Obama in Cuba

[RUlookingup]

Typical of your silliness. Obviously incapable of being serious--or of being taken seriously. Just an assclown.

Sounds like a good title for you.

 

[RobDownSouth]

The Nixon visit had a whole lot more complex preparation than folks realize (more than the Reagan visit--which I went on), and the "ChiComs arming the NVA" is a simplistic view of the Southeast Asian picture. China also invaded North Vietnam (and yammered at length at the United States and the Soviet Union before doing so, thinking they had agreements they didn't have). Asia is not a simple picture.

Oh, I readily confess I oversimplied things way too much. That was the beauty of the Southeast Asia morass: It could be...and was.....all things to everyone. Rashomon.

Much like the Middle East is nowadays.

 

[Hard_Rom]

Yeah, we should have kept up a 64 year old embargo that accomplished nothing but closer ties between Cuba and Russia.

And closer ties with Canada. Fidel was a pall bearer for Justin's dad, Pierre.

http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/canada-squandering-cuba-relations-as-u-s-steps-up-former-envoy-1.2825864

Amid U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba – the first by a sitting U.S. president in more than 80 years -- there are concerns that Canada may be squandering the warm relations it’s enjoyed with Havana for the last half century.

Mark Entwistle, who served as the Canadian ambassador to Cuba for several years in the mid-1990s, says Canada has had more than 70 years of unbroken diplomatic relations with Cuba. Canada along with Mexico were the only two countries in the Western hemisphere to choose not to break relations with Cuba following the 1959 Cuban revolution.

Other countries have exhausted a lot of effort in sending ambassadors to Cuba since Obama’s announcement 15 months ago, Canada has been noticeably absent. Last May, for example, French President Francois Hollande became the first Western head of state to visit Cuba in over 50 years. And in January of this year, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who is also the country’s economy minister, flew to Havana to promote closer Cuban-German trade ties.

The U.S. and Cuba are a long way off from being on friendly terms.

There are still some big issues to resolve -- lifting the trade embargo, for example; what to do about the Guantanamo Bay naval base; and compensation for expropriated properties, just to name a few.

 

[Ramone45]

From my perspective, POTUS seems to be looking for something he could ascribe to his "Legacy". He seems to be trying for a Reagan moment. This visit is clearly premature and it ends up appearing desperate and embarrassing. I agree with what he is trying to do, but he's taking a victory lap before anything meaningful is accomplished.

 

[Hypoxia]

Keep in mind: You make peace with your enemies, not your friends.

Otherwise you will have ever-more enemies and ever-fewer friends.

And once you befriend an enemy, it's easier to sucker-punch them.

 

[dan_c00000]

The optics of this are awful. I think a visit by the POTUS confers honor and legitimacy. IMO the Cuban gov't, has not done enough to warrant that honor. The Obama's look SO happy there. The poster of Raul and Obama just makes me shudder. I think this administration gives in too quickly and that they are terrible negotiators. And the timing is awful. He doesn't go to Scalia's or Reagan's funeral, yet there he is in a a horrible communist country.
Our policy towards Cuba is a failure . I agree we need a new approach. But the President should have waited until major concessions were made by the cuban Gov't.

Did you say this when Bush II was hanging out with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in 2008? Or Nixon? Or FDR? Or well ANY of the past US Presidents?

Come on dude, does Cuba have human rights issues? Of course they do. Does the U.S.? Fuck yes.

 

[about_average]

From my perspective, POTUS seems to be looking for something he could ascribe to his "Legacy". He seems to be trying for a Reagan moment. This visit is clearly premature and it ends up appearing desperate and embarrassing. I agree with what he is trying to do, but he's taking a victory lap before anything meaningful is accomplished.

Reopening embassies after 55 years is fairly meaningful.

 

[Ramone45]

Did you say this when Bush II was hanging out with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in 2008? Or Nixon? Or FDR? Or well ANY of the past US Presidents?

Come on dude, does Cuba have human rights issues? Of course they do. Does the U.S.? Fuck yes.

No. you c'mon. There is NO comparison.

 

[Hypoxia]

No. you c'mon. There is NO comparison.

