Cuba And Embargo Lift the Embargo or not?

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

Now ith Obama comming into office I was thinking. Should he lift the Embargo with Cuba?All that was almost 50 years ago with the missles. I do feel as the us should just let things be and lift it. It's stupid that we still have this embargo after all these years. And with as bad as the hurricanes have hit that small country they need it lifted. I mean here you have a country that is stuck back in time, and just now starting to get into the 21 centry. why not lift it?Yes I know some of you are thinking the US needs to help it's self, that is so true. but wouldnt it be a give give to also lift it?With how things work would not the US give and get something in return? who knows for sure. But I do honestly feel as this embargo has gone one way too long. I say LET IT GO! and lift it and help these people. They have gone through so much this year. Gustav, Ike, and noa Paloma that hit yesterday Nov 8th 2008 with winds of 145 MPHSo what do the people of this forum feel of it? Should Oboma lift the Embargo or let it stay?I feel as he will lift it, he has too.

[Saint_Michael 3]

Well I wouldn't put it past the US to wait till the Castro's are dead before invading Cuba and taking control of the Island, and of course if Cuba stops acting so high and mighty and finally stop being a Communist country. Then maybe the embargo would be lifted and just today Cuba got hit by another huge hurricane and so when we ask if they need our help they say no because they think we have other motives of coming into that country and what not. Of course, hopefully Obama will lift that emebargo and finally give what Cuba needed for a long time, stability.

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

Well I wouldn't put it past the US to wait till the Castro's are dead before invading Cuba and taking control of the Island, and of course if Cuba stops acting so high and mighty and finally stop being a Communist country. Then maybe the embargo would be lifted and just today Cuba got hit by another huge hurricane and so when we ask if they need our help they say no because they think we have other motives of coming into that country and what not. Of course, hopefully Obama will lift that emebargo and finally give what Cuba needed for a long time, stability.

I hope that your right S_M. Obama has a lot of work to do, not only with lifting these embargo's that are out dated and not really needed anymore. as for cuba acting high and mighty? That is just how the cubens are. A very proud people. I know a few. They are very much like the filipnos. They want to take care of family first. As for communist? Most there are not. only the goverment. the people of cuba would have loved the help, but the Goverment is and was the problem. Castro just finally allowed the hurricane hunter aircrafts to fly over cuba's waters. For a long time he was saying if they did it would be an act of war. Now that is brother is in control. I will bet my last dollor. we will see a lot more changes and cuba will no longer be a communist country much longer.

[networker 0]

I say lift the embargo on Cuba. Castro is very paranoid about the U.Sand I say he has a right to be,just look at the bay of pigs.He can't forget unless everybody forgets. If Obama did remove the embargo I think it wouldreally be seen as an act of good faith by the Castros. Fidel Castro may be a strong leader but there is no way he has everappropriated a stance such as that used by a Joseph Stalin.He has shown no signs of being ruthless to the Cuban people. I admire Fidel Castro. I say give Cuba a break.

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

I say lift the embargo on Cuba. Castro is very paranoid about the U.Sand I say he has a right to be,just look at the bay of pigs.
He can't forget unless everybody forgets.
If Obama did remove the embargo I think it would
really be seen as an act of good faith by the Castros.

Fidel Castro may be a strong leader but there is no way he has ever
appropriated a stance such as that used by a Joseph Stalin.
He has shown no signs of being ruthless to the Cuban people.

I admire Fidel Castro. I say give Cuba a break.

I admire Fidel Castro. I say give Cuba a break.

How can you admire a man that has kept his country so poor and behind the times for so long? did you know it is easier to get a computer in cuba than say a freezer to keep your food in? The autos there too, did you know most are 1950 and 60 models? Hatti is the pooriest country in the world by far, but Cuba with it's leader has put that island country on the map for it's bad economics. you just about have to know someone in goverment to get any job there, Why do you think so many try to swim to Key West every year?

[Zeyomie 0]

Personally, I think it should wait until Castro is gone. He's old and his health if failing, but at long as he has any power or say so they can't be trusted. It would give them an opportunity to say take revenge or something for the embargo being there so long, they could try to blame the US for their economic downfall. Who knows... I am not very trusting myself, and the last thing we need to is go invading /ANOTHER/ country. We don't have the resources in the US right now to really be able to keep that close an eye on them. Better to leave it alone until were more stable ourselves. The US has got to stop overextending our resources.

[Parubilla 0]

I think the US spends a lot of money helping the Cubans that come to the states giving them food stamps, money and many others things on the first year they arrived (and it's not like an optional thing they have to do, it's because is the law)... while most of the Americans are not capable to pay for a health insurance because they are too expensive... just to give an example of how the money I believe should be invested on try to improve a lot of basic needs of the Americans that are being treated halfway. The US should lift the Embargo and let the Cubans be, I believe once the country it's open the situation could get a little bit better so it will no be an obligation to the US any longer to give away those resources, and start investing those in their own people that desperately need it... Just my opinion...

[jlhaslip 4]

Opening communications with Cuba would be a good gesture by Obama to display to the world that his comments about the United States becoming more assistive in the world is more than rhetoric and political posturing.The embargo goes back to the days of Communism and having to do with national Security issues like the Cubans wanting to install missiles from the USSR. Since the collapse of Communism in the USSR, the threat is not as strong there. It is a crime to have the Cuban economy in the shape it is in. The reason they drive old 50's and 60's vehicles is because those are relics from the pre-embargo days and the only vehicles they own. The USA would not allow American companies to ship cars or repair parts and even threatened to embargo/punish other countries who traded with them.I have friends who visit Cuba as tourists al,most every winter and they love it there. They only wish the place could offer the lifestyles we benefit from and hope to see some more trading and a stronger Tourist activity happening there.

