Obama and Cuba

[chipdip18]

I read a few months back that Obama was going to try to bridge relations between the US and Cuba and that he passed some bill or something that would allow Cubans from the US to visit their homeland Cuba or something, and that stocks in American Caribbean tour lines shot up. Does anyone remember what happened exactly? And what efforts are being made regarding Cuba? Does Obama have any plans?

[Machu505]

I wish I could go to Cuba. :-(

[Animalhill]

I read a few months back that Obama was going to try to bridge relations between the US and Cuba and that he passed some bill or something that would allow Cubans from the US to visit their homeland Cuba or something, and that stocks in American Caribbean tour lines shot up. Does anyone remember what happened exactly? And what efforts are being made regarding Cuba? Does Obama have any plans?
Props for bringing this up. I remember reading about this in the paper and then hearing nothing else. I fully support improving relations with Cuba.

[wrppdarndyrfngr]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090413/pl_cq_politics/politics3096320


President Obama's decision to lift most restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans with family members there -- and to remove limits on sending money back to the island -- does not go far enough for some lawmakers who have been pushing for an end to the 50-year-old trade embargo on the small, Communist nation.
In addition to those changes, Obama also authorized increased satellite and fiber-optic connections with Cuba. And he made a minor concession to advocates of increased trade by authorizing the export of some humanitarian goods.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090419/pl_politico/21413


But the president also emphasized once again that actions counted more than words, and that he was concerned about human rights and political prisoners in Cuba, and Venezuela’s “inflammatory” rhetoric about the United States and its meddling in the affairs of its neighbors.
He reiterated that the Cuban government must meet certain conditions to move forward with a dialogue, such as releasing political prisoners and lessening the amount that the government takes from money Cuban Americans send back to family members living on the island. But he said there were positive signs.
“The fact that you have Raul Castro saying he’s willing to have his government discuss with ours not just issues of lifting the embargo but issues of human rights and political prisoners, that’s a sign of progress,” Obama added. “So we’re going to explore to see if we can make some further steps.”




not sure if anything has passed congress yet but im hopefull. would love to enjoy a fine cuban cigar on a beach in Havanah

[macabre]

Obama lifted restrictions on travel for Cuban Americans who have family in Cuba and on remittances. Obama has been indecisive on the issue of lifting the embargo and every bill that's been introduced has died in committee, except for a couple floating around with few cosponsors. I've been to Cuba and I've watched their state-run television, the embargo is the greatest scapegoat a leader could have. We need to lift it, it's an archaic policy and it hasn't done much to promote democracy in Cuba.

[Animalhill]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090413/pl_cq_politics/politics3096320



http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090419/pl_politico/21413






not sure if anything has passed congress yet but im hopefull. would love to enjoy a fine cuban cigar on a beach in Havanah
This > my life so far

[chipdip18]

Obama lifted restrictions on travel for Cuban Americans who have family in Cuba and on remittances. Obama has been indecisive on the issue of lifting the embargo and every bill that's been introduced has died in committee, except for a couple floating around with few cosponsors. I've been to Cuba and I've watched their state-run television, the embargo is the greatest scapegoat a leader could have. We need to lift it, it's an archaic policy and it hasn't done much to promote democracy in Cuba.

Personally, i don't care if democracy is promoted in Cuba or not. I don't know if you were implying it that it should, or just saying since the United States since the Monroe Doctrine loves trying to promote democracy that it isn't hitting their agenda either.


Thank you everyone for your imput, it's great hearing that progress is finally being made though. I hope many of those bills do make it and get passed. Is the only reason why relations are still stale is because of people hating on communism? That was soooo the Cold War (sarcasm...). But the whole idea of having an embargo nowadays solely based on the fact (if it is true) that Cuba is communist is stupid. American preaches diversity and tolerance but can't live up to own standards internationally or even within the nation itself.

[macabre]

Personally, i don't care if democracy is promoted in Cuba or not. I don't know if you were implying it that it should, or just saying since the United States since the Monroe Doctrine loves trying to promote democracy that it isn't hitting their agenda either.


Thank you everyone for your imput, it's great hearing that progress is finally being made though. I hope many of those bills do make it and get passed. Is the only reason why relations are still stale is because of people hating on communism? That was soooo the Cold War (sarcasm...). But the whole idea of having an embargo nowadays solely based on the fact (if it is true) that Cuba is communist is stupid. American preaches diversity and tolerance but can't live up to own standards internationally or even within the nation itself.

The purposes of the embargo were to punish the regime and to somehow promote democracy by crippling their economy but it completely backfired on us; we were made into a scapegoat. Personally, I would like to see more democratization in Cuba as I think that will dampen a lot of the country's human rights abuses but that's my opinion, I don't think we should actively promote it as a country.

[chipdip18]

The purposes of the embargo were to punish the regime and to somehow promote democracy by crippling their economy but it completely backfired on us; we were made into a scapegoat. Personally, I would like to see more democratization in Cuba as I think that will dampen a lot of the country's human rights abuses but that's my opinion, I don't think we should actively promote it as a country.

'Punish and the regime and to somewhoe promote democracy' reads in my mind and just blatant anti-communism, clearly there is a difference, but i just see the embargo as being one way of restating that, so just a heads up i guess on how i'm interpeting this.

From what i've read regarding US relations with Latin America, democratization does not equal human rights by any means at all. Throughout the Cold War era the US promoted coups all over the region which would install 'demoractic' dictatorships that were in line with the US policy, so the US would turn a blind eye to those nations. The US was more concerned about an event much like the Cuban Missile crisis, so they were going to keep any government in office that was democractic just to save their skins. As it is known, however, these 'democractic' (they were, since they were 'elected' but many of them were installed really) were immensley cruel to their people. Human rights were not tolerated at all, the term 'Desaparacidos' (Yeah, the band was named after it) was used to described the thousands of disappearances in coutries like Argentina.

While in today's terms perhaps a democracy would dampen human rights abuses in Cuba, i'm not for democratization in Cuba and am just as skeptical of it being a puppet of US economics like every other Latin American nation out there.

[macabre]

'Punish and the regime and to somewhoe promote democracy' reads in my mind and just blatant anti-communism, clearly there is a difference, but i just see the embargo as being one way of restating that, so just a heads up i guess on how i'm interpeting this.

That was their intention. Like I said, it's an archaic policy and I think it should be lifted.

From what i've read regarding US relations with Latin America, democratization does not equal human rights by any means at all. Throughout the Cold War era the US promoted coups all over the region which would install 'demoractic' dictatorships that were in line with the US policy, so the US would turn a blind eye to those nations. The US was more concerned about an event much like the Cuban Missile crisis, so they were going to keep any government in office that was democractic just to save their skins. As it is known, however, these 'democractic' (they were, since they were 'elected' but many of them were installed really) were immensley cruel to their people. Human rights were not tolerated at all, the term 'Desaparacidos' (Yeah, the band was named after it) was used to described the thousands of disappearances in coutries like Argentina.

I'm not, in any way, referring to democracy in the politically and economically biased American sense. I agree with everything you have said but that does not mean that democracy has failed in Latin America; a one-party dictatorship is not a democratic system, whether it's run by a capitalist or socialist.

While in today's terms perhaps a democracy would dampen human rights abuses in Cuba, i'm not for democratization in Cuba and am just as skeptical of it being a puppet of US economics like every other Latin American nation out there.

As someone who has traveled to the island and has had family members who have been thrown into jail for their political beliefs, I believe that democracy is the only way that Cuba will be able to improve on the human rights front namely because a one-party dictatorship does not lend itself to checks and balances and creates an environment where repression is necessary to keep the rulers in power. Once again, this is a personal belief and I'm not implying that I want the US government to intervene. I believe democracy in Cuba is inevitable and will come with time.

[chipdip18]

That was their intention. Like I said, it's an archaic policy and I think it should be lifted.



I'm not, in any way, referring to democracy in the politically and economically biased American sense. I agree with everything you have said but that does not mean that democracy has failed in Latin America; a one-party dictatorship is not a democratic system, whether it's run by a capitalist or socialist.
Alright up to this point we're definitely on the same page. I agree that one-party dictatorship is not a true democratic system, not matter how much you may try to frame it be that way, capitalist or socialist.



As someone who has traveled to the island and has had family members who have been thrown into jail for their political beliefs, I believe that democracy is the only way that Cuba will be able to improve on the human rights front namely because a one-party dictatorship does not lend itself to checks and balances and creates an environment where repression is necessary to keep the rulers in power. Once again, this is a personal belief and I'm not implying that I want the US government to intervene. I believe democracy in Cuba is inevitable and will come with time.

Well here we obviously have different facts resources; you've seen it with your own eyes and i've read it only in books. I agree that yeah, checks and balances found in a democracy could absolutely improve human rights as well, and yeah a one-party dictatorship isn't going to be thinking about that.

Your last two lines are well put, the first sentence i agree 100%. The second one i agree with as well, although by then maybe future Cuban revolutionaries will adopt an even more suited form of government, so yes i agree, but who is to say it'll be a democracy. The US has it's flaws as a democracy.

[Skadrist]

All it takes for me to go to Cuba is to use a Mexican passport.

The embargo has only strengthened Castro and has been a general failure. I also think that is bad for the US to have a country of ten million less than 100 miles from our country not be open to trade.

[PunkyPoo]

It is interesting to see the way liberals vs conservatives view relationships with our enemies.