Posted on 12/28/2008 10:34:40 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Barack Obama is preparing to relax restrictions on travel to Cuba [to celebrate] 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's socialist revolution.
The President-Elect will move "very quickly" after his inauguration on January 20 to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit and send money back to relatives in Cuba, according to a Latin American adviser to Mr Obama's transition team.
Cuban experts expect him to offer to negotiate to end the five-decade-long economic embargo during his first term in exchange for Cuba releasing political prisoners.
In Havana, Cubans are waiting to see if Fidel Castro, now 82, will appear in public on New Year's Day to mark the 50th anniversary of his seizure of power. It would be his first public appearance since July 2006, just before he had intestinal surgery and ceded power to his 77-year-old brother, Raul.
But there are signs of a thaw on both sides of the Straits of Florida. In a recent essay read on state television Fidel Castro responded to Mr Obama's pledge to talk to America's enemies: "A conversation can be held wherever he wants."
First to go under Mr Obama will be rules, brought in by George Bush in 2004, that say Cuban-Americans can only return home once every three years. In addition to annual visits, the amount of money they can take will be raised from $300 to $3,000.
An adviser to Mr Obama said: "Cubans will be less dependent on the state for money and they will have greater contact with their relatives in the US. That can only aid understanding." Those changes require only a presidential order. The adviser said: "He could do it on day one. Obama has a lot on his plate with the economy so Cuba will not be top of his list
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
He’s too busy bailing out the team from the county jail.
You guys need to lock Jerry Jones in a prison cell with PacMan Jones.
The Cowboys are a Train Wreck and Jerry Jones is the person to blame.
So, when do you think that Son of a Bum gets fired?
You signed up today to say that?
Bye-bye.
The age of snuggling up to terrorists and dictators has begun.
I used to live in Miami, over 30 years ago, and of course I worked with many wonderful Cubans. More than once I heard them say in a half joking/whole earnest way 'If only the U.S. would make Cuba a state'. It was fantasy of course, but one that seemed to be shared by more than a few. Before Castro's take over, many members of my family used to travel to Cuba and the photos they took there attest to your statement on how lovely it was.
Yes, and stop the embargo now too.
Well, surprise, surprise!
- John
Failure for whom? For what? Certainly Cuba is a failed state, but our treatment of Cuba certainly hasn't harmed us other than not being able to legally purchase cigars. The fact is even if we had a trade policy going on with Cuba similar to the old Soviet Union, Cuba would still be a failed state. The problem is not our lack of trade with Cuba, but Cuba's Marxist economic system. No amount of trade will help it until it ditches its absurd system. Cuba needs capitalist restructure first.
failure if the goal was to economically undermine the castro regime to the point.
my personal guess is that once it became clear this wasn’t going to ever happen, the embargo was kept up because 1) backing down would be a tremendous loss of face for the US and would be heralded as a de facto acceptance of our screw-up with batista 2) political issues involving cuban ex-pat voting block 3) pissed at cuba for allowing local key-control nukes on their shores. The only one of the above I really agree with is 3.
It is a failed state, but as it and others have shown, failed states live many decades (look at DPRK, for another example of a very small failed state).
After all is said and done, the Cubans are Commies. Anyone who wants anything to do with them are suspect.
yitbos
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