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> may have a profound impact on millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time. I can think of some things Raul Castro could do which would improve millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time.
Would you care to list them? I've been interested in packing a backpack and heading to Cuba for a bit.
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Would you care to list them? I've been interested in packing a backpack and heading to Cuba for a bit.
Allowing political dissent would be a good start. (Are you really not aware that Cuba is a dictatorship?)
I am, but I live in the US: we have illegal drone strikes against US citizens, NSA wiretapping against US citizens, and so on (the glasses are rose colored for some). Every country has its human rights issues.
Cuba may not move towards democracy as much as we'd like, but quality of life can still be improved for its citizens in parallel with political reform.
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>> "Many of small actions by a small number of focused people in Washington, in the Whitehouse, and entrepreneurs and bankers, may have a profound impact on millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time." While this is true don't forget that this also applies to the last several decades in Cuba too. They're fixing something that they created in the first place.
Every other country in the world was free to trade with Cuba. Cuba is a disaster because of Communism, not the US embargo. Communism failed everywhere else, why would Cuba have been any different but for the embargo?
Lifting the embargo will make that even more obvious to those who still don't get it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Allowing political dissent would be a good start. (Are you really not aware that Cuba is a dictatorship?)
> Are you really not aware that Cuba is a dictatorship? I am, but I live in the US: we have illegal drone strikes against US citizens, NSA wiretapping against US citizens, and so on (the glasses are rose colored for some). Every country has its human rights issues. Cuba may not move towards democracy as much as we'd like, but quality of life can still be improved for its citizens in parallel with political reform.
Are you seriously claiming that a government which has been ruled by a strongman for decade and which regularly throws people in jail for criticizing the regime is morally equivalent to the US government in its treatment of its own citizens?
This is really incredible. Many of small actions by a small number of focused people in Washington, in the Whitehouse, and entrepreneurs and bankers, may have a profound impact on millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time. Another good reminder (to abuse a quote), "chance favors the prepared" -- Stripe had already laid a lot of groundwork before Atlas to handle the systems required for this, and then the…
I disagree. Cuba has still not paid for assets illegally seized without compensation during the Revolution, nor made any other substantive concessions. They are free to do that as a sovereign country, but we shouldn't be trading for our own stolen property. Personally, I want nothing to do with Cuba so long as the Communist Party, that did so much harm to my and my friends' families, is still in power. Their profits…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> "Many of small actions by a small number of focused people in Washington, in the Whitehouse, and entrepreneurs and bankers, may have a profound impact on millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time." While this is true don't forget that this also applies to the last several decades in Cuba too. They're fixing something that they created in the first place.
Every other country in the world was free to trade with Cuba. Cuba is a disaster because of Communism, not the US embargo. Communism failed everywhere else, why would Cuba have been any different but for the embargo?
- It's true Cuba is a disaster in some aspects, regardless of the embargo. You have a point there.
- On the other hand, it's hard to argue some disasters were made even worse by the embargo.
- Some aspects of Cuba are a success, like its approach to universal & free health care and education.
Finally, let's not forget Cuba immediately before Communism was an even worse disaster. This too is part of the lesson.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Are you really not aware that Cuba is a dictatorship? I am, but I live in the US: we have illegal drone strikes against US citizens, NSA wiretapping against US citizens, and so on (the glasses are rose colored for some). Every country has its human rights issues. Cuba may not move towards democracy as much as we'd like, but quality of life can still be improved for its citizens in parallel with political reform.
> I am, but I live in the US: we have illegal drone strikes against US citizens, NSA wiretapping against US citizens, and so on (the glasses are rose colored for some me thinks) Are you seriously claiming that a government which has been ruled by a strongman for decade and which regularly throws people in jail for criticizing the regime is morally equivalent to the US government in its treatment of its own citizens?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> "Many of small actions by a small number of focused people in Washington, in the Whitehouse, and entrepreneurs and bankers, may have a profound impact on millions of Cuban lives in a very short period of time." While this is true don't forget that this also applies to the last several decades in Cuba too. They're fixing something that they created in the first place.
The Cuba Embargo was started in 1960. Barack Obama was born in 1961. So there are some different sets of 'they' around.
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Would you care to list them? I've been interested in packing a backpack and heading to Cuba for a bit.
A few freedoms here and there wouldn't hurt. Currently there aren't a lot of things that you can do without involving the state. Merely by removing some restrictions people could sort out a lot of things themselves.
At least some of the restrictions are going away, and some weren't really enforced in later years (e.g. officially no-one can trade on their own and the so-called "black market" is illegal, but in practice this wasn't enforced because otherwise people wouldn't be able to live their lives at all).
Some degree of "off the record" trade is allowed... one example that comes to mind right now are the unofficial restaurants called "paladares", hosted in private apartments; everyone knows they exist and where they are located, and they don't get closed down by the police.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I am, but I live in the US: we have illegal drone strikes against US citizens, NSA wiretapping against US citizens, and so on (the glasses are rose colored for some me thinks) Are you seriously claiming that a government which has been ruled by a strongman for decade and which regularly throws people in jail for criticizing the regime is morally equivalent to the US government in its treatment of its own citizens?
No. I'm saying every country has its problems, and that to say one specific problem must be focused on before any of the problems can be solved is disingenuous. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
So why is it that we must focus on the problem of NSA wiretapping before we are even allowed to talk about the problem of millions of people being oppressed by a Communist dictatorship?