The NY Times article: "End The US Embargo on Cuba"

[El Presidente]

While we have seen such articles on many occasions over the years. There certainly appears to be some media momentum brewing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/opinion/sunday/end-the-us-embargo-on-cuba.html

[Optic101]

..... "He must — and he should see it as an opportunity to make history " .......

The whole article feels a bit one sided if I may say. MHO

[gtejada]

The Embargo is one sided!

[MountMandolin]

The United States embargo with Cuba has always seemed to me like the sort of thing a bunch of political scientists would do if they were able to run clinical trials, as it were. It's the sort of thing that would be titled "The Real World Implications of the Application of Game Theory to Political Relations Between Nations: What We Have Learned, and Will Learn, from our Position Towards Cuba". Or something like that; you get the point. The thing is a relic, completely irrelevant to the modern world and helpful to exactly no one. We trade with China (remember when it was perfectly normal to call it "Red China"?), we trade with Russia (formerly the real deal boogeyman). We trade with the reclusive, theocratic royal crime family that runs the Arabian Peninsula like a sordid mixture of a casino and an auction house. Let's get real here.

Anyway, I don't want to get too far down that rabbit hole, and those are, to a shameful extent, milled and rewoven talking points that have been hackneyed for years now. The point is that no thinking person supports this embargo anymore. None. And that's not even a political statement; the vast majority of Americans who pay attention to foreign policy (hard to know how large or small that number is) support trading with Cuba. The extent to which it would prop up the Castro regime would be at least cancelled out by the good it would do for the country, and I cannot wait to be one of the first in line for a plane ticket to Havana.

One thing I can't resist, though, is the thought that the demand for Habanos—which would explode, and about that I'm fairly certain—could have the effect of reducing the quality of production. But perhaps someone else has a better handle on that than I do?

[laficion]

OK, lets be reallistic, America will never accept Cuba.They don't have ANYTHING in commun,It's a cultural thing. That's why It has lasted so long , and It's not ready to end ,(In my opinion ). What would the Cuban gouverment do If It can't blame the U.S. Embargo for their poor gouverment results ? and who would the U.S. blame for the threat theories about Communism at their door step ? Cuban Cigars & rums can be had through the net anyway ,SO ? !!!!!

Guy

[anacostiakat]

US lifted the arms embargo on Vietnam even. . .

[JY0]

Follow the money. The Cuban ex-pat community in south Florida has been influencing elections and policy on this matter for decades. These politicians would have to walk away from this money to lift the embargo.

[Fshaw]

No one listens to the Grey Lady anymore anyways.

[tjohn7]

Recent polls have shown that Cuban emigrants in Florida are split on the issue of ending the embargo. In previous years that community was vehemently opposed to the idea. If a political party can still win the election without needing these precious votes in Florida, then likely the embargo will end. Still probably quite a few years away, unless Obama just wants to make a name for himself by ending the embargo. But since he just renewed it, he only has one more year left while in office to do that.

As we've said on the forum countless times, the embargo should be ended for the people of Cuba. Forget politics and cost of cigars. The people of Cuba have suffered far too long and don't deserve the embargo. It should be ended because of decency and the wish to advance human rights everywhere.

Tom

[SCgarman]

Recent polls have shown that Cuban emigrants in Florida are split on the issue of ending the embargo. In previous years that community was vehemently opposed to the idea. If a political party can still win the election without needing these precious votes in Florida, then likely the embargo will end. Still probably quite a few years away, unless Obama just wants to make a name for himself by ending the embargo. But since he just renewed it, he only has one more year left while in office to do that.

As we've said on the forum countless times, the embargo should be ended for the people of Cuba. Forget politics and cost of cigars. The people of Cuba have suffered far too long and don't deserve the embargo. It should be ended because of decency and the wish to advance human rights everywhere.

Tom

People of Cuba have not suffered as the result of any embargo or action of the US. They suffer under an oppressive commie pinko dictatorship and until that changes if ever the status quo will remain.

[Fosgate]

The Cuban govt doesn't want it lifted. They would quickly loose power like so many other totalitarian regimes we have witnessed as of late. It's why they pulled what they did the last time we recently contemplated lifting the ban. They made a move to guarantee that he ban remains.

[gtejada]

Follow the money. The Cuban ex-pat community in south Florida has been influencing elections and policy on this matter for decades. These politicians would have to walk away from this money to lift the embargo.

That's only Truth!

[mk05]

I don't think it'll happen. Too much money to be lost on US Territories/Islands.

[ewipper]

What embargo?

[Dourowino]

Here's the counter argument to ending the Embargo.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/10/12/should-the-us-normalize-relations-with-cuba/the-castros-are-responsible-for-cubas-failures-not-the-us

[puromaniac]

And more on attitudes and relations.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/as-times-change-cuban-exiles-in-the-us-learn-its-possible-to-go-home-again/article21077754/

[madmarvcr]

The embargo will end when Imperial Tobacco and General Cigar reach an agreement. At that point, they would only have to lobby or provide campaign contributions 15-20 congressmen or senators to get embargo lifted

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