# U.S. and Cuba -- has the reset button been pressed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 17, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498 "2014-12-17T15:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/101 "2014-12-20T14:42:20Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/102 "2014-12-20T14:52:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s symbolic only. Much of the anti-Cuba sentiment in the US is personal, based on resentment of the actions of the Castro regime itself, not International Communism. > > Castro is a Pavlov’s bell. Without him, the embarguistas will have no coherent organizing point. This is it. Castro vexed Eisenhower, and rubbed Kennedy’s nose in shit, and made him even eat some. The US govt still hasn’t got a good reason to let Cuba up yet. Castro is on his last legs, and retired, IIRC, so, the US can be magnanimous and cut a few corners, rather than wait for him to hang on another 5 years. Also, there’s no pressing need to change. We don’t need Cuba so much. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/103 "2014-12-20T15:25:40Z")
So it is the politics of the school bully who beats up on the smaller children just because they can not stand having any contradiction. More and more I understand why the americans are so unpopular among the people in their region. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/104 "2014-12-20T16:32:44Z")
Depends on how you measure popularity: \*What do you think about the US policies in Latin America? If you could, would you move to the US?\* You’ll come away with very different measures of popularity, depending on which question you ask. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/105 "2014-12-20T16:35:23Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > So it is the politics of the school bully who beats up on the smaller children just because they can not stand having any contradiction. More and more I understand why the americans are so unpopular among the people in their region. No offense but if the Cuba embargo is what’s opening your eyes to why the U.S. has haters in their backyard, you don’t know shit about it. America funded coups, funded insurgents and directly invaded Central American countries many times during the last century or so. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/106 "2014-12-20T17:30:01Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > No offense but if the Cuba embargo is what’s opening your eyes to why the U.S. has haters in their backyard, you don’t know shit about it. America funded coups, funded insurgents and directly invaded Central American countries many times during the last century or so. Chile comes to mind, although they don’t seem to be angry about it now. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/107 "2014-12-20T18:23:44Z")
Plenty of more recent examples though. Invading Panama and Grenada. Funding the Contras in Nicaragua. And if we stick with Cuba I am pretty sure the marines were sent in more than once to supress strikes and rebellion. The embargo is the soft stuff. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/108 "2014-12-24T23:27:14Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > More and more I understand why the americans are so unpopular among the people in their region. Well, I’ll make it simple for you-Everybody hates America because it is so wealthy, and other nations, bound by their own nationalistic blindness, and by jealousy, seethe in rage, and, rather than blame themselves, point the finger at the US. All poor nations, with corrupt governments, blame the US. Also, the US is MOL a different ethnic group. All ethnic groups distrust others, so, that makes it easy for them. Although, I do confess that I do not understand the unpopularity among the neighbors, in light of the $146 billion dollars from the US to them since WW2. > **[R42582.pdf](https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/R42582.pdf)** ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/109 "2014-12-24T23:34:57Z")
I’m fairly confused by the idea that when both of the Castro’s have died, that Cuba will magically be controlled by the Batista faction again. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/110 "2014-12-25T01:00:51Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’m fairly confused by the idea that when both of the Castro’s have died, that Cuba will magically be controlled by the Batista faction again. Well, I’ve mentioned in othe posts, the presumption that the Floricuban Establishment is coeval with the old Batista faction, may not be necessarily so, especially after 60 years. What IS a more generally held idea however is that the Floricuban Establishment are organized, highly motivated to the idea of regime change, have money, and have major political allies in the US, so they would have a leg up on both the homegrown dissidents and the caretaker Revolutionary government. Maybe they’d show up on the eve of the first open election with arms full of swag to spread, shiny campaign vans, Congressmen and former Presidents standing by their side, and a P.R. campaign made in the best production studios in Miami saying _“there’s more where this came from”_. Or maybe and more likely they’d just go buy everything and anything that can be bought at fire-sale rates (that they can’t get “rightfully returned”) and simply take over the island’s economy. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/111 "2014-12-25T07:16:55Z")
Ever hear the term “Banana Republic”? American expression for the small countries of Central America, whose governments served at the pleasure of the US Marines. It was not a complementary term. First we prop up Noriega, then lock him up. Look into what happened to Che Guevara. Yeah, the Americas don’t much care for the US. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/112 "2014-12-25T14:41:06Z")
Don’t forget [Operation PBSuccess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Guatemalan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) where we overthrew a democratically elected leader and installed a vicious dictator in order to keep Guatemala from nationalizing United Fruit’s plantations. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/113 "2014-12-26T05:13:08Z")
