long overdue

[mrpink]

normalized relations with cuba is something im counting on obama to make a dent in.

in my opinion our ongoing foreign policy regarding cuba is not only dated and innefectual,but also borders on being an international embarrassment.

this failure of diplomacy wasnt even effective when its conflict was current,and in fact,crippled our ability to gather and maintain intelligence on a country not 3 hours from disneyworld.

the bill is sponsored by one of our senators that i hate the least,byron dorgan

the article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7975663.stm

[ApollosWorld]

I agree with normalizing relations with Cuba.

[MorpheusX]

Sure, but there are much bigger fish to fry than Cuba libre.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Russian, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Isreal/Palestine, etc.

Those are much more pressing foreign relation/military issues than Cuba at the moment, so Cuba's on the back burner till at least 2012.

The Republicans fucked EVERYTHING up for sooooo long that Obama's needs 8 arms and 4 shovels to begin to make a dent in the mountainous heap of fuck ups the Repubs left him.

I'm dying laughing at how the man has been in office for a little over 2 months and conservative are railing against him.

It actually makes me feel good, since everything conservatives have said, done or believed have created the disaster we find ourselves in, so if they are for it, it's probably the wrong thing to do and if they are against it, it's probably the right thing to do. :laugh:

[mrpink]

dont miss the point.

theres nothing material to be gained from relations with cuba.

it just,in general,makes our foreign relations more effective.

if you dont think it makes us look like a cunt by placing an embargo on a 3rd world country after refusing to sit at a table with them for 50 years,then your out of touch.

time to learn that lesson before we have armed conflict with one of the countrys you mentioned above,specifically iran

we arent kids in crotona park,foreign relations is all about diplomacy and dialogue.

without that all ya got is me,my m-14,a pocket full of grenades and a radio that may or may not work.....im starting to show my age,you may want a few more options.

its time to start talking.

[ApollosWorld]

Morph wrote:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sure, but there are much bigger fish to fry than Cuba libre.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Russian, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Isreal/Palestine, etc.

Those are much more pressing foreign relation/military issues than Cuba at the moment, so Cuba's on the back burner till at least 2012.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29988579/

[Daflames51]

Morph wrote:



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29988579/

Wow, silver tongue negro knows how to sooth a motha fucka. But on the real this is amazing to see. I mean how long did that take?

[mrpink]

yeah thats a big one.

with medveded amiable that entire list becomes easier to deal with.

in this day and age theres no excuse for not having dialogue.

diplomacy with cuba and iran specifically can go along way towards changing the perception of american diplomacy...wich has taken a beating over the past 8 years.

in 2001 the whole world,iran included got behind the u.s.

8 years later and we have to tell people we're canadian when we leave the country.

[MorpheusX]

Don't miss my point.

I think normalizing relations with Cuba is a great thing and will do more to advance democracy in that country than any foreign policy we could adopt.
But I'm concerned with the fact that Obama has soooo much on his plate that requires so much political and public goodwill to execute and see it through that I'd rather he spend his political capital on the big issues first, then swing back around afterwards and clean up the little things.

There's already a meme in the media (which the Republicans created and continue to foment) that Obama is "doing too much", (as if he had a choice!).

He doesn't need to overplay his hand. Let him solve major crises first, gain more political capital, then mop up the rest of the smaller issues like normalizing relations with Cuba, etc.

[MorpheusX]

Well looky looky here..

From the Miami Herald:
http://www.anonym.to?http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/997653.html

Some travel restrictions to Cuba to be lifted

The Obama administration on Monday will lift travel and gift restrictions for Cuban Americans, allowing them to travel more freely to the island and send additional financial help to family members.

The policy change marks the most significant U.S. gesture to Cuba in decades and comes amid efforts in Congress to lift all travel restrictions to the island.

"This is an effort to reach out to the Cuban people in an effort to support the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their country's future," a senior administration official told The Miami Herald. "The president has said this is the most direct means to open up the kind of space that is necessary to see democratic change in Cuba."

The changes also include licensing steps to open up greater communication to the island and expanding the items that can be sent to the island, including clothing, personal hygiene items and fishing equipment.

Still prohibited: sending items to senior government officials and Communist Party members.

The announcement is timed to coincide with the fifth Summit of the Americas, which opens this week in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Latin American leaders have pressed the administration to normalize relations with Cuba, and its outsider status is likely to be a topic of conversation.

The latest restrictions were imposed by President George W. Bush in 2004, months before the presidential election and after the regime imprisoned 75 dissidents during a crackdown.

Obama campaigned on a pledge to improve relations with Cuba, but the administration has pledged not to lift the trade embargo against Cuba.

"The road to freedom for all Cubans must begin with justice for Cuba's political prisoners, the right of free speech, a free press, freedom of assembly, and it must lead to elections that are free and fair," Obama said in Miami during a presidential campaign stop. "That is my commitment."

Cuba watchers say the regime is likely to take a subtle response to the policy shift; some in the government would like to see the entire travel ban and trade embargo repealed.

A State Department spokeswoman said last week that as the administration reviews its travel and remittance policies, it ‘‘hope[s] to see evidence that the government of Cuba has committed itself to addressing disparities among its citizens in the enjoyment of human rights and economic opportunities."