Thanks Obama, Fidel wins

Well, yeah, Fidel wins.

He survived as leader through how many US presidents?

Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama.

Now he's retired and handed the keys to his brother.

But what did he win?

He got to be the leader of oppressed people for a long time and locked them out of greater opportunities.

Now he's old and sick and won't really enjoy any benefits of a new US relationship.

The people of Cuba will win with new hope and opportunities.

The people of the US will win with a better trade relationship and a real close Caribbean travel destination.

Who is the loser and what is lost?

Is there a thought that this will lead a reinforcement of Cuban oppression?

What Obama is doing is an unabashedly good thing, following five decades of silly nonsense. This isn't about Fidel anymore, or about the Russians. Or the commies. Come on, people. Get serious.

We'll be capitalistic partners in no time flat.

I agree! Thanks Obama! Barry O is coming on strong since the midterms. Unemployment down, gas prices down, stock market through the roof, Putin licking his wounds, the sane world applauding normalization of relationships with Cuba, progress on immigration on the way with the largest minority group in the country in firm support of the POTUS...What exactly did the the repubs win again? Next up..Hilary.

hulksmash wrote:

How is it okay to conservatives that the government restricts American citizens from traveling to a specific country? No other government has this restriction in place but our own. This seems like an issue the right would get completely bent out of shape about. Likewise, a Cuban refugee that makes it to shore has legal standing to stay in the US. How is that not an issue the political media blows their top over?

^^This. Not quite sure what was lost by normalizing relations. Seems quite a bit can be gained from it though.

Cuba is practically no better off than a 3rd world country, at it's current state. That has mostly to do with Castro forcing the U.S. to do what we did. If they buy into our way of doing things, then I'm cool with it. Bring back the glory days of the Copacabana and the Casinos. It would only mean good things for them. However, I feel we have not been told the whole story here. So I'll hold off on the excitement.

Are you saying that you perceive Cuba as some kind of threat? To what? Our industrial sugar farming industry?

Holding a 50 year old grudge against Cuba is silly. America does business with and props up all kind of despicable dictators who are far worse than Castro. Being against Cuba is hypocritical.

I cant wait for the travel ban to be lifted. There are business opportunities galore and American business has missing out.

Obama could put us back on the gold standard, mandate school prayer, quintuple defense spending and gut the Brady bill and the right wing wackos and media would still hate him.

Why?

Because the issues dont farking matter. All that matters is polarization so jackasses like McConnell can keep sponging off the US taxpayer - using dirty money to do so.

Wag the dog, muthafucher!

So the U.S. and other free democracies (by the UN and freedom house standard) should pay no attention to what is going on inside a country and just treat all states the same? North Korea? Nazi Germany? Amin's Uganda?

All systems of government are equally good, just different. No one has a right to judge.

What an enlightened opinion you have. You're so smart.

Jerry Cann wrote:

I cant wait for the travel ban to be lifted. There are business opportunities galore and American business has missing out.

American business in Cuba is what created this mess in the first place. Remember, capitalism is bad. Communism is good.

But in all reality, Castro gave us the finger over 50 years ago. So we have $hit on him and his country ever since. I think they have learned their lesson, and it's time to let them know they don't have to stand in the corner anymore.

We have now what we have always needed...a real partnership with government

So, you want us to keep doing the same thing we've been doing for over 50 years? And hope it will work this time? I get that you love white supremacy more than you love America, but damn, man.

It's a great move. It's good for our economy. It's good for our national security. It's a huge kick in the nuts to Russia when they're already reeling. Suck it, Putin, go America!

I've been to Cuba and it's awesome. The rum is FANTASTIC. And the ladies.

Obama is the most sensible President since Abraham Lincoln.

It's not like our existing policy has accomplished much of anything. We've had, what, eight or nine Presidents since Castro took power? It's been 50 years. It's just possible that we need to try something else.

Interesting that it\'s taken a black POTUS for common sense to prevail.

Our policy hasn't failed entirely or Cuba would never be negotiating to open up economically in the first place. But as a previous poster noted, other countries have opened up economically and remained very repressive politically. Americans have always been able to make money doing business with repressive regimes, but eventually we usually take heat over it

It's ok wrote:

Nor should it. The U.S. needs to stop pushing their political ideology onto the rest of the world. It's okay to do business with people having different philosophies.

From what I can see, the American political ideology right now is simple - ‘the rich get (more) rich, while the poor get poorer.’

Tha awkward moment when the repubs defend our govts water-boarding and torture because the repubs thought of it and then deride Cuba for its policies when a dem connects our economy to a gold mine.