• 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
Sure, it's probably been long enough.

Whether we do or don't means little to me at the moment.

And yea, Cuba's nothing like North Korea. Far as dictatorships go, it's not that bad. Nice beaches.

And its kind of odd ball that Canadians, Europeans and people from all over the world vacation there but Americans, who specialize in individual freedom are banded from traveling there (less restrictions) by orders of our central government. We had a foreign exchange student from Spain stay with us recently and were talking about places her family had traveled, Cuba being one place. Since its so close she was curious as to whether we'd been there. Europeans do a lot more international travel that we do anyway (because if you live in America why go anywhere else? :) ), but that's another thread. When I told her our government prohibits it, she was speechless.
 
I never said that China was an angel, but we both have shared interests and can work together.

We sort of have to at this point. The legacy of Nixon and Kissinger. Within months they will reportedly surpass America as the world's leading economy.. but of course that's because of Obama. How do we expect to compete with sweat shop wages with our minimum wage that the libs actually want to increase, not to mention child labor laws?
 
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.
You forgot to mention that the US will not buy any of Cuba's exports. Cuba has to spend more money to send their exports further. As for the US sending food and other basic necessities, as well as non-agricultural and medical donations, this was done after the Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act was passed. The first ship didn't leave for Cuba until 2012 and it was Cuban-Americans sending it to their family members. That is not trade. There is also the Cuban Democracy Act which states
All countries trading with Cuba should discontinue doing so as well as cancel any economic activity with the country
Any country trading with Cuba risks not being eligible for aid from the U.S.
Any vessel which has traded goods or services with Cuba cannot within 180 days dock at a U.S. port
Currency traded from the U.S. to Cuba will be limited in order to prevent the Cuban government from obtaining access to U.S. currency
 
Last edited:
I got curious and looked online today and its a lot easier to legally vacation there than I thought.

1. Religious trips are legal. Missions groups from churches, etc.

2. Educational trips are legal. Foreign exchange students, study abroad, college tours.

3. Cultural exchange trips are legal. Pop stars who go there to share American culture, Dennis Rodman can hold basketball tournaments, the symphony orchestra can go to perform with the Cuban counterpart, etc.

and 4. Regular Americans visiting as long as they have significant contact with locals so we get to know them and they get to know us through a state department licensed tour operator who knows the particular rules.

Travel however is not direct. You'd need to connect in Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, The Bahamas or some other likely Caribbean or Latin American country.

And by chartered air-travel or other travel from the US; must be a chartered flight.
 
Europeans do a lot more international travel that we do anyway

No, just Germany, we rank second in terms of nations that travel internationally the most. However, with 300 million people and many having not been to another country, it can feel this way. It's a lot easier for Europeans to travel to other countries by default, just to add.

Anyway, to be fair, Americans can still travel to Cuba....just gotta circumvent some stuff.
 
Last edited:
yes the embargo should be lifted, in the interest of the American people....why the American people?


by lifting the embargo, this will allow the Cubans to slowly rebuild their economy on their own, making it stronger.


if the embargo stands and the GOVERNMENT FALLS, then the American tax payers on going to be on the hook for "billions" to rebuild that nation.

the u.s. would immediately begin creating aid packages to Cuba, anyone who have studied our history for the last several decades knows that.



TRADE NOW, OR PAY LATER!
 
You forgot to mention that the US will not buy any of Cuba's exports. Cuba has to spend more money to send their exports further. As for the US sending food and other basic necessities, as well as non-agricultural and medical donations, this was done after the Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act was passed. The first ship didn't leave for Cuba until 2012 and it was Cuban-Americans sending it to their family members. That is not trade. There is also the Cuban Democracy Act which states

The Castroit regime has nothing to sale, no sugar, tobacco , coffee, etc. The regime imported $13.8 billion during 2012, but was only able to export $5.58 billion of merchandises during 2012, according to Cuba's National Statistics Office. The trade balance deficit amount to $822 biilion.

On December 12, 2013, the regime-run weekly Trabajadores reported that “coffee production has fallen by 90 percent in recent years. Cuba once produced 60,000 tons of coffee per year, but now it scarcely reaches 10 percent of that quantity,” Trabajadores said, citing figures compiled by the Agriculture Ministry.

Cuba coffee harvest in 1956 reached 60,000 tons and was capable of exporting 20,000 tons valued at $20 million. In 2012, coffee production reached only 4,000 tons. Coffee production has suffered a huge reduction of 93.3% in comparison with 1956, and imports of coffee amounted to $50 million. Coffee production per capita in 1956 with a population of 6.3 million was 21 pounds, and in 2012 with a population of 11.2 million of only 0.79 lbs. Another of the great catastrophes of the Castroit regime.
 
The Castroit regime has nothing to sale, no sugar, tobacco , coffee, etc. The regime imported $13.8 billion during 2012, but was only able to export $5.58 billion of merchandises during 2012, according to Cuba's National Statistics Office. The trade balance deficit amount to $822 biilion.

On December 12, 2013, the regime-run weekly Trabajadores reported that “coffee production has fallen by 90 percent in recent years. Cuba once produced 60,000 tons of coffee per year, but now it scarcely reaches 10 percent of that quantity,” Trabajadores said, citing figures compiled by the Agriculture Ministry.

