Can it be?? Will Obama really restore Freedom for Americans?

[Toma]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7936430.stm

[BlueGoblin]

Though positive, it is still a very long ways off from normalizing relations and restoring, as you say, the freedoms of Americans to go where they please in the world.

It will be interesting to see what the full presidential term brings by way of change in attitude towards Cuba.

[Toma]

I feel bad for Obama, as his presidency will not go down well, no matter what happens.

As I predicted, ALREADY American are blaming Obama for the financial meltdown, even though anyone with a brains saw it coming well before anyone knew who Obama was.

Sad, becasue it certainly seems like he is trying to do all the right things, as opposed to Bush, who really seemed like he was trying to do all the wrong things... on purpose!

[badatusrnames]

Originally posted by Toma
I feel bad for Obama, as his presidency will not go down well, no matter what happens.

As I predicted, ALREADY American are blaming Obama for the financial meltdown, even though anyone with a brains saw it coming well before anyone knew who Obama was.

Sad, becasue it certainly seems like he is trying to do all the right things, as opposed to Bush, who really seemed like he was trying to do all the wrong things... on purpose!

Yup. People seemed to view Obama as some sort of Messianic who would sweep into office, wave his hands and things would be miraculously fixed... things were already too deeply screwed up...

[Xtrema]

I think today's market result for banks vindicate him a little bit.

But it's his fault picking a moron for secretary of treasury who hurt the economy more by display of cluelessness.

The news for all week is a diversion tactic. Look, I allow stem cell. Look, I'm lifting restriction on Cuba. Look, I'm not Bush.

I think the honeymoon is over. As hard as Obama tried, he still keep a lot Bush legacy with him. And the weekly parties just doesn't put him in a positive light.

Yeah, it's a stressful job, that's why you need surround yourself with competent people which so far he seems to fail to do.

And the transformation of the Republican party into a neo-con party doesn't help either. There seems to be no more moderates left in the opposition.


As fucked as US is, they got everyone by the balls, and everyone still hope it will recover fast, myself included.

[mx73someday]

Cuban-Americans will be allowed to travel to the island once a year.

Damn!! Once a year! Sounds like freedom to me. Way to go Obama!

[Eleanor]

Cuban-Americans will be allowed to travel to the island once a year and send more money to relatives there.

Anyone else think this is a bad idea? If people living in Cuba have enough money to throw around, what's the incentive to get rid of Castro?

[MidnightSpecial]

Don't blame me, I voted Ron Paul.

[atgilchrist]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Anyone else think this is a bad idea? If people living in Cuba have enough money to throw around, what's the incentive to get rid of Castro?

I think Father Time will rid the Cubans of Castro soon.

[TKRIS]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Anyone else think this is a bad idea? If people living in Cuba have enough money to throw around, what's the incentive to get rid of Castro?

I see it quite the opposite.
Keep in mind this is just what I saw/gathered/was told during my stay there. I don't have any special insight or first hand experience.

Cubans only recently were even allowed to have money of any significance. As is typical, the type of planned economy Cuba has lends itself to an unambitious and lethargic culture. To be clear, I'm not saying Cubans are lazy or anything like that. I'm saying that if you give a group of people no reason to be ambitious or innovative, don't be surprised when they aren't.

Allowing some capitalism would get the ball rolling. Letting people make some actual money, instead of the pittance most receive for their directed employment, will start bringing some ambition back. Give people the opportunity to get ahead, and more and more people will be trying to get ahead. I think opening Cuba up to more capitalism, social and economic freedom is the best possible way for the U.S. to turn them into allies. IMO, the U.S. trade embargo has done nothing other than drop the quality of life for Cubans and enable Castro's control. Opening up their markets would not only be beneficial to the U.S. from both an economic and social standpoint, but it would erode support for the current oppressive government.

