Dump the Cuban Embargo

[lenguamor]

Let's not be hasty, now; this embargo has only been in effect for 45 years...let's make sure we give it enough time to work.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by lenguamor

Let's not be hasty, now; this embargo has only been in effect for 45 years...let's make sure we give it enough time to work.

[Wraith]

One thing i have noted is the feeling i get when i smoke any cuban cigar, even fake ones. It is the feeling of having to work for something. Above the feeling you get from smoking a cigar that your hard earned money went towards. Even further that you had to circumvent some laws and obtain them. The same way that the taste of the liquor i had stolen from my parents as a child will never be rivaled.

Also, think of all the B&Ms that would have to blow out their walls when a flood of new merchandise comes to their doors.

[Snake Hips]

I don't get why they don't let you take Cuban cigars into the U.S. I get not being able to purchase or sell them, but bringing them in at all? If I were to go to Canada and buy a box of Cubans and bring them back, I would have already irreversibly aided the enemy by purchasing them. How does it damage the embargo effort to bring them into the States after I've purchased them?

BTW, I am going to Canada in July, and will enjoy immensely a Cuban and a glass of Scotch in Vancouver. Suck it Washington!

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

I don't get why they don't let you take Cuban cigars into the U.S. I get not being able to purchase or sell them, but bringing them in at all? If I were to go to Canada and buy a box of Cubans and bring them back, I would have already irreversibly aided the enemy by purchasing them. How does it damage the embargo effort to bring them into the States after I've purchased them?

BTW, I am going to Canada in July, and will enjoy immensely a Cuban and a glass of Scotch in Vancouver. Suck it Washington!

fwiw - I'm not a fan of the embargo but I will attempt to answer your question.

You have already broken the law by purchasing them. Even if you buy in Canada, technically you have violated the embargo. It is extremely unlikely you will be prosecuted for buying a Cuban cigar in Canada and smoking it there. Many choose not to buy to bring home because of the risk/penalty.

I guess I don't understand your discrimination between buying and bringing in.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by pnoon

fwiw - I'm not a fan of the embargo but I will attempt to answer your question.

You have already broken the law by purchasing them. Even if you buy in Canada, technically you have violated the embargo. It is extremely unlikely you will be prosecuted for buying a Cuban cigar in Canada and smoking it there. Many choose not to buy to bring home because of the risk/penalty.

I guess I don't understand your discrimination between buying and bringing in.

When I read the embargo legislation I got the impression that as a US Citizen, it was unlawful for me to smoke a cc anywhere in the world.
Is that right?
I know that I can't do business with Cuba even if I'm in another country, cause that's illegal too.
I can't visit Cuba even if I enter Cuba via another country.
I was impressed by how all encompassing and strangling the embargo is.

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by shilala

When I read the embargo legislation I got the impression that as a US Citizen, it was unlawful for me to smoke a cc anywhere in the world.
Is that right?

Yep. It is technically illegal for a US citizen to purchase Cuban goods, even outside the country where they are legal. Crazy, ain't it.

[rawlic]

Originally Posted by ArnaudDMR

This is exactly what I was telling co-workers the other day. Not sure how we can have such HUGE trade agreements with countries like China and still keep the old-man embargo with Cuba.

Things change and people change but jeez, the Cuba business has got to end. Makes no sense anymore!

I agree, but I think it's important to remember one important point. A major reason for the embargo is the fact that Castro's government nationalized a lot of American companies' operations without any restitution. It wasn't that long ago and companies have long memories for that sort of thing. And they have the ability to lobby our government.

So, I don't think it's as simple as Cuba's gov't easing things a little bit for the embargo to be lifted. The wronged companies are going to try and get what was theirs, or a piece of the 'new' Cuba.

-Chuck

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by rawlic

So, I don't think it's as simple as Cuba's gov't easing things a little bit for the embargo to be lifted. The wronged companies are going to try and get what was theirs, or a piece of the 'new' Cuba.

-Chuck

You got that right. Lawsuits will be plentifull and as I understand it, they are in place and ready to be filed as soon as the commies fall.

