Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors of Terrorism

[Fugu]

Yep, it’s all much about saving face. On both sides.

[Deeg]

On 1/12/2021 at 11:26 PM, MrBirdman said:

The reason the embargo isn’t going anywhere has little to do with party breakdown in Congress. The reason is that Cuban Americans support it, and they are swing voters in the biggest swing state. Very simple. 

I think Florida's importance as a swing state is decreasing every cycle.  2020 was basically a template for how the Democrats can build an electoral college majority without it, and they could have in 2016 with states that were (much) closer than Florida.  Sure it's an important state for both parties but pure practicality dictates that you focus on the states closest to being the tipping point.  And right now, that's not Florida.

Add to that the fact that support for the embargo is much less monolithic among younger Cuban-Americans than older ones, and I think the elements are there for it to come down in the not too distant future.  It's no lock but it could definitely happen.

 

[MrBirdman]

11 hours ago, Fugu said:

To think or speak of Raul Castro (or any member of the clan) as just anyone “with the last name Castro” - and thinking the Castro regime had ended with the passing of Fidel, is entirely missing realities.

You are nino are missing the point - it doesn’t matter who is in charge. It doesn’t change that the embargo hasn’t worked. 

[Fugu]

2 hours ago, MrBirdman said:

You are nino are missing the point - it doesn’t matter who is in charge. It doesn’t change that the embargo hasn’t worked. 

Sure. Only that that hadn’t been your point (probably why we missed it). Nino’s and my replies were in response to your wondering about a certain persisting attitude of Cuban Americans, despite a putative demise of the Castro’s. An assumption proven wrong. That’s all. ?

 

[Nino]

One example why the Cuban economic system doesn't work and not implementing the "embargo" just fattens the military and subjects the Cubans working for the state to slavery and abuses.

All foreign hotels and companies have to hire staff from the state through 2 companies run by GAESA, the military holding, Gaviota or ACOREC S.A.

A waitress or room cleaning staff costs a minimum of US$300 a month until 2016 to the foreign company - but that staff receives only US$15 a month from the state contractor.
More than 90% of the money paid by the foreign company is pocketed by the military.

https://www.cubanet.org/destacados/hoteles-de-lujo-pandemia-y-trabajadores-a-la-calle/

"Por ejemplo, una camarera o una auxiliar de limpieza cobran por la agencia no más de 230 pesos, pesos cubanos, eso no quiere decir que el extranjero deposite 230 dólares, para nada, incluso el mínimo a depositar por cada trabajador estaba hasta el 2016 en los 300 dólares, de los cuales llegan a la limpiapisos unos 15 dólares cambiados en pesos."

Here a salary scale for staff in hotels - left hand what they get paid in Pesos ( 1 US$ = 24 CUP ), right hand what the foreign company pays in US$.

And to add injury to abuse - the article refers to the many ( over 50% ) hotel staff laid off at luxury hotels like the Packard, the Prado, the Kempinski due to the pandemic that were forced to either take jobs in farming or accept 2 months pay of 200 Pesos, US$8, and now are forced to pay that money back while the foreign companies STILL are paying full salaries in US$ for those staff.

 

[MrBirdman]

21 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Nino’s and my replies were in response to your wondering about a certain persisting attitude of Cuban Americans, despite a putative demise of the Castro’s. An assumption proven wrong. That’s all.

My point wasn’t that - it was to convey that many people in America assumed that feeling would go away when Fidel Castro died. Obviously that assumption was wrong, and if it’s that Cuban Americans still associate the regime with the Castro’s that’s fine. But it’s still perplexing to many of us who aren’t in that community. That’s all. It was a tangential point to my original argument, but it’s not even one that I was making personally, just one I was conveying was a common assumption here. 

I get the feeling you guys are going after a minor point there in any case - my central argument was that the embargo is persisting because Cuban Americans want it. That’s all. And if the point is that the regime is what you don’t like as much as the Castros themselves, then the point we’re making here is the same: why do you think the embargo will change that when it hasn’t worked for 50+ years?

[Nino]

6 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

My point wasn’t that - it was to convey that many people in America assumed that feeling would go away when Fidel Castro died. 

In the Air Force assuming had a diferent meaning...
Just kidding ?

[MrBirdman]

1 minute ago, nino said:

In the Air Force assuming had a diferent meaning... ?

Absolutely - people assume dumb crap all the time! And I would like to add it’s not an assumption I shared, but I can’t tell you how many times I heard older people say “they’re waiting for Castro to die before they’ll let the embargo end.” 

[Nino]

9 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

Absolutely - people assume dumb crap all the time! And I would like to add it’s not an assumption I shared, but I can’t tell you how many times I heard older people say “they’re waiting for Castro to die before they’ll let the embargo end.” 

Agreed - but what they mean is the system, not the man.

And the system is Castrismo and it is led by a Castro and a ring of incestive military cronies.

I grew up in Spain, we had a fascist dictatorship run by Gen. Franco - the system was Franquismo and it is still kicking its last tail after Franco died in 1975 and Spain is a democratic country  ...

Just sayin'

[PigFish]

We are almost a sister state now! Honey.... Where's my inner tube??? -LOL

On a more somber note, review (if you are interested) the roots of seditious libel in the Colonies and then the cause for the 'shot heard around the world.' If people would only read their history, a whole lot of hard won, painful lessons might stay learned. King George would be proud of the power of the press today!

Consider this not a political statement, but a brief reminder that history often repeats itself.

Me, I always liked 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.'

Cheers! -Piggy