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by TKRIS
Allowing some capitalism would get the ball rolling. Letting people make some actual money, instead of the pittance most receive for their directed employment, will start bringing some ambition back. Give people the opportunity to get ahead, and more and more people will be trying to get ahead. I think opening Cuba up to more capitalism, social and economic freedom is the best possible way for the U.S. to turn them into allies. IMO, the U.S. trade embargo has done nothing other than drop the quality of life for Cubans and enable Castro's control. Opening up their markets would not only be beneficial to the U.S. from both an economic and social standpoint, but it would erode support for the current oppressive government.

I agree that opening up economic ties with Cuba would definitely help them out, but I don't think allowing Cuban refugees back into their country to give their family money is really encouraging capitalism. It doesn't really sound like the Americans are going to start trade with the Cubans, it seems like it's just allowing people to visit their families and allow aid in, not really providing opportunities for employment.

[ZenOps]

Hoho...

Interesting policy from a military standpoint, not so much an economic one.

How many people are on this board that are old enough to remember the Cuban Missle Crisis. Some leaders mention now decades later - that the US and Cuba were about one button press away from starting Armageddon (The only time the US has ever definitely gone to DEFCON 2, was for Cuba)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missle_Crisis

Next thing you know - Obama will try to improve relations with Guyana to dearm the French nukes stationed there.

Just because a nation is relatively poor, does not mean they don't have the capacity to blow up the entire of North America. This will become increasingly possible as time moves forward - to the point where even Tibet and some African states will probably have nukes.

[semograd]

Originally posted by ZenOps
Hoho...

:

The most interesting thing you said in that post

[ZenOps]

Originally posted by semograd
:

The most interesting thing you said in that post

Just calling it as I see it. A 47 year block on Cuba is not something to be taken lightly - I think Obama is biting off way more than he can chew.

The Multi-trillion dollar Cold War spending pretty well hit its peak right at the Cuban missle crisis.

[alloroc]

Originally posted by semograd
:

The most interesting thing you said in that post

... and the only accurate thing.

Knowing his posts he is now going to state how he knows that Cuba has plans to invade Fort Mac.

[Eleanor]

^

AFAIK, Cuba doesn't have any missiles anymore. The Soviets took all theirs out after the Crisis and the Americans pulled theirs out of West Germany, IIRC.

[iceburns288]

Getting cheap rum and great cigars > death by nuke

At least I'll die happy. Open the border!

[ZenOps]

Originally posted by Eleanor
^

AFAIK, Cuba doesn't have any missiles anymore. The Soviets took all theirs out after the Crisis and the Americans pulled theirs out of West Germany, IIRC.

Its just geography. China now has nukes in Tibet. Now that submarines are perfected - the larger nations don't even bother relying on ICBM's anymore.

Turkey still has some US nukes.

I really don't think Cuba deserves to have open trade with the US after 47 years of closed trade. Its like Obama is giving everyone a get out of jail free card - even if they don't deserve it. Guantanamo - ok, I'm on the side that they deserve to be set free for justice in their homelands, but Cuba? Come-on... It was nearly Armageddon, the brinksmanship of keeping nearly a billion people worried whether or not they were going to wake up in the morning every day. 100x worse than Saddam.

IE: Even the British don't do anything for less than 99 years. Chinese, you pretty well have to wait at least 3 centuries.

[alloroc]

Originally posted by ZenOps


Its just geography. China now has nukes in Tibet. Now that submarines are perfected - the larger nations don't even bother relying on ICBM's anymore.

Turkey still has some US nukes.

I really don't think Cuba deserves to have open trade with the US after 47 years of closed trade. Its like Obama is giving everyone a get out of jail free card - even if they don't deserve it. Guantanamo - ok, I'm on the side that they deserve to be set free for justice in their homelands, but Cuba? Come-on... It was nearly Armageddon, the brinksmanship of keeping nearly a billion people worried whether or not they were going to wake up in the morning every day. 100x worse than Saddam.

Holy shit you are a quack.
lol keep posting I can hardly breathe I'm laughing so hard.

[atgilchrist]

Every post gets a little more entertaining!