U.N. votes against U.S. embargo on Cuba for 17th year

[amyrose2712]

Source: Reuters

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 29, 2008 (Reuters) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to urge the United States to lift its 46-year-old embargo against Cuba in a resolution adopted for the 17th consecutive year.

The resolution entitled "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" was passed with 185 votes in favor, three against and two abstentions.

The measure is nonbinding and has had no impact on U.S. policy in the past.

Read more: http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre49s6v0-us-cuba-un-embargo/

[asjr]

1. Flame me but I've always thought

the embargo was cutting off our nose to spite our own face.

[redqueen]

2. An embargo against Cuba while we turn China into a superpower...

kinda doesn't make much sense.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. And ineffective, to boot.

It was blue jeans and KFC that brought down the soviet union. If we'd been dealing with Cuba the way we did China and Russia and VietNam - which cost us 50 thousand lives, not just a few hotels and sugar plantations - their revolutionary state would have probably collapsed two decades ago. There is NO reason for communist Cuba to have outlasted communist Russia, except as a reaction to our pressure.

[Judi Lynn]

20. They've already lived the way the US wanted them for many, many years. That's why they threw out the

brutal, bloody, deathsquad-happy, Mafia loving Fulgencio Batista, and the whole filthy realm of dirty people running the government, exploiting the vast majority of the people, keeping them living in unbearable conditions to the point they had no option but to throw them out.

The point of the embargo and the years of relentless terrorism against Cuba has been to make things so bad for them, they'll throw out their own government and allow back the monsters they had in the first place. That's not going to happen.

[Billy Burnett]

28. So, you are hoping for the collapse of Cuba?

FYI, Cuba isn't the USSR.

Cuba excels in a broad range of social stats. Because of this, Cubans fare better that most of the inhabitants of the Americas. Better than the US in several social measures.

I have the greatest hopes for Cuba. I certainly don't want Cuba to collapse and fall victim to IMF reforms, or US mandated reforms as a condition for US/Cuba dialog and normalization of relations. Cubans don't want that either, because they are well versed in their own history of US hegemony, and the history of much of the world that has fallen victim to kleptocracy and "free trade".

All Cubans are asking for, and have been all along, is fair play, fair trade, and fair travel rights for Americans.

[RaleighNCDUer]

34. Please don't misunderstand me - I'm talking tactics, not politics here.

I think the revolution was the best thing that could have happened to Cuba - they have the highest literacy rate in the western hemisphere, universal health care, and the dignity of not being subject to another country's crime bosses. Fidel started out admiring the US and the ideals of our constitution, and only after we rejected him and tried to take him down did he fully embrace the more radical stances of Che and others.

I'm only saying that tactically, if the US wanted to undermine the revolution, the government should have allowed loopholes to infiltrate Cuban society with the trinkets of the US consumerist economy. The stance the US took made them a nation under siege, which only strengthened the Cuban government and allowed them to point to the US as the source of anything that went wrong. There's no way of knowing if a different approach would or could have changed anything, but the approach taken was, and is, clearly NOT the right one.

For the record, I think the embargo should end, that travel restrictions should be lifted, and that we should embrace the government the Cubans want. If we can do that with Vietnam, we can certainly do it with Cuba.

[Billy Burnett]

37. Got it.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

[cobalt1999]

4. I agree, but I hope Obama leave this topic alone until after the election.

It's a potential landmine topic.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Doubtless he will

but the subject is of less importance since the complete ending of sanctions now by the EU. There remains the thorny subject of action by Dimson of against EU banks and companies with interests within the USA and it will interesing to see if Obama's view remains the same. If hope not but if so then I guess you really have got Animal Farm.

[harmonicon]

5. who would flame you for that?

Only the insane and grudge-holding think the embargo against Cuba is a good thing.

[redqueen]

10. I dunno... there are some here

who are as enthusiastic about bashing Cuba as they are Venezuela.

[harmonicon]

12. yeah, but there's a name for them

"racists"

[redqueen]

13. I don't think so...

I think it's more to do with ... 'centrism', shall we say?

[GirlieQ]

15. I coined the phrase "product of the Cold War' in high school...

mainly when my parents were trying to interject crap into my civics lessons. It's incredible how ignorant a couple of hicks from Kansas can be about things that happened during their generation. I'd like to think that the Cuba thing isn't racism...

[harmonicon]

22. I would like to think so too

I did for a long time, but I don't think that any more. Some of the stuff that I read on here from people who have no reason to back up their hatred leads me to this conclusion.

Sure enough, I was raised during the cold war and told that Russia was "the evil empire", but Russia was actually a global competitor. Cuba is just a little country trying to do what's best for themselves.

I think a subtle, but deep rooted, racist attitude allows people to easily demonize certain foreigners over others.

[Billy Burnett]

29. Cubans are a race? Venezuelans too?

That's news to me. :crazy:

Maybe the term "bigots" applies, but certainly not "racists".

[harmonicon]

33. "race" is a cultural construct - it doesn't really exist apart from these sort of things

...but for the purposes of say, the US census, Cubans and Venezuelans would be "Hispanic". It has, for various reasons, become incredibly acceptable to belittle Hispanics in the US, and I think some people can bring themselves to say vile things about people because they've dehumanized them due to their "race".

[tclambert]

16. Florida's Cubanos

They're still mad about Castro throwing their grandparents out of Cuba.

[harmonicon]

23. exactly: those who hold a grudge long after it's passed it's usefulness

[Billy Burnett]

30. Not really.

Most younger Cuban-Americans are happy that their grandparents or parents moved to the US.

I really don't know how you are coming to your conclusions.

Do you know many Miami Cuban-Americans?

[Old Codger]

6. No flame here

Agreement for sure. One of the dumber things that has been going on.... I am always surprised that no one just decides it is stupid and just drops it....Maybe that time is coming soon...

[GirlieQ]

7. I'm young, so can someone explain to me why we still have the embargo going?

Can you make it make sense to a post-cold-war gal?

[desktop]

9. There is no sense to it.

Just another example of America trying to dictate to other countries what kind of government they should have. America is also completely embarrassed by a poor country such as Cuba, that the US is doing everything it can to destroy, which has a better healthcare system than America. Cubans don't die in emergency rooms after waiting for 12 hours to see a doctor.

[customerserviceguy]

14. And the UN

is not trying to tell the US what kind of laws it is supposed to have? This embargo may be stupid beyond belief, but I'd still rather that the people making the laws listen to their constituents instead of international bodies that may not always have our best interests at heart.

[Judi Lynn]

18. The countries protest the condition of economic warfare which have been strangling this island

for 46 years, affecting the entire population deeply in every aspect of their lives, as most of us are aware.

Do yourself a favor and research the extra-territorial aspects of the embargo legislation which forbid companies in other countries to trade with Cuba if they hope to do trade with the U.S. in the next 6 months, placing them in the position of having to choose between Cuba and the U.S. as trade partners.

Check up on the reality that medical equipment, like dialysis machines, cancer treatment equipment, etc., etc., etc. cannot be sold to Cuba even if it is made in other countries simply because even ONE component has a US copyright on it.

Take time to understand why it is other countries have been protesting this embargo for YEARS.

First you have to understand the subject before you can have a valid opinion. Do your homework.

[customerserviceguy]

21. As I said

It may be stupid beyond belief. But I guess I reject the idea of a "world government" until the most of the rest of the world catches up to Western standards of democracy. Too many religious nut cases running too many places in the world for me to let them tell us what to do.

[Peace Patriot]

25. The now about taking our cue from a country that has a far, far, far more transparent

vote counting system than we do--Venezuela--or from countries that have leftist presidents with 75% to over 90% approval ratings--Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay--where the countries' leaders fnd things that are admirable in Cuba, and other things that they have rejected in favor of democracy and a mixed capitalist/socialist economy?

You say the world needs to catch up to "Western standards of democracy." The South Americans have caught up with and exceeded our standard of democracy. Why not be guided by their view of Cuba?

[customerserviceguy]

26. I have some faith

that this situation will be rectified by the Obama Presidency. But I'm way more comfortable with it happening as a result of our election than from our leaders taking orders from the UN.

I'm wondering why both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton kept the embargo. Perhaps there is something out there that has caused it to go on for nearly fifty years that President Obama will find out upon taking the Oath of Office?

