Former Mayor Carlos Mayans is campaigning on behalf of GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, in part, he said, because of Romney’s hard-line stance upholding long-standing economic sanctions against Cuba.
But Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and other farm belt lawmakers rightly have been working to ease the outmoded boycott, which does little to undermine Castro’s regime while hurting American farmers and the Cuban people.
A few months ago, the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a study that U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba could double if current restrictions were lifted. “All agricultural commodity sectors would likely benefit†from the change in policy, it concluded.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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76 Comments
Have you LOOKED at the price of Corn and Wheat lately?Are you sure you want another buyer right now?
And with public smoking ban, would there be market for their cigars?
At least Carlos is consistently out of step. And proving why he got beat so convincingly in his last election.
Amazes me how we trade with China with all their human rights atrocities and yet still punish the people of Cuba after all these years. Maybe it’s time to open the door to Cuba, we could improve their economic status sustantially by establishing a diplomatic relationship with them.
The embargo should have ended long ago. One of the first things the next President should do is end it. Cuba is not a threat to the United States or anybody else.
I figure if Mayans supports Romney, then that is just one more reason not to vote for him. In my 40 years in Wichita, Mayans was the worst mayor that I can recall.
Castro is going to die soon. That will be an opportunity for freedom to return to Cuba. Will the Cuban people even know enough to want freedom now that they have been brain washed with communist propaganda for a generation?
It makes sense that we should keep economic sanctions on at this critical time and use their potential removal as an incentive for reform,… after Castro is gone.
To paraphrase what is said by so many of the immigrant-bashers:
Who don’t Carlos Mayans and all the rest of the Cubans go back to Cube and change their government? Why do they want THEIR fight to be MY fight?
Another reason to dislike Mayans.
“use their potential removal as an incentive for reform,… after Castro is gone.
Posted by: outlander | December 20, 2007 at 08:24 AM”
To reform what?
You mean to bend to the will of US businesses and business interests instead of ‘reform’ don’t you?
Yes, Brian, anti-friggin’ communist reforms.
Communism aint perfect.
Laissez faire capitlaism is sure as HELL less than perfect.
25 years ago, I was indoctrinated. Without even knowing what I was talking about, my teenage mouth often and loudly formed the words “Better Dead than Red!”
I’ve had occasion and experience to wonder since then.
Are we supposed to be so afraid of socialism because it might, just might seem favorable in a fair comparison to our system?
Too? There’s no shortage of folks who I hold little respect for who would like to tell me what I should prefer.
That too, is tyranny.
Oh and in light of the shift in meanings of terms?
Namely conservatism defined as “red” vs. the liberal “blue”…
I these days shout again, “Better dead than red!”
outlander, why are you so scared of communists? Take a deep breath dude
JR: You have railed against trading freedoms for security. And yet you are waxing thoughtful about the advantages of communism? The ideology where you have no freedoms to lose?
But the government will provide your health care.
Of course you can’t pay it yourself because you only make about three thousand a year!
There has been much research done about the affects of the US sanctions on Cuba. Nothing has indicated a benefit from the sanctions.
In fact, the best way to stop communism in Cuba would be to drop all sanctions and allow a flood of tourists and businesses from the US to pour in. Capitalism breeds capitalism.
What do you know about what I make outlander?
I speculated on fairly comparing systems. As opposed to blind embrace of a system I see as failed.
You stoop to ridicule and accuse me of being willing to sacrifice my liberty for security.
I could do the same with you.
You being DEEPLY religious, my take might be you have sacrificed your freedom for dogma.
If you’d like to go that way.
JR I was hoping you would not stoop to his level
JR: I wasn’t speaking about your income. I was referring to the per capita income of Cuba!
brian
I didn’t.
I just pointed out where he was going and asked if he’d like me to take him there.
I read where the people running away from Cuba is at a 13 year high. Must be that great health care plan they have.
And I can’t play anymore. Gotta go.
I don’t like bogeyman ideology outlander.
I don’t like being told what I should or should not be afraid of.
The sanctions against Cuba are just plain ridiculous. Maybe they made sense at one time, but maybe not. But given who we trade with now, what’s the big deal. Of course, I guess Cuba just doesn;t make anything we really want. That’s probably why we don;t lift the embargo. Many Americans are so stupid. They don;t care who are what they do business with, as long as they “get some”
If Mayans didn’t like his gov’t in Cuba, why didn’t he do something about it THERE?
I guess personal responsibility only works if its a pre-approved system that CONs like . . .
Here’s two questions. How is a trade embargo with Cuba in line with the free market capitalism this country is supposed to support? And why do we give China MFN status while embargoing Cuba, China has at least as bad a human rights record as Cuba if not worse and their both Communist countries.
