Cuba crumbling

[amoy]

That comparison btwn 'Socialist Cuba' and 'Capitalist Haiti' is indeed enlightening. Now Cuba is implementing kind of Deng style 'reforms', through which I bet Cubans would lose 'peace of mind'

A friend of mine has been Cuba in 2008. If u wish pls browse his travelogue 中北美篇-心的漂泊_尘缘（Y哥）_新浪博客 though in Chinese
古巴日记 = Cuban Diary

Pictures speak louder than writings/statistics we usually get on line

 

[pmaitra]

^^

Please upload the pictures. All I see is a pattern that looks like a candy wrapper.

 

[The Messiah]

Frankly, Cuban regime is in no position to dictate the terms of their relationship right now. Economically they're in the worst shape now than at any other time of their revolutionary existence. They can however make bold gestures to the US like what Myanmar is doing...

Your right...they're in no position to dictate terms because the usa govt wants them to kneel (how dare you go against us!). The whole relationship depends on usa and not on cuba because cuba wanted good relations with usa and only went to ussr afterwards. castro wasn't even communist then! Now the standoff is between the ego of usa vs self respect of cubans.

 

[pmaitra]

If the Castro admin will allow foreign ownership of properties, yes! I would fly next week!

The Raul Castro admin is much friendlier than the Fidel Castro admin of the past.

 

[asianobserve]

The Raul Castro admin is much friendlier than the Fidel Castro admin of the past.

Agree, more pragmatic. But they're both Castro so I just lump them... BTW, what's with enlightened communists? They have a knack for creating dynasties... Kims and Castros...

 

[asianobserve]

I was referring to the Cuban diaspora in Florida. They are indeed in a position to dictate terms at some of the Congressmen.

The problem is that this Cuban diaspora is even harsher than the American government towards the Castro regime. They are the main problem why closer Cuban ties is not an easy matter for countless US administrations...

 

[Tronic]

The sight of American cars from before 1959 plying the streets is charming but an indication of chronic stagnation. Going to the rural areas is like boarding a time machine to the 19th century. Farmers plow by walking behind two oxen, and horses provide basic transportation. Public "buses" consist of horse-drawn wagons

.

Sounds like utopia to me.

Viva la Revolucion! Viva la Cuba!

And no, I'm not being sarcastic.

Here is the test. Would you prefer to live in Cuba?

I know someone who visits Cuba almost every 2-3 months and is desperately trying to find a way to settle in there. He has a Cuban girlfriend and he plans to marry, but I honestly believe that if they do get married, they will marry each other for totally different goals. He wants to be married to be able to live there, she probably wants to marry him to get out. Ahh.. something about grass always being greener on the other side.

 

[Tronic]

That comparison btwn 'Socialist Cuba' and 'Capitalist Haiti' is indeed enlightening. Now Cuba is implementing kind of Deng style 'reforms', through which I bet Cubans would lose 'peace of mind'

Although I can't read the Chinese blog nor see the pictures, I totally agree with you.

 

[Tshering22]

Cuba should abandon the old style communism traditionally and infuse some democratic principles in it. Balance of authority and democracy would bring the best out of Cuba's strengths. In today's multi-polar world, I don't think Cuba needs to be dependent on USA alone. With emerging countries like Brazil and Argentina and oil rich countries like Venezuela, Cuba would have a great commercial sector if it opens up like China did and become a wealthy nation by trading with South America alone.

Add to that the capabilities with which they could attract our, Chinese and South African investors into their country. Cuba has a good potential and a lot of hidden capabilities but Raul Castro has to open up and forget the 50s style communist mentality.

 

[The Messiah]

Cuba should abandon the old style communism traditionally and infuse some democratic principles in it. Balance of authority and democracy would bring the best out of Cuba's strengths. In today's multi-polar world, I don't think Cuba needs to be dependent on USA alone. With emerging countries like Brazil and Argentina and oil rich countries like Venezuela, Cuba would have a great commercial sector if it opens up like China did and become a wealthy nation by trading with South America alone.

Add to that the capabilities with which they could attract our, Chinese and South African investors into their country. Cuba has a good potential and a lot of hidden capabilities but Raul Castro has to open up and forget the 50s style communist mentality.

Dont you see that anyone who trades with cuba is penalized and fined by usa. Intelligent business will not want bad relations with usa. Which company will go there ? If India imposes trade embargo on bhutan and any company who goes there gets fined in India then what will they do ?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Dont you see that anyone who trades with cuba is penalized and fined by usa. Intelligent business will not want bad relations with usa. Which company will go there ? If India imposes trade embargo on bhutan and any company who goes there gets fined in India then what will they do ?

