Dump the Cuban Embargo

[Infin1ty]

Originally Posted by cbsmokin

It's funny that you post this. Did anyone else read about trying to make Cuba a state yesterday on MSN? If this ever happens I would love to visit Cuba before it takes place. It will be forever changed.

Are you sure your not thinking of Porta Rico?

[floydpink]

Nah, that's next to Minna Soda.

[Infin1ty]

Originally Posted by floydpink

Nah, that's next to Minna Soda.

Your not trying to make fun of me are you? Becuase thats how it's spelt.

[muziq]

Originally Posted by Infin1ty

You're not trying to make fun of me are you? Because that's how it's spelled.

I thought it was Puerto Rico...

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by Infin1ty

Your not trying to make fun of me are you? Becuase thats how it's spelt.

me? Not at all. pm me your addy and I'll send you the Atlas I am not using any more.

How does the making Cuba a state work? Does it pass through Congress, then go to the House and if they get a majority vote, then they let Castro know his term limit is up and in the 2008 elections there will be a ballot? I can see it now, Hillary changes her name to Hillary Castro in a major power move.

[Infin1ty]

Originally Posted by floydpink

me? Not at all. pm me your addy and I'll send you the Atlas I am not using any more.

How does the making Cuba a state work? Does it pass through Congress, then go to the House and if they get a majority vote, then they let Castro know his term limit is up and in the 2008 elections there will be a ballot? I can see it now, Hillary changes her name to Hillary Castro in a major power move.

lol, I really think that they made a mistake. I've heard nothing about making Cuba a state, just Puerto Rico (sorry about messin up the spelling, Google is not as reliable as it used to be ) They basically have all the rights that we do, except they cant vote and they dont pay taxes.

[icehog3]

I have ended dumped the embargo. You should be able to get Cohibas at Walgreens by Tuesday.

[Lanthor]

Originally Posted by icehog3

I have ended dumped the embargo. You should be able to get Cohibas at Walgreens by Tuesday.

Very gracious of you!! I better save these embargo era glass top boxes I have, worth big dollars some day.

[GOAT LOCKER]

Originally Posted by icehog3

I have ended dumped the embargo. You should be able to get Cohibas at Walgreens by Tuesday.

Thanks bro, I was gonna take a trip to see my source in TJ next week (you know, the guy with the striped donkey), but now I'll wait.

[Simplified]

If the Embargo is ever lifted the government in the US will be more interested in seizures from foreign purchases for the tax. Pricing would not be as crazy as Canada but the price of ISOM's would go up bunches and bunches as demand would increase and taxes would be added.

[Lumpold]

Ya'll can keep your embargo

[andrewsutherland2002]

Fidel is stepping down

[SR Mike]

I see two problems myself. One on the issue of turning Cuba into a US state. Doing so will take away Cuba's pride, let's look at history, when a country loses it's own government, tensions arise and grudges are held. Not like they do not have one against the US as it is. When the time comes for the Embargo to be lifted, their pride will continue to soar because they are their own nation. Also, since the establishment of the USA, it has never marched into a country and claimed it as it's own, just returned it to it's people to make up a new government.

The other is over the Embargo. Let's be realistic about Raul Castro, Fidel's younger brother and successor. Raul has been Fidel's right hand man since 1959. They have been working together and hold similar political values, except Raul embraces Communism far more than Fidel. Not only is he incapable of possessing the ability to conduct negotiations between the Country's own politicians, he has an even harder time negotiating with other nations.

Raul is praised for pulling Cuba out of it's crisis over lost crops, both edible and smokable. Okay he does not seem that bad, well when it comes to private business', the Castro's believe that such ownerships will cause a downfall of the country financially. They do not trust a government that allows it's citizens to rule themselves, believing that doing so will cause a revolution. They are pure blooded Communists.

Yet there remains a problem with Raul, in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 it is strict about when the Embargo will be lifted, it is necessary that their needs to be "a transition government in Cuba is in power," on top of that government "does not include Fidel Castro or Raul Castro."

So as nice as it would be to give everything to that little ISOM, the USA will not do so. Now if the Embargo was never emplace, I am sure Fidel and his government would have been removed by now. Since the USA has placed the Embargo, it is not going to break it. Remember that just because that island can be changed by force, if the US does so, it will add another chalk mark against them by other nations. The US is a nation of laws (we can debate that all day). If the US breaks the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 and starts working with Raul, the US will be seen as a country that now supports Communism, throwing away all that has been done for the good of the world since the Declaration of Independence was signed by it's forefathers.

Do my concerns make any sense?




Something for me to think about...

[SilverFox]

Lets start off with the fact that the Embargo being lifted would be a very good thing for the Cuban people. Also IMHO it isn't going to happen as long as it is a communist state under Castro (Fidel, Raul, or his dog Bobo) or similar dictator.

As far as the Tobacco industry if you lift the Cuban imbargo this isn't just an impact of imports from Cuba but there are hundreds if not thousands of international retailers that would be able to sell to the US market. I see a couple of problems with this..........recognizing that the US market is comprised of over 300million sticks annually and growing that is a huge market for competition in.

As far as I can see most of the BOTL's would at least get a sampler of sticks to put in there humi if not more, increase demand in Cubans means a couple of things, it means pressures on domestic production to increase to meet demand, and I can only see bad things in that. Poorer quality tobacco, poorer quality rolling, or a huge spike in prices. This also means that all the NC's out there will see a drop in their demand leading to problems in their markets, which meens either lower production or lowered prices.

I don't foresee the complete lifting of the embargo being beneficial to the Tobacco industry or the consumer in the long term, it needs to be a scaled out approach that retailers, producers, and consumers can acclimate to reasonably.

My for what its worth

[gnukfu]

If massive oil fields are found under or near Cuba the embargo will disappear.