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U.S., Cuba to restore diplomatic relations after 50 years

Fenton said:
Las Vegas was run by the Mafia in the 60s and 70s

It didn't turn into a oppressive dictatorship.

The corporations took over after the Feds cracked down on organized crime.

Cuba's problems are a direct result of the policies that have been implemented by the Communist dictators that Obama just apologized to.
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If he apologized to Cuba, it is the first time in recent memory that the USA, including me,
can be proud of. Our recent history has been shame from Libya, Iraq, Ukraine, Egypt,
torture, gulag (Guantanamo), crooked banksters, and the list goes on. I am certain that
an apology is the least we owe Cuba.
 
Fenton said:
Obama apologized to a Communist dictator .
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Apologizing to dictators and tyrants is his favorite thing to do. That and cursing our allies and friends.

With him no longer having reason to care what anyone thinks about him and having appointed himself Emperor, Obama has become very dangerous to our Country's future. He's tossed aside the Constitutional checks and balances.

Still another constitutional provision Obama just laughed at and spit on:

The Constitution provides that the president "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur" (Article II, section 2).

Did the Senate vote on this? No.
 
JasperL said:
The embargo has a 50 year record of doing nothing to bring freedom to the Cuban people. Opening up relations can't possibly fail worse than the previous policy.
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It is surprising how many members don't realize we aren't Cubans and Obama isn't the president of Cuba.

I guess that's why no one sees any reason to give any benefit to AMERICANS and the USA for this - only for Cubans. And screw the Americans in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands too - because they aren't Cuban and all that matters is what is good for us Cubans.

Another punish America and American's last policy from our President of the World.

:roll:
 
j-mac said:
In what ways has communism made it better?
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'


As if your mind is not made up already....

Go there, then tell me what's going on.

One way is that it is safer for me and my family to vacation there than in Hawaii or anywhere in the US.

Go there, have a look and then blather about "communism"
 
DaveFagan said:
If he apologized to Cuba, it is the first time in recent memory that the USA, including me,
can be proud of. Our recent history has been shame from Libya, Iraq, Ukraine, Egypt,
torture, gulag (Guantanamo), crooked banksters, and the list goes on. I am certain that
an apology is the least we owe Cuba.
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We ought to do the same with Iran too. It will do a lot to move peace forward in the mideast.
 
polgara said:
I like hearing about people's travels! Makes my life interesting because I may never get to visit many of those places! When my mom and sister were taken to see the Three Gorges Dam as part of their tour, they learned that individuals do not order from a menu when dining on a boat. The food was put on a revolving circular center table in big bowls and platters, and everyone took what they want from the offerings. The big bowls were not passed around person to person like we do at Thanksgiving, for instance, but it was more like a buffet, except they were seated on cushions on the floor, and they just reached out and put on their plate what they wanted, and you could have seconds and thirds if you wished - the bowls were constantly being refilled, and the table was constantly slowly revolving. It was also the first time they had ever used chopsticks, and it was hilarious for me to hear about their travails when trying to eat rice! :lamo:
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They may not have noticed, but the two eldest at the table first the man, then the woman were first to pour tea, the woman offering towels to guests and opening the meal. All reverence is paid to elders and dead ancestors.

One thing I have found fascinating is how far they can stretch the simplest and strangest of food. One lobster can feed eight, some dough and chicken broth and pre-cooked meat and you have dim sum for 20.

What most don't know is that each dish is carefully considered to be an interesting mixture of flavors, colors and textures. unlike our meals, they are they primarily to eat, not wax on small talk. Interesting too is that most Asians are predisposed to being thin and living long lives, which I attribute to diet.

Chopsticks are really easy to master. It was cruel of them and maybe even deliberate not to provide an alternative or at least give simple instructions. Anyone can get the job done more efficiently than with a fork when taught how to hold them, after that it's like writing with a pen.
 
upsideguy said:
In the meantime, capitalism has done this to the United States...

View attachment 67177551View attachment 67177552View attachment 67177553

Brothers by a different mother?

Wait, I found this photo from Cuba as well...

View attachment 67177554

I don't think you can really assess a country with a couple of photos...
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Change of production methods and locations lead to urban decay. the hotel at the bottom is owned by Grupo Iberostar, they wouldn't invest in hotel in cuba if they couldn't make money off of it, not really comparable to "communism" since the hotel is private and for profit.
 
ReverendHellh0und said:
Change of production methods and locations lead to urban decay. the hotel at the bottom is owned by Grupo Iberostar, they wouldn't invest in hotel in cuba if they couldn't make money off of it, not really comparable to "communism" since the hotel is private and for profit.
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Fenton said:
How many Americans are risking life and limb to float off to Cuba ?
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Actually, a lot more than you would think....

“Take This Plane to Cuba�: Remembering the Hijackings of the 1960s
http://modernamerica2011.wikispaces.com/Airline+hijackings+-+1970s

Airline hijackings to Cuba were a routine occurrence in the late 60s and early 70s. There were so many that the government decided to install metal detection devices at all US airports.

As to urban decay, its not as simple as change in production methods. You do not see urban decay of US magnitude in most 1st world countries of Canada, within Europe and Australia.