All the Cuba complainers are actually complaining about JFK’s legacy. JFK is the one who started it all.
Good point Tom.If we are going to embargy Cuba, we should embargo all communist countries (China, Venezuela) as well as radical muslim countries that persecute people for their religious beliefs.—–
True JFK started it, but there have been just a few Presidents since. Democrat and Republican. Any of them could have put an end to it. None did. WOw. what a surprise. Both parties are apparently beholden to the power of the Florida Cubans. Or, are so evenly tied that they don;t want to upset the applecart, whether or not it is the right thing to do. Wow. Politians being snakes. duh.
China, since Deng Xiao-Ping, has a communist government and an essentially free-market economic system.
It’s the worst of both worlds–totalitarianism without workers’ rights. In the old Soviet Union, “the workers pretended to work and the gov’t run industry pretended to pay them.”
In China, the workers work really hard and nobody pays them. (Technically, the get paid, if one can call 26 cents an hour for a 16 hour day, any kind of payment.)
Cuba on the other hand hasn’t (to my knowledge) allowed the kind of international sweat-shop labor that China has, so it has to remain a pariah.
Also, Cuba has a lot of rich Cubans who bailed out their country when Castro took over now living in Florida, unlike China who just moved their government to Taiwan.
Even though their numbers are small, because of the electoral college system, they influence national policy way more than the should in a healthy democracy. Florida has 16 electoral votes for Pres . . . candidates have to kiss Cuban exile ass to carry that important state.
candidates have to kiss Cuban exile ass to carry that important state.
Posted by: CapnAmerica | December 20, 2007 at 11:50 AM
Just proof of what I said. Damned politicians (of both parties) care little about what’s right, only what is politically expedient. either grow a backbone, or get out of the fight. Because it isn;t really,it;s a politcal powersharing they both delve into, in order to maintain their own little worlds. Selfish bastards, all of them
JFK is the one who started it all.
Posted by: kansas
Really ignorant. Whatever JFK to punish Cuba, the CONs at the time said it wasn’t enough.
JFK was the man that CONs passed out “WANTED FOR TREASON” posters the day he was shot in Dallas.
To blame him for compromise policies while the virulent reich-wing screaming that he was soft on communism (at the time) shows an ignorance of history both willful and malicious.
Maybe Mayans knows that if you become a Mormon then your skin color will gradually change to white like Romney’s. Or perhaps he got offered his own planet which all Mormons get after they die.
I’m not saying Romney’s religion is nutty, Mayans thinks virgins give birth to male children. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
When you talk to a liberal about Vietnam they talk about how bad America is and was…
When you talk to the generations of Vietnamese about it, they will tell you how great America is and how proud they are to be here.
When you talk to a liberal about Cuba they will talk about how bad America is and was…
When you talk to the generations of Cubans about it, they will tell you how great Ameirca is and how proud they are to be here.
I have spoken to Carlos Mayans about Cuba in person.
It is not that hard to figure out his reasons for why he believes what he does.
What I will never understand is why liberals are incabable of understanding why these dictatorships are not some wonderful place that is only being ruined by America.
Always leave it to the liberals to support and love oppression.
And what do you believe in Doug?
That all life just magically started in some puddle of goo?
When we reduce what you believe or don’t, it is not any more reasonable than my faith in Christ.
Have you looked at the price of fuel lately. or perhaps u want all farmers to go completely broke!
JFK was the man that CONs passed out “WANTED FOR TREASON” posters the day he was shot in Dallas.
To blame him for compromise policies while the virulent reich-wing screaming that he was soft on communism (at the time) shows an ignorance of history both willful and malicious.
Posted by: CapnAmerica | December 20, 2007 at 11:56 AM
Sorry Capn, but re-writing history won’t help you. :)
Nathan–
I am neither a liberal, nor a supporter and lover of oppression. However, the cuban embargo makes little sense, nor does it do any good, or has it done any good. Castro is still in power, Cuba is in disrepair, it’s people are suffering, althougth according to MM they have better healthcare. The point is, we do business everyday with tinpot dictators, because they have something we want. Not doing business with Cuba because they don;t make anything we want that badly, only makes us like the high priced call girl who insists she is not a whore.
Cuban Gulags:
http://www.therealcuba.com/Page7.htm
http://www.netforcuba.org/News-EN/2004/Jan/News307.htm
http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y04/jan04/07e8.htm
http://www.economist.com/world/la/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2563319
So Nathan do we cut off trade with all countries that have human rights issues, Saudi Arabia Sentenced a woman to 200 lashes for the crime of being raped, and behead Muslim converts to Christianity. And I stated above we give MFN status to China who’s Rights record is as bad or worse than Cuba’s
Cuba WOULD be a huge threat, to the United States, if it had not been for the actions every U.S President has taken, against Castro.
