Thaw in US - Cuba relations

[Jacob]

The United States will open an embassy in Cuba for the first time in a half century and restore full diplomatic relations, senior administration officials announced Wednesday.
As part of the diplomatic thaw, the U.S. will ease restrictions on remittances, travel, and banking relations regarding Cuba. Meanwhile, Cuba will release 53 prisoners identified as political prisoners by the U.S. The economic embargo imposed on Cuba by the U.S. during the Eisenhower administration will remain in place for now.

The news follows Cuba's release of U.S. citizen Alan Gross from prison Wednesday after five years in captivity. (The U.S. also exchanged three alleged Cuban spies in return for a U.S. intelligence agent held in a Cuban prison for nearly 20 years.) The diplomatic breakthrough is the result of 18 months of secret negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba, brokered by the Vatican.

Raul Castro and President Obama will both speak, separately, around noon Eastern time.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2014/12/17/gross-not-part-of-cuba-spy-swap.html

Good? Bad? Terrible? Domestic repercussions in Cuba and the US?

What are your thoughts?

[Darth Wagtaros]

Commies.

[Jacob]

Commies.

Enough about Obama.

[Zanza]

The US policy on Cuba in general seems nonsensical to me.

[Grey Fox]

It's a wonderful things for Cubans. Not so much for Canadian tourists tho.

[Berkut]

It's about time.

[derspiess]

If the Cuban gubmint would throw us a bone and make at least one real democratic reform, I'd be okay with it.  But if we're not insisting on something like that (and I'm guessing we're not) then what is there to negotiate?

[The Brain]

Sweet, sweet reset button.

[Grey Fox]

If the Cuban gubmint would throw us a bone and make at least one real democratic reform, I'd be okay with it.  But if we're not insisting on something like that (and I'm guessing we're not) then what is there to negotiate?

The US has been going at this the wrong way for 50 years, it's time to wake up & realise victory will come when you give them your culture, not take it away.

[The Brain]

America should share its nuclear culture with them.

[Berkut]

If the Cuban gubmint would throw us a bone and make at least one real democratic reform, I'd be okay with it.  But if we're not insisting on something like that (and I'm guessing we're not) then what is there to negotiate?

Why?

Why should we require them to make some token reform that *we* approve of in order to treat them like many other countries we deal with all the time?

[derspiess]

Sounds like 100% normalized relations.  Wow.  Wonder what Hillary's take on this will be.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/17/politics/cuba-alan-gross-deal/

[Zanza]

The economic embargo imposed on Cuba by the U.S. during the Eisenhower administration will remain in place for now.

Can anybody think of a similar totally ineffective policy that has been kept around for 60+ years?

[derspiess]

If the Cuban gubmint would throw us a bone and make at least one real democratic reform, I'd be okay with it.  But if we're not insisting on something like that (and I'm guessing we're not) then what is there to negotiate?

Why?

Why should we require them to make some token reform that *we* approve of in order to treat them like many other countries we deal with all the time?

Because the embargo was the status quo.  In order for us to make the effort to change the status quo, we ought to get something in return.  Like I said, just throw us a frickin' bone.

Or at least give me one opportunity to kick Fidel in the nuts.

[The Brain]

The economic embargo imposed on Cuba by the U.S. during the Eisenhower administration will remain in place for now.

Can anybody think of a similar totally ineffective policy that has been kept around for 60+ years?

Meh, can't think of anything witty enough.