> [@andros](#): > > If they would only stop trying to pollute my precious bodily fluids, I might give the commies some slack. And, it’s not only \*your \*bodily fluids, **andros** ; flouride is in ice cream-\*children’s \*ice cream! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/114 "2014-12-26T05:14:24Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Ever hear the term “Banana Republic”? > > American expression for the small countries of Central America, whose governments served at the pleasure of the US Marines. > > It was not a complementary term. > > First we prop up Noriega, then lock him up. > > Look into what happened to Che Guevara. > > Yeah, the Americas don’t much care for the US. Yeah, the Americas are still boiling about that Che thing. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/115 "2015-01-03T06:00:24Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > No offense but if the Cuba embargo is what’s opening your eyes to why the U.S. has haters in their backyard, you don’t know shit about it. America funded coups, funded insurgents and directly invaded Central American countries many times during the last century or so. BTW, what evidence is there to the number of other states/peoples/etc… hating America? Or, is this just some urban myth? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/116 "2015-01-03T13:55:47Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > BTW, what evidence is there to the number of other states/peoples/etc… hating America? Or, is this just some urban myth? The Pew Foundation conducts surveys in a number of countries each year to assess how people view the U.S. In 2013, five of seven Latin American countries viewed the U.S. quite positively, and two were pretty evenly split. In 2014, seven of eight countries had either positive or strongly positive feelings toward the U.S. So right now, I’m going with “urban myth.” > **[U.S. Global Image - Research and data from Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/international-relations/global-image-of-countries/us-global-image/)** > > Research and data on U.S. Global Image from Pew Research Center > **[Chapter 1. Attitudes toward the United States](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/07/18/chapter-1-attitudes-toward-the-united-states/)** > > Overall, global attitudes toward America are positive. In 28 of 38 nations, half or more of those surveyed express a favorable opinion of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![OwnRules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@OwnRules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OwnRules)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/117 "2015-01-04T03:34:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Depends on how you measure popularity: > > \*What do you think about the US policies in Latin America? > > \*_ **By and large self-serving & exploitative** _ > > If you could, would you move to the US?\* > > \*_ **Due to the response to your first query, many/most of the poor have little choice but to try.** _ > > You’ll come away with very different measures of popularity, depending on which question you ask. > > \*_ **Not if you think as I do – one is the result of the other.** _ \*My responses in _ **bold, underlined Italics** _. ---
**Author:** ![OwnRules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@OwnRules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OwnRules)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/118 "2015-01-04T03:43:41Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The Pew Foundation conducts surveys in a number of countries each year to assess how people view the U.S. In 2013, five of seven Latin American countries viewed the U.S. quite positively, and two were pretty evenly split. In 2014, seven of eight countries had either positive or strongly positive feelings toward the U.S. > > So right now, I’m going with “urban myth.” > > [U.S. Global Image - Research and data from Pew Research Center](http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/1/) > > [Chapter 1. Attitudes toward the United States | Pew Research Center](http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/07/18/chapter-1-attitudes-toward-the-united-states/) There are others [**not so favorable**](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/11/who-loves-and-hates-america-a-revealing-map-of-global-opinion-toward-the-u-s/). Truth is hard to find. But as a Latin American resident, I can vouch that the US is not looked-on favorably amongst the middle to lower class. They aren’t stupid – really. OTHO, no doubt most of the upper-classes favor the US. _It’s the main reason they are upper classes._ ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/119 "2015-01-04T04:33:32Z")
> [@OwnRules](#): > > There are others [**not so favorable**](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/11/who-loves-and-hates-america-a-revealing-map-of-global-opinion-toward-the-u-s/). > > Truth is hard to find. But as a Latin American resident, I can vouch that the US is not looked-on favorably amongst the middle to lower class. They aren’t stupid – really. > > OTHO, no doubt most of the upper-classes favor the US. _It’s the main reason they are upper classes._ That’s a Washington Post article on the same studies I cited. So, I don’t think it disproves how I summarized the studies. Also, Pew is a very reputable organization that isn’t shy about reporting on US unpopularity in places like Jordan or Pakistan. If you can find some impartial data on the reputation of the US in Latin America that is different, please post it. I have no problem being corrected. But the data so far do not support that view. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498/120 "2015-01-04T05:29:16Z")
I can mostly report on the experience of El Salvador, I have to agree with **OwnRules** , but only regarding the recent past, when I was younger the US had indeed administrations that jumped to aid any military thug that claimed that the governments they supposed to serve were turning “communist”. But when I see the current administration not stopping trade trade and even helping rescue people affected by hurricanes in El Salvador, even though the Salvadoran president was/is from the party of the former guerrillas, I do think that many are changing and leaving in the past their then valid resentments. Of course, IMHO it can take just another Republican president like Bush to change the latest surveys; one just needs to get an administration that instead of aiding and helping other nations, regardless if they do not have 100% friendly governments to us, then we can expect those surveys to change very quickly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-and-cuba-has-the-reset-button-been-pressed/707498.md?page=7)