Prisoners at GITMO are treated much better than the average Cuban citizen.
littlejohn,
Other than simply saying that we don’t embargo others as reason to not embargo Cuba, what is your reasoning?
The point, amoung many, is that we are not going to reward Castro.
As always, people like you (I didn’t use the liberal word) look at America as causing this instead of Castro.
Tom,
I think there are very legitimate reasons to look at our foriegn relations with many countries based on their practices.
However, I try not to be rash in basing my decisions on how to treat one party based on how everyone else is treated.
It is never that simple, nor is it logical.
Cuba WOULD be a huge threat, to the United States, if it had not been for the actions every U.S President has taken, against Castro.
Posted by: econ101 | December 20, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Yeah, they would be invading the country with their military, instead of their refugees. (sarcasm off). Give me a break. Cuba is NO threat to the US. Unless you want to count the health hazards of Cuban cigars.————————–
“Other than simply saying that we don’t embargo others as reason to not embargo Cuba, what is your reasoning?”
That point is about consistency. My reasoning is that to be rationale in your actions, they should be consistent. Obvioyusly, they are not.
“The point, amoung many, is that we are not going to reward Castro.”
Wow, what a point on which to carry out world diplomacy.
“As always, people like you (I didn’t use the liberal word) look at America as causing this instead of Castro.”
I didn;t say America caused this. look at my post again. It acknowledges that there may or may not have been a legitimate reason at the beginning. That reason has long since left the train, and we are still left the the high priced call girl sniffing her nose and stating she is not a whore. THe only real difference? The price.
Nathan, Castro has been using the embargo to blame his countries probelms on for years, rather than Communisms own failings. Trade with Cuba could have gotten rid of Castro long ago.
No one has still been able to answer my Question, Why does China get MFN status Cuba embargo when basically they are the same(China might even be Worse)?
Tom Paine-
I doubt it. I agree the embargo has had no effect upon the rule of Castro, other than giving him an excuse. BUt I doubt that not having the embargo would have gotten rid of Castro.
Tom – the answer is simle. In the case of Cuba we have a very influential immigrant group lobbying for embargo. In the case of China we don’t; instead we have corporations making a lot of $$$.
Ben-
And don;t forget all those cheap ass Americans that don;t give a damn how or where something is made, as long as they can save a few pennies. It’s not just the corporations. Customers drive this crap. That is the reason that Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the US, and China’s number 5 trading partner—Cheap ass americans
China gets MFN status because they are the 800 pound gorilla in the south west Asian theater. You can ignore it at your own peril.
Cuba, on the other hand, can be controlled with a few bamboo sticks and bug repellents.
make that southeast asia
On immigration Cubans get to jump to the front of the line also, sneaking in gets them automatic legal status.
I think I know why liberals don’t like Cuban immigrants:
Immigrants from Cuba, just like immigrants from ANY communist country, tend to be very pro-capitalist and very anti-communist.
Liberals don’t like that.
Except support for state sanctioned embargo’s are very uncapitalist
Littlejohn,
If we are going to talk about consistency then we need to talk about the comparisons too then and all the circumstances as well.
Neither situation ( Cuba or China ) are exactly identical nor are they similar in the history around what has led to the treatment they recieve.
Simply saying that the way we treat Cuba is the way we should treat China is simplistic and not realistic at all.
Yeah Nathan,
China poisons our animals with their gluten, and poisons our kids with their lead painted toys. They massacred thier own in tianammen square. And according to some, they forced abortions to compmly with their one child laws, rob prisoners of organs for the elite, force young girls into prostitution, practice genocide in Tibet and support genocide in Darfur, Yeah, they deserve MFN status. ANd the cubans……
Yeah, you are right, they are different. Apples and oranges. Apparently, our government likes apples and doesn;t like oranges. Stupid is as stupid does.
ANd now, your reasons for continuing the embargo?
The simple fact is there is NO reason to continue the embargo. There is no military threat from Cuba, there is no economic benefit for us to so, there is no human rights benefit for us to do so.
There are only two reasons it continues – the power of the Cuban immigrants in the US, and the fear politicians have of the backlash that could occur if they were to seriously persue easing the sanctions.
“ANd now, your reasons for continuing the embargo?
Posted by: littlejohn | December 20, 2007 at 01:58 PM ”
Very good question LJ…I would love to hear some of the pro-sanction people explain why it should continue.Nathan? econ? Others?
