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NY Times: US Businesses Scout Opportunities in Cuba

LowDown

LowDown

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US Businesses Scout Opportunities in Cuba << NY Times

PepsiCo wants in. So do Caterpillar and Marriott International.

Within hours of President Obama’s historic move to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba, companies in the United States were already developing strategies to introduce their products and services to a market they have not been in for the better part of 50 years — if ever.

“Cuba is a potential market for John Deere products and services,” Ken Golden, a spokesman for Deere & Company, a leading maker of farm and construction equipment based in Illinois, said by email.
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Thus begins a torrent of investment that the Cuban regime will, hopefully, find impossible to resist.

Meanwhile, some left wingers don't like it. They bemoan the possible loss of Cuba's charm with the influx of American corporations. Yes, the continued grinding poverty of the Cuban people is a small price to pay to avoid McDonald's and to maintain the quaint atmosphere of the streets of Havana where no new buildings have been put up in 50 years and existing buildings often have no glass in the windows and no roofs. Where will one go now to see 1950's Studebakers still being used?
 
Sounds like fun!

The regime will no doubt keep a watchful eye on it.

Go at it, boys. :lol:
 
Say goodbye to Vegas.
 
LowDown said:
US Businesses Scout Opportunities in Cuba << NY Times



Thus begins a torrent of investment that the Cuban regime will, hopefully, find impossible to resist.

Meanwhile, some left wingers don't like it. They bemoan the possible loss of Cuba's charm with the influx of American corporations. Yes, the continued grinding poverty of the Cuban people is a small price to pay to avoid McDonald's and to maintain the quaint atmosphere of the streets of Havana where no new buildings have been put up in 50 years and existing buildings often have no glass in the windows and no roofs. Where will one go now to see 1950's Studebakers still being used?
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Meanwhile, some right wingers don't like it, either. They bemoan that Obama will get the glory and credit for normalizing diplomatic relations and opening the market with Cuba and that Florida Cubans will vote for democrats causing the GOP candidate to lose in 2016 and beyond.
 
Moot said:
Meanwhile, some right wingers don't like it, either. They bemoan that Obama will get the glory and credit for normalizing diplomatic relations and opening the market with Cuba and that Florida Cubans will vote for democrats causing the GOP candidate to lose in 2016 and beyond.
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I haven't seen any griping of that sort. Rather, they don't agree that opening relations will help the Cuban people; it's handing the Castros a victory and strengthening their regime for nothing, they say.
 
Since the Libbos are all for this, does that mean that they won't be crying when jobs are outsourced?
 
apdst said:
Since the Libbos are all for this, does that mean that they won't be crying when jobs are outsourced?
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Yep, because the cure for that loss of US jobs will be ever more income redistribution programs to achieve "social justice". Most don't care where a widget comes from so long as they can "have access" to that widget.
 
apdst said:
Since the Libbos are all for this, does that mean that they won't be crying when jobs are outsourced?
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I think most of the jobs that would be outsourced to Cuba have already been outsourced to other places like Mexico. It would also have to be approved by the Cubans which I doubt they would do.
 
Carjosse said:
I think most of the jobs that would be outsourced to Cuba have already been outsourced to other places like Mexico. It would also have to be approved by the Cubans which I doubt they would do.
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Why wouldn't the regime approve it?
 
LowDown said:
US Businesses Scout Opportunities in Cuba << NY Times



Thus begins a torrent of investment that the Cuban regime will, hopefully, find impossible to resist.

Meanwhile, some left wingers don't like it. They bemoan the possible loss of Cuba's charm with the influx of American corporations. Yes, the continued grinding poverty of the Cuban people is a small price to pay to avoid McDonald's and to maintain the quaint atmosphere of the streets of Havana where no new buildings have been put up in 50 years and existing buildings often have no glass in the windows and no roofs. Where will one go now to see 1950's Studebakers still being used?
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Of course they would, it would be an opportunity for business to operate in Cuba should we bring about diplomatic changes. It would be only natural.
 
apdst said:
Why wouldn't the regime approve it?
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They wouldn't control the business. It would be loosening control over a major part of their economy. It was only recently that private small businesses were really allowed to develop, I doubt they will make the leap to big business any time soon. They will eventually most likely but not right away.
 
Carjosse said:
They wouldn't control the business. It would be loosening control over a major part of their economy. It was only recently that private small businesses were really allowed to develop, I doubt they will make the leap to big business any time soon. They will eventually most likely but not right away.
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They would get an influx of American cash. The American corporation would lease the facility and the workers from the regime. The regime would be paid in American cash, then turn around and pay the workers in qorhtless Cuban pecos. There's no way the regime is going to say no.
 
