Obama to Announce Easing in U.S.-Cuba Relations

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: junglimogli

If it were all about Russia then I think Venezuela would also be on the table as their oil production would have much more economic impact then the tourist trade with Cuba.

Venezuela is a drop compared to Saudi Arabia.. and they have Saudi Arabia eating out of their hands already..

I wish you guys would post some pictures of your visits there.

ETA: Found some picts on the net, and it looks very impoverished. There is an Anthony Bourdain visit I missed, maybe I can find it.
Still would like to see some of your picts though.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

All the old hard line cubans in miami aren't dead yet.

I'd like for the ban to lift. but i won't hold my breath.

I figured once all the old farts from the cold war died off things would open up. I always figured some Cuban stole somebodies girlfriend to start the mess it never really made any sense. Open up and the government will be history before you know it.

originally posted by: grey580
All the old hard line cubans in miami aren't dead yet.

I'd like for the ban to lift. but i won't hold my breath.

And the prevailing sentiment from even the younger ones that I have met has been pro-embargo.

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting
I wish you guys would post some pictures of your visits there.

You have the luxury of Google. Try 'Cuban Tourism'...as long as that doesn't get you on a 'list''

I hear complaints sometimes about the food at the resorts...it is not like Mexican, in fact it is more savoury than hot. Yes, it is better than what the locals eat, but I'd say the same is true in any underdeveloped country with international tourism. I have no problem with the choice and variety...mostly buffet with some specialty restaurants...Italian...Japanese...Mexican. I always say that if you want Applebee's, then go to Applebee's...this ain't it. There is a lot of simpler living, which should not be confused with poverty, though that exists, too.

If Obama is loosening things up, I'd say that it is in response to an increase economic relationship with China, rather than fear of Russia.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Thank you Johnny. I have been looking at some fishing vids, and I can tell ya, nothing impoverished about the waters. Man, it's gorgeous.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

The corporates want in. The elites in Cuba want to get "Chinese commie rich"

A perfect formula.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Thought this was interesting:

The deal probably could not have come together, the officials said, without the assistance of two major actors. One was the government of Canada, which provided office space and other assistance to help facilitate the talks. Ben Rhodes, Obama’s senior foreign policy hand, and Ricardo Zuniga, senior director for the Western Hemisphere National Security Council, met Cuban counterparts in Canada.

The second major actor was the Vatican. Pope Francis personally issued a letter to Castro and Obama urging them to resolve the Gross case. The letter came after the president’s meeting with the Pope. A senior administration official called it “very rare” to receive such a direct appeal -- so rare that they weren’t sure if it had happened before.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com...

See? At times everybody needs a little help from their friends.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

I am not nearly as jaded and cynical as you are.

Obama DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT to do this.

That was done by an ACT OF CONGRESS.

iT CAN'T BE 'UNDONE' by the mere stroke of his mighty pen.

It would appear, form the President's speech, that the next major hurdle to fully normalized relations is the Legislature passing a bill that would eliminate the trade embargo. How soon this would be proposed and how well it will be accepted is yet to be seen.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I'm thinking it may be to head off Russia putting in missiles there again. They think if they act all friendly now,that if Russia wants to put in the missiles,they will be so over joyed that they will tell Russia no and we won't have to worry about it. In the meantime we will put missiles in Ukraine and laugh at Russia. I don't think it will be that easy.
Cubans are going to remember for a long time that the USA tried to cripple their economy and kept them down. While the USSR helped support them. They won't be so quick to jump on this band wagon. Least I don't think they will.

I`ve never understood why they haven`t normalized relations with cuba by now.
Cuba has been on the # list since before the Vietnam war, we fought a war in Vietnam,lost and have normalized relations with them but Cuba is still blacklisted.
whatever cuba did really pissed off some powerful people that`s the only thing that could explain why they are still blacklisted while Vietnam was taken off the blacklist a long time ago.

a reply to: Tardacus

I personally feel that it just became too much of a legacy that no one wanted to be the culprit of changing. There is also a very vocal Cuban population that votes regularly and they are/were pro-embargo.

I rarely support Obama but I agree with this. If fifty years of boycott don't fix the problem it never will. The best thing we can do for the Cubanos is flood the place with i-phones and gadgets and give them a taste of capitalism and goodies. This might push the kastros over the wall.
I've been to Gitmo and it is very beautiful. If I had $ I would love to buy some real estate there when it really opens.

originally posted by: works4dhs

I've been to Gitmo and it is very beautiful. If I had $ I would love to buy some real estate there when it really opens.

I am sure someone can get you some free real estate at Gitmo, a few spots just opened up recently.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: ScientificRailgun

Maybe they're proactively trying to prevent closer ties to Russia as the collective sabre-rattling intensifies.

That would be my guess.

I was thinking more along the lines of the Castro Brothers aren't in all that good of health. While its been easy to ignore them the last 60 years, their replacement cant be ignored. Better to put the infrastructure in place now so when the Castro brothers kick off we aren't playing catch up with the government that replaces them.

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting
a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Thanks! Just wondering.... is it expensive for hotels, meals? Is there shopping? I would love walking tours around in Havana with a camera. What foods do they serve in restaurants? Is it more like Mexican? (which Americans are fools for Mexican food).

Very cheap. You can get all inclusives for about $800.

But still, I can't go if it's illegal. Plus, I'm much closer to Cuba geographically than Canada, so going to Canada first would make it quite a long and expensive journey for me.

Doesn't have to be Canada. Take a flight to the Bahamas. Nassau to Havana. Easy peasy.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

As a musician and a fan of Afro-Cuban music (Son Montuno & Cubano, Charanga, Guajira or anything clave) I've waited long enough to be "allowed" to visit Cuba.

So yeah normalized relations are over due as in tourism and free trade.

No doubt the U.S. will attempt to influence Cubans with Central Banking and other Globalist ills that we suffer but I believe the Cuban leadership to be hip to those machinations and will refuse them.