Cuban Accounting

[Admiral Yi]

You are so right.  It was totally logical we took North Korea off the list and left Cuba on since North Korea is so freedom loving and so much less dangerous than Cuba.

Dude, if you're going to quote me you should at least make an effort to post something that has some kind of relation to mine and/or the one I was responding to.

[Valmy]

Dude, if you're going to quote me you should at least make an effort to post something that has some kind of relation to mine and/or the one I was responding to.

Oh come on we have discussed this a billion times.  I know what your talking points are.

In any case do I really have to?   The idea that a major economic embargo has no negative effects on people's lives is pretty absurd.

[Admiral Yi]

Oh come on we have discussed this a billion times.  I know what your talking points are.

What the hell does this have to do with anything?  fahdiz said the embargo has hurt the Cuban economy more than Castro's policies.  I called bullshit.  What does anything you posted after that have to do with this subject?

[fhdz]

Yeah, Castro is awful but our embargo has been more harmful to the Cuban people and has done more to keep them in poverty than Castro has. Hate to say it, but it's true.

How would their lives be much different?

They wouldn't be quite as in the dark about some of the alternatives to living under Castro, for one thing. Look at what blue jeans did in the Soviet Union.

[Grey Fox]

Yeah, Castro is awful but our embargo has been more harmful to the Cuban people and has done more to keep them in poverty than Castro has. Hate to say it, but it's true.

How would their lives be much different?

For one? Access to trans atlantic telecommunications cable much earlier. Chavez was nice enough to build one last year.

Access to fresher food products from the US instead of from Europe/South America.

[Admiral Yi]

For one? Access to trans atlantic telecommunications cable much earlier. Chavez was nice enough to build one last year.

Access to fresher food products from the US instead of from Europe/South America.

How is the embargo affecting Cuba's ability to lay cable to Europe?

Cuba can already import food (and medicine) from the US.  They just have to pay cash.

The biggest impact is obviously tourism. 

[fhdz]

Please describe for me - and this is not a leading question - the benefit provided to the United States by continued embargo of Cuba.

[Admiral Yi]

Please describe for me - and this is not a leading question - the benefit provided to the United States by continued embargo of Cuba.

The principal ones that come to mind are to emphasize the negative consequences of uncompensated asset appropriation and to provide a bargaining chip for liberalization.

[derspiess]

For one? Access to trans atlantic telecommunications cable much earlier. Chavez was nice enough to build one last year.

Okay, stupid question.  How much difference does that make for the average Cuban?

Access to fresher food products from the US instead of from Europe/South America.

To add to what Yi said, IIRC the US is Cuba's top food supplier.

[Josephus]

Good job Josephus.
Keep helping perpetuate a ditactorship and the suffering of a poor people.

All I did was link to a Cuban newspaper article about their odd accounting practices vis-a-vis the manipulation of their peso.

But once you got this going. I agree. One day the Cuban dictatorship will fall and the Cuban people will be as rich and free as...well, Haitians maybe.

[fhdz]

The principal ones that come to mind are to emphasize the negative consequences of uncompensated asset appropriation

So to drive that one home, we are punishing...the Cuban people?

and to provide a bargaining chip for liberalization.

How's that been working for us?

[Admiral Yi]

So to drive that one home, we are punishing...the Cuban people?

I don't understand the ... ellipses.  The Cuban state expropriated US property in the name of the Cuban people.  Would it make more sense to punish Argentinians?

How's that been working for us?

Perfectly.  We still have the chip.

[derspiess]

Would it make more sense to punish Argentinians?

Just give me the word

[DGuller]

Good job Josephus.
Keep helping perpetuate a ditactorship and the suffering of a poor people.

All I did was link to a Cuban newspaper article about their odd accounting practices vis-a-vis the manipulation of their peso.

But once you got this going. I agree. One day the Cuban dictatorship will fall and the Cuban people will be as rich and free as...well, Haitians maybe.

I don't agree.  I think post-communist Cuba has a lot of potential, if it can be managed properly.  One thing communism is generally good at, with some notable exceptions, is developing human capital.  Ironically, you can't take advantage of it until you lose the communism bullshit, but it does build a lot of the necessary framework.

[derspiess]

I don't agree.  I think post-communist Cuba has a lot of potential, if it can be managed properly.  One thing communism is generally good at, with some notable exceptions, is developing human capital.  Ironically, you can't take advantage of it until you lose the communism bullshit, but it does build a lot of the necessary framework.

I think post-communist Cuba has the most potential if it isn't managed much at all.  It would be the anti-Haiti, in fact.