Speaking of why they are still in power, I have a crack-pot theory:

The Cuban Govn't had JFK killed. The US Govn't didn't want the public to know that a very small commie island could do such a thing to the mighty US. So, they made a deal with Castro's that they could stay in power until thier death as long as they never revealed that they were behind the assasination. Why else havn't we liberated Cuba? We have "liberated" dozens of other countires but have never tried in Cuba since the death of JFK.

See, I told you it was a crack-pot theory. There are alot of those around today, though.

[M1903A1]

Originally Posted by NCRadioMan

You got that right. Lawsuits will be plentifull and as I understand it, they are in place and ready to be filed as soon as the commies fall.

Speaking of why they are still in power, I have a crack-pot theory:

The Cuban Govn't had JFK killed. The US Govn't didn't want the public to know that a very small commie island could do such a thing to the mighty US. So, they made a deal with Castro's that they could stay in power until thier death as long as they never revealed that they were behind the assasination. Why else havn't we liberated Cuba? We have "liberated" dozens of other countires but have never tried in Cuba since the death of JFK.

See, I told you it was a crack-pot theory. There are alot of those around today, though.

I think it actually had a lot more to do with the Missile Crisis...it's been said that there was a tacit deal of "take those missiles out (and don't get any more bright ideas), and we promise not to mess with the Cuban government any more".

[fsjonsey]

I'm not trying to flame, but I don't believe the Cuban regime needs to make any more money off of their impoverished citizens. Where does all the money they make trading with the rest of the world end up? It definitely doesn't end up with the average Cuban, at least not very much of it.

[Fenwick]

I think it should remain in place so long as the Cuban government keeps on doing the things that led it to be enacted in the first place.

They have to clean up their act with respect to human rights violations and playing nice with other countries.

Until then, they're just going to have to suffer the consequences of their bad behavior.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by fsjonsey

Where does all the money they make trading with the rest of the world end up? It definitely doesn't end up with the average Cuban, at least not very much of it.

Goes to the Universal Health Care.

Saw a recent "expose" on Cuban healthcare.
Hidden cameras in hospitals.
Unbelievable.
No hygiene.
Dead bodies in beds next to live ones.
No medicatons.
No electricity.
Only the elitist belonging to the government and tourist get treated.

Oh, yeah, that's right. It is FREE. And that folks, is what so many want us to be compared to.
I love it.
Let's explain an accident to an eye witness.
Have always loved that saying.

[Snake Hips]

Originally Posted by pnoon

fwiw - I'm not a fan of the embargo but I will attempt to answer your question.

You have already broken the law by purchasing them. Even if you buy in Canada, technically you have violated the embargo. It is extremely unlikely you will be prosecuted for buying a Cuban cigar in Canada and smoking it there. Many choose not to buy to bring home because of the risk/penalty.

I guess I don't understand your discrimination between buying and bringing in.

Thanks for the reply.

I get how I'm damaging the embargo effort by buying them at all, even in another country, but my discrimination between buying and bringing in is the futility of not allowing me to take them into the country after I have already done business with Cuba. I bought the cigars, the damage is done - how is the act of taking the product into the country going to aid Cuba any further than the act of buying the cigars? It won't. I'm just saying that it's kind of dumb to not allow me to take them back into the country after I violated the embargo to the best of my ability by buying them. The money transaction with a Cuban company damages the embargo effort - taking the product into the country doesn't.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by Snake Hips

Thanks for the reply.

I get how I'm damaging the embargo effort by buying them at all, even in another country, but my discrimination between buying and bringing in is the futility of not allowing me to take them into the country after I have already done business with Cuba. I bought the cigars, the damage is done - how is the act of taking the product into the country going to aid Cuba any further than the act of buying the cigars? It won't. I'm just saying that it's kind of dumb to not allow me to take them back into the country after I violated the embargo to the best of my ability by buying them. The money transaction with a Cuban company damages the embargo effort - taking the product into the country doesn't.

So, for instance, if you buy heroin in Canada, bringing it into the US shouldn't be a problem since you have already hampered the efforts against Colombian Drug Lords in Canada?

It isn't just a matter of the economic damage done to the Embargo effort done by buying the cigars....it is illegal to possess Cuban cigars in the U.S.... So, you have damaged the Embargo effort out of the country, but you have also broken the law when you bring them in to the U.S. .