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ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

Let me dumb this down a bit.


China is a brutal totalitarian communist regime, one the defense department lists as America's greatest threat in the 21st century.  America is busy mortgaging our houses in order to buy their crap from Walmart so they can use the proceeds to build a bigger and better army with which to fight us.  This is all good.

Cuba, a tiny country that is no threat to us, one that despite crippling sanctions and US destruction of the world market for its primary export, is evil and bad.  Despite all that, has managed to have a universal health care system more advanced than the US, a lower infant mortality rate, and a similar life expectancy.

When someone does as much or more than I do, all while spending less, I tend to pay attention and want to see if I can learn anything.  Others want to jam their fingers in their ear and say "neah neah I can't hear you".  Myself, I would throw our muscle behind strangling China and spend our money in Cuba.

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Before we established that embargo (in 1958), the US accounted for 67% of Cuba's exports and 70% of its imports.

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ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

Nobody here is lionizing Castro, we are just not stupid enough to equate right wing with good and left wing with bad.

As far as dictators go, Castro has done more for his country with far less than any of the evil bastards we brutally put in power.  Can ANYONE name a US backed dictator who didn't emass a giant fortune, Imelda Marcos anyone?

It would be nice if people could take off the idiological blinders and have a calm discussion about the facts.  

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ORIGINAL: EnglishDomNW

Can Americans freely travel to Cuba?  I mean, if you wanted to visit someone there are there any restrictions?

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ORIGINAL: Daddy4UdderSlut

The brutal elimination of potential troublemakers was Castro's work, but the impoverishment of the nation was largely *our* work.  We have had a very effective trade embargo on Cuba for about 45 years.  Before we established that embargo (in 1958), the US accounted for 67% of Cuba's exports and 70% of its imports.  What do you think that 45 years of deprivation of 2/3 of the flow of money and goods can do to a country?  You can see the effects there, no problem.  A very stupid and callous policy - Castro actually hasn't gone anywhere, and we have held the entire nation in poverty for decades.

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ORIGINAL: MasterKalif

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ORIGINAL: Daddy4UdderSlut

The brutal elimination of potential troublemakers was Castro's work, but the impoverishment of the nation was largely *our* work.  We have had a very effective trade embargo on Cuba for about 45 years.  Before we established that embargo (in 1958), the US accounted for 67% of Cuba's exports and 70% of its imports.  What do you think that 45 years of deprivation of 2/3 of the flow of money and goods can do to a country?  You can see the effects there, no problem.  A very stupid and callous policy - Castro actually hasn't gone anywhere, and we have held the entire nation in poverty for decades.

I hate to say it, Americans give themselves too much credit. I am not saying the embargo doesn't hurt Cuba, because it does, and creates an adverse economical effect. My main point is that if the US were to remove the embargo tomorrow, Cuba would still be an economic backwater, simply because massive state intervention doesn't work or make economical sense. How can some moron in a ministry decide whether a city needs more pair of shoes vs. more sugar? Hence, central planned economies have failed and Cuba is just another example....it drags on because the people don't know any better, and because they have no choice.
I do agree though, that the embargo is a stupid policy, and just helps Castro justify his ridicolous, murderous, and outdated regime.

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ORIGINAL: LotusSong

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ORIGINAL: MistressBG

Of course they blame the US, don't you know that they absolutely despise the US and ALL americans? Don't you know that they have been fed tons and tons of extreme anti-american propaganda for the past 47 years?  Who else are they going to blame? themselves? I think not.

'splain this to me Lucy..

I'm watching the news and I am totally confused.

They hate Castro
The won't overthrow him even if he is disabled for the time being
They Bitch about America
Then they swim to our shores.
Sit in Miami and bitch some more.

What's wrong with this picture?

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ORIGINAL: MasterKalif

I am shocked by some Castro apologists here....I mean if we talk about "socialist experiment" like I said before, cuba is just sadly one of many "experiments" gone wrong thanks to that monster....state communism and central planned economies do not work. Vietnam, North Korea, and many others have a socialist experiment going....how are they doing? badly...very poor. How is this the fault of other countries other than those communist tyrants in power in those countries?
Take my country, Chile....we had a disastrous "socialist experiment" that was a disaster, from 1970-1973. In this short three year period, Dr. Allende, our socialist president who decided to try out this experiment, elected democratically and ratified by congress (they simply believed in his word that he would leave the democratic institutions intact which he did not). His regime was characterized for complete diregard of the constitution, harassment of opposition parties (no dictatorships here before his time), harassment and attempts to shut down opposition press, Fidel being a star guest in 1972 to the country, and whereby urban guerrillas came into existence, which led to complete chaos and constant clashes between civilians for and against the government. Needless to say the CIA intervention was minor, attempting a coup that failed sometime in early 1973, and by september 11 (strange coincidence in dates) of 1973 a military junta led by General Pinochet took over, beginning a 17 year dictatorship. Chile transition to democracy thanks to that same dictator who at least had the decency to step down....much unlike his nemesis Castro.

The Soviet Union also had its experiment with socialism, and we all know what happened in 1991.... so these socialist experiments don't work, either because it brings out strong LOCAL opposition as well as brining disaster to their local economies, not because of what the US does or does not do.

MisstressBG, I am sorry to have read your account, and I hope it opens up many people's eyes who idealize these ridicolous murderous regimes while sitting comfortably in their homes in the USA. I ask those who support Castro, if he is so wonderful and hs brand of communism is so swell....why dont you guys go live on the island just for a month and see how is life there compared to life in the US?

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ORIGINAL: Estring

Then where did Castro get all of his millions? You do know that he is one of the richest dictators in the world? He is a multi-millionaire. I guess our embargo didn't work on him did it?

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ORIGINAL: Kedikat

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ORIGINAL: MasterKalif

I am shocked by some Castro apologists here....I mean if we talk about "socialist experiment" like I said before, cuba is just sadly one of many "experiments" gone wrong thanks to that monster....state communism and central planned economies do not work. Vietnam, North Korea, and many others have a socialist experiment going....how are they doing? badly...very poor. How is this the fault of other countries other than those communist tyrants in power in those countries?
Take my country, Chile....we had a disastrous "socialist experiment" that was a disaster, from 1970-1973. In this short three year period, Dr. Allende, our socialist president who decided to try out this experiment, elected democratically and ratified by congress (they simply believed in his word that he would leave the democratic institutions intact which he did not). His regime was characterized for complete diregard of the constitution, harassment of opposition parties (no dictatorships here before his time), harassment and attempts to shut down opposition press, Fidel being a star guest in 1972 to the country, and whereby urban guerrillas came into existence, which led to complete chaos and constant clashes between civilians for and against the government. Needless to say the CIA intervention was minor, attempting a coup that failed sometime in early 1973, and by september 11 (strange coincidence in dates) of 1973 a military junta led by General Pinochet took over, beginning a 17 year dictatorship. Chile transition to democracy thanks to that same dictator who at least had the decency to step down....much unlike his nemesis Castro.

The Soviet Union also had its experiment with socialism, and we all know what happened in 1991.... so these socialist experiments don't work, either because it brings out strong LOCAL opposition as well as brining disaster to their local economies, not because of what the US does or does not do.

MisstressBG, I am sorry to have read your account, and I hope it opens up many people's eyes who idealize these ridicolous murderous regimes while sitting comfortably in their homes in the USA. I ask those who support Castro, if he is so wonderful and hs brand of communism is so swell....why dont you guys go live on the island just for a month and see how is life there compared to life in the US?

Just a coincidence that all these socialist experiments quickly met up with capitalist countries military interventions.