Don’t punish farmers along with Castro

Credit goes to Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, for his ongoing efforts to make it easier to sell U.S. agricultural products to Cuba, leading to a House vote last week to override a Bush administration move complicating such sales. There are ways of making Cuban dictator Fidel Castro continue to sweat without hurting U.S. farmers. As Moran told his colleagues, “At least in the agricultural world, there is an understanding that unilateral sanctions don’t work.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman

14 Comments

  1. Gary C.
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 12:59 am | Permalink

    Moran would be a Dem. if he didnt live out in Western Kansas.

  2. Joe Williams
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    Yeah! Farmers in America are our own version of communist Cuba’s farmers.

    Hurt farmers? It’s a business. We should stop pampering and subsidizing farmers. If they can’t make it on a market economy and special treatment, then let them fail.

  3. RD
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Joe, do me a big huge favor? Please add “corporate” to your “Kansas farmers” bashing, just to make it clear. I and my little farmer friends would really appreciate it.

    Thank you.

  4. Joe Williams
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    Corporate farmers! Although a farm family can be a corporate farmer.

    If you recieve a check from the government to subsidies, then you are part of the group I’m talking about, regardless of size or business structure.

    If you don’t recieve subsidies, then you are a wonderful person and business that constributes to our society. :)

    I would like to say that the sanctions against Cuba has to stop also. Not for farmers sake, but for Cuba’s sake.

  5. Damoon
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 11:22 am | Permalink

    It’s ridiculous that we still have sanctions against Cuba, but openly embrace the Chinese government with it’s incredible record of human rights abuses.Our government is so hypocritical when it comes to foreign relations, how we interact with other countries is totally dependant on whether or not we have something to gain from them.

  6. MOTHER
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    Damoon, dear, It’s about the money. Cuba doesn’t have any, so why would we want to deal with Castro? China has money, ergo, we deal with them. These hypocritical government policies brought to you by corporate america. Isn’t it time we did something about that?

  7. Joe Williams
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 11:47 am | Permalink

    China sure does have money. Our own money.

  8. XXX
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 12:16 pm | Permalink

    If the US would lay off of Cuba, They would have money. My grandparents used to spend a lot of time in Cuba in the late 40s and 50s. I’ve seen films they took, and Cuba was a rockin place. Talk about a major tourist destination!

  9. Jed
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    We’ve had these sanctions in place for what- 45 years now? And we consider it a successful policy?

  10. Gittin' madder by the minute
    Posted June 18, 2006 at 10:00 pm | Permalink

    Gotta remember. The sanctions aren’t against the Cuban people, they are against Castro, who has had the gall to keep living and living and living….

  11. RD
    Posted June 19, 2006 at 12:13 am | Permalink

    I visited Havana in 1954, I think it was. We flew from Key West to Havana, spent the night and flew back the next day. I remember the flight (my first at age 3) better than anything.

  12. Damoon
    Posted June 19, 2006 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    I think you can vacation there now. Just don’t bring back any of those great cigars!What the hell keeps Castro alive, isn’t he like a 103 now?

  13. XXX
    Posted June 19, 2006 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    Jeez Damoon, did you have to mention the cigars? I used to have a friend that brought them back for me from South America. Ah, Habanas!

    RD, my grandparents used to live in Florida. They made the trip to Cuba on their 32 ft coastal sailer.

    I wish we could cut out this BS with Cuba. Like they’re some kind of threat to us? When Castro dies (if he ever does), his brother will take over and we’ll get the SOS from our government. I don’t expect to live long enough to ever get to visit Cuba.

  14. J R
    Posted June 19, 2006 at 5:46 pm | Permalink

    The sanctions against Cuba are and always have been stupid. Petty punishment for political difference.

    That said, they HAVE made those folks damn good at taking care of their cars! That place is a car collectors DREAM with all those 50’s pre sanction Amerian classic cars running around still running and looking brand new.

    XXX the purple chicken drives a 55 Ford.