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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-13 17:36, ClintonMagus wrote: He didn't say "foreign aid" he said people should be able to send money to "the folks back home". It's a potential big source of influence - here in the Washington DC area I can't go to a post office on a Friday without seeing at least 2 or 3 people in line ahead of me buying multiple high-value money orders to send home to their families in Mexico or Bolivia or wherever. Embargoing Cuba for umpty years hasn't hurt them one little bit - time to get more active and positive bonds emplaced and see what happens (especially now that Castro is just about dead). |
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redeagle Regular user South Florida 147 Posts |
I think it's a good thing. This is money from families here going to families there. I am not one of those that thinks it helps the dictatorship. The people there know they are missing a lot, but more communications will make it more visible about how much less they have than the rest of the world.
By the way, although the US is not there, lets not fool ourselves. A lot of companies sell into Cuba. There are several European owned resorts there. The govt allows foreign investment as long as they get their cut...a big cut. That helps the dictatorship. The people in Cuba need economic opportunity. That will come from foreign investment and employment. That will come when Castro croaks....of course after everyone recovers from the hangovers after celebrating said event. |
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RobertBloor Inner circle The Socialist Republic of the USA. 1051 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-13 17:36, ClintonMagus wrote: You know at first this should outrage us that the money sent to Cuba is going to end up in Castro's pocket. But when you look at the number of Cuba-Americans eligible, and the amount of money available to be sent to Cuba, it really is a paltry sum at best. It's insignificant compared to the amount of money that another communist dictatorship (China) is financing in Obama & Bush's MULTI-TRILLION dollar spending spree. The Cuba thing shouldn't even be on the radar compared to the last 6 months of government spending. THAT is what we should be furious about.
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
-The Declaration of Independence |
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balducci Loyal user Canada 227 Posts |
Opinion here seems to be about 6 to 1 in favor of loosening the restrictions. I'm a little surprised that even a couple of anti-liberal socialist-bashing types in this forum seem to support the easing of restrictions.
For an extreme version of the opposing point of view, you might enjoy reading some of the blog posts here http://babalublog.com/ I've been to Cuba twice myself. In a resort area, and also in Havana and the country side. Certainly it is a communist country and the people there lack a surfeit of some necessities not to mention luxuries. At the same time, there do seem to be a lot of misconceptions in the media (particularly in the U.S. media) about Cuba. At least, it seems that way from my experience.
Make America Great Again! - Trump in 2020 ... "We're a capitalistic society. I go into business, I don't make it, I go bankrupt. They're not going to bail me out. I've been on welfare and food stamps. Did anyone help me? No." - Craig T. Nelson, actor.
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RobertBloor Inner circle The Socialist Republic of the USA. 1051 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-16 13:49, balducci wrote: Don't get me wrong. I'm not necessarily in favor of loosening restrictions. I'm just trying to look at the big picture. I think what will amount to maybe a million or two dollars is just not as important as the $12 trillion dollars in debt Obama and Bush have saddled us with.
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
-The Declaration of Independence |
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kcg5 Inner circle who wants four fried chickens and a coke 1868 Posts |
I'm cool with it.
Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!!!!!
"History will be kind to me, as I intend to write it"- Sir Winston Churchill |
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-16 14:21, RobertBloor wrote: BUSH and Obama, the correct referral is BUSH and Obama, because BUSH saddled all of us (including Obama) with this debt. Maybe Obama is making it worse in trying to make it better, but Bush has to have the lion's share of the blame. Going back on track, I have never understood why we had businesses in the (now defunct) Soviet Union and why China (which is still thriving as a communist regime) has "most favored status" in trade but little Cuba has to be sequestered away and treated like it isn't there!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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landmark Inner circle within a triangle 5194 Posts |
Next FISM in Cuba I guess.
Click here to get Gerald Deutsch's Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years
All proceeds to Open Heart Magic charity. |
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Patrick Differ Inner circle 1540 Posts |
Balducci, I know you've been to Cuba. So have I.
Anybody else? Or is just regurgitation of the Mass Media's slop?
Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,
Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I've a many curious things to show when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair -can ne'er come down again. |
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
Just to the base. All I did was watch a fist fight (a good one, Samoan dude against a Tongan, they tied) and fish for snapper.
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Patrick Differ Inner circle 1540 Posts |
I got you all wrong, Santa. I extend my apologies. When were you on the base? What did you think of it?
I've been to Cuba... and not on some tourist junket flying out of somewhere in Mexico..(most likely Monterrey...). I went in with my wife to visit her family. We were on a mission of mercy. We took 300 lbs. of stuff with us: items ranging from antibiotics, powdered milk, toothpaste, tampons, asprin, underwear, socks, you get the idea...). We also too 5 grand American with us. I will tell you something that most of you will not ever understand in your whole life. I have never seen such abject poverty. I gave away everything I had brought, and darn near everything I had in my pockets and in my suitcase. I didn't take away anything other than my memories, and about 80 bucks... just enough to get my white butt back home. What I remember is that Americans, !@#$% as you will, live the best lives of any nation on this planet. What the Cubans have lacked is OPPORTUNITY. Anything that I, or my country, can do to alter that one simple condition is THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Think about it. If any of you had the opportunity to do WHATEVER you wanted to do... how many of you would **** it all away? (Santa and Balducci, these questions are not directed at you. They are directed at the rest.)
Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,
Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I've a many curious things to show when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair -can ne'er come down again. |
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balducci Loyal user Canada 227 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-18 21:25, Patrick Differ wrote: I also gave a lot away while I was in Cuba (not to the extent you did, however). Most of the people I know who travel to Cuba usually fill a suitcase or two with items to leave behind. And I realise this isn't some sort of competition, but as far as abject poverty goes I was much more taken by what I saw in parts of Mexico City. Although I suppose it wasn't just the poverty in that case, it was also the extreme over-crowding, and the contrast in Mexico City between the haves and have-nots. It all makes me appreciate how fortunate I am to live where I do.
Make America Great Again! - Trump in 2020 ... "We're a capitalistic society. I go into business, I don't make it, I go bankrupt. They're not going to bail me out. I've been on welfare and food stamps. Did anyone help me? No." - Craig T. Nelson, actor.
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
Patrick, I have no idea what you mean by 'having you wrong'.
Either way I was there in 1981 when I worked for the staff of the admiral for the South Atlantic, based out of Puerto Rico. We went everywhere. I thought what I saw was beautiful. There are two sides of the base in Gitmo, one is a normal base with families etc and the other is very restricted. I was on the family side. We spent most of our time fishing off a warf that had great fishing. The worse poverty I've seen, and I've seen bad stuff in Latin America, was West Africa. Freetown, Sierra Leone likely was the worse but there were places in Brazil that were just endless shacks made mostly of cardboard. |
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
Oh, as to what Patrick says about helping the people and them just needing opportunity is absolutely correct. Cubans are wonderful people trapped by a govt most of them didn't chose and are stuck with at the present time. Cuba is a beautiful place, great fishing, close to Florida, it is a place with so much potential. Latin American in general is full of great people and if given a choice I would much rather go there than Europe. I also would go to these places and leave with nothing because I can always get more clothing etc but many people cannot. I use to get great joy just bringing a bag of candy bars and giving them to the kids (not Cuba, we couldn't leave the base there) in different cities.
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-04-18 21:46, balducci wrote: Mexico seems to be to be similar to Cuba, pre-Castro! I don't like Castro, but there was a reason why his revolution took fire!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Oh for cryin' out loud!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_o......a_castro I'm beginning to think Fidel LIKES being the "downtrodden, repressed victim!" It's gives him an excuse for the condition his country is in!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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