Article

2003-10-24 Caribbean

Senate Declares Castro Winner of the Test of Wills - votes to end Cuba ban

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-24 1:07:49 PM|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 What does the senator believe the benefit for the Cuban people and the American people will be..

The Cuban people will surely benefit more than Castro by lifting this ban. The reason is that people travelling to Cuba, and especially Cuban-Americans, will make sure that the money they spend will go to the pockets of ordinary Cubans, and not some designated tourist area where the tourist dollars are skimmed by the Castro regime.
If they don't already exist, watch Castro impose his own restrictions on people entering Cuba, if this ban is lifted.
I do think though that the timing of lifting this travel ban is a bit off. Why couldn't they wait until Castro kicks the bucket and negotiate with whoever takes over; the carrot and stick approach.

Posted by Rafael 2003-10-24 1:40:27 PM|| 2003-10-24 1:40:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm wth Rafael. Let the market do it's magic. If I thought the embargo would work I'd say stay with it.... but 30 years of evidence suggests that it is ineffective. Besides... I hate going through Canada.

Posted by Shipman 2003-10-24 2:22:57 PM|| 2003-10-24 2:22:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 With the number of leftists traveling to Cuba and kissing El Jeffes buttocks its hard to remember we still had a travel ban against Cuba.

I'm also with Rafael except I don't think it goes far enough. I would: (i) Removing all sanctions from Cuba and force Castro to impose his own to stay in power. (ii) Reoopen the American Embassy in Cuba so that Cubans don't have to risk the straits to get to American property. (iii) Put a carrier or two off the coast in international waters and declare that any Cuban that makes it there will be given citizenship. (iv) Do it all in rapid succession to try to implode Castro's regime just as the flood of Germans caused the implosion of East Germany.

Posted by Yank 2003-10-24 4:00:19 PM|| 2003-10-24 4:00:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Personally, I think it's a good thing.

If I were King of the Forest, I would have already crushed Fidel like a bug using the Might of America. I'm not talking about the military, I'm talking about consumer goods and tourists.

Imagine fleets of high altitude bombers carpet bombing the island, not with incendiaries and high explosives, but with copies of the Sears catalog and this week's WalMart sale flyer. You'd get conversations like this:

Lupita: Look Jose, washing machines. And blue jeans. And sneakers. Oh, and sewing machines are on sale. I always wanted a sewing machine.
Jose: Shut up, Lupita. We are poor, impoverished Cubans, with sucky lives because we are fighting the Yankee Imperialists. How much is that fishing rod?

The air assault would be followed by waves and waves of ninja tourists in bermuda shorts and hawiian shirts carrying cheap japanese cameras. Like Bob and Ethel from Flint, Michigan:

Jose: You must be rich imperialist oppressors to be able to travel outside your country.
Bob: Nah, I'm just a plain blue collar factory worker from Flint. This year we decided to leave the RV in the driveway and visit Cuba because the flight from Miami was only 50 bucks.
Jose: You're not rich? But you own a recreational vehicle? And the government lets you travel? Madre de Dios! Socialism bites the Big One! I hate that *bleep*er Fidel.
Ethel: Well, if you don't like Fidel, why don't you vote for someone else?
Jose: Hey, now there's an idea!

Communism wouldn't have a chance.

Posted by SteveS 2003-10-24 4:33:10 PM|| 2003-10-24 4:33:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 That's a hell of a plan.

Posted by Matt 2003-10-24 5:12:34 PM|| 2003-10-24 5:12:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 That's a hell of a dumb plan. Fidel would gather the products, sell it to tourists, and use the money to finance revolution across the world. He has been doing it for forty years, he won't change now.

Posted by Sorge 2003-10-24 5:28:21 PM|| [http://www.forgottenfronts.com/] 2003-10-24 5:28:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Seems like the Republican Congress has been telling Bush to stuff it recently. Any idea what if anything is going on?

Posted by Mercutio 2003-10-24 6:58:48 PM|| 2003-10-24 6:58:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 big push by Agricultural sector states to get the ban on food (read grain and corn) sales to Cuba lifted. I don't know whether it's a good thing or not, but if we let the death of castro lead to a succession to other than a pro-democracy gov't we've failed

Posted by Frank G 2003-10-24 7:53:19 PM|| 2003-10-24 7:53:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I think what you are seeing with Cogressional attitude toward Cuba is strictly votes and demographics. Cubans are a demographic factor only in Florida where they are very important. Senators from states other than Florida have little to lose from teeing off the Cuban ex-patriots. Bush needs Florida so I would think he will veto.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-24 9:25:18 PM|| 2003-10-24 9:25:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Just noticed another BBConline article: Who lobbies Bush on Cuba. - haven't read it yet.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-24 9:48:25 PM|| 2003-10-24 9:48:25 PM|| Front Page Top

21:25 Aris Katsaris
07:53 Raptor
06:32 Tony (UK)
02:40 R. McLeod
00:20 Stephen
00:18 Korora
23:38 Anonymous
22:57 Bomb-a-rama
22:45 Pappy
22:45 Uncle Joe
22:41 Rafael
22:16 Robert Crawford
22:14 Robert Crawford
22:12 Robert Crawford
22:07 Yukonbill
21:52 CrazyFool
21:48 Super Hose
21:45 Denny
21:45 Bomb-a-rama
21:45 Steve White
21:39 Bomb-a-rama
21:38 Super Hose
21:38 Steve White
21:34 Super Hose