• 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!

Should the US end its embargo against Cuba?

Should the US embargo on Cuba be ended?

  • No.

    Votes: 12 18.2%

  • Yes.

    Votes: 46 69.7%

  • Yes, but with conditions or limits.

    Votes: 6 9.1%

  • I'm unsure or don't care either way.

    Votes: 2 3.0%
  • Total voters
    66
Geoist said:
"Communism" in the USSR fell and China is adapting to a more capitalist system. Cuba on the other hand remains firmly "communist" with the embargo. Who's strategy is working?
Click to expand...

China pulled its head out and figured out that it would end up like East Germany if it didn't adapt. As of now, Cuba has the govt it wants, and will need to accept the consequences of that.
 
We need more Cuban restaurants... that **** rocks.
 
Tuatara said:
From your own article

Surely you don't blame Castro for the droughts and hurricanes. Cuba has also gone into a more organic method of growing crops because the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are more expensive coming from nations that are lot further away. It doesn't matter though. I'm sure it's all Castro's fault.
Click to expand...
In the 1950's Cuba supplied close to 35% of the sugar cane to the world marker, the largest exporter in the world. In 1958 Cuba had 161 mills with a productive capacity of 8.2 million metric tons of sugar, and Cuban nationals were owners of 120 of the 161 sugar mills that produced 62% of the sugar.

With the dismantling of 70% of the sugar mills, only 44 of 156 remain in operation. The island sugar industry continues its unstoppable course towards disappearance. Cuba simply has stopped being a sugar-producing country.

In 2010 the island sugar production with 44 mills in operation was only 1.1 million MT with a population of 11.2.millions. In 1894, one year before the War of Independence, the island produced 1.05 million MT with a population of 1.7 million. One hundred and sixteen years later the Castroit regime produced basically the same amount. Castro I achieved the inconceivable, make a reality the phrase “without sugar there is no country.”
 
US Conservative said:
China pulled its head out and figured out that it would end up like East Germany if it didn't adapt. As of now, Cuba has the govt it wants, and will need to accept the consequences of that.
Click to expand...

But its okay to trade with other dictatorships like Saudi Arabia?
 
US Conservative said:
If by "okay" you mean beneficial to American interests (diplomacy) yes.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't it be up to the private business to decide whether it would be beneficial to trade with someone? Why are you so anti-free market?


That said, I dont like SA much either. But they ARE an ally.
Click to expand...

Why is it acceptable to trade with monarchical dictators but not communist dictators?
 
Geoist said:
Shouldn't it be up to the private business to decide whether it would be beneficial to trade with someone? Why are you so anti-free market?




Why is it acceptable to trade with monarchical dictators but not communist dictators?
Click to expand...

Our interest do not consist solely of commerce. International security, regional influence, and partnerships matter as well, amongst other things. We already have an extremely regulated financial and business sector-we dont have a free market-so your straw man is well, straw.

Cuban commies decided to allow nukes into our backyard. They bet on the wrong side and lost. Now, they will still eventually fail as a state (as commie nations do) but in the mean time let them deal with the consequences of their diplomacy.
 
US Conservative said:
Our interest do not consist solely of commerce. International security, regional influence, and partnerships matter as well, amongst other things.
Click to expand...

I think history has shown has that the surest defense is through strong trade relationships. There is absolutely no reason, in the 21st century, that we should refuse to trade with Cuba over "security reasons." At this point it is just a childish grudge.

We already have an extremely regulated financial and business sector-we dont have a free market-so your straw man is well, straw.
Click to expand...

Ah, so since we don't have a free market by definition that makes it okay to restrict trade even more?


Cuban commies decided to allow nukes into our backyard. They bet on the wrong side and lost. Now, they will still eventually fail as a state (as commie nations do) but in the mean time let them deal with the consequences of their diplomacy.
Click to expand...

The Cold War was decades ago. Get over it. What form of government we choose is none of their business and what form of government they choose is none of our business.
 
Geoist said:
I think history has shown has that the surest defense is through strong trade relationships. There is absolutely no reason, in the 21st century, that we should refuse to trade with Cuba over "security reasons." At this point it is just a childish grudge.



Ah, so since we don't have a free market by definition that makes it okay to restrict trade even more?




The Cold War was decades ago. Get over it. What form of government we choose is none of their business and what form of government they choose is none of our business.
Click to expand...

Let Cubans fight for a better Cuba. When they do we will be the first to extend a hand. I'd personally love to visit, but not now.
 
Nooooooooo!
 
US Conservative said:
Let Cubans fight for a better Cuba.
Click to expand...

Empty rhetoric (and don't think I didn't notice you dodging my questions). You really think Cubans are fighting to worsen Cuba? Give me a break. We are all humans with faults. No system is perfect and some systems are worse than others. That does not give you or the rest of the statists the right to dictate who average Americans peacefully trade with.
 
Geoist said:
Empty rhetoric (and don't think I didn't notice you dodging my questions). You really think Cubans are fighting to worsen Cuba? Give me a break. We are all humans with faults. No system is perfect and some systems are worse than others. That does not give you or the rest of the statists the right to dictate who average Americans peacefully trade with.
Click to expand...

Lamenting empty rhetoric when discussing Cuba. Think of the irony.
 
US Conservative said:
Lamenting empty rhetoric when discussing Cuba. Think of the irony.
Click to expand...

*Edit*

I can see this discussion isn't going to be as productive as I was hoping so I'm just going to move on.
 
