It looks like the US is finally restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba...

Again, you are confuse. "no power" doesn't equate to no veto. Even without veto, the executive branch has power. You are just confuse.

 

This will go in a growing collection of zany predictions.

But back to the topic of Cuba... so basically you think Obama's move is a good one. And since you believe either the congress or the next GOP President (heh) will reverse this move, I take it you would criticize any effort to reverse Obama's move?

 

Cuban American politicians are disgusting.

 

racist

 

Yeah, I would. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a Republican and am critical of that party just as I am critical of the Democratic party. If the next president is a Republican and they reverse the move towards normalizing relations with Cuba, I'd be against that. There's no practical reason to continue the embargo unless there is some intelligence that I'm not aware of.

 

did you take the bet?

 

No, the bet was r****ded in that neither of us even know who is even going to be running.

 

As a practical matter, it's pretty unlikely that the next president, regardless of who it is, will have the right conditions to reverse a Cuban embassy. He'd have to trump up some Cuban yellow cake or something. It's not as easy a sell as saying we're not going to torture prisoners anymore. In that regard, executive orders can have some staying power.

 

What? How so?

 

I'm trying to get an idea on what to do for vacation in February. Likely somewhere in the Caribbean. Wish it could be to Cuba. Always thought that would be an awesome place to visit. It seems they have the tourist infrastructure because the Canadians and Europeans get to go there. What they don't have are the Americans. They'd make tons once this is lifted.

 

i was joking. that being said what you wrote was racist, what I think you meant was 'Cuban American politicians who don't support Obama's act are disgusting'. You can't call all Cuban American politicians disgusting, you need another conditional.

 

Hundreds of thousands of Americans go Cuba every year. Both legally and illegally and nobody has ever been prosecuted for traveling to Cuba for a vacation.

 

No I think their insistence on having no relations with Cuba is disgusting. Leave Obama out of this discussion. Why do we do business with Iran, Venezuela, Russia, China, etc.... Cuban American politicians don't get to dictate our nations policies because their parents were refuges .

 

To clarify further. These Cuban American politicians would say the same thing were it Romney making this move.

 

I read 90,000 Americans went last year and 70,000 the year before. Also that the biggest problem is getting into hot water if they find a stamp on your passport. So, are there potentially hundreds of thousands of Americans not getting stamped, or I misinformed?

 

You are misinformed. about 30,000 Americans go to Cuba from Cancun every year. Probably another 15-20,000 go out of Mexico City. Plus out of Canada, Panama, Bahamas, DR, Jamaica, etc. That's before anyone has even left out of Miami, New York, etc.

Nobody has ever been prosecuted for traveling to Cuba for a vacation. EVER. Stamp or no stamp. It doesn't matter. It has never mattered. You can tell the customs officer you went to Cuba. Or you can lie to them. No matter what people have told them, nobody has ever been prosecuted for traveling to Cuba for a vacation. Millions of people have traveled to Cuba without a license. about 10 or 12 years ago, they (OFAC) used to send out letters called pre-penalty noticed, that basically said, send us money or you could be fined or sent to prison. Everyone who ignored the letter or requested a hearing had nothing happen to them. The people that voluntarily sent them money normally had the original amount requested dropped by 90%. I haven't heard of anyone being fined in years. And the groups that used offer free legal representation to anyone who needed it have faded away because the government stopped sending out the pre-penalty notices.

 

You believe Cuban American politicians are disgusting if they insist on what you have stated above. See how I added the conditional for you? Without it your statement was racist. The only conditional you had in your first statement was that they be Cuban American.

 

I stand corrected after more research.


I'm only three hours from Toronto, and may do this. Just need to convince my wife, the less adventurous traveller.

 

2014 has been the most hostile US-Russian relations from a foreign policy standpoint in decades. Russia has cleaned the US' clock over and over again, whether it's in Crimea, Syria, or in intelligence issues. The Russians, led by an ex KGB agent, are running laps around America's vacuous celebrity figurehead. It shocks me to think that even one resident of our country could think that the cold war is over. People apparently are not paying attention to the news.

Today's move is pure insanity and once again, driven by short term political thinking instead of long term policy strength. Obama's coalition is comprised of young women and minorities -- two groups that have no appreciation for US-Cuba relations or issues. Ignorance reigns with this group, and reactions are predictably naive. Trips to Cuba, importing of cigars -- this is the type of foreign policy depth that the supporters of these actions are citing. It's an embarrassment -- no wonder the world regards most Americans as ignorant.

 

The Mexican government is corrupt as hell - allowing a cartel war to rage on which has killed thousands of innocent souls. The Saudis...well, they'll ****ing kill you if you draw a cartoon of Mohammed. But the Cubans, they just might send you to jail for owning PRIVATE PROPERTY!!! NO PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS!!!1!!! SOOOOOVIETS!!!!!!!! SOMEONE GOT THEIR FEELINGS HURT IN THE 19-****ING-60'S!!!!

I think that may sum up the argument with a very broad brush, because I don't even know why everyone is mad.