[EFerrari]

31. Yeah, the Democrats need Florida.

And the whole "taking orders from the UN" is a meme spread usually by the Republicans to stir up nationalism and fear among their base. The UN is simply acting on its humanitarian mandate and is humiliatingly pointing out that the Cuban people suffer because of US policy. That's not dictating. That's just true.

[Judi Lynn]

35. The President alone can't remove the embargo. It also involves consent from Congress,

which has been completely dominated by Cuban "exile" interests for ages.

Jimmy Carter greatly loosened the travel ban, only to have it wildly slamed shut by Ronald Reagan, at the behest of the Miami Cuban American National Foundation's insistance, and with the assistance of their Senate and House ennablers, like Jesse Helms and Tom DeLay.

Bill Clinton loosened areas of the travel ban, to a lesser degree, only to have that completely closed with only once every three year exceptions for Cuban Americans by _{George W. Bush.}

It will BOTH Presidential AND Congressional cooperation to achieve this, and it will have to involve loosening the control over Congress by the Cuban American reactionary right-wing original "exile" faction of the Cuban American community which has been overseeing not only this country's policy toward Cuba, but also toward Latin America in general.

[Thorandmjolnir]

27. So every country

should stay out of other countries internal affairs?

How is that working for the US?

[tclambert]

17. But maybe in the 47th year the embargo will finally work!

"Sir, we beat the dead horse, we kicked the dead horse, and we flogged the dead horse. It still won't get up."

"Well, keep trying. This time for sure!"

And the Detroit Lions, in the 51st year of their rebuilding effort, are 0-7.

[Billy Burnett]

32. The issue is a money maker for US political campaigns on both sides of the issue.

Both pro and con sides of the political representatives (which is a blend of Dems and repugs on each side) make hay of the issue for the supporters or opponents on the sanctions.

Every side has financial interests, and they readily spend money on political campaigns for both sides.

Given the corrupt US political campaign funding system, why would any politician want the issue to end? - it would kill a huge cash flow into their campaigns, and would kill a campaign pillar. Just like abortion rights.

Status quo rules. Conflict reigns, and yields rewards to those inclined to seek them.

The campaign money flows in.

Get it?

[Ghost Dog]

11. "Voting with the United States against the U.N. resolution were Israel and

the Pacific island state of Palau. Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained."

Bullies running low on no-questions-asked client states there...

[Judi Lynn]

19. Bush has twisted Palau's and the Marshall Islands' arms before, to get them to go along with this.

If they were any larger, or had more people they'd probably find a way to stand up to this filthy coersion, too!

[Ghost Dog]

24. Tsk, tsk, Judi. It's called a "free market", Judi,

Don't you just love it?

Obey me, you get lots of money, and some fake love, maybe.

;-)

[Judi Lynn]

36. Great quick summary of the embargo and its effects: A Closer Look at the Helms-Burton Law

A Closer Look at the Helms-Burton Law

This informational update gives a brief sketch of the Helms-Burton Law, outlines the arguments for its repeal and presents you with a number of ways to get involved in the struggle for a more rational and just U.S. policy toward Cuba.

Introduction

In early March 1996, President Clinton signed The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, tightening the 38-year-old embargo against Cuba. Helms-Burton, as the law is commonly known, is named after its primary sponsors, Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Representative Dan Burton of Indiana.

The bill had been tabled in late 1995 after Senator Helms was unable to overcome several Democratic filibusters, but was reborn and moved swiftly through Congress in February 1996 shortly after two planes piloted by a Cuban exile group were shot down by Cuban fighter jets off the Cuban coast. Despite his previously expressed reservations, President Clinton lent his support to the bill to avoid offending Cuban-American voters in Florida and New Jersey, two states with large numbers of electoral college votes. By the time the dust of crisis had settled, prospects for improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba in the near-term were devastated.

International condemnation of the law was swift and furious. The closest trading allies of the United States, including Canada and Mexico, expressed outrage at the law and immediately threatened varied forms of retaliation.

For their part, the Cuban people reacted with disappointment and anger, recognizing that they would feel the brunt of the latest attempt to strangle Cuba's economy. As a street vendor in Havana said to a reporter days after the passage of Helms-Burton, "we are human beings here. I'm not talking about communism or capitalism. I'm here fighting to make a living like anyone else."

More:
http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/cuba/uscuba/HelmsBurton.html