Last edited:
US Conservative said:
Our interest do not consist solely of commerce. International security, regional influence, and partnerships matter as well, amongst other things. We already have an extremely regulated financial and business sector-we dont have a free market-so your straw man is well, straw.

Cuban commies decided to allow nukes into our backyard. They bet on the wrong side and lost. Now, they will still eventually fail as a state (as commie nations do) but in the mean time let them deal with the consequences of their diplomacy.
Click to expand...

I'm really just interested in seeing how much longer those 1949/1950 Chevys and Fords will keep running...:lamo
 
vasuderatorrent said:
I know. I'm way too young and so were my parents. My dad was 3 and my mother wasn't even born when this mess started. This seems so much like the embargo was a political stunt that served a partisan purpose at one time. How has it survived all this time? There must be something more than just, "They're communist and we don't won't their communist cooties."

Any older folks in here remember what this embargo was all about?
Click to expand...
as an old guy..it was more about Fidel Castro' establishing a communist state in our hemisphere - anathema to the Monroe Doctrine.
It just keeps going on by political ennui -there isn't any valid reason to keep it,and there are many reasons to get rid of it.
 
Threegoofs said:
I'm surprised no one has brought up the main reason we still have an embargo.

Cubans in Florida.

They are vehement that the embargo stays until the regime changes to one that will recompense them for their losses.

Florida is a politically critical state (remember 2000?) and Cubans hold significant political power and votes in Florida. They also control a huge PAC.

No President wants to risk pissing them off.

The embargo is generally regarded as ridiculous by most people, as evidenced by the support on this board and clueless opposition.
Click to expand...
Florida Cuban vote isn't monolithic -the "old guard" is dieing off, and the younger Cuban Americans would rather be able to have open relations with Cuba..
It just takes on a life of it's own,,no real reason to continue it
 
annata said:
as an old guy..it was more about Fidel Castro' establishing a communist state in our hemisphere - anathema to the Monroe Doctrine.
It just keeps going on by political ennui -there isn't any valid reason to keep it,and there are many reasons to get rid of it.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? Is Cuba's strain of Communist cooties more lethal than the Communist cooties of China?
 
Yes, we should end the embargo of Cuba. The embargo is idiotic, and serves only to comfort old Batista cronies and the like. Already, Europeans flock to their beaches and resorts in the tens of thousands. Perhaps the real reason the embargo is in effect is to keep Americans locked into Florida for vacation, when they would no doubt swamp the affordable adventures of Cuba were the embargo lifted.
 
HogWash said:
I'm really just interested in seeing how much longer those 1949/1950 Chevys and Fords will keep running...:lamo
Click to expand...

Ha yeah whats fascinating is that they have been bastardized with soviet era parts to keep running, Ive read some articles about them.

OT, but Cuban women are my favorite.
 
US Conservative said:
Ha yeah whats fascinating is that they have been bastardized with soviet era parts to keep running, Ive read some articles about them.

OT, but Cuban women are my favorite.
Click to expand...

I kinda thought they were using parts off those Russian nuclear missiles that Kennedy had the ****fit over back in 1962.:2rofll::2rofll:
 
annata said:
Florida Cuban vote isn't monolithic -the "old guard" is dieing off, and the younger Cuban Americans would rather be able to have open relations with Cuba..
It just takes on a life of it's own,,no real reason to continue it
Click to expand...

Seems right to me and I'm not a "younger" American.
 
What the Castroit regime really wants are loans and lines of credit guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury Department, since it doesn’t have hard currency to pay the interests on the lines of credit for the importation of merchandise.

These credits will not be paid and the American taxpayers will be the losers, the ones to pick up the debt, as it happens at the present time with the taxpayers of many countries. By 2012 the Castroit regime owe to The Paris Club $31 billion, $28 billion to Russia, 10 billion to China, 20 billion to Venezuela, 3.5 billion to Japan and another 7.5 billion to other countries, for a total staggering debt of $100 billion.

Cuban economy’s bankruptcy is the sole responsibility of Castroit regime. It is due to the corruption and ineffectiveness of a military dictatorship that is against private property and free enterprise. Under this system the economy will continuous to deteriorate without any hope of improvement. These and no others are the real reasons of the problems.
 
faithful_servant said:
A little thing called the Cuban Missile Crisis... When someone offers to allow your enemy to place their weapons at your front door, you end up with a bit of an attitude towards them.
Click to expand...
The USSR placed those missiles there because the US had missiles in Turkey and Italy. Try and actually learn the history surrounding the events.
 
ObamacareFail said:
I don't agree. The Cuban regime was not interested in trade with the west until their sugar daddy, the USSR fell off the grid. The USSR had financed Cuba and propped up the regime with phony sugar cane subsidies. Now that those subsidies are gone, the regime has to rise or fall on it's own. As cruel as it may sound to some, the most compassionate action we can take is to continue the embargo until their communist system of government collapses. Then Cuba will become the prosperous Island Vacation Oasis it once was. All they are looking for now is western dollars to prop up the regime. If we drop the embargo with no conditions, the Cuban people's lot in life will see little or no improvement as long as the present form of government exists.
Click to expand...
Oh wow, another mislead and misinformed individual. Cuba traded their sugar to the USSr because the US put up a blockade and told other countries not to trade with them. They also established the Hems-Burton Act which stated you trade with Cuba, you don't trade with us. What other options did Cuba have?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom