Well, it wasn’t a sticking point before the Revolution – but, that’s one of the reasons Cuba had a revolution, all its post-Spain and pre-Castro governments were American puppets.
Maybe they can say they were drunk at the time: let’s forget this idiot’s delight.
From that page it’s kinda diffuse, isn’t it ? Almost as if they were just throwing stuff in there at the end.
I particularly like ‘Prohibits recognition of a transitional government in Cuba that includes Fidel or Raúl Castro’. Suppose the full and free elections had endorsed either of the two old buggers ? They had name-recognition.
And I see my own country… ‘* included criminal sanctions for complying with certain provisions[clarification needed] of the Helms–Burton Act whilst in the UK*’.
Quite right too.
Anyway, since ‘Reform’ always means Bad Things Will Happen; one may be sure that even if some or all Cubans don’t like the Freres Castro. they have enough sense to know that any exiles returning alongside gibbering economists and American ‘advisers’ will implement Market Reforms and Austerity For All.
A week or so back the chap who invented the BRICS acronym for those countries declared Brazilian workers should make themselves more attractive to foreign investment, or else.
Meaning, no doubt, harder work, lower wages and benefits, less job security and all the other things that make libertarians fondle themselves suggestively = No More Free Rides for the Brazilian Underclass !
Brazil already has among the highest levels of economic inequality in the world. So I’m not sure how the Brazilian underclass could make itself any cheaper.
Meanwhile the number of Cubans fleeing by boat has increased sharply. Speculation is that the possible normalizing of relations could end the Wet Foot, Dry Foot policy that favors Cubans in US immigration matters.
Here in Cayman we have seen an approximate doubling of the usual number of refugee boats. They stop here on the way to Honduras and then attempt to go overland to the States.
Unfortunately one of the vessels capsized in Cayman waters and one of the Cubans drown.
It gets even sillier.
Well, Cuba’s claim on Guantanamo is even older. It’s been US territory for 100 years, hasn’t it? If Americans should relinquish old claims, so should Cuba.
At last ! Someone speaking out against rent-seeking landlordism; and moving towards ownership based on Use rather than dusty old Title.
Tenants expropriate your houses and land ! Take the power from rentiers and use where you live as your own ! Never pay rent no more !
We can call it the Anti-Ownership Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 2015 ( Adaher-Gaddafi ).
I recall once in Miami I heard some Cuban-Americans confidently predict that not only will Cuba one day be a State of the Union, but there will be a highway bridge from Key West to Havana. (I think a rail tunnel like the Chunnel would make more sense, but that’s another discussion.)
Nobody’s building that yet – but, ferry service from Key West to Havana could be in the near future.
No problem, if one of the Castro brothers won a free election (and it’s quite probably they would) then we would just figure out a way to redefine the election as not really free.
I agree with the rest of your post, of course.
While that’s true, it used to be a lot more unequal 15-20 years ago, so there’s definitely room for things to get worse again. (Brazil has made progress since then, while the US has…not).
Obama is taking Cuba off the list of “terrorist” states. Also, both Obama and Raul Castro will be attending the 7th Summit of the Americas in Panama, the first time Cuba has been represented.
Cuba = Terrorist? O’Reilly. I mean, Really?
reuters:
Yeah, that elsewhere will always get you. The USA has a stellar reputation in dealings “south of the border y elsewhere”.
The takeaway, of course, is, “We need lots of resorts and casinos!”
And sex tourism.
You can say that after anything Obama does. Or doesn’t do; they’re pissed when he’s on vacation too.