We must act in the national interest. There is no logical reason that we should even try to be “fair” or treat every nation the same way. America should do what is best for America, in the confident belief that every other country does what they think is best for them.Our ability to change China is infinately less than our ability to change Cuba.Cuba is also closer, geographically.Cuba has tried to cause trouble for the United States, at every opportunity.Also, I think that the Cubans living in America have right and a duty to make their voices heard.Tough if you don’t like it.That is the way the system works.Castro is dictator.Cuban Americans are the people who have relatives who are still suffering in Casto’s Gulags.Cuban Americans have more at stake, in this argument, than any of us.
I think we can make more positive changes in Cuba if we open up trade with them, right now they have no incentive to change anything..but money talks, and I know they must have some incredible diving there…building a few classy resorts will bring in lots of tourist dollars and provide jobs,plus Americans would enjoy having legal access to great cigars again! It’s a win/win situation.
Ya know just when ya think pauliecon has finally jumped the last shark…
He up and jumps another one.
Cuba a bigger threat than China?
Geez whata maroon.
The embargo against Cuba is the remnant of the old bogeyman red scare of the 50’s and 60’s.
It is based in ideology and nothing more.
Our “free” trade with China is strenghening a REAL potential enemy that IS a credible threat.
And besides? If we DON’ T normalize relations with Cuba, we only encourage them to go looking for our biggest enemy.
Uh yup that would be China.
Surprising how people only remember the past few years about Cuba.
They forget the Cuban trained troops that have been to Africa, guerrilla trainers for many Central and South American Countries, Cuban spies caught in Hispanic communities; Castro’s great trick of releasing 10,000 vicious criminals in Cuba and allowing them to “migrate” via raft to the United States.
Acting as a filter point for decades for the KGB, providing safe harbors for terrorists that launched many attacks in South America and the list goes on.
Yeah Cuba, that harmless little country.
“They forget the Cuban trained troops that have been to Africa, guerrilla trainers for many Central and South American Countries, Cuban spies caught in Hispanic communities; Castro’s great trick of releasing 10,000 vicious criminals in Cuba and allowing them to “migrate” via raft to the United States.”(posted by Kansas)
And how many years since these things happened?? The Germans once used death camps; the Spanish had an Inquisition –
WHY are we hanging on to old sore spots with Cuba?? And what about China?? They hold trillions in Us Debt!! And they send us poorly painted things with lead paint… But we have normalized trade with China!
Why NOT with Cuba?? Castro is too old to be a threat.. And sooner or later, grudges get really old to generations that have no clue what they mean!!
It might be much better to normalize trade with Cuba NOW, before they DO go looking for China, or, “shocking!” Venezuela!
Maybe you should look at the Human Rights violation in Cuba Chas.
Prisoners being held for no other reason than they made statements against Castro. Castro even put an entire contingent of an opposition party in jail for 28 years – unfortunately, most have died.
Chavez has already been to Cuba several times and deals were struck.
Or the news reporter than was sentenced to jail for writing the truth about Health Care in Cuba – now he languishes in a dark cell, with injuries untreated and has tuberculosis.
There is no free press in Cuba. Statements are released and fed through reporters outside of Cuba.
The “Union” in Cuba is controlled by the Communist Government. There is no voting on issues of pay, health or anything else. It is a name only union.
I challenge anyone who think Cuba is such a great country, to give up their American Citizenship and move to Cuba to live. We’d like for you to write back to us and tell us how things are, but that wouldn’t be allowed. :)
Did anybody say anything about living there?? I sure wouldnt want to live in China, or Korea, or Japan, or pry tell Saudi Arabia, but we sure as hell have normalized trade with them!! For that matter, I wouldnt even want to live in Israel, or Greece, or Italy… possibly in Germany… maybe…
As for your complaints about human rights violations, good grief, try China.. or Saudi Arabia.. or any number of countries with whom we have normalized trade relations.. The world doesnt all live up to our standards!! If we had that as a requirement, we would be nearly totally isolated!!
Evidently Chas, you don’t like Bill Clinton either. He was in favor and still is, in allowing China Favored Trading Status.
Also, Bill Clinton was in favor in keeping the embargo on Cuba.
You are out of step with the mainstream Chas, but we all knew that.
BUSH allowed our return to favored nation status with China –It had run out — And Favored Nation Status is not the same thing as normalized trade relations.. Dont try switching the subject in the middle of your loss!!
Kansas, I m not sure you would recognize main stream if it flooded your kitchen!! LOL
No loss here Chas, it’s your usual re-writing of history and warped view of events.
I didnt re-write anything… sorry about your alzheimer’s-like memory problem!!
I hear shark bone is good for memory, but it is the libs that seem to forget the past.
Do you care to elaborate, Econ??
Or is that just a drive-by shot?
ChasSorry, look up thread. Somebody said I was “jumping the shark”.Tried to make a funny.
ChasSorry, look up thread. Somebody said I was “jumping the shark”.Tried to make a funny.
I saw that upthread… ok…