CANADA- Time to end dangerous Cuba naivete

Canada seemingly just couldn't stay out of economic trouble for long in 2003. Admittedly, it was not always Canada's fault, but too many times it was.

Last spring it was the infectious disease SARS that got Canada into trouble. At first, you wouldn't have known anything was wrong, with ex-prime minister Chretien eating in Chinese restaurants to show that all was well. Bureaucrats then leaped on the issue, compounding things with expensive, errant thermal scanners in airports, and with yellow "Do you have SARS?" forms still given to surprised tourists at Canadian airports long after the outbreak was over.

Next came mad cow disease. Again, Canada under-reacted initially, and then acted surprised and petulant when the United States imposed beef sanctions. More recently it has been mad cow disease for the second time, with speculation that a diseased cow recently found in Washington state was infected before crossing over from Canada.

Unbeknownst to many Canadians, Canada has had an extensive trading relationship with Cuba since 1945. Sure, most Canadians know about Cuba as a tourism destination -- almost 400,000 Canadian tourists will have visited Cuba in 2003, making Canada the largest source of Cuba tourists -- but far fewer Canadians know the scale and scope of Canada's trade relationships with the communist country.

Because Canada's happy times in Cuba could soon be a source of further trade trouble. While trade with communist countries can be a democratizing force, it would be hard to make that case in Cuba. After a brief flirtation with market-oriented reforms in 1994-95, things there have been back-sliding, with many of the small shops and restaurants that appeared now disappearing.

So, how big is Canada's Cuba trade? According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada is Cuba's third-largest global trading partner (only exceeded by Venezuela and Spain). In 2001, trade between Cuba and Canada totalled $753-million. Canada's main exports to Cuba are computers, agricultural products, motor vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, and sulphur. For its part Cuba sells Canada ores, sugar, tobacco, seafood and copper.

Granted, it's not easy trading with Cuba. The country requires joint ventures if you want an economic presence, and it must maintain majority ownership. But, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, of the 375 joint-ventures with foreign capital in the Cuba, almost 20% come from Canada -- more than all of Latin America combined. At a country level, Canada ranks second in Cuba ventures, behind only Spain.

But agreeing to trade with Cuba comes with acquiescing to things that most Canadians would never accept for themselves. For example, agencies of the Cuban government provide almost all the workers for joint ventures in the country. The state then keeps roughly 95% of what the joint venture companies pay those workers, and the Cuban government pays employees less than $30 per month and keeps the rest.

Even tourism isn't safe from things that most Canadians would find objectionable. While secret police are endemic in such repressive societies, it extends to the tourism sector itself. Foreign companies that create joint ventures in Cuba's tourism industry generally must agree to let Cuban secret police enter and search rooms without prior authorization. Try that sort of thing at Whistler/Blackcomb and see how far you get with tourists from California.

Yes, Canada briefly rethought the Cuba relationship in 1999. Because of "deteriorating human rights" in the country, Foreign Affairs decreed that any new or expanded business initiatives would be studied on a case-by-case basis to ensure that programs reinforce areas of positive change in that country.

How many initiatives have been rejected since then? None, as far as I can tell. It seems that Canadian companies are just so darn civics-minded. They just can't help doing good things in the country. How wonderfully naive.

It is at least as naive is to pretend that relations with Cuba don't come with risks. For example, while it's highly unlikely, what better route for terrorists, like al-Qaeda, to launch a hijacked plane against the United States than via a Canada-bound tourist airplane departing Havana. It could be considerable more fuel-laden than anything flying to the United States out of Paris.

For too long Canada has attempted to live quietly at the margins, hoping it can game economic systems profitably while being ignored. That is unlikely to continue, and 2004 may yet be the year when it ends badly on another front.

But Canada need not cut off trade with Cuba. Instead, it could become more adamant about linking joint ventures with improvements in Cuban working conditions, like allowing workers to reclaim more of their wages. Trading blindly with Cuba while hoping for change is a doom-bound game in these dangerous times.

-"agencies of the Cuban government provide almost all the workers for joint ventures in the country. The state then keeps roughly 95% of what the joint venture companies pay those workers, and the Cuban government pays employees less than $30 per month and keeps the rest."

All those wishing to invest in the CUBAN people's 'enslavement', please get your Castro "joint venture" over here!

and the Cuban government pays employees less than $30 per month and keeps the rest."

What do you suppose was the monthly salary of the Chinese folks who made these computer monitors we're looking at?

What do you suppose was the monthly salary of the Chinese folks who made these computer monitors we're looking at?

If you have a made-in-China computer monitor, it was probably manufactured in Guangdong, the southern Chinese province closest to Hong Kong. According to this publication of the Hong Kong government, the average industrial wage in Guangdong is 11,317 renminbi a month, which works out to US$1,368. I know many people who have immigrated from and worked in southern China, and the figure seems to be fairly accurate. I make no apologies for the Chinese government - it's a corrupt despotism inimical to our civilization. I simply note that many of its people are much better off than most Cubans.