Cuba coffee harvest in 1956 reached 60,000 tons and was capable of exporting 20,000 tons valued at $20 million. In 2012, coffee production reached only 4,000 tons. Coffee production has suffered a huge reduction of 93.3% in comparison with 1956, and imports of coffee amounted to $50 million. Coffee production per capita in 1956 with a population of 6.3 million was 21 pounds, and in 2012 with a population of 11.2 million of only 0.79 lbs. Another of the great catastrophes of the Castroit regime.
From your own article

Experts cited in the article said that the main causes of the drop in coffee production include prolonged droughts, the hurricanes that have slammed Cuba in recent years and the government’s failure to provide growers with enough fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and tools.

They also mentioned the introduction of plagues “by enemy hands” and the exodus of producers to other crops “seeking greater income.”
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.
 
We sort of have to at this point. The legacy of Nixon and Kissinger. Within months they will reportedly surpass America as the world's leading economy.. but of course that's because of Obama. How do we expect to compete with sweat shop wages with our minimum wage that the libs actually want to increase, not to mention child labor laws?

I assure you the left has put no thought into it and more importantly does not care.
 
Exactly. The liberal defense of socialism and communism is that the Soviets weren't real socialists or communists; and the Chinese aren't real socialists or communists; and the Cubans aren't real socialists or communists; and the North Koreans aren't real socialists or communists; and the Nazis weren't real socialists.

Will the real socialist please stand up so we can judge you?

crickets
 
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?

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.
 
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.

People with that attitude have already left public office.
 
I think that would lead to Cuban instability. What do they do in Cuba apart from hating America anyway? Play baseball?
 
Earlier this year the fam and I took a cruise to Cozumel from Florida. The cab driver was a native of Cuba and as I tend to do, struck up a conversation to learn a little about his world. He urged me to visit Cuba, offering tips on getting there while avoiding US state department monitoring, assuring me the Cuban government cooperates with American visitors and will not stamp our passports, etc. Odd, because I thought Cuban immigrants were strong advocates for the embargo and this guy was very supportive of wanting me to break it, beaming about how great their tourism industry is and that although a dictatorship "is nothing like North Korea." In case you're wondering, I'm not going to break US law and go there but it was interesting to hear his sales pitch.

On the cruise, we got really close to Cuba. The captain got on the PA system and encouraged us to enjoy the view the island's northern coast.

Recently the UN passed its 23rd resolution urging the US to end the embargo.

Should JFK's embargo on Cuba be ended? Is a dictatorship 90 miles from the US unacceptable and therefore the embargo should be continued? If you think it should be, do you think the labeling of the Predident as "a Marxist" by some in his opposition has created too much of a political liability for the president to end it? Should we base our Cuban policy on the will of Cuban immigrants and their offspring in America as they are most affected? International politics aside, do you think lifting the embargo would adversely affect the US economy? Should we consider tourism dollars in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands being lost to Cuba? Should we consider more manufacturing jobs leaving America and relocating to Cuba and American agriculture suffering due to new citrus, potato, poultry, cattle and other imports especially in the present economy? Would lifting the Cuban embargo encourage and make easier more immigration from a Latin American country and if so is that a problem? Do embargoes hurt the wrong people; the innocent people living under an oppressive government while the power-holders continue live a life of luxury regardless? Anyhow, those are my thoughts. I'm undecided but curious about how others felt.

For 23rd time, U.N. nations urge end to U.S. embargo on Cuba | Reuters


But it's worked so well. There's no more communists there!
 
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?

The United States were big supporters of the government Castro overthrew. That and the Cold War.

Now it's mostly about currying political favor with Cuban refugee voters in Florida.
 
Honestly...the embargo in Cuba only exists due a vocal minority of folks that are willing to do anything to ensure it stays in place. Not to mention...they are a large voting bloc in one of the largest swing states...
 
Castro is essentially dead.

Now that the inferior subhuman is gone we can and should begin reintroducing Cuba to the rest of the world (rest of the world = USA).

However his bastard brothers are still running Cuba pretty much the same as he would.
 
We will inspire the changes we want to see in Cuba by opening up travel, trade and communication with the Cuban people. China still has many Human rights issues, but the people are better off since the west stopped isolating them. Isolating Cuba has been proven to be ineffective and creates unnecessary misery.
 
We will inspire the changes we want to see in Cuba by opening up travel, trade and communication with the Cuban people. China still has many Human rights issues, but the people are better off since the west stopped isolating them. Isolating Cuba has been proven to be ineffective and creates unnecessary misery.

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.
 
2014 - 1959 = 55 years. Be serious. Strom Thurmond died in 2003.

I wasn't aware that Thurmond was a Cuban law-maker...


I'm not a big fan of the embargo, but I understand the rational behind maintaining it. Cuba is a severely oppressive dictatorship who's leadership was part of the biggest threat to this nation we've ever had (the Cuban Missile Crisis). Taking steps to make sure that a clear message is sent about this kind of thing is important. I do believe that opening up tourism to/from Cuba would be a good thing, but I'd hesitate to go much further than that until the Cuban leaders who were a part of the Cuban Missile Crisis are no longer in power.
 
Cubans have decided they want communism. Let them keep it and its consequences until they see fit.

What government they have in their country is their business. And if I choose to do business with a country that does things differently the US federal government should BUTT OUT.
 
All communism needs is capitalisms money to sustain itself. We saw this in the USSR, we see it now in China. Adopt capitalist principles and keep the same marxist fail and they are GTG for decades.

"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?
 
What government they have in their country is their business. And if I choose to do business with a country that does things differently the US federal government should BUTT OUT.

I think its a legitimate function of govt to set some degree of diplomatic and trade relations.
Whats keeping you from moving to a more Cuba-friendly nation? Id just like you to engage in all the free trade you'd like.
 
Back
Top Bottom