Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations • Hacker News Board

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#11

Post by kmfrk » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:06 PM UTC

technofire wrote: post #8

kmfrk wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gitmo requires the approval of Congress - guess what blocked it from happening. This is an executive action.

> This is an executive action. Not quite; some restrictions have been lifted but this is not yet a done deal: "Although the decades-old American embargo on Cuba will remain in place for now, the administration signaled that it would welcome a move by Congress to ease or lift it should lawmakers choose to."[1] [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/americas/us-cuba-rel...

Obama calling for Congress to act is what we in this year of our Lord 2014 call "trolling".

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#12

Post by ceejayoz » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:10 PM UTC

unprepare wrote: post #6

I have to think this is related to tensions with Russia and avoiding a second missile crisis. I wonder if there will be a reaction from Russia about this news.

Uh, what? Cuba isn't a Soviet vassal state any more.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#13

Post by tootie » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:10 PM UTC

valarauca1 wrote: post #5

This is actually (amusingly) incredibly unpopular in cigar circles who are calling this the "end of an era". Most discussions seems to center around the doom and gloom of quality dropping and prices increasing as the US/Cuban cigar market opens and the demand for CC increases. No discussion on the legality of owning CC changing amusingly. As apparently everyone forgets that smoking a Cuban Cigar can be considered an…

Or that cigar imports is probably the most utterly trivial and selfish thing to consider in this move.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#14

Post by sremani » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:10 PM UTC

In 2008 G W Bush has removed North Korea from Embargo list, and embargo has to be renewed every year based on "some" Enemy Act of 1917. Cuba is the only country in US embargo list, I understand it is personal as Cuba is just few miles away from US, but still the embargo is inhumane and people are suffering. John Oliver has a very interesting piece on his HBO show.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#15

Post by arenaninja » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:15 PM UTC

I hope this doesn't out me as short-sighted, but I'm looking forward to a vacation there in the near future!

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#16

Post by serve_yay » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:20 PM UTC

spacefight wrote: post #3

Nice. Whats's next? Close Gitmo? Give back the lease?

I am not sure why this would affect that, as far as I know that part of Cuba is considered to be US soil.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#17

Post by joezydeco » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:21 PM UTC

The timing seems really clever here.

The USA and OPEC flood the market with oil (literally), crashing prices and sending the Ruble into a spiral. Just as Cuba starts to worry about Russian support going forward, the USA swoops in to provide some economic bracing.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#18

Post by frandroid » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:22 PM UTC

arenaninja wrote: post #15

I hope this doesn't out me as short-sighted, but I'm looking forward to a vacation there in the near future!

It does...

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#19

Post by sremani » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:25 PM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #17

The timing seems really clever here. The USA and OPEC flood the market with oil (literally), crashing prices and sending the Ruble into a spiral. Just as Cuba starts to worry about Russian support going forward, the USA swoops in to provide some economic bracing.

I think this move effects Venezuela more than Russia. It is Venezuela that provides cheaper oil cuba in return for many services like healthcare etc. Now that oil is already cheap, Cuba does not need for patronage of Venezuela.

Re: Cuba and the U.S. will begin to normalize relations

#20

Post by Someone » Wed, Dec 17, 2014, 5:28 PM UTC

valarauca1 wrote: post #5

This is actually (amusingly) incredibly unpopular in cigar circles who are calling this the "end of an era". Most discussions seems to center around the doom and gloom of quality dropping and prices increasing as the US/Cuban cigar market opens and the demand for CC increases. No discussion on the legality of owning CC changing amusingly. As apparently everyone forgets that smoking a Cuban Cigar can be considered an…

Prices of American cars from the fifties will drop, too.

Longer-term, I also expect fierce legal battles over the ownership of houses on Cuba.