Center for American Progress:
President Obama last week eased restrictions on the ability of Cuban Americans to visit and send money to family in Cuba--the first significant change in U.S. policy toward Cuba in decades. The decision reverses the particularly hard-line stance of the Bush administration, a move by Obama that apparently has the full backing of the American public.
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On one of the Spanish new shows there was a clip of Obama having a talk with Hugo Chavez.
Why do we do business with the communist China while we reject the communist Cuba? Are there different levels of communism?
simple...china holds most of our treasury notes?
It would have been nice if they asked how many thought we should be trading with China.
Did anybody see Pat Buchanan foaming at the mouth on this subject on Hardball today, while Lawrence O'Donnell eviscerated him? Good grief, Pat is still reliving the Cold War in his dreams and O'Donnell obviously gets a big kick out of pressing his buttons.
Of the the GOP talking heads will make it seem otherwise ....
Talk about being out of touch ...
We stayed the same stupid path for 50 yrs! How did that work for us? Change any minds, did it?
Cuba is too black for some Americans, just like the Haitians, this America will never want to accept them.
Those American will be flocking to the beaches in Sweden instead, to get their white people and coconut fix ..
-------- is Cuba more 'black' than Jamaica or the Bahamas ?
-------- are Cubans blue-black instead of just brown-black ?
-------- when a Cuban walks into the room does the whole room go dark ?
==== Whatinthehellareyoutalkinabout ?
You mean this America that just voted in a Black president?
That's why Miami is full of Cubans? In reality, Cuba is too black for some Cubans. Why don't you do a little reading about race relations in S. America and the Caribbean? Do you think the US is the only country in the Western hemisphere that enslaved black Africans? That has a legacy of problems stemming from that history? That the story of slavery and race relations throughout S. America and the Caribbean is the same as ours? Get a clue.
Cuba will be an American ally by the time Obama leaves office. President O is a genius.
and everybody will be doing the Mamba !
Not a bad dance. Should be fun.
And drinking mojitos.
happy to see the Cuban people getting some help from the Pres.Hopefull in a few years,I'll be able to visit cuba myself.My mom and I are the only ones who have yet to visit Havana,makes me jalous
lol
That's great people. I would like to remind you 50 years 1 man rule, a country that has always called for our distruction. A country that put nuclear weapons 90 miles from major U.S cities. It would be different if Cuba embraced the U.S. and wanted to embrace democracy but they do not.When Castro releases his political prisoners and calls for democratic elections then and only then will I support better relations. Now I hear many of you committed to visiting look, I wonder then if Cuba will let its citizens travel the world freely. I really doubt it.
That man is an old man now, and his view from 50 years ago has probably shifted. He may be looking for an opportunity to shift his policies and Obama's outreach may allow him to do so.
I would like to remind you that the USSR put the missiles there, and they did that during the policy that you think works so well.
Your logic is completely backwards. Let's try to get someone to become democratic by not talking to them, not letting their families communicate, and telling them our trouser snake is bigger than theirs. Sure, it hasn't worked for fifty years, but let's just stay the course!
I would like to remind you that 50 years ago the U.S. put Castro in power.. And then when he asked for financial help the U.S. turned their back on him.
Why do the Cubans need to embrace democracy for us to treat each other with respect? Why do so many Americans think that they only need to respect those who espouse their world view and they can just treat everyone else with disdain without consequence? If you took a little time to review some American-Cuban history, you would see how much America is the reason Castro took power in Cuba. We were constantly meddling in their internal affairs and it backfired on us. We reap what we sow. Hopefully, now, we can sow some seeds of friendship and peace and that will be what we reap in the end.
wyldthing...let me tell you - I come from a country similar to Cuba. For 50 years we had 1 man rule! Here I am today - a United State Citizen!!! So don't doubt it!! It will happen!
Well what do you know? Attempting to make friends out of so-called "sworn enemies," may actually benefit the United States. First Cuba and now Venezuela, could it be that treating other nations and their leaders with a little respect and dignity is part of the formula to defuse the "they hate us for our freedom" syndrome? Maybe the "syndrome" was of our own making in the first place. I'll take Obama's approach over "cowboy diplomacy" any day.
I am happy for this change. I couldn't imagine myself on any island and not being able to get off of it at least once in my life. Good going President Obama. Change We Can Believe In.
As the United States takes a more diplomatic stance with a broad spectrum of other countries, citizens of other countries will look for more accommodating leaders who do not depend on politics of fear.
It is high time the U.S. abandon an obviously failed policy and resume normal relationships with Cuba. To do so would do far more to generate a move towards democracy in Cuba than any embargo could ever do. Obama said in Trinidad that he believes honest, non-partisan action is far superior to the tawdry politics of the past. Here is his opportunity to do so. He has taken one small step. The moment has come to take bigger strides.
~snip~
It is high time the U.S. abandon an obviously failed policy and resume normal relationships with Cuba. To do so would do far more to generate a move towards democracy in Cuba than any embargo could ever do.
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Indeed.
President Obama makes me so proud!!
Indeed, and the American public is behind him (except for the 20%'rs). I hope to visit Cuba as a tourist in the near future.
Amen! I hope to as well...
Me too. It's like a time capsule, what with all the vintage cars and such.
Yes. The cigars! The old cars! The beautiful beaches...
The cigars... the beautiful beaches... the old cars... the free health care...
A friend of mine (Canadian) has gone every year for 8 years. She is (obviously) sold and the people, culture, music, everything about it is wonderful. She used to go to Mexico, and the Dominican Republic but since being bitten by the Cuba bug, has never gone back.
Here's a website forum that's pretty interesting, to let you see what tourists think:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g147270-i91-Cuba.html
I like him Ok. I would be prouder is he would get us out of Iraq/Afgan, get rid of as sault rlfles, be in favor of G@y marrlage, etc.
Me too! A very proud US Citizen!!
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| 04/20/09 10:03 AM