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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
China is less aggressive (though thats changing close to your neighborhood).

Hmmm so you'd pick an (assumingly )economic fight with China because it has a less aggressive history but pick an economic fight with Cuba because it's patron state is more likely to push back? An I getting this right?

(heh.. you need to take lessons from our PM, he's standing up to Putin :D)

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Hmmm so you'd pick an (assumingly )economic fight with China because it has a less aggressive history but pick an economic fight with Cuba because it's patron state is more likely to push back? An I getting this right?

(heh.. you need to take lessons from our PM, he's standing up to Putin :D)

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No I said IF China decided to pursue the more aggressive route (ala the missile crisis) it would have to deal with similar consequences.
As for Australia, lets be honest-its not really important what happens there. Its a supporting character at best.
 
Aw don't say that. Tony's trying so hard to bolster our good standing with ...anyone who'll listen :D
 
Let's be honest, the USA maintains it's embargo on Cuba because nobody cares, it has nothing you want and it looks like they are holding a line against those dammed commies to placate all those people that grew up in largely manufactured fear. Cuba is a token.
 
Let's be honest, the USA maintains it's embargo on Cuba because nobody cares, it has nothing you want and it looks like they are holding a line against those dammed commies to placate all those people that grew up in largely manufactured fear. Cuba is a token.

Who do you think is afraid of Cuba these days? Even during the height of commie expansion Cuba wasn't anything to be feared. The issue was with them letting the USSR onto our lawn.

Cubans are awesome people, but Commie cuba is a joke.
 
Who do you think is afraid of Cuba these days? Even during the height of commie expansion Cuba wasn't anything to be feared. The issue was with them letting the USSR onto our lawn.

Cubans are awesome people, but Commie cuba is a joke.

Exactly..it's 50 years of payback with someone too small to fight back. I respect your honesty.
 
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Personally I think the best thing to do is let go of the embargo now before the Castro's die.
When they go Cuba will go one of two ways..ether a smooth transition to a socialist democracy or a civil war ending in a really harsh crack down with another dictator..much nastier that Fidel but probably willing to negotiate with the USA for economic benefits for a few military despots.

I'd think that if the USA does not want a flood of refugees turning up..go with the former option.
 
Exactly..it's 50 years of payback with someone too small to fight back. I respect your honesty.

Like I said, when Cuba decides they are done with communism we will be the first to hold out a hand, enabling the blight on humanity that is marxism wont help.
 
Personally I think the best thing to do is let go of the embargo now before the Castro's die.
When they go Cuba will go one of two ways..ether a smooth transition to a socialist democracy or a civil war ending in a really harsh crack down with another dictator..much nastier that Fidel but probably willing to negotiate with the USA for economic benefits for a few military despots.

I'd think that if the USA does not want a flood of refugees turning up..go with the former option.

Or a capitalist democracy, if they do in 20 years you wont recognize the place.

But socialist light (aussie style) wont do them much good, your system can't thrive unless it adopts capitalist principles and is "protected" by the big boys like the USA.
 
Wow, such ignorance about Cuba on this thread. The embargo has more to do with fruit than with communism or Florida. Please look up Operation Northwoods and Operation Mongoose.

Operation Northwoods was a series of proposals for actions against the Cuban government, that originated within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the United States government in 1962. The proposals, which called for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or other operatives, to commit acts of terrorism in US cities and elsewhere, were rejected by the Kennedy administration.

At the time of the proposal, Cuba had recently become communist under Fidel Castro. The operation proposed creating public support for a war against Cuba by blaming it for terrorist acts. To this end, Operation Northwoods proposals recommended hijackings and bombings followed by the introduction of phony evidence that would implicate the Cuban government. It stated:

The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere.

Several other proposals were included within Operation Northwoods, including real or simulated actions against various US military and civilian targets. The operation recommended developing a "Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington".

http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf
 
Or a capitalist democracy, if they do in 20 years you wont recognize the place.

But socialist light (aussie style) wont do them much good, your system can't thrive unless it adopts capitalist principles and is "protected" by the big boys like the USA.

