famous for drugs and crime? and the travel restrictions were to keep the american people safe.... :/
Click to expand...

Nah......that was pre-revolution.
I think the mob had a big presence in Cuba pre-Castro.
 
brothern said:
Moreover, I'm jealous that only the Chinese and Venezuelans are able to sit on Cuban beaches sipping piña coladas.
Click to expand...

Good point.
Cuba libres, anyone?
 
brothern said:
This isn't much of a surprise poll if you are politically attuned. I haven’t the slightest of ideas why we still have trade embargoes and travel restrictions on Cuba. Although I'm certain that we might be able to tease out some DP posters who believe this is a bad idea.

My only concern is - as the NYT article mentions - human rights in Cuba. Yetl I find it strange that anyone would believe that the US (and Cubans) is better at increasing respect for human rights by isolating the Cuba. All that type [of diplomacy] achieves is an echo chamber for the Cuban government. Free trade, American tourist dollars and free movement are much better at spreading ideas and (given Cuban censorship) sharing restricted materials deemed to be dangerous.

Moreover, I'm jealous that only the Chinese and Venezuelans are able to sit on Cuban beaches sipping piña coladas.
Click to expand...

It does seem a bit quaint to treat Cuba with sanctions. That country lost its importance as an enemy, when the Soviet went down. Now there is no reason why they can't be freinds. All they do is pay restitution for the assets they robbed Americans of and all is well.
 
joG said:
It does seem a bit quaint to treat Cuba with sanctions. That country lost its importance as an enemy, when the Soviet went down. Now there is no reason why they can't be freinds. All they do is pay restitution for the assets they robbed Americans of and all is well.
Click to expand...

Did you pay us back after your revolution?
 
I think most Americans couldn't even tell you why there's still an embargo at all anymore, which may sound like the usual slam against our terrible understanding of history, but isn't necessarily always such a bad thing. Part of what makes us unique is that we don't (usually) hold grudges going back to the Middle Ages. Our grudge with Cuba is obsolete as hell and needs to be swept under the rug. We've got bigger fish to fry.
 
The embargo is absolute stupidity, especially when America trades and has ties with China who's human rights record is every bit as bad as Cubas, it's hypocrisy at it's finest and it's all about the politics of winning Florida electorally.

Open your travel, your trade and your media to Cuba, you gain 12 million new consumers for your products and strengthen the forces of freedom by making them play by the same trading rules as everyone else because within 5 years you'd be their largest trading partner, with your products, your media and your people visiting the Islands beautiful resorts and their people visiting America you will break down the regime piece by piece and you'll never have to fire a shot.
 
Chocolate said:
I'm going to come off ignorant when I say this... but I thought cuba was famous for drugs and crime? and the travel restrictions were to keep the american people safe.... But I don't know much about cuba :/
Click to expand...

well considering you consider yourself a Commie, you should know all there is to know about Cuba.
 
Jetboogieman said:
The embargo is absolute stupidity, especially when America trades and has ties with China who's human rights record is every bit as bad as Cubas, it's hypocrisy at it's finest and it's all about the politics of winning Florida electorally.

Open your travel, your trade and your media to Cuba, you gain 12 million new consumers for your products and strengthen the forces of freedom by making them play by the same trading rules as everyone else because within 5 years you'd be their largest trading partner, with your products, your media and your people visiting the Islands beautiful resorts and their people visiting America you will break down the regime piece by piece and you'll never have to fire a shot.
Click to expand...
The only people that have anything in Cuba are Communist party members and the government itself. Everyone else is poor as dirt and totally beholden to the government.

So how is that going to help our economy?
 
Chocolate said:
I'm going to come off ignorant when I say this... but I thought cuba was famous for drugs and crime? and the travel restrictions were to keep the american people safe.... But I don't know much about cuba :/
Click to expand...


I think you have that backwards. The embargo keeps out USA drugs and crime. When's the last time you heard of interdiction of a load of drugs from Cuba. Never! How the hell would travel restrictions keep travelling American people safe. Safer in Cuba than in the USA.
 
WCH said:
well considering you consider yourself a Commie, you should know all there is to know about Cuba.
Click to expand...

Yeah cause i'm a communist I should love the pile of **** that was Cubas attempt, and continued ****ery of communism Because communism is the best, unflawed and every government has done it right? lol... I don't know much about cuba, other then alot of the horror stories I have heard. I do not support that country in anyway
 
Red_Dave said:
Did you pay us back after your revolution?
Click to expand...

Legally there is a difference. Had the Americans confiscated German property in the revolution that would the question you are asking.
 
WCH said:
The only people that have anything in Cuba are Communist party members and the government itself. Everyone else is poor as dirt and totally beholden to the government. So how is that going to help our economy?
Click to expand...
Cuba and North Korea are the last two countries on Earth where you cannot buy Coca-Cola.
 
WCH said:
The only people that have anything in Cuba are Communist party members and the government itself. Everyone else is poor as dirt and totally beholden to the government.

So how is that going to help our economy?
Click to expand...

As trade grows, their affluence would grow and so you'd have a market for at first low end consumer goods, better cell phones, computers than they have now etc.

Smaller businesses would probably be the go-between for exporting and so you'd have an economic impact there, I'm not saying it would be gigantic, but every little helps.
 
joG said:
Legally there is a difference. Had the Americans confiscated German property in the revolution that would the question you are asking.
Click to expand...

How so? both involved property deeds that originated from a time when one nation was subjugated by the other
 
Jetboogieman said:
As trade grows, their affluence would grow and so you'd have a market for at first low end consumer goods, better cell phones, computers than they have now etc.

Smaller businesses would probably be the go-between for exporting and so you'd have an economic impact there, I'm not saying it would be gigantic, but every little helps.
Click to expand...
First they would need to do as China has done, partially let go of their Communist doctrine and lean toward a Capitalist economy. Them maybe. As it is now, most people are poor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom