New era of US-Cuban relations
So, yesterday, it looks like Cuba released American Alan Gross who hasn’t had the pleasure of living in Obama’s America since he was imprisoned in Cuba for the last five years. In exchange for his release, it looks like the President has traded away the effects of 50 years of embargo against the tiny nation (which has asserted that the only reason their economy has failed is because they couldn’t trade with only one nation out of the 165 in the world). According to CNN, the President plans on easing some of the restrictions of the embargo;
President Obama announced a major loosening of travel and economic restrictions on the country. And the two nations are set to re-open embassies, with preliminary discussions on that next step in normalizing diplomatic relations beginning in the coming weeks, a senior administration official tells CNN.
Talks between the U.S. and Cuba have been ongoing since June of 2013 and were facilitated by the Canadians and the Vatican in brokering the deal. Pope Francis — the first pope from Latin America — encouraged Obama in a letter and in their meeting this year to renew talks with Cuba on pursuing a closer relationship.
Of course, there are still hundreds of Cubans still in the prisons in Cuba, prisoners of conscience, I think the Left would call them if they weren’t in a Communist repressive nation. Hedonist that I am, I look forward to some of those Cuban Partagas cigars and a nice bottle of Havana Club rum, but I still have my personal embargo in place, until Cuba is free from the grip of the Castros.
By the way, here’s Gross just after he got back in his lawyers’ office. See the picture on the wall behind him? I’d be looking for a new lawyer.
Category: Foreign Policy
Is that lawer displaying a portrait of Che Guevara like some booger-eating bedwetting Birkenstock-wearing pot-headed freeze-dried hippie of a college perfessor? Yeah, time to seek new counsel!
hahaha! Nice. You pretty much nailed it.
“Are there any dictators left in the world that want to be my friend?” – POTUS
On the positive side, Congress came close to coming unglued yesterday as many of their phone lines melted down over this.
It looks like the “keepers of the purse” may actually stand their ground this time, as the actual bipartisan response was a sort of “good luck with that, champ”.
Several members of Congress mentioned that it’d be hard to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba when Congress refuses to approve an ambassador, or to fund an embassy, staff, etc.
I’m putting in a new stash of popcorn for this one. Looks like president mom-jeans may actually have crossed one of those alleged “red lines”. News reports said that there were large demonstrations in Miami with the crowd shouting “Traitor! Traitor!” 🙂
Good for them.
” … shouting “Traitor! Traitor!””
Well … there’s some folks who aren’t afraid of calling it like it is.
Also, notice that they didn’t try to burn Miami down, or murder anyone.
Just a better class of people, I guess …
My line of thinking too.
We already have diplomatic staff there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Interests_Section_in_Havana
Is anyone surprised at this, considering the makeup of the current
clueless Progressive clown kreweAdministration in DC?And with the amount of money that Cuban cigars cost, because they are contraband in the US, what’s the likelihood that market will crash when everyone wants to buy them?
I wonder what will happen to all those Cubans who are escaping for their lives from Cuba because they looked at the dictator wrong, or didn’t like the same breakfast he does, or had one free independent thought they weren’t allowed to have. Will they be shipped back because Barry and Raul are Bud’s now?
“And with the amount of money that Cuban cigars cost, because they are contraband in the US, what’s the likelihood that market will crash when everyone wants to buy them?”
Mmmmm….I’m gonna go with = 100 percent?
Genuine Cuban Cigars: Coming to a Wal Mart near you.
Having had Cuban Cigars over the years, I predict the following:
1. For a year everyone will go crazy buying them.
2. Once they realize that they are not missing much. They will go back to the brand they smoked before.
3. Cuban Cigars will then be about as desirable as Cuban Sugar Cane. We can get the same thing some place else that is cheaper and better.
Yup, I agree. The hint of forbidden fruit is a powerful attraction. Once that’s gone, it’ll just be “meh.”
Glad I’m not the only one who was thinking that.
I had a Cuban or two in Korea while I was there decades ago. They really aren’t that big a deal. I prefer Dominicans myself…
So,in this trade we got old tools and they got their terrorist spies back. That Obonghit unclenched fisting just keeps on giving. How long until barry brings those Black Panther 60s radicals back from Cuba and gives them Presidential Medals of Freedom?
It wasn’t just Alan Gross. We got an agent back in exchange for some of theirs. That’s really important. Oh, BTW, we used to exchange spies with the Soviet Union all the time. Also, the Canadians and Europeans have been doing business planning and signing future development contacts for Cuban resorts for a couple of decades. We are stupid to tell American business that they can’t get their foot in the door.
So, I have this idea for a movie. Two journalists go to Cuba to interview Raul Castro and the CIA tries to recruit them to assassinate him. Whaddaya think? Should I pitch it to Sony?
The execs at Sony don’t have the balls to even consider it. (smile)
It would be tough to pitch anything to them now, they’re still hiding under their desks and pissing their pants, apparently.
Love me some Babalu.
I wonder about the Cubans who were sent to Hanoi and tortured, interrogated and in one incident killed a pilot (beating him with a fan belt) during the Vietnam war. Any accountability for that?
I wonder about the black militant Joanne Chesmard who fled to Cuba after murdering a New Jersey State Trooper. Any accountability for that?
Never mind…the rum and cigars take precedence.
Portrait of the Murderer Che in a place of honor?
How apropos …
Wonder what the odds are that Obama will pardon the likes of Lerner, Bergdahl, etc, before he leaves office? You know, like Ford did for Nixon.
I think those odds are excellent. He’ll probably throw in a pardon for Chesimard just to satisfy Sharptoon.
Oye, Fidel. Chinga tu madre.
Hey, those Partagas I sent you were MADE by Cubans, you know – ex-pats but geyouwine Cubanos.
So I guess this will put an end to the seized smuggling stuff I was going to buy at government auctions? I got some 100 proof Jamacan rum that way.
THIS SUCKS! “Talks between the U.S. and Cuba have been ongoing since June of 2013 and were facilitated by the Canadians and the Vatican in brokering the deal. Pope Francis — the first pope from Latin America — encouraged Obama in a letter and in their meeting this year to renew talks with Cuba on pursuing a closer relationship.” SCAREW the Canadians and the Vatican on this one! Another really bad Obama call. The Pope?! Really!! He’s so up on diplomacy and international economics I guess he knows what he’s talking about eh. NOT! It’s like, anything the Pope knows about sex…he shouldn’t! Except for cigars, rum, old ’57 Chevy parts and a shitload of Cuban criminals waiting for these new “relations” to open our borders to them, what has Cuba to offer us except calamity, more illegals, more welfare cases and more people trying yo pull a social security number out of their ass, maybe mine, maybe yours, to work illegally. I’ve had that happen when the State of California sent me a tax bill 20 years ago because some ass hole pulled my SSN out of his hat to use. Took a lot of letters and notarized statements to get them to understand I have never worked in CA ever at all. Fuckers anyway, California and the illegals. Then I call Social Security to find to my amazement that even with phoney numbers, of an illegal at time of retirement can show a record, regardless of the number of SSNs used that they paid into the system, they get benefits. What a warm fuzzy feeling that was. I asked, “so you’re saying a person who is illegal and fraudulently used several SSNs can string them to together and then get benefits like I WORKED legally my whole life for?” The answer was yes, that’s the laws. But I digress in upset. The point to this is that I see NO UPSIDE for America playing Mr. Rogers with Cuba. I guarantee there are plenty of Congress critters who already have and get banned Cuban cigars through the many channels… Read more »
I’d have to disagree. Those “criminals” aren’t going to be a problem since there is no way in hell Raul is going to allow emigration. The outflux of people heading to Miami at the first available opportunity would rip the Cuban society and economy apart at the seams. It’s the same thing that happened in East Germany before the built the Berlin Wall, and it was what led to reunification after it came down when E. Germany basically collapsed after everybody fled to the right side of the Iron Curtain. Though I guess there will still be Cubans fleeing illegally, but most of them are productive, freedom-loving, Republican voting citizens. I’d hardly call them “criminals.”
I also think Cuba might have a lot to offer us economically. What country’s companies do you think are going to be first in line to rebuild all the vintage 1950s infrastructure? You don’t think there will be a market for American goods in Cuba? Talented Cuban professionals allowed to work in the US, and potentially start a social revolution when they return after seeing how good it is here?
They’re good people; I’d give it a chance.
My only objection, as stated below, is the unilateral nature of this action Obama took. As far as the actual policy goes, I think it’s long overdue.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that, HS Junior. Ever hear of something called the Mariel Boatlift?
Castro used that escapade to at least partially empty his jails and mental institutions. And he didn’t just release political prisoners from his jails, either.