But, we digressing. No one is trying to juxtapose Cuba and the US to compare societies. That is a whole other discussion. I am only taking issue with the poster that thought he could well illustrate Cuba with a single photograph.
 
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Fenton said:
Obama apologized to a Communist dictator, Ruben Castro on top of everything

What a disgrace.
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For talking too long on the phone. Seriously, Fenton.
 
Lutherf said:
U.S., Cuba to restore diplomatic relations after 50 years | Reuters

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about this. We've had a rather odd relationship with Cuba ever since their fight for independence 100+ years ago but simple proximity makes some kind of normalization a matter of practicality.
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I think normalizing relations with Cuba at this time is a stupid move. All we will end up doing is propping up a tyrannical regime that did not give a sh*t about normalizing relations until they lost their sugar daddy when the USSR collapsed. We are throwing a lifeline to the regime that will offer little or no benefit to the rank and file Cuban. Any optimism at all can only be based on the fact that the bastard Castro brothers who run the nation are very old and will be soon knocking on deaths door. However the Castro offspring is already making noises suggesting nothing will change.
 
Kobie said:
For talking too long on the phone. Seriously, Fenton.
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Apologizing to Communist dictator under any circumstance is disgraceful.
 
pbrauer said:
This is great, 54 years of sanctions/embargo has done nothing, its time to stop this insanity. If we can do business with
china, we certainly can do business with cuba.

Way to go President Obama
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There is no question that companies and individuals doing business with Cuba will benefit. Sadly, on the other side....only the Cuban regime will benefit....not the rank and file Cubans.
 
I've never seen a President with such an amazing ability to make our enemies happy. Merry Christmas Raul Castro! Everything you wanted and you don't have to give up ANYTHING(human rights, elections et. al). Fleece him while you can. It will only last two more years! Something tells me President Christie won't be scheduling any visits to your happy island.
 
JoeTrumps said:
I've never seen a President with such an amazing ability to make our enemies happy. Merry Christmas Raul Castro! Everything you wanted and you don't have to give up ANYTHING(human rights, elections et. al). Fleece him while you can. It will only last two more years! Something tells me President Christie won't be scheduling any visits to your happy island.
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Wrong AGAIN. ALL Obama has done so far is open diplomatic channels. He's given Castro NOTHING else.

It might help the ODS sufferers to have some clue of what they're talking about.
 
Fearandloathing said:
'


As if your mind is not made up already....

Go there, then tell me what's going on.

One way is that it is safer for me and my family to vacation there than in Hawaii or anywhere in the US.

Go there, have a look and then blather about "communism"
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So, it was unsafe pre communism?
 
Fenton said:
Apologizing to Communist dictator under any circumstance is disgraceful.
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President Obama is the only American President whose foreign policy consists of declaring to all leaders of adversarial governments of how ashamed and embarrassed he is to be an American - and to apologize for our existence on our behalf.

But he has been persuasive. A majority of Democrats polled now agree that the USA is a fundamentally evil country and are ashamed to be Americans. They're not willing to give up all they have as Americans of course. Just saying the words and feeling that way about the USA and other Americans is all they have to do.
 
Kobie said:
Oh, maybe establishing somewhat normal relations with Cuba might help it NOT be a "murderous dictatorship"?

Number of people killed in American embassies = 0. Benghazi was a diplomatic compound in the middle of a ****ing WAR ZONE.
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Why would they change their ways if they have less pressure to change?

Obama didn't care either way about what Americans were dying where. He had a fund raiser to get to.
 
upsideguy said:
In the meantime, capitalism has done this to the United States...
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Capitalism had nothing to do with that. Incompetent city management did.

Brothers by a different mother?
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No.

I don't think you can really assess a country with a couple of photos...
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I'm judging it from personal experience. I lived in Cuba for 13 years. How about you?
 
Fearandloathing said:
Really?

You cherry pick a photo off the net and represent that as all of ****ing Cuba?

That's obstinate and ignorant, continuing a myth to justify childish and bullying treatment because they repelled an illegal invasion.

You've never been there and are too afraid to go.

In 1955 the ****ing American mafia ran the island, people were virtual slaves to crime bosses.

Clearly you never even bothered to wiki Cuba.
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Really bad guess. I lived in Cuba for 13 years. How about you?
 
Dittohead not! said:
Oh, we could just sit back and wait for things to change on their own. Such an isolationist sort of policy does have some appeal, or perhaps did a century ago. In many ways, we've gone way too far the other direction lately.

I wasn't sure just what natural resources Cuba actually had, so i looked it up here.



Not bad for a little island.
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So, nothing we need and nothing in significant amount in the way of resources. And not at all isolationist, just not choosing for once to open trade relations with a dictatorship when we don't have to.

Again, there is absolutely no good reason to change what has been the status quo.
 
Kobie said:
And again, we are warm and fuzzy with plenty of dictators a hell of a lot worse than the Castros.

Fifty-plus years of embargoes, sanctions and closed diplomacy has not accomplished the goal of removing them from power.
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That may be true, but we did it because they had something we needed. That's just not true here. We need nothing from Cuba. There's no good reason to change the policy.

Obama's original idea: we don't have what it takes to fix what is broken, so let's fix what isn't broken and call it an achievement.
 
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