What is up with cuba?

[DebbieSG]

Formerly known to be impoverished and communist, blockaded for eons, pitied by the US for it's ties to the USSR...

what's our relationship with our poor neighbors to the south now..consider:

Elian gets a tour of amusement parks in Florida and then is brought kicking and screaming back to his Papa back at home...

Some movie about cuban jazz/samba/reggae gets the west all excited about a new artistic movement...

US citizens flock (some legal, some not-so-legally) to join the music scene...

a cigar-smoking fad hits the young workers in the US...

Former Pres Carter goes and makes a grand speech about peace and all that...



and??? Is the issue a yearning for a nonmonetary trade system? a need for a true siesta at 2:00pm? what??? please, enlighten this poor ROCKnROLL fan! (and please, stick to the facts, or some semblance of said)

Should i be happy for the "opening" of cuba, or deathly afraid?

 

[anitram]

Cuba is shockingly beautiful. I took a bunch of pics when I was there, and you can see some of them here if you'd like .

 

[hiphop]

Is there anything to be afraid of? The music? The cigars?

I don?t think Havanna?s gonna take over Washington or something.

 

[hiphop]

anitram: ooooooooh the beaches... the beaches... just beautiful.

 

[Klaus]

Wonderful Architecture!

 

[verte76]

Oh, wow, pretty beaches, pretty buildings, probably alot of nice things to do........just yesterday my mother told me she wanted to go to Cuba.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I'd love to visit Cuba too.
A student from Cuba visited my university this year to give a talk about life in Cuba. I'd love to see more about it for myself

 

[gvox]

Cuba is a beautiful country. I had the opportunity to spend a week there in Guardalavaca, which, the locals tell me, meant 'guard your cow' or 'keep your cow off my grass'..lol..

Its a bit off the beaten path but the people were the friendlist set I've seen in a long time, and were somewhat proud and did not beg.

THE BEACHES!!!! OMG the beaches...clean, beautiful clean water and coral reefs galore.

Beautiful women of all types too...

Definately want to go back there again!




(PS Debbie, Im not so sure Elian was dragged kicking and screaming back to Cuba. That Cubans hate Cuba and Castro is a perception that, while popularly held by the US, I found hardly any real basis for in my discussions with average Cubans).

EDITED to add: You asked for facts Debbie, unfortunately I think what the majority of the US public has been fed about Cuba are probably lies and misinformation. Go there yourself, but tell them you're Canadian..

 

[melon]

Considering the U.S. trades with China and Vietnam, I think the reason for these sanctions have been lost in a mountain of hypocrisy. Cuba stopped being a threat after the Soviet Union imploded.

Melon

 

[melon]

(PS Debbie, Im not so sure Elian was dragged kicking and screaming back to Cuba. That Cubans hate Cuba and Castro is a perception that, while popularly held by the US, I found hardly any real basis for in my discussions with average Cubans).

It has less to do with Cubans, as much as the Cuban-Americans in Florida, who are very rabid about their support for the sanctions and also vote Republican in droves.

Melon

 

[gvox]

It has less to do with Cubans, as much as the Cuban-Americans in Florida, who are very rabid about their support for the sanctions and also vote Republican in droves.

Melon

Once more, bang on Melon!

 

[U2Bama]

the Cuban-Americans in Florida, who are very rabid about their support for the sanctions and also vote Republican in droves.

And as we are so pleasantly reminded, it IS "okay" to make racist comments about other groups, as long as you are liberal and don't like the way they vote!

~U2Alabama

 

[bonoman]

What is racist about what melon said, i dont see it.

I have a friend who works there 6 months out of the year and makes 3500$ a week, and he lives off the beach!!! Us Canadians who work there love it.

 

[melon]

And as we are so pleasantly reminded, it IS "okay" to make racist comments about other groups, as long as you are liberal and don't like the way they vote!

That isn't racist at all. Please tell me how it is. Now if I made a slur in place of "Cuban-Americans," then I would see your point.

But, so far, I don't see your point.

Melon

 

[U2Bama]

Perhaps in this politically correct, multicultural age (and with a "liberal arts" college degree under my belt), I notice minority characterizations such as "rabid" more than others. I can only imagine the media firestorm if a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama declared African-American voters in this state to be "rabid" in their support of the Democratic Party or gambling.

~U2Alabama

 

[melon]

Actually, I use the word "rabid" quite loosely, referring to die hard subordinate hegemonical groups, whether that be the NRA or GLAAD. Cuban-Americans, as a subordinate hegemonical group, in this instance, are generally very Republican.

If you interpreted it as "racist," it was not my intention.

Melon

 

[bonoman]

Geez get a grip Bama dont be so rabid....hehehe

 

[U2Bama]

Okay.

~U2Alabama

 

[U2Bama]

Perhaps I should have gone to the fire station for "free rabies vaccinations" this weekend. It could have changed my voting habits. I got a tetanus shot a few weeks ago, but it doesn't prevent rabies.

~U2Alabama

 

[DebbieSG]

I'm sure Cuba is a wonderful place because they don't have rapid animals there...

and the beaches are clear (of pollution and Western tourists)...

and the children dream of a home with a cigar box full of the best cancer-sticks in the world...

and money floats in rafts from rich cousins in South Beach (ok, Miami proper)...

what i would like to know, beside the "utopia" of such unspoiled streets and minds, is what legacy is buried beneath the current dictatorship, that makes the US so interested in what is happening there...

if there are any revolutionary war buffs out there, please feel free to add your .02 (or dollar) cents, cause we have forgotten everything pre-bay of pigs, haven't we??

 

[Klaus]

DebbieSG: they have lots of Western Tourists - as long as you don't think the US is the only "western government" ;-)

There were some atempts to stop this embargo because Castro as an dictator seems like a lamb compared to other lions which were supported in from the US (Saddam is one interesting example) in the past.

Klaus

 

[DebbieSG]

DebbieSG: they have lots of Western Tourists - as long as you don't think the US is the only "western government" ;-)

There were some atempts to stop this embargo because Castro as an dictator seems like a lamb compared to other lions which were supported in from the US (Saddam is one interesting example) in the past.

Klaus

i understand the generality of the term "western", Klaus. That is why i used it. so why haven't any of you other "western" peeps let us in on what is going on down there this past 20 some odd years? Surely you have many fine travel stories, fiesta and sangria memories, and some hidden cigars you could share with a deprived "new world" continental nation (that means us, the United States)? what's the story, morning glory, or ECC aristocrats, as the case may be...

do tell!

 

[gvox]

Everything you know is wrong, thats the story.

Your government has been lying about Cuba and holding them hostage for the Cuban missile crisis.

Sure, Castro's a dictator, and we all hate dictators, but much of the poverty in his country is directly/indirectly caused by the oppressive US embargos. He's certainly not spending oodles of cash on multiple palaces and wmd programs, like *some* other dictators out there.

I'm starting to wonder about the purpose of this thread. There are plenty of American groups who are working to have the sanctions lifted. Im sure if you are really genuinely interested there would be a plethora of information at your fingertips.

Otherwise, this whole thing just sounds like more thinly disguised (and perhaps even borderline racist) shit disturbing to me.

Next topic please.

 

[Klaus]

DebbieSG: so what's your exact question about Cuba?
Why it is not evil? Tel me what you think is evil and we can discuss that.

From my point of view Castro (a dictator) replaced an US friendly dictator, most of the people prefered the new dictator. Because of the preasure of the US troops Castro hat 2 choices, either to givie up or to make a pact with russia.

Klaus

 

[Gickies Gageeze]

i think u2bama does have a point, though i definately do not believe melon was trying to be racist in the slightest of ways.