Hmmm, I fear you know little about our current crop of politicians. Socialist light indeed.
Australia has moved a long way toward USA unfettered capitalism and dog eat dog social platforms in the last 20 years.
The "socialism" of which you speak (assuming you're referring to the free tertiary education and universal health care of the late 70's and 80's) has been eroded to be scarcely recognizable and is on it's last legs.
 
Or a capitalist democracy, if they do in 20 years you wont recognize the place.

But socialist light (aussie style) wont do them much good, your system can't thrive unless it adopts capitalist principles and is "protected" by the big boys like the USA.

Socialist Democracy and Capitalist Democracy are not mutually exclusive. Ask the Dutch :D
 
Hmmm, I fear you know little about our current crop of politicians. Socialist light indeed.
Australia has moved a long way toward USA unfettered capitalism and dog eat dog social platforms in the last 20 years.
The "socialism" of which you speak (assuming you're referring to the free tertiary education and universal health care of the late 70's and 80's) has been eroded to be scarcely recognizable and is on it's last legs.

Its a good thing its eroded, the free market will beat it every time. And our American brand of capitalism is anything but unfettered, the financial sector is one of the most heavily regulated industries. We'd do better without it, just like adopting free market principles has done so much to turn around the economies of China and India.

But like I said, nobody really cares what Australia does. ;)
 
Why the Cuban Embargo is necessary?

You don’t need to look further; here you have the answer from the “horse” mouth:

“It is necessary to impose financial, economic and material restrictions to dictatorships, so that they will not take roots for long years….Diplomatic and morals measures do not work against dictatorships, because these make fun of the Governments and the population”. Fidel Castro (Excerpt from the book “Fidel Castro and Human Rights”, Editora Política, Havana, Cuba, 1988).
No response yet, I wonder.

From December 2001 up to August 2012, the Castroit regime had paid $5,240 million to American companies for the purchases of their products according to the Cuba's National Statistics Office (Oficina Nacional de Estadsticas. Cuba). The imports of merchandises from the United States by the regime for a value of $506.66 million in 2012, place the United States as Cuba’s fifth business partner.

The embargo only affects the American companies and their subsidiaries. The rest of the countries, over 190 since the last count, are free to conduct business with Cuba are doing so, as confirmed by imports of $13,800.85 million during 2012. The regime was only able to export $5,577.27 million of merchandises, $390 millions of those to the US, during 2012, according to Cuba's National Statistics Office. The trade balance deficit amount to $8,223.6 million.

How is possible that the fifth biggest import partner and biggest food supplier keeps a blockade of Cuba? The lies of Castroit agents mimic Joseph Goebbels propaganda technique, “A lied repeated a thousand times eventually becomes truth” or this other one “The bigger the lie, the more people will be believe it”.

It's not “The Embargo”, stupid! It's the Castroit military dictatorship, stupid. They are, they have been “The Embargo.”
 
First history lesson. How did Castro become a communist? In short the US stopped trading with Cuba when Castro took over and the US told other countries, you trade with Cuba and you won't trade with us. Castro was forced to deal with the USSR for economic survival. The Communist party of Cuba originally hated Castro.
Communist students and leaders had been against the attack on the presidential palace all along, and remained staunchly against Castro's insurgency throughout its first year.
This would carry on long into the revolution.
Moscow did not yet approve of Castro and they were playing for evolution (like the 1930's and 1940's) rather than a violent course.

An even more serious confrontation between the Communist Party and Castro was soon to take place. On April 9, 1957, and using his new rebel radio station, Castro called for a general strike against Batista in an effort to bring down the dictator. For various reasons, the strike failed, and at least 100 Cubans were killed that day and several hundred arrested. Soon Castro charged that the Communists had "sabotaged the strike to promote the downfall of the [26 of July] Movement." Later, Castro was to say in an interview to Look magazine that "the Cuban Communists...have never opposed Batista, for whom they have seemed to feel a closer friendship."
So there was a lot of animosity between Castro and the communists. Things started to change just before the end of the revolution.
When the sudden realization that Castro might actually win finally dawned on the Communists, they commenced to make contact with the rebels...An unsolved enigma and it is perhaps the earliest indication of the revolution's gradual change to red. Although secret operational accords were made with Rodriguez during this time, it wasn't until December 1958, a mere month before the final victory, that the Cuban Communist Party officially endorsed the rebels with the publication of La Solucion que Conviene a Cuba, which supported the efforts of the rebels and discussed what the program of the new revolutionary government ought to be.