LowDown said:
I haven't seen any griping of that sort. Rather, they don't agree that opening relations will help the Cuban people; it's handing the Castros a victory and strengthening their regime for nothing, they say.
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For fifty years the Castro's have blamed everything wrong with their country on US sanctions. Now they won't have that excuse anymore.
 
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LowDown said:
US Businesses Scout Opportunities in Cuba << NY Times



Thus begins a torrent of investment that the Cuban regime will, hopefully, find impossible to resist.

Meanwhile, some left wingers don't like it. They bemoan the possible loss of Cuba's charm with the influx of American corporations. Yes, the continued grinding poverty of the Cuban people is a small price to pay to avoid McDonald's and to maintain the quaint atmosphere of the streets of Havana where no new buildings have been put up in 50 years and existing buildings often have no glass in the windows and no roofs. Where will one go now to see 1950's Studebakers still being used?
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I've never spent a nickle in Cuba or on limited Cuban products that are available in Canada. As long as the Castros and their regime, whomever leads it when they're gone, are still in control, I'll continue not to spend a dime. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Cubans opened up to let American investment modernize their country and then when the time is right confiscate everyone's property once again and close things down. Is America prepared to invade Cuba the next time this happens? They didn't seem to want to last time.
 
CanadaJohn said:
I've never spent a nickle in Cuba or on limited Cuban products that are available in Canada. As long as the Castros and their regime, whomever leads it when they're gone, are still in control, I'll continue not to spend a dime. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Cubans opened up to let American investment modernize their country and then when the time is right confiscate everyone's property once again and close things down. Is America prepared to invade Cuba the next time this happens? They didn't seem to want to last time.
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Things have changed. The USSR is gone and aid from Venezuela has dried up. The Castro regime's back is against the wall; they have to make some changes and get some resources. Hopefully they will be more tractable now.
 
CanadaJohn said:
I've never spent a nickle in Cuba or on limited Cuban products that are available in Canada. As long as the Castros and their regime, whomever leads it when they're gone, are still in control, I'll continue not to spend a dime. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Cubans opened up to let American investment modernize their country and then when the time is right confiscate everyone's property once again and close things down. Is America prepared to invade Cuba the next time this happens? They didn't seem to want to last time.
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Yeah, I can see that going down. How many times has US business invested billions into another country, only to have that industry nationalized and them thrown out? A recurring theme perhaps?
 
LowDown said:
Things have changed. The USSR is gone and aid from Venezuela has dried up. The Castro regime's back is against the wall; they have to make some changes and get some resources. Hopefully they will be more tractable now.
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I'd think after 6 years of that hopey/changey thing, Americans wouldn't be so quick to take a flyer on a dream.
 
Moot said:
and that Florida Cubans will vote for democrats causing the GOP candidate to lose in 2016 and beyond.
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The Cubans in Florida don't like the idea that Obama is making out with the Castros. They hate the Castros. The only time they will support diplomatic relations with Cuba is when Raul and Fidel are dead.
 
CanadaJohn said:
I've never spent a nickle in Cuba or on limited Cuban products that are available in Canada. As long as the Castros and their regime, whomever leads it when they're gone, are still in control, I'll continue not to spend a dime. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Cubans opened up to let American investment modernize their country and then when the time is right confiscate everyone's property once again and close things down. Is America prepared to invade Cuba the next time this happens? They didn't seem to want to last time.
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I seriously doubt this is what will happen. Most likely Cuba will embrace the Chinese model of partnerships between the government and private corporations in the hopes of rapid GDP growth - "Socialism with Cuban Characteristics".
 
Roadvirus said:
The Cubans in Florida don't like the idea that Obama is making out with the Castros. They hate the Castros. The only time they will support diplomatic relations with Cuba is when Raul and Fidel are dead.
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The polls are showing that Cubans in Florida favor opening diplomatic relations with Cuba by a wide margin. The number of older Cuban immigrants, the ones that have memory of Castro's betrayal and brutality is shrinking and younger Cubans born in the US is growing and seem more willing to normalize relations with Cuba....and vote Democrat....

Cuba Poll 2014 table
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
I seriously doubt this is what will happen. Most likely Cuba will embrace the Chinese model of partnerships between the government and private corporations in the hopes of rapid GDP growth - "Socialism with Cuban Characteristics".
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We'll see - it's only speculation at this point. However, as the old saying goes, "fool me once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me".
 
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