Article

2014-12-17 Caribbean-Latin America

US announces ‘historic’ thaw in Cuba ties

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Posted by Fred 2014-12-17 12:03|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 This confirms the Che banners at democratic HQ's, and puts an exclamation point on Che T-shirt sales just in time for Feliz Navidad in Havana.

Posted by Mugsy Glink 2014-12-17 12:13|| 2014-12-17 12:13|| Front Page Top

#2 While I have no sympathy for the Castro brothers, or their old friend Che, I think it is the height of hypocrisy that we give communist China preferential treatment at the same time we treat Cuba like a pariah.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2014-12-17 12:39|| 2014-12-17 12:39|| Front Page Top

#3 This may not be a popular Rantburg sentiment, but overall I think this is a good move. It certainly backs Putin and Venezuela into a corner. Commerce is always good. More importantly, this should improve pitching in MLB.

Posted by Penguin 2014-12-17 12:45|| 2014-12-17 12:45|| Front Page Top

#4 Cigars all around!

Posted by Skidmark 2014-12-17 14:15|| 2014-12-17 14:15|| Front Page Top

#5 Starting to remind me of the Jummy Carter abandenment of the Panama Canal treaty to China control.
Step one trading Taliban terrorists for a deserter, step two sending 5 more akbars to Uruguay, step three wringing hands over the DiF screed on torture to justify more 'humanitarian' releases, step four 'normalize' relations with Cuba, and step 5 would be closing Gitmo followed by a good will gesture giving it back to Cuba and repenting Americas past Imperialism winning the Spanish/American War.

Any bets that's the Potentates goal?

Posted by Mugsy Glink 2014-12-17 14:17|| 2014-12-17 14:17|| Front Page Top

#6 Should have been done a long time ago. Little Havana is apoplectic.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2014-12-17 14:21|| 2014-12-17 14:21|| Front Page Top

#7 The sanctions kept the Castro brothers in power and made them multi-millionaires. We should have reevaluated the strategy long ago.

Posted by rjschwarz 2014-12-17 14:35|| 2014-12-17 14:35|| Front Page Top

#8 so, the Cuban Commies imprison an American aid worker for 5 years and we reward them with three spies returned and opening of diplo relations.

Great job, Champ.

Posted by Frank G 2014-12-17 14:45|| 2014-12-17 14:45|| Front Page Top

#9 Frank an unnamed US spy is being returned as well.

Posted by Shipman 2014-12-17 15:07|| 2014-12-17 15:07|| Front Page Top

#10 Which Bacardi becomes the real rum? The current family's product or the cuban state industrial product?

Also, resorts int owned the large (c-word) houses of gaming in Havana. At that time it was 1/3 Meyer Lansky (Murder Inc.), 1/3 Howard Hughes, 1/3 CIA. The CIA is still here so would they be owners of record?

Posted by 3dc 2014-12-17 15:59|| 2014-12-17 15:59|| Front Page Top

#11 I have no problem with this. For a very long time I've believed green backs would crumble the Castors control. Cubans will run with the ball once they have one. The embargo has been stubborn hubris for the last 50 years.

Posted by Yosemite Sam 2014-12-17 16:04|| 2014-12-17 16:04|| Front Page Top

#12 I still remember Oct 1963 I was 8 years old, living on KI Sawyer a SAC base in Michigan. To us duck and cover meant something, also we had a fully stocked bomb shelter under the Gym. Russian ICBMs were so inaccurate that we might have survived.

Posted by Crins Bourbon3320 2014-12-17 16:24|| 2014-12-17 16:24|| Front Page Top

#13 On second glance this is much less than appears. Uncontrolled tourism still not allowed, must be in one of the 12 approved groups. $400 bring back but limit is still $100 on rum and smokes. The embassy is the main change, gonna take awhile to find one, think the old one was turned into an anti-imperialist museum?

Higher remits allowed $5K up from $1K.

Much smaller move than it would appear.

Posted by Shipman 2014-12-17 16:43|| 2014-12-17 16:43|| Front Page Top

#14 Story my dad told about his dad and him; something like:

"McConnel AFB is the nearest real target (150+miles away) so we should be safe."

"What makes you think they will hit their target?"

