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Wednesday, December 17. 2014

Heading towards normal relations with Cuba? That's fine with me because basically Cuba is of little significance. Only the Cold War Russians put the place on the map, but that was 50 years ago and nobody, even the Russians, care about it anymore.

Nobody cares about Cuba anymore, same as Haiti.

Posted by The News Junkie at 14:03 | Comments (21) | Trackbacks (0)

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Yes. We could use a new source of illegal immigrants.

#1 feeblemind on 2014-12-17 14:33 (Reply)

The millions of rich emigree Cubans living 90 miles from Havana would swarm the country and take it over. The returnees would want to keep their US citizenship and properties and would almost certainly seek statehood.

Cuba--the 51st star--coming soon.

#2 bob sykes on 2014-12-17 14:50 (Reply)

There is a history concerning America trying to do that: "Many Southerners expected to conquer and colonize Cuba and other states of the Caribbean and Central America." - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/confederacy#sthash.tm0lIS7y.dpuf

Also, many folks thought that we would naturally absorb Cuba after the Spanish-American War, as we did with the Phillippines, but Congress had different ideas: see the Teller Amendment and the Platt Amendment.

#2.1 cas on 2014-12-18 08:41 (Reply)

Perhaps of no significance to you, but a significant further notice to oppressive regimes that the US is not serious about their behaviors or deplorable human rights records.
Perthaps of no significance to you, but a significant advantage to the Castro brothers continued rule now that both Russia and Venezuela cannlot afford to prop them up.
Perhaps of no significance to you, but significant to the feeling of abandonment by millions of Cubans.
Perhaps of no significance to you, but an important signal to the Iranians -- if they needed any more -- that Obama is not serious about restraining their nuclear arms efforts. And, an important signal to countries on Iran's, Ruissia's, and China's periphery to not expect any real spine from the US.
Perhaps not significant if one just doesn't care about US foreign policy for a better world and higher security for the US and its dwindling allies as they seek accomodations rtoi a world without the US strength of fiber and morals.

#3 Bruce Kesler on 2014-12-17 15:26 (Reply)

The US has relations with tons of crappy totalitarian countries which are far more important than Cuba. Cuba is a nothing. Relations does not imply approval - far from it.

#3.1 thenj on 2014-12-17 15:33 (Reply)

Other wrongs do not justify additional ones, particularly when part of a pattern of weakness from Obama and his ilk.

"The American collapse with respect to Cuba will have repercussions in the Middle East and elsewhere—in Asia, for the nations facing a rising China, and in Europe, for those near Putin’s newly aggressive Russia. What are American guarantees and promises worth if a fifty-year-old policy followed by Democrats like Johnson, Carter, and Clinton can be discarded overnight? In more than a few chanceries the question that will be asked as this year ends is “who is next to find that America is today more interested in propitiating its enemies than in protecting its allies?”
Eliot Abrams, former diplomat, currently senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and teaches foreign policy at Georgetown University. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/castro-cuba-obama-and-iran_821771.html

#3.1.1 Bruce Kesler on 2014-12-17 15:40 (Reply)

Great rum, and some of the nicest white sand beaches in the Caribbean.

#4 Erasmus on 2014-12-17 16:05 (Reply)

Can we buy Habanos in the US now?

That's my only interest in that 3rd world s-hole. It's Haiti (same population), but with good tobacco and better sport fishing. Hard to tell which has the worse governance.

3rd World places usually have terrible governance. In fact, terrible governance is the normal in the world. Regression to the mean.

#4.1 Bird Dog on 2014-12-17 17:47 (Reply)

And the hotel workers there get 20-40 dollars a month from the Cuban government- which is considerably less than what the hotels pay the Cuban government for their workers.

If you can enjoy a stay at a Cuban hotel knowing that....

#4.2 Gringo on 2014-12-17 17:48 (Reply)

This is a diversion from the oral office in dc. To distract America from some other event going on. What IS ebummer doing NOW to screw us with out the Vaseline?

#5 Heltau on 2014-12-17 17:45 (Reply)

Prediction: Obama will soon issue an executive order, aka presidential memorandum, giving Gitmo back to the Castros.

#6 Jim on 2014-12-17 18:51 (Reply)

I used to work for a Spanish speaking organization dominated by Cubans.

Cuba was a wealthy and successful nation at one time. There are great businesspeople who have Cuban ancestry.

All of them wanted to lift the embargo, even though they hated Castro. That was 20 years ago.

Their reasoning? They saw opportunity. They could go back and make Cuba better than it is, or was.

It's doubtful any more would emigrate to the US once it starts to clear up. And normalizing relations will help it clear up soon enough.

I'm amazed a moron like Obama figured out this was a potential winning play.

#7 Bulldog on 2014-12-17 21:02 (Reply)

If I am not mistaken, 'normalizing relations' just involves easing travel restrictions and establishing embassies in each others countries.

Where is it stated that Cuba will reform her economy and allow private enterprise?

I think commenter Jim has interesting speculation. If Carter could give away the Panama Canal, why couldn't 0bama give away Guantanamo? Who would stop him? Not the GOP. I could sure see him doing that as a 'good will' gesture.

#7.1 feeblemind on 2014-12-17 22:09 (Reply)

Short term, you're correct. It doesn't really change anything big. Give it time.

The best way to get to point B is along the path chosen.

#7.1.1 Bulldog on 2014-12-18 12:27 (Reply)

I should add that while many people think this gives the Castros too much...

Lloyd George once said the best way to beat the Bolsheviks was to trade with them. We chose not to, for many years. When things started to open up, look what happened. The Soviet Union failed.
Cuba has been slowly failing in the wake of this.

Time to speed it up by starting to trade with them.

#7.1.2 Bulldog on 2014-12-18 12:29 (Reply)

Exactly. Western Europe and Canada "normalized relations" with Cuba decades ago. Those "normalized relations" had no effect whatsoever on getting the Castro brothers' boot off the neck of the Cuban people.

#8 Gringo on 2014-12-17 22:29 (Reply)

"normalization" and embargo lifting should require return of all property and other confiscated property/money to their former owners or heirs. And damages to those otherwise injured by the violence of the communist takeover.

#9 jaybird on 2014-12-17 23:17 (Reply)

Islamo/marxist Barack Obama STILL doing his best to appease other marxists (i.e., the Castros, Vladimir Putin) and other islamists (i.e., Iran and Turkey).

#10 gman on 2014-12-18 06:58 (Reply)

"No one cares about Cuba anymore"
Yeah, that desire to see others free, defending freedom and supporting those who wish to be free?
So passe...........

#11 NJ Mike on 2014-12-18 10:15 (Reply)

So much could have been negotiated. This is a unilateral move that gives the citizens of Cuba nothing, gives the interests of the free world nothing, gives the Castro brothers too much. It boogles the mind to watch the Democrat talking heads try to sell this as something good. I am in favor of easing restrictions on Cuba and improving relations but so much could have been negotiated that would have improved the lives of Cubans and reduced the repressions there. An opportunity lost.

#12 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-12-18 11:11 (Reply)

Am I wrong, or is the wet foot/dry foot policy still in effect? (Cuban Adjustment act of 1966) Cubans landing from scheduled flights or boat trips can still claim right to green cards and ultimately citizenship? Maybe this is a plot to empty the country? More communist buyers for Miami condos to join the Venezolanos, but this time no problems with immigration law...

#13 fiona on 2014-12-18 18:21 (Reply)

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Wednesday, December 17. 2014

Cuba