Cuba US: John Kerry reopens Havana embassy on historic trip

Somewhat surprised to find no discussion of this:

From here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-33919484 (with nice video and actual report of the occasion)

A bit overdue one might say, but still a historic occasion.

 

Still doesn't fix the inherent flaws of state socialism.

 

You are right. We should continue to do everything possible besides diplomacy to convince them we are so superior to them. That only we hold the moral high ground in the holy war against the inherent evils of godless socialism. That providing a positive example of how a proper democracy should operate is actually counterproductive. That attempting to assassinate their leader incessantly, intentionally wrecking their economy repeatedly, and even trying to invade their sovereign country after they finally managed to depose our puppet fascist dictator were the only real courses of action open to us to show how morally superior we truly are.

 

Certainly a wonderful day.

 

You forgot sponsoring and harbouring terrorists.

 

Oh right. Because they had the temerity to send soldiers to train the victims of white racists in Africa to defend themselves long ago. But it finally dawned on the US government that it no longer made any sense at all to consider them as such for even such a feeble excuse so many decades ago.

 

If it makes the people freer, then it is a good thing, if not, then giving legitimacy to this regime is a bad idea.

 

Luis Posada Carriles lives in the US. He is one of our terrorists.

 

Actually I was thinking of these guys:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordination_of_United_Revolutionary_Organizations

 

To be fair the embargo worked. Their economy after about 1970 when the Soviets started pulling back pretty much collapsed. The only reason to remove the embargo now is that they are no longer a threat and we can change them to a democracy much easier now that they have seen 50 years of hardship under Communism. Most importantly we can change them to a democracy without ever firing a shot and create a nice vacation spot to boot.

 

Yes, we should be so proud of ourselves for intentionally making the lives of millions of people a living hell merely because they had the temerity to finally depose our corrupt fascist puppet dictator.

 

You act as though that matters in the grand show. It was a plan of action by one government against a rival one. As you are from the US, the actions of our government ensured our safety, security, and survival through the Cold War. The US ensured our survival and for that I am one who is grateful to those before us who ensured our survival with actions such as the embargo and many others.

 

You mean the lame excuse used to defraud the taxpayers of the US of trillions of "welfare" dollars by the military-industrial complex?

"God help this country when someone sits in this chair who doesn't know the military as well as I do." Dwight Eisenhower

 

It amazes me that this country can have people in it who have never learned what has allowed they and there forefathers to prosper in this great land of ours. The average American being so far removed from those that ensure the survival of this great nation.

 

What "amazes" me is that those who are entrusted to our national defense so frequently have no conception of the lies which they have been subjected to for countless years. This is true even after a highly decorated general and president like Dwight Eisenhower tells them all about it on national TV.


Link to video.

 

Is Colonel seriously suggesting that Castro's Cuba was actually an existential threat to the United States?

 

It was a threat by extension of Soviet Russia at the time. Afterwards Cuba simply refused to submit to the will of the US thus the embargo remained in effect.

 

Ah yes. Not backing down to the playground bully... a terrible crime indeed.

 

If it makes a difference, since the thawing started about a year ago, Cuba has started reforming its economy and opening up more industries. The embassy opening itself won't help bring Cuba into the 21st century, sure, but warmer and increased ties between the US and Cuba would be good for both and their peoples.

Just ticking off all the talking points, aren't you?

 

Who's "talking point" is that?