Cuba asks US for help

[JY0]

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Cuba's government has made a rare request for emergency assistance from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden after Hurricane Ian knocked out power to the whole island of 11 million people, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Hurricane Ian tore through the island nation on Tuesday, causing an country-wide blackouts, flattening homes and destroying agricultural fields. Cubans have staged protests against the government over the power loss, which heightened concerns over ongoing food, fuel and medicine shortages.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-requests-us-aid-after-hurricane-ian-knocks-out-power-wsj-2022-09-30/

[vladdraq]

I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 🙂 

[Cigar-Therapy]

1 hour ago, vladdraq said:

I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 🙂 

I can dream, can’t I?

 

[Chas.Alpha]

The horrible part is that it would be political suicide for president Biden to offer assistance, considering everything that is needed in Florida and S. Carolina. His political opponents would have a field day with pre-midterm election advertising. As always, it is our fellow human beings that suffer...

[DaBoot]

22 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said:

The horrible part is that it would be political suicide for president Biden to offer assistance, considering everything that is needed in Florida and S. Carolina. His political opponents would have a field day with pre-midterm election advertising. As always, it is our fellow human beings that suffer...

I couldn’t disagree more. Humanitarian Aid is always a rallying cry in states. The one thing that brings everyone together.

 

[Tstew75]

9 minutes ago, DaBoot said:

I couldn’t disagree more. Humanitarian Aid is always a rallying cry in states. The one thing that brings everyone together.

 

Not when it involves Cuba sir...it's political suicide in the US

[DaBoot]

26 minutes ago, Tstew75 said:

Not when it involves Cuba sir...it's political suicide in the US

Agree to disagree here, 

[Fugu]

42 minutes ago, DaBoot said:

I couldn’t disagree more. Humanitarian Aid is always a rallying cry in states. The one thing that brings everyone together.

 

Wouldn’t think so either. It’s about humanitarian aid going directly to the suffering people, not to the government. I could see quite the opposite effect, in that the US, and possibly other western nations, could demonstrate (once again) how incapable Cuban authority is...

Will leave it at that, as this might be quickly reaching too far into forbidden territory... 😉

[Puros Y Vino]

If that aid came, it would come with a ton of strings attached.  At which point the Cuban gov't will decline and then tell their people the USA truly does not care for them by continuing to hold on the Embargo.  FWIW though, I do hear that many supplies and food products do go to Cuba through the US.  I have a Chilean/Cuban friend who actually imports goods into Cuba and mentions the US is one avenue they take for those goods to get to Cuba. Alongside with Mexico, Canada and other Caribbean nations.

[BrightonCorgi]

Sending some humanitarian aide to a neighboring country in need is never political suicide.  It's not like we are sending weaponry.

[Chas.Alpha]

2 hours ago, DaBoot said:

I couldn’t disagree more. Humanitarian Aid is always a rallying cry in states. The one thing that brings everyone together.

Sure, if the aid is going to US recipients. At this moment, it could be argued that every nickel that is available can be spent in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties alone. Without delving too far into forbidden topics, any aid that the Biden administration could offer Cuba would be pounced upon by DeSantis and the republicans.

 

19 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Sending some humanitarian aide to a neighboring country in need is never political suicide.  It's not like we are sending weaponry.

Please see above...

[Guest Nekhyludov]

Anyone who thinks humanitarian aid is somehow unifying must be living on a different planet.

Just look at the vitriol that was (and in some ways still is) directed at recipients of federal aid after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, which is the actual U.S.

[Chas.Alpha]

2 minutes ago, Nekhyludov said:

Anyone who thinks humanitarian aid is somehow unifying must be living on a different planet.

Just look at the vitriol that was (and in some ways still is) directed at recipients of federal aid after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, which is the actual U.S.

 

Something of note, then freshman congressman Ron DeSantis voted AGAINST issuing federal aid to cover damages on the East coast following hurricane Sandy. Something the Democrats were quick to point out after his request for federal aid following the storm this week. There was (finally) a shark photographed swimming down the street in Ft. Myers on Wednesday! 🙂

[vladdraq]

Not an expert, but where are the "friend countries" aka Russia, China, Venezuela ? Asking the US for help is a huge turnaround in Cuba's foreign politics, i think.

[NSXCIGAR]

2 hours ago, Chas.Alpha said:

Ron DeSantis voted AGAINST issuing federal aid to cover damages on the East coast following hurricane Sandy.

That's very misleading. That 2013 bill was loaded with pork. A $50 billion bill with only about $17 billion going to relief. That is classic political dirty trickery--load a bill with pork and then criticize those who don't vote for it because it has one helpful thing in it. Both sides do it.

[Chas.Alpha]

7 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

That's very misleading. That 2013 bill was loaded with pork. A $50 billion bill with only about $17 billion going to relief. That is classic political dirty trickery--load a bill with pork and then criticize those who don't vote for it because it has one helpful thing in it. Both sides do it.