Which nation imprisons a larger percentage of its population?

(There are other measures but I'm out of time right now. I'll be back tomorrow.)

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Just so you know, now that it's all open and legal, it'll cost you $1800 to take a cruise to Cuba this summer.

Nice living in our modern age, if you can afford it!

 

[Sean Renaud]

How much to swim?

 

[about_average]

Just so you know, now that it's all open and legal, it'll cost you $1800 to take a cruise to Cuba this summer.

Nice living in our modern age, if you can afford it!

Unless it's changed in the pat few weeks, it's not all "open and legal".
You can't visit any resorts or the beach, and you have to keep a log of everyone you talk to and save it for 5 years (I think 5, it might be longer).
You have to apply to the feds for permission to visit and it can be for business, religious, educational or humanitarian reasons only.
That's all if you're going directly from the US.

 

[Ramone45]

Which nation imprisons a larger percentage of its population?

(There are other measures but I'm out of time right now. I'll be back tomorrow.)

Cuba virtually imprisons all of its citizens, doesn't it?

 

[about_average]

Cuba virtually imprisons all of its citizens, doesn't it?

Unless it's changed since 2013, no.
And prior to that if they had an invitation from a foreign national they could.

 

[Ramone45]

Unless it's changed since 2013, no.
And prior to that if they had an invitation from a foreign national they could.

They could what?

 

[Hard_Rom]

If you want an educational experience leave from the US. If you want a beach resort vacation travel to Canada and leave from there. We promise we won't tell the CIA.

And how are the non-communist countries of Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica doing in comparison to Cuba? Shall we compare Cuba to the US protectorate of Puerto Rico?

Civil liberties pale in comparison to peace, order and three meals a day.

 

[dan_c00000]

No. you c'mon. There is NO comparison.

Sure there is: which country currently executes people with mental health disorders?

 

[JackLuis]

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xla1/v/t1.0-9/12717600_1095060030587050_7190709072690373772_n.jpg?oh=3a349e2aea83cc323d2b6c5e3bc79d43&oe=578B2B54​

 

[Hard_Rom]

If Obama was white he would be hailed as the one who defeated Communist Cuba isolationism and forced it to accept American trade.

 

[about_average]

They could what?

Sorry, Travel to other countries so not prisoners

 

[The_Trouvere]

The United States has a long history of maintaining good relations with dictators. Why should Cuba be any different?

 

[Hard_Rom]

The United States has a long history of maintaining good relations with dictators. Why should Cuba be any different?

Cuba is 'communist' not fascist, that's the difference.

 

[phrodeau]

Americans visit Cuba all the time. It's been a major vacation spot for the jet set since Prohibition.

 

[Raziel83]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/how-obama-set-a-trap-for-raul-castro-221059

This right here is how a proper politician works:

“Excuse me —” Obama said, his disbelief immediately becoming mocking. White House officials tensed. Castro looked back at Acosta, pretending as though the later question hadn’t been for him.

“Second one was to you,” Obama said, prodding Castro along (and along the way, managing to deftly duck Acosta’s question about why he wasn’t meeting with former President Fidel Castro on this trip).

“He talked about political prisoners,” Raúl Castro said, turning back to Obama, according to the official simultaneous translation.

“Also Trump and Hillary,” Obama said.

“For him or for me?” Castro asked, looking at Acosta.

Finally, Castro relented and asked Acosta to repeat his question about political prisoners, then cut off the reporter, his right hand chopping the air.

“Give me a list of the political prisoners and I will release them. Just mention names,” Castro said. “If we have those political prisoners, they will be released before the night ends.”

This is something that is almost unheard of in Cuba. The president was forced to answer to critical questions. Obama basically humiliated Castro on stage and this may lead to more awkward questions from media. Obama accomplished this with few words on a stage and this will have bigger effect on the political prisoners getting released than decades of embargo.

 

[sr71plt]

The United States has a long history of maintaining good relations with dictators. Why should Cuba be any different?

These were dictators that were on the U.S. payroll either currently or in the past (no, I'm not joking). The deal was offered to Castro in 1959 and he rejected it. So, he never was "our" dictator. Worse, he was the Soviet Union's dictator.