The more I read about Kennedy, the more I wonder how he didn't get everyone killed.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-12-17 17:04|| 2014-12-17 17:04|| Front Page Top

#15 I don't get all the dancing either, just looks like a prisoner exchange and an import/export value COLA.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-12-17 18:38|| 2014-12-17 18:38|| Front Page Top

#16 The Soviet records show that Khrushchev had to rebuke and threaten Castro who was pissed because Khrushchev didn't nuke the US from Cuba!

Still unknown links from Cuba to Oswald and a known desire of Castro to kill Kennedy.

Before opening to Cuba both Castros should have exited stage left.

Posted by 3dc 2014-12-17 18:47|| 2014-12-17 18:47|| Front Page Top

#17 I thought Obama was against torture? I guess the reason behind the torture matters more than we all realize.

Posted by Airandee 2014-12-17 20:18|| 2014-12-17 20:18|| Front Page Top

#18 He needs a safe haven for when the torches and pitchforks come out?

Posted by Crairt Uneck6986 2014-12-17 21:42|| 2014-12-17 21:42|| Front Page Top

#19 Again, Champ will terminate the lease and hand everything at GITMO over to the Cubans, then the Russians. Air Force One will be landing at Jose Marti International very soon. Communists stick together, watch it hoppen.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-12-17 22:08|| 2014-12-17 22:08|| Front Page Top

#20 Besoeker has nailed it.

Posted by 3dc 2014-12-17 22:39|| 2014-12-17 22:39|| Front Page Top

#21 As per #19, keeping my fingers crossed = "I Want to Believe" that Globalist Bammer won't do such.
That being said, the Bammer has effec thrown a monkey wrench to the GOP-Right + anti-Obama GOP-DEM "Unitarian" Establihsment as per 2016 + taking away most or all of the important issues from the electoral debates.

Truth be told, I was suspecting this might happen given recent MSM-Net News on the resumption of construction of the proposed Nicaragua Canal by China.

The US kept Cuba, Puerto Rico, + Virgin Islands to protect Panama Canal operations, enforce the "Monroe Doctrine" agz wily dastardly ambitious Euro-Powers,etal. + maintain a strategic toehold in Caribbean, CENTAM = LATAM, + [upper] SOUTH AMERICA.

Its highly dubious to see iff China can unilater build the proposed Nicaraguan Canal on its own - OTOH, IMO IFF THE US IS GOING TO ALLOW THE NICARAGUA CANAL TO BE BUILT, THEN IT IS MY BELIEF SHOULD DREDGE = ENLARGE THE RIO GRANDE FOR US-SPECIFIC/CENTRIC TRADE + BORDER SECURITY + OF COURSE OUR MIGHTY FUTURE OWG NAU + SIMILAR NEAR-ABROAD.

Three Canals, not one or two, thru CENTAM = LATAM.

Moreso given ...

* SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, FREEREPUBLIC > 11.0 TRIYUHN GALLONS OF WATER NEEDED TO END CALIFORNIA DROUGHT, SATELLITE STUDY SAYS.

* FYI DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS BLOGGER = argued in the wake of this particular news that CUBA should become a US State. ALSO ARGUED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ...

> 51st US State = PUERTO RICO.
> 52nd US State = CANADA.
> 53rd US State = MEXICO.
> 54th US State = CUBA.

D *** NG IT, MORIARITY, I DON'T SEE GREENLAND UNDER OWG NAU OR AS A US STATE, DO YOU!?

"AMERICAN DREAM" = "AMERIKAN DREAM" = POST-OWG NAU "NORTH AMERIKAN DREAM"???

Lest we fergit, OWG MIGHTY USSA = OWG WEAK USRoA GLOBAL SSR.

* FYI TELEGRAPH.UK > RUSSIA RISKS SOVIET-STYLE COLLPASE AS RUBLE DEFENCE FALLS.

Return to Cold War-era Hardline Totalitarian Communism = "Sovietism"???

As Amerika continues to unilater Socialize in the name of OWG + Anti-US, US-led Globalism.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2014-12-17 23:06|| 2014-12-17 23:06|| Front Page Top

#22 What?

Posted by JonC 2014-12-17 23:45|| 2014-12-17 23:45|| Front Page Top

23:45 JonC
23:38 newc
23:06 JosephMendiola
22:39 3dc
22:34 JosephMendiola
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22:25 Crairt Uneck6986
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22:12 Besoeker
22:08 Besoeker
21:49 Crairt Uneck6986
21:45 Zenobia Floger6220
21:42 Crairt Uneck6986
21:21 Mystic
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20:36 DLR