This is a great overview on Castro's poltical leanings but it misses some key points.
The Cuban Communist Party's Anti-Castro Activities
 
No response yet, I wonder.

From December 2001 up to August 2012, the Castroit regime had paid $5,240 million to American companies for the purchases of their products according to the Cuba's National Statistics Office (Oficina Nacional de Estadsticas. Cuba). The imports of merchandises from the United States by the regime for a value of $506.66 million in 2012, place the United States as Cuba’s fifth business partner.

The embargo only affects the American companies and their subsidiaries. The rest of the countries, over 190 since the last count, are free to conduct business with Cuba are doing so, as confirmed by imports of $13,800.85 million during 2012. The regime was only able to export $5,577.27 million of merchandises, $390 millions of those to the US, during 2012, according to Cuba's National Statistics Office. The trade balance deficit amount to $8,223.6 million.

How is possible that the fifth biggest import partner and biggest food supplier keeps a blockade of Cuba? The lies of Castroit agents mimic Joseph Goebbels propaganda technique, “A lied repeated a thousand times eventually becomes truth” or this other one “The bigger the lie, the more people will be believe it”.

It's not “The Embargo”, stupid! It's the Castroit military dictatorship, stupid. They are, they have been “The Embargo.”
Never heard of the Helms-Burton Act?

International Sanctions against the Cuban Government. Economic embargo, any non-U.S. company that deals economically with Cuba can be subjected to legal action and that company's leadership can be barred from entry into the United States. Sanctions may be applied to non-U.S. companies trading with Cuba. This means that internationally operating companies have to choose between Cuba and the U.S., which is a much larger market.
Looks like you believe the bigger lie.
 
The Chinese have historically been much less oppressive. If they start invading out allies and moving nukes to our neighborhood it will have consequences.

In the mean time, Cuba can rot socialist style.

I think China is a far bigger problem to us than Cuba but our economies are interdependent. They are practically an adversary in a mini Cold War. They regularly hack US defense department data networks. They prop up North Korea.
 
Simpleχity;1063935571 said:
Oh no USA, you better shake in your boots. Cuba said it will allow Moscow to base navigation stations for its own global positioning system, called Glonass, on the island. As for Russia putting spys back in Cuba, pure speculation without an ounce of evidence. It is part of US policy to propagate against Cuba. Read this book Psywar on Cuba : The Declassified History of U.S. Anti-Castro Propaganda: Jon Elliston: 9781876175092: Amazon.com: Books

Also:
The document, a ''propaganda plan'' issued shortly before the invasion in April 1961, said the agency's headquarters had ''the capability of placing items directly on the wire service tickers'' as part of its ''regular propaganda apparatus.''

It has been known since the 1970's that in the cold war the C.I.A. had a handful of ''assets,'' or agents, in place at some news organizations like The Associated Press and United Press International, particularly in foreign bureaus. The newly declassified document says flatly that the intelligence agency could essentially dictate articles and have them sent around the world.
C.I.A. Had Ability to Plant Bay of Pigs News, Document Shows - NYTimes.com
 
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I think China is a far bigger problem to us than Cuba but our economies are interdependent. They are practically an adversary in a mini Cold War. They regularly hack US defense department data networks. They prop up North Korea.

I never said that China was an angel, but we both have shared interests and can work together.
 
May as well, nobody remembers why it was put up in the first place anymore.
 
Never heard of the Helms-Burton Act?

Looks like you believe the bigger lie.
In reality there is not such embargo since in the year 2000 the United States Congress lifted the prohibition of the sale of agricultural products and medicines to Cuba, thereby allowing Castro’s regime to buy everything it needs.

The United States has for years been one of Cuba's principal trading partners. In total, the United States in 2010 also authorized $861 million in private humanitarian assistance in the form of gift parcels filled with food and other basic necessities, as well as non-agricultural and medical donations. In agricultural products alone, the United States exported $361.7 million in food and agricultural products and $144.4 million in healthcare products to Cuba in 2010.
 
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