Obama eases travel restrictions on Cuba

[© tweed]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7997063.stm


foot-in-the-door, baby... can't wait to pick up some cigars in a few years

[The Ex-Factor]

[Scam of God]

Right on. We should have done this already - those dumbsh**ts Clinton and Reagan should have done this decades ago. One taste of freedom will be all the Cubans need.

[Torie]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

[Scam of God]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

What a great way to keep Cuba Communist: tell them we're not interested in trading with them.

Oh, wait, that is, and always was, a f**king stupid policy. There's no incentive for them to remain Communist if they find that capitalism offers them a higher standard-of-living.

[Torie]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

What a great way to keep Cuba Communist: tell them we're not interested in trading with them.

Oh, wait, that is, and always was, a f**king stupid policy. There's no incentive for them to remain Communist if they find that capitalism offers them a higher standard-of-living.

The impact of an economic embargo by the US is marginal. It is like a tax really. Whatever Cuba wants that the US is the preferred provider can be trans-shipped via Mexico or whatever. It is just a bit more expensive.  Human contact is more likely to have a substantive impact actually.

[Scam of God]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

What a great way to keep Cuba Communist: tell them we're not interested in trading with them.

Oh, wait, that is, and always was, a f**king stupid policy. There's no incentive for them to remain Communist if they find that capitalism offers them a higher standard-of-living.

The impact of an economic embargo by the US is marginal. It is like a tax really. Whatever Cuba wants that the US is the preferred provider can be trans-shipped via Mexico or whatever. It is just a bit more expensive.  Human contact is more likely to have a substantive impact actually.

Poor Cubans can't and never could afford goods manufactured in the States, because they cannot afford paying for its delivery (which sometimes amounts to more than the price of the good itself). The embargo has had a profoundly negative impact on the Cuban economy - especially since the few markets open to its goods are also poorer Latin American nations - and has made the populace especially susceptible to Marxist rhetoric. It is an idiot's policy.

Moreover, I suspect that it also harms the Floridian economy by preventing the creation of shipping jobs that would otherwise exist if that embargo were not in place.

[Lunar]

If Armenians were a significant minority demographic in Florida, the US would have recognized the genocide long ago.  Electoral politics is hilarious, I'm glad the Cold War is starting to dominate our federal government less.

[Verily]

If Armenians were a significant minority demographic in Florida, the US would have recognized the genocide long ago.  Electoral politics is hilarious, I'm glad the Cold War is starting to dominate our federal government less.

Yes, and Florida will be fun in 2012.

Although if Fidel or Raul Castro dies before 2012, things could be even more interesting.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Good.  It's time to end all the restrictions on Cuba.

[Keystone Phil]

This is ok by me. I'm generally more supportive of the other restrictions.

[Mint]

Doesn't matter that much. It's not going to be politically viable to open up trade for awhile. Maybe when the recession worsens and/or Raul doesn't wake up one morning the hardline cuban vote will become irrelevant enough to ignore.

Right on. We should have done this already - those dumbsh**ts Clinton and Reagan should have done this decades ago. One taste of freedom will be all the Cubans need.

You realize that had nothing to do with his own personal beliefs, right?

[Torie]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

What a great way to keep Cuba Communist: tell them we're not interested in trading with them.

Oh, wait, that is, and always was, a f**king stupid policy. There's no incentive for them to remain Communist if they find that capitalism offers them a higher standard-of-living.

The impact of an economic embargo by the US is marginal. It is like a tax really. Whatever Cuba wants that the US is the preferred provider can be trans-shipped via Mexico or whatever. It is just a bit more expensive.  Human contact is more likely to have a substantive impact actually.

Poor Cubans can't and never could afford goods manufactured in the States, because they cannot afford paying for its delivery (which sometimes amounts to more than the price of the good itself). The embargo has had a profoundly negative impact on the Cuban economy - especially since the few markets open to its goods are also poorer Latin American nations - and has made the populace especially susceptible to Marxist rhetoric. It is an idiot's policy.

Moreover, I suspect that it also harms the Floridian economy by preventing the creation of shipping jobs that would otherwise exist if that embargo were not in place.

It would have to be rather heavy goods for transportation costs to be that high to Cuba via Mexico. Transportation costs these days typically make up a very small part of the price of goods. Heck just put the goods on a boat to Veracruz, that then zips on over to Cuba after a pit stop in the Mexican port.

[JSojourner]

It was a cruel and dumb policy to restrict travel to Cuba, and in my view unconstitutional to tell Americans where they can, and can't, go.

Trade policy and economic embargoes are another matter. That can be revisited after the old man finally assumes room temperature, and we find out if his brother is less of a tyrant.

Nicely put, my friend.

[Jake]

Meh, this is good news, but it'd be nice if my government didn't restrict my travel to places that are perfectly safe to go. Here's to a particularly violent hurricane season in southeast Florida.

[Smash255]

Good news and about time.  Our policies toward Cuba have done much more to hurt the actual people of Cuba (and those with relatives in Cuba) than it has hurt Fidel and his government.

[paul718]

Obama = FF

[Brittain33]

If Armenians were a significant minority demographic in Florida, the US would have recognized the genocide long ago.  Electoral politics is hilarious, I'm glad the Cold War is starting to dominate our federal government less.

Cuban policy is like Israel policy. The relevant minority group is important, but it only enjoys such support because it fits into a much larger story close to the heart of a large number of other Americans. At least, that used to be the case for Cuba.