Both sides do it. The bill passed with massive bipartisan support. DeSantis (once again) was trying to make points with the hard right media. He is an excellent showman, which seems to appeal to the republican base these days...

 

7 hours ago, vladdraq said:

Not an expert, but where are the "friend countries" aka Russia, China, Venezuela ? Asking the US for help is a huge turnaround in Cuba's foreign politics, i think.

Absolute perfect statement. The "friend countries" know that the US cannot help for political reasons, though most Americans would support it. For the Cuban government to proclaim that they asked assistance from the US and were refused is a win/win/win for Russia, China and the Cuban government. 

[NSXCIGAR]

6 hours ago, Chas.Alpha said:

The bill passed with massive bipartisan support.

That may be because there's not much difference between either side in terms of spending. When's the last time Mitch McConnel opposed a spending bill?

Of course, the more conservative you are the less likely you're going to support big spending bills, particularly if less than half goes to its advertised cause. And is anyone complaining about a politician voting no on pork? 

They do this stuff all the time. 99% of a bill is crap so they can get someone on the record opposing the other 1% so the NY Times can yell hypocrite. It's not even worth bringing up this kind of gotcha tactic and it's very unsophisticated political commentary. Both sides play these games to one degree or another and it should be ignored.

 

7 hours ago, vladdraq said:

Not an expert, but where are the "friend countries" aka Russia, China, Venezuela ? Asking the US for help is a huge turnaround in Cuba's foreign politics, i think.

Probably tired of flushing money down the toilet with Cuba.

Time to ask for some of that capitalist pig money. At least the Revolution has principles. 

[mprach024]

5 hours ago, Chas.Alpha said:

any aid that the Biden administration could offer Cuba would be pounced upon by DeSantis and the republicans.

Pretty sure Biden and his friends have already written off potential votes from DeSantis supporters a long time ago.  

Someone’s hurt and needs help and we have the means to help than there’s no discussion to be had.  I’m not a Biden fan, but if he helped I’d be proud, and if any of my friends bitched I’d crush them for their hypocrisy of the Left “making everything political”.  There’s nothing political here, go help.  We will likely spend $50-75B rebuilding, FL and SC, honestly what Cuba needs is probably a rounding error at this point, give it to them.

[Ken Gargett]

so humanity has got to the stage where it cannot assist people suffering because it might be a bad look politically.

you'd like to think that any politician who was afraid to act because of that or any who condemned another for doing so would be sent to oblivion as fast as possible. sadly, no chance.

and there was me thinking that the country asked for assistance was a christian nation. i suppose everything is flexible. 

[BoliDan]

I think the least they could do is drop the foreign restrictions on visas for people that want to head out to the west and help. 

I volunteered after Katrina and it was absolute chaos. Trash everywhere, rot, gutting houses, rats would attack you head on. The first thing they taught us was to use our shovels to chop them when they were heading for you. Moving all the materials was intense. No way No La could done it. Cuba definitely going to need volunteers.

[Ken Gargett]

27 minutes ago, BoliDan said:

I think the least they could do is drop the foreign restrictions on visas for people that want to head out to the west and help. 

I volunteered after Katrina and it was absolute chaos. Trash everywhere, rot, gutting houses, rats would attack you head on. The first thing they taught us was to use our shovels to chop them when they were heading for you. Moving all the materials was intense. No way No La could done it. Cuba definitely going to need volunteers.

excellent suggestion. 

[Chas.Alpha]

2 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

so humanity has got to the stage where it cannot assist people suffering because it might be a bad look politically.

you'd like to think that any politician who was afraid to act because of that or any who condemned another for doing so would be sent to oblivion as fast as possible. sadly, no chance.

and there was me thinking that the country asked for assistance was a christian nation. i suppose everything is flexible. 

Yep. Nope.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 10/1/2022 at 5:34 PM, BoliDan said:

rats would attack you head on.

Wow, so the Halloween rats are real? 

 

On 10/1/2022 at 4:50 PM, Ken Gargett said:

so humanity has got to the stage where it cannot assist people suffering because it might be a bad look politically.

Private donations and volunteers will be enormous as is usually the case with Americans. And that money and labor will be 90% more effective than government funding. $50 million in private donations is like $400 million in government money. Even more so the labor. 

[cigaraholic]

We do have a great paper towel tosser

[Ken Gargett]

36 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Private donations and volunteers will be enormous as is usually the case with Americans. And that money and labor will be 90% more effective than government funding. $50 million in private donations is like $400 million in government money. Even more so the labor. 

i do remember from when i lived in DC how individuals gave so much more of their time and resources to charities and works than happened back at home and also from when i lived in the UK. was really humbling. really good to hear that still goes on.