United States embargo against Cuba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At present, the embargo, which limits American businesses from conducting business with Cuban interests, is still in effect and is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. Despite the existence of the embargo, the United States is the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US).[5] However, Cuba must pay cash for all imports, as credit is not allowed.[6]

Spurred by a burgeoning interest in the assumed untapped product demand in Cuba, a growing number of free-marketers in Congress, backed by Western and Great Plains lawmakers who represent agribusiness, have tried each year since 2000 to water down or completely erase regulations preventing Americans from traveling to Cuba. Four times over that time period the United States House of Representatives has adopted language lifting the travel ban, and in 2003 the U.S. Senate followed suit for the first time. However, each time President George W. Bush threatened to veto the bill. Faced with a veto threat, each year Congress dropped its attempt to lift the travel ban. United States nationals can circumvent the ban by traveling to Cuba from a different country (such as Mexico, The Bahamas, Canada or Costa Rica), as Cuban immigration authorities do not stamp passports. In doing so, they would risk prosecution by the U.S. government if discovered.

Some libertarian and conservative critics argue that the embargo actually helps Fidel and Raul Castro more than it hurts them, by providing a scapegoat to blame for all of Cuba's problems. Hillary Clinton has publicly shared the view that the embargo helps the Castros, noting that "It is my personal belief that the Castros do not want to see an end to the embargo and do no want to see normalization with the United States." Clinton said in the same interview that "we're open to changing with them," though the US government maintains its strong stance in support of the embargo while the Castros continue to oppose it.

 

[asianobserve]

Dont you see that anyone who trades with cuba is penalized and fined by usa. Intelligent business will not want bad relations with usa. Which company will go there ? If India imposes trade embargo on bhutan and any company who goes there gets fined in India then what will they do ?

Stop reading Chavez's newsfeeds. Here's the reality on the ground:

"Today, Cuban farmers produce about half of the nation's annual food requirements for the 11.5 million residents. In some years, Cuban food production falls 70 percent to 80 percent short. The U.S. fills about 40 percent of the void on average. Other suppliers include Europe, Canada, Brazil, Vietnam and Argentina."

Expanded U.S. farm exports to Cuba on horizon | Government content from Western Farm Press

 

[Tshering22]

Dont you see that anyone who trades with cuba is penalized and fined by usa. Intelligent business will not want bad relations with usa. Which company will go there ? If India imposes trade embargo on bhutan and any company who goes there gets fined in India then what will they do ?

Chinese would definitely want to try.. they'd go for those countries that have problems between them and US. I am surprised how come CCP is not rushing to help their Communist "brothers" this time.

 

[amoy]

Indeed a valid question. Here are links
China to invest $6B in Cienfuegos Cuba oil refinery - Cuba Business News - Havana Journal

"It is one of the biggest investments in the history of Cuba. It's a minimum of $4.5 billion just for the refinery and another $1.3 billion for the LNG terminal," an executive involved with the project told Reuters.

china

Cuba pledged to supply China with 4000 tons of nickel each year through 2009. China will invest over $500 million to finish building a Soviet-abandoned nickel plant in Eastern Cuba, and agreed to prospect for nickel throughout the island. Cuba has large reserves of nickel, a metal essential for making stainless steel, one in short supply throughout the world. For five years, Cuba has supplied China with half of its nickel requirements. Interestingly enough, for metal products to gain entry into the United States, they must be certified as free of Cuban nickel.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

To tell the truth, I didn't think that much of the original article. Good to see some useful discussion about Cuba and China, though.

 

[Tshering22]

Indeed a valid question. Here are links
China to invest $6B in Cienfuegos Cuba oil refinery - Cuba Business News - Havana Journal

china

I knew it...your government sees good opportunity in countries that US shuns. Nice strategy.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Pope wants to see Fidel Castro on Cuba trip: source | Reuters

 

[W.G.Ewald]

US Lawmakers Express “Concern” Over Jay-Z, Beyonce Cuba Trip

Two United States lawmakers are expressing "concern" over a trip to Cuba this week by music stars Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles-Carter.

The two reportedly traveled to Cuba to mark their fifth wedding anniversary.

Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart have written a letter to Adam Szubin, director of the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control, seeking information on the type of licence the pair of stars received for their travel to Cuba.

US citizens are permitted to travel to Cuba only under certain licences, such as people-to-people travel or educational endeavours.

"We would like to respectfully request, within all applicable rules and guidelines, information regarding the type of licence that Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such travel," the lawmakers wrote.

"If these individuals were given people-to-people licenses, we would like to bring to your attention the Cuba Travel Advisory issued by OFAC on July 25, 2011 which states, 'OFAC only licenses People-to-People Groups that certify that all participants will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the travelers and individuals in Cuba,'" they wrote.

Both Members of Congress have been longtime critics of Cuba's government.

The two said that, because Cuba's tourism industry is "wholly state-owned," "US dollars spent on Cuban tourism directly fund the machinery of oppression that brutally represses the Cuban people."