[andresf91 0]

How can you admire a man that has kept his country so poor and behind the times for so long? did you know it is easier to get a computer in cuba than say a freezer to keep your food in? The autos there too, did you know most are 1950 and 60 models? Hatti is the pooriest country in the world by far, but Cuba with it's leader has put that island country on the map for it's bad economics. you just about have to know someone in goverment to get any job there, Why do you think so many try to swim to Key West every year?

How can you admire a man who is the leader of a socialist country? - That is the question, right?
Of course Cuba is a poor country, but you have to admit that everything south from Rio Grande. We are the periphery of the world, along Africa and Asia. It doesn't matter if we can import brand new cars or freezers, there is still people who can't buy them. Why? Because they don't want to progress? That's a problem that many inhabitants of the First World have, they believe that in capitalism, with free market rules, if you deserve it, if you work for it, you can get what you want. They may teach that at school, so that you break your a*s working 16 hours a day, but the sad truth is we don't have opportunity equality. The story of Rockefeller is nowadays a myth. According to CIA World Factbook, the world literacy in 2007 was estimated in 82%. That's 18% of illiteracy. If you think they have the same opportunity of being happy than you, my friend, I must disagree. Let's not talk about nutrition and health services for all.
So, why did I ramble about all these things if we're trying to discuss Cuba and the blockade? Because when you talk about goods that can't be imported because of it, an island whose people struggled against a puppet government controlled by the USA, and they fought for the national liberation first, and then led by the revolutionaries, into the construction of socialism, that is, making history. (Revolution was declared socialist by Fidel when they learnt of Bay of Pigs attacks, in 1961, though Fidel, Raúl and Ché were already non-partisan communists before 1959.) And Cubans have had education ad health for free since 1959. The only places in the First World where education and health aren't used as trade goods, countries like Sweden are rare, and they're able to give that to their population because they keep stealing capitals from where they invested (from the South). Another thing about Cuba, is their solidarity with the world: they have shown us how charity won't change anything, however working hand by hand, poors and poors, we can make it (I don't want to extend about this, but I recommend a book by Ignacio Ramonet, One Hundred Hours with Fidel).

Personally, I think it should wait until Castro is gone. He's old and his health if failing, but at long as he has any power or say so they can't be trusted. It would give them an opportunity to say take revenge or something for the embargo being there so long, they could try to blame the US for their economic downfall. Who knows... I am not very trusting myself, and the last thing we need to is go invading /ANOTHER/ country. We don't have the resources in the US right now to really be able to keep that close an eye on them. Better to leave it alone until were more stable ourselves. The US has got to stop overextending our resources.

Well, that was quite disgusting to read, with respect.
Hey, don't you think that if Castro was subduing Cuban people's real will, he would have lasted so long as the leader of a Revolution? The idea of an alternative to capitalism just can't get into someone's mind... neither does a leader who is needed. The thing is, if you studied Latin American contemporary history, that dictatorships don't last long here. The difference with Cuba, is that it's a dictatorship, yes it is, and it's the dictatorship of a class; and there you have the leader of the class, now, and after he will die, it doesn't matter, his speeches, his writings will be there and won't be forgotten, as much as today aren't.
Dictatorships didn't last much more than 20 years in this continent, in countries where most people didn't have a solid culture in politics. Cuba is unique in history: they study politics in high school, liberalism and marxism deeply, and they know how to discuss between them, and they are very critical with Revolution. How Revolution would advance, if otherwise? Revolutions get stuck and pervert themselves when critics are left behind; and the US Gov can say what they want, but when the critics (people compromised with Revolution, not soldiers of fortune who say they're political prisoners to get an US visa), are inside the island, the party listens. They have the mechanisms.


Anyway, I was forgetting something. I believe that the questions here weren't asked right here. The USA Gov might take a controversial decision these days, that can change things between both countries: to lift or not the "embargo". But in this thread, nobody asked the main question. Is it just? It's something that you ask yourself when you take any decision, is it fair? Is the blockade just? Who has the right to block a country? Why do they have it?
The United States thinks that they have the right to be judge and policeman all round the world, in the Americas and Middle East specially. It's clear that for most of the US Presidents, other states' sovereignties doesn't really matter; all that matters is "American people interests", which in simple English means multinational-enterprises interests.
Isn't anybody going to openly ask: "Is it time for us not to interfere in our neighbour's desires, in their way to socialism?". That's is the main question from an ethical point of view, I think.

In the end, I want to say sorry if I was rude to someone, but this is politics, and passions make us shout. But I want to finish with something I remember from my journey to Cuba last month. Chatting with a Cuban rastafari (who didn't take weed, that's real Cuba), I insisted on discussing about certain politics with him, like speech freedom, and he said "It's ok, we can discuss and agree or not, but it's our problem, we will resolve it, and we talk about it, it won't change anything. If something has to be changed, it's us who are going to discuss it because we are more critical with our leaders than Bush; he says lies about socialism, we build it, and because we decide our future, we have to be critical and auto-critical with ourselves. But it's something that we will resolve, not anyone from outside."
Those are words that I'll never forget, for sure, and it is something to think about when we have a 50 y.o. embargo on a tiny, rebel island 90 miles away from the centre of the mafia which works against the island happiness. Maimi mafia I mean, because that's what they are, terrorist groups. (American media coverage of the actions by these men is almost negligible, so don't worry if you understand what I mean, just Google it).

And one last thing to add: Cuban people haven't developed hate against the US. Anyone who has travelled there can tell. They know American politics are corrupt, because their only control is to be voted each 4 years. But Cubans don't hate Americans, they fight against the US Government, which is absolutely different.