BrainGlutton: “I think the effect of a good or bad year would be reflected, not in the number of pesos you take home each week, but in what you can buy with them. […] the issue here is simply whether the U.S. should drop the embargo. I say that would be the best thing for the Cuban people”
Well here, I’ve been discussing things on a “best case” scenario, but let’s look at a bad one.
Let us say that a long time ago, Castro thought we were evil capitalist pigs and went out to find the most vocal hater of us, the USSR. He says to them, “Hey, these guys are right there on my doorstep and have they got some nerve! Let me help you out. Give me some money and I’ll let you park a couple of nuclear weapons at my crib just to make 'em sweat.” But in end result, we stop the missiles and Russia does what we want instead of what he wants–though they do give him some money. But the US keeps raggin on the USSR until they bust up and stop sending Castro money–meaning that he now has to earn a living for himself. Not only that, he’s back to just being a little island tyrant instead of the Great Threat and lead man of the great Communist Power!
And to add on top of everything, the US has dissed him and won’t give him any money or allow half of anyone to either.
Now let’s just pretend that, like many Latin men, Castro has a good helping of machismo in him–and say a good smattering of ego to go with it. He’s been reported as a little annoying bully for years on end and his people were going off to the US and making uber-dough, one of the few things keeping his perfect economy afloat.
And he decides, he’s going to dump any money he can get his hands on to secretly building a missile silo, and he sends off spies to the US to learn where all the fled Cubans live. And he has a button. A button he will use just befor he passes away. But alas! His economy is so bad that, not only can’t he build his missile silo, he has had to endebt himself to France just to keep the peasants fed so they don’t revolt! Oh, if only someone would bolster his economy!
Yes, he’ll get those traitors, and America back. He’ll be laughing on his way to Heaven!
^ So, what reason do I have to believe in everything I know about Castro that he is not a cantankerous, spiteful old man with every ability and reason to try and get revenge the moment he doesn’t have to worry about any repurcussions? Why should I believe that he won’t take our money, do a couple of press field-trips to show how everything is getting better with the new money–when really it’s a facade and 99% of all the money is going into his revenge ploy?
)
What does that have to do with the price of sex? We’re talking about an embargo, which interdicts commerce; any interdiction of charity incidental. If your cousin’s parent’s had offered to sell you their car, would it be your business how they spent the money?