True enough; it was a problem. I still don’t think those folks are representative of the majority of Cuban exiles to the US, though. The consensus appears to be that the original reports of exactly how many of the Mariel boat people were truly “undesirable” were somewhat overblown. We got a lot people out of that incident who became hard-working, productive Americans. It’s a downside I’m prepared to deal with personally; I understand why that may not be the same for others, but I think in this particular incident it was worth it to get good immigrants and to help people who truly had no other means of leaving the oppressive dictatorship they lived under (this is what, to me, distinguishes them from the Central American refugees on our border presently who do have the ability to immigrate to the US legally).
They’re not. But the majority of the Cuban-American community didn’t come over during Mariel.
The US Cuban-American population numbers approx 1.785 million. Mariel numbered about 125,000. And of those 125,000, 20,000 came directly from Cuba’s jails – for the explicit purposes of ridding Cuba of undesirables and making them the US’s problem. Additionally, a relatively large number from Cuba’s mental institutions were also sent in that 125,000 – for the same reasons. That means about 20% of Mariel consisted of either criminals or those with mental problems.
Don’t think for one second that Raul Castro won’t at least consider trying to pull the same thing again if given the chance. My guess is he will – and given the current clown krewe in DC, he’ll probably get away with it this time.
Alright, but of the jailbirds who came, do we know how many actually committed “crimes” and weren’t political prisoners?
Also, do we know how many of the mental health patients weren’t dissidents who were sent there to be “rehabilitated” on the grounds that their non-love of Communism constituted mental illness (a favorite trick of the Soviets and many of their allies)?
You may already know about this, but thought you might be interested in this info if you didn’t.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Prison_Riots
I was vaguely aware something like that happened, but I didn’t remember the exact incident; thanks for posting that.
The way I interpreted the article, 2,500 Cubans held in two federal prisons were going to be repatriated to Cuba. Those are some serious problem children, but if that was a significant portion of all the true undesirables who came over on the Mariel boat lift, then that’s a whole lot less than twenty percent of the Cuban exiles in the Mariel Boatlift being people we don’t want in the country.
Sparks, I hate to tell you this, but you’re wrong about the Pope. The inside joke is that the Vatican would rather talk about sex than politics, and there is very much a reason for that. The Vatican is a political iceberg, and never forget it.
And you know what’s really hilarious? In about six months, Obama will have managed to p*ss off the Cubans, too.
Pinto Nag…What you wrote just stuck me in humor and then reality. You are absolutely correct. In keeping with his personal policy of losing friends and losing influence I have no doubt that is short order the Cubans will hate us too.
They got pissed off and up in arms about this right after the announcement came from B. Hussein 0bama & Company. They are a big voting bloc in South Florida, thus I think B-HO has pissed of yet another group of voters, one big enough to swing an election in that State!
Guess we can close Homestead ARS now; no need to have fighters on alert for the Cuban Migs anymore since they are our “friends”.
When I first read about this yesterday, my first thought was that Obama trades terrorists for Bergdahl, and who knows what for this guy, but doesn’t lift a finger to free our Marine Andrew Tahmooressi from Mexico or Saeed Abedini from Iran?
Kudos for Greta Van Susteren and Ted Cruz for continuing to point out the selectiveness of whom Obama helps.
I don’t like the fact that Obama is doing this unilaterally; that’s really my only grudge against it. He shouldn’t be playing emperor, and I think he’s taking bipartisan congressional blowback from this.
However, on the actual policy and moral side, it’s hard to find an argument against it IMO. It’s true that the place is a dictatorship like Jonn says, but we do business and have alliances with places as or way more brutal than Cuba on a daily basis. Saudi Arabia (all of the Gulf States, really), China, Russia, Venezuela, etc. The argument that we’ll lose our leverage over Cuba if we do this? We don’t have any leverage on Cuba; we hit them with our best shot (not including military force) from 1959 onwards and they didn’t fold. The Castros aren’t going to collapse. At this point, all the embargo is really doing is creating problems for average Cubans and preventing American companies lucrative investment opportunities. Frankly, it should have been done years ago.
So, while not approving of the means which it’s being done by, I support the action itself.
That identical argument applies to trade with Apartheid-era South Africa, or with Iran or North Korea today (or with the ISIS “state”, for that matter). Sure you really want to endorse that principle?
All opening Cuba to US trade will do is finance the Cuban government. They will merely use the opening to (1) export their problems (e.g., their dissidents), (2) tax the hell out of the new US-owned businesses operating there, and (3) use the proceeds to mask structural problems and perpetuate the existing Cuban police state.
The idea that such an opening will “help the Cuban people” is a chimera. The Cuban people will receive at best a pittance. The Cuban government will take the lion’s share of any proceeds and use that to remain in power – Cuban people’s needs and desires be damned.
Fair points. Working with dictatorships is always going to be necessary in some degree; it really has to be handled on a case by case basis. The dividing line for me with North Korea, Iran, and ISIS is the fact that they really want to harm us and our allies (also the fact that while Cuba is an oppressive place, all of the ones I just listed are very much worse). They develop nuclear weapons in the case of the first two, threaten to close the straight of Hormuz and threaten Israel in the case of Iran, threaten to invade and bombard the South in the case of NK (they can’t the first, but if the sanctions were lifted and they were allowed to develop their military, they could maybe hurt them a little) , and attempt terrorist attacks on the US and its allies in the case of ISIS. The RSA is another special case—our interests no longer aligned with theirs after the end of the Cold War, so the need to work with them to prevent a greater evil (a Communist Africa where South Africa and every other country in the neighborhood had its own little Robert Mugabe) was no longer there. It was also a case of us being able to make a difference—the sanctions were successful in pressuring the Afrikaaners to speed up the transition to black majority rule. The sanctions against Cuba, by contrast, have simply not proven effective in advancing our goals within the region. Cuba does a lot of things I don’t like, but I think you would be hard-pressed to make the claim that anything they do seriously threatens the territory or interests of the United States or its allies. The only instance I can think of in which they are PRESENTLY doing something that might qualify is providing some level of diplomatic support to the FARC, but Venezuela, Nicaragua, and numerous other countries we don’t have any sanctions against provide far greater aid on a regular basis. Your other points—I can’t see how Castro could export his problems to us like… Read more »
Sorry, this thing is the very definition of TL;DR; didn’t quite realize that until after I posted. Skim or ignore as desired.
Don’t apologize kid, good stuff.
The Cubans don’t do anything to actively threaten the US? Really?
Google “Cuban Five”, “Ana Montes”, “Kendall Myers”, “Russian base Lourdes”, and “Russian navy Cuba”. Then tell me that Cuba doesn’t do anything to actively threaten the US.
I’m aware of the history of Cuban espionage against the US and their military cooperation with Russia.
Still though—if we start putting sanctions on everybody in the world who spies on us, we’re going to pretty much be in isolation. Even our allies spy on us—look at Israel. Same goes for countries who host the Russian navy in their ports on occasion and countries with Russian signal intelligence facilities.
As far as the Russian Navy in Cuba goes—they’re there, but not in concentration sufficient to seriously worry me. Two corvettes and a couple of ancient turboprop bombers occasionally visiting Havana doth not a major national security threat make.
And again, all that stuff is still going to be there with or without the US lifting sanctions. It’s really just a question of how much of the situation can be salvaged for our own gain as far as I can see.
On the flip side, good luck to any Democrat who wants to take Florida in 2016 after the blowback against the party with Cuban Americans there.
A trade embargo is an act of war; when will the leftists learn this?
The first step after an embargo is announced is to gear up and train to attack, or, forget about it. A trade embargo must have an end date; for example: “You will stop this behavior within six months.” After six months attack, or raise the limits of the embargo for another exact period of time, or drop the embargo and accept the behavior that provoked the embargo as fait accompli.
A trade embargo left in place too long makes the USA appear to be the cause of the embargoed country’s misery.
I wonder if the first thing B. Hussein 0bama wants to do is give Cuba a shitpot of Foreign Aid money?
All i can say is the view of the women and beaches from tower 13 through the Big Eyes was always something beautiful. Would be a great Duty station if they opened the gates of GITMO again for liberty… I’m just saying…
Screw trade embargoes and foreign aid money.
When car collectors find these vintage babies, they will beside themselves to get their hands on them – except for one little thing: bodaprez’s rules include no tourism.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autosdecisionguide/cubas-retro-rides/ss-BBgUVfh
I’m sure that since these Cubanos are forced to make parts to keep these old cars running (no parts available down there), a great many of them may be able to find work as mechanics for older model vehicles.
They make brake pads for the things out of asbestos for lack of spares.
Well we now have the Papacy involved with making national policy. In Viet Nam the Franciscans were leading anti war demonstrations in this country. I was attending a catholic college in Maine at the time run by Franciscan fathers and had to stomach Franciscan red garbage propaganda. Now the Pope is helping the murderous reds in Havana and the anointed one Mr. Obama in making a mockery of all of the American Military’s sacrifices in fighting communists. The world is turned upside down and evil is now truly in season. The papacy must get out of American politics as this silly pope recently refused to meet the Dali lama for political peace with china he really is in bed with the communist.