GOP House member files bill to end U.S. embargo on Cuba

[El Presidente]

Many bridges to cross and no doubt this bill will fail. Still hopefully a few bricks in the wall will be weakened.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/27/gop-house-member-files-bill-end-us-embargo-cuba/30736855/

[KGM]

The fact that it's coming from a Republican is pretty big though. Slowly but surely.

[SCgarman]

Many bridges to cross and no doubt this bill will fail. Still hopefully a few bricks in the wall will be weakened.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/27/gop-house-member-files-bill-end-us-embargo-cuba/30736855/

Maybe one brick in the wall. And it is certainly a very strong, solid wall still!

[ShortFatHokie]

n/m

[btp1979]

I wonder if the embargo falls, if there will be a premium placed on pre-post embargo cigars. Probably not the right topic, but just a thought.

[planetary]

I wonder if the embargo falls, if there will be a premium placed on pre-post embargo cigars. Probably not the right topic, but just a thought.

Perhaps the phrase will be "embargo era", saving us all from multiple modifiers.

[SCgarman]

As long as you have young guys in congress with Cuban descent who loathe the Castro regime, embargo stays as is.

[stogieluver]

I think the Republicans are coming around on this issue. At least I hope so.

The following is a post I made on the Cuba Forum on Cigar Aficionado's web site in December, 2012, shortly after my wife and I returned from a legal trip to Cuba under the People to People license. The Editor of the magazine saw it, and, unknown to me until I opened the February, 2013 issue of the magazine, published it in the Letters section of the magazine. Imagine my surprise when that issue arrived in the mail.

"In the December issue of CA, Gordon and Marvin's editorial argues the virtues of the People to People licenses awarded to various travel companies in the U.S. by our government. Their editorial points out that these licenses are no longer available to these companies due to our government's assertion that they are really just tourist trips in disguise. I just don't understand that logic.

As a recent participant on one of these trips (Oct. 7-14), I can attest that our daily itenerary was strictly adhered to by Chamber Explorations (the licensed company), and it included personal interaction with the Cuban people almost hourly. Our daily contact with the Cuban people changed our lives, and it also changed our view of our government's policy regarding Cuba, to a great extent.

As a very conservative Republican, I viewed the embargo as a necessary evil to effect change within the Cuban government. But my view of that policy changed as a result of the trip and the human interaction we all had with those wonderful people. Based on my personal interactions with our group (which included a healthy mix of conservatives and liberals), the vast majority felt strongly that our policy toward the "Cuba problem" should be changed. In reflecting on that after reading the editorial, I have come to the conclusion that, perhaps, THAT is the reason the licenses were stopped. That's the only logic I can apply to our government's discontinuation of these licenses. But, then again, very few things the people in Washington do ever make logical sense.

My wife and I treated this trip as a "vacation" of sorts, but our primary purpose in going on the trip was to experience that mythical land and to see first hand the daily lives of the Cuban people. Did we consider ourselves "tourists"? Most definately, yes. But however you label us on the island, we were there to witness the plight of the Cuban people under a tyrannical regime and to see a place stuck in the fifties. And we did, and it changed us and to some extent I think it might have changed some of the Cuban people with whom we interacted. Our goal in those interactions was to be as absolutely loving and friendly as we could possibly be.

If the purpose of the relaxed restrictions and loosening of the license requirements was to promote interactions with the Cuban people and thereby act as a reagent for positive change, it is working, in my view. I know that all of our group of Americans from all parts of the U. S. were moved by this experience.

So, I have to ask this question of those in the U. S. government who are making the decision to stop these trips: just what is the purpose of the "People to People" license?

I hope the U. S. government takes another look at this policy and decides to continue the program. In my opinion, based on the reaction of the twenty plus people in our group, the vast majority of participants in this program come away from those trips with sympathy for the Cuban people and most leave Havana with the hope that positive change will come soon. We don't know how that change will come about; but we all, almost to a person, felt that positive change would indeed come, and sooner rather than later..especially if we are able to continue our interaction with those wonderfully positive and friendly people."

[anacostiakat]

It is a good sign even if it doesn't go forward this time. At some point the recalcitrant will be overwhelmed as their arguments are specious.

[btp1979]

Perhaps the phrase will be "embargo era", saving us all from multiple modifiers.

Or that lol

[wabashcr]

It's like tipping over a portable toilet. It's going to require some rocking back and forth before you have the momentum to topple it.

[TheGipper]

One wonders if Fidel and/or Raul truly want to see the embargo ended. It's been a convenient excuse for being an economic basket case for such a long time. Remove the US embargo, and what will they then blame for the inevitable continued economic problems?

[jacksfull]

I wonder if the embargo falls, if there will be a premium placed on pre-post embargo cigars. Probably not the right topic, but just a thought.

Shouldn't matter, other than the obvious "aged" or "vintage' issues that sometimes fetch a premium anyway.

[mgravito]

I think the embargo ends within the next year. This feels like it has everything to do with growing tensions with the US and Russia. The US does not want Russia's sphere of influence this close to US soil. Good diplomatic relations between both nations is mutually beneficial to both at this time regardless of the Castros.

[KGM]

I think the embargo ends within the next year. This feels like it has everything to do with growing tensions with the US and Russia. The US does not want Russia's sphere of influence this close to US soil. Good diplomatic relations between both nations is mutually beneficial to both at this time regardless of the Castros.

Makes sense. Same reason the TPP is so important to some, combatting China's growing influence. A little late on that.

[GTS21]

I think the embargo ends within the next year. This feels like it has everything to do with growing tensions with the US and Russia. The US does not want Russia's sphere of influence this close to US soil. Good diplomatic relations between both nations is mutually beneficial to both at this time regardless of the Castros.

Agree 100%

[TomF]

US Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton today vowed to end the embargo if she is elected President.

[packerjh]

Prices will increase on any CC as taxes will be an immediate multiplier...gub'mint will want to make a buck or few...

[cigarbreak]

Not sure if anyone is interested and apologies for the topic hack, but I was in Havana last week and witnessed a choir of people in the Plaza de Armas signing the US national anthem the day after the US opened the Cuban embassy. It was being telvised too! INeedless to say I took a video of what I think is a very historical event, and shared it with my friends at Cayo Sta Maria LCDH and they were shocked to say the least. It sparked a intense conversation that flowed in English and Spanish between myself and two others. I will post the vid as separate topic when i find out how to post a video from my phone here lol.

[MrGinger]

Perhaps the phrase will be "embargo era", saving us all from multiple modifiers.

I would think Pre-embargo, embargo-era, post-embargo would be the best classification when the time comes.