Are you Canadian?
If so, perhaps you should know that I think of Canada as only slightly less offensive than France.
And I find France extremely offensive.On par with the Axis of Evil, and equal to Saudi Arabia.
Do you not find it at all odd, that the USA was not named as a trading partner?
I have seen varying numbers, but it seems a safe bet that Canada exports figures are between 80-93% too...the USA.
I want to bomb France.
For Canada, I only want the borders sealed.That would be enough to destroy that country.
What part of "with US or with the terrorists" is unclear to you?

According to this publication of the Hong Kong government, the average industrial wage in Guangdong is 11,317 renminbi a month, which works out to US$1,368.

That's pretty good if true -- and if they don't have to give away 95% in taxes. I just read an article that China is going to start paying a salary to the prison labor force -- isn't that precious?

But I think the US doing business with China or Cuba is a huge mistake in the long run regardless of what they claim to pay their people. All it does is enable and enrich a regime that will only do more mischief. Castro is ideological and stupid but the Chinese are pragmatic -- and that's what scares me.

I am sorry to hear the you dislike us so much, but that is your choice. However, your comment on our balance of trade is inconsistent with reality. Last year you purchased $180 billion in Canadian goods and we purchased $140 billion in U.S. goods. Then again, you could buy all your oil and gas from the Arabs, they rely on that income to finance thier terrorism programs.

I think the USA could live through an embargo on Canadian products.
How long do you think Canada would last?
I am seriously sick and tired of Canadian anti-USA sentiments.
Ya'll may have to find a new favorite passtime up there, if you think your southern neighbor LIKES to be insulted,you have another think coming.
Sell your stuff to France and Germany.
The pillars of the EU, facing imminent financial ruin.You may want to insist on payment in advance...
Hey, I have one last export for you-take the UN.
A parting gift, if you will.

China I can deal with.
I dont understand why people claim to fear them as enemy #1.
They are a paper tiger, essentially, and war is not needed when the "enemy" does not wish to fight.
You may have missed the point that it is Canada enabling Cuba.
I have no qualms in dealing with a known adversary.
It is when we do not properly understand who our actual enemies are that the major threat to the USA becomes real.
Petty and jealous "allies" like Canada,France, and Germany can do a lot more damage to us than a closely watched long term enemy, such as China,Cuba, and Russia.

It is when we do not properly understand who our actual enemies are that the major threat to the USA becomes real.

You got that right.

Petty and jealous "allies" like Canada,France, and Germany can do a lot more damage to us than a closely watched long term enemy, such as China,Cuba, and Russia.

I don't buy this Michael Corleone philosophy of "keeping your friends close and your enemies closer". That's being to smart for our own good.

As I recall, Saddam got most of his weapons from Russia, France and China. China has promised to take Taiwan, a free nation, by force if necessary and over the long term they believe that they are destined to rule Asia. They are not our friends.

It is becoming more and more apparent to me that the reason we are friendly with long term enemies is because some individuals in the State department see foreign largess as part of their retirement plan. I'm talking especially about the way Saudi Arabia employs virtually every ambassador we have sent them.

That is not the point, I am as angry as you at the idiot anti-Americanism that emanates from a minority of the Canadian looney left.Unfortunately that is the price one pays when you are the biggest guy on the block and an easy target. For the record most Canadians love and respect Uncle Sam, my only three grandkids live in New Jersey. Like it or not we are joined at the hip and ongoing squabbling between us only serves the aims of the terrorists. Chretien is gone and corrective measures to undo the damage he caused are underway so it is time to kiss and make up. lol

No, it is not time to kiss and make up.
Not even close!
LOL!
Our countries are not joined at the hip, we just have a long border in common.
And I dont trust your country as a "friendly neighbor", anymore.
I often muse on the fact that the USA took a well deserved rest from saving the world from nuclear destruction or communist conquest, during the 1980s.While we were sleeping, it seems a few of our allies decided we were no longer relevant.After all, we have all this power, and dont try to take over the world with it.We must be stupid, eh?
So it is time to take us down a peg or two, right?
Wrong.
Most of us are wide awake now, post 91101, and not in the mood to hear lofty censure from the sophisticated intelligentsia of ignorant socialist/communist elitists.
Been there, seen that, refused the free t-shirt.
Diplomacy can only happen when all involved at least pretend to respect the other parties viewpoint, and conduct themselves accordingly.
Screw diplomacy, it was entirely one sided on our part, and led to unforgivable statements and actions by our "friends".
Repercussions will naturally follow.
Right about now is the time to make sure we forget,again, all about our "friendly" northern neighbor.
I am very much in the mood for making those repercussions permanent, and severe.
But hey! Check back in about twenty years, I may mellow out again.
After I am satisfied that justice has been meted out to both friend and foe.

These Liberal buffoons that run Canada are elected by the socialist eastern half of the country, and are in no way representative of how most people in my neck of the woods (Alberta) feel about the U.S. Unfortunately we lack the political clout to be able to change the government.

That being said, we out west are at fault because we don't have the cojones to either separate or overthrow the socialist tyranny that has flushed what dignity and respect our nation once held amongst it's traditional allies (US & the British Commonwealth) down the toilet.

If you do decide to close the borders permenantly, I would like to suggest you extend the border a little further north to include BC & Alberta. I have become resigned to the fact that any change would be better than seing my province dragged down with the rest of this pathetic petty jealous socialist backwater.

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