US to tighten Cuba sanctions

[Theophylact]

From the BBC:

US President George W Bush has announced fresh measures designed to hasten the end of communist rule in Cuba.

They include tightening an American travel embargo to the island, cracking down on illegal cash transfers, and a more robust information campaign aimed at Cuba.

Mr Bush said the punitive measures were being introduced because the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, had acted with "defiance and contempt and a new round of brutal oppression that outraged world conscience".

The speech - before members of the Cuban community at the White House - came as the 2004 election campaign gets under way.

Mr Bush's advisers know that fiercely anti-Castro Cuban exiles living in the key state of Florida might well be hugely important in determining whether the president holds on to power, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington.

His speech today will have secured some valuable votes, our correspondent says.

Full text here.

[jmebonner]

Good

[Droppyale]

I wonder what effect this will have on Venezuela

[tony_j15]

Good for Bush! The sooner we get rid of Castro, the sooner Cuba may become a free nation.

[Mike]

The man only has a few more years anyway....
If anyone wants to visit Cuba, just make sure they don't stamp your passport.

[M_Six]

Aggressive campaign to inform Cubans of safer routes to reach the United States

So we can try to keep them from reaching the beach like we did last year?

Increasing the number of Cuban immigrants in the US.

I wonder if he checked with Brother Jeb on this one.


These sanctions are nothing new. It's the same tired BS we've been using all along. It only serves to make Castro stronger. If sanctions were the answer, the problem would have been gone years ago.

All we've done with these sanctions is starve the Cuban people. And starving people don't have the time or energy for a revolution. They only want to survive. This has been the wrong answer from day one, and it's still the wrong answer. The livliest and most resilient democracy drive in the world is in China, because the people there are well fed, well educated, and have the technology needed to spread the word. By starving Cubans for all these years, we've only aided Castro and hurt the Cuban people.

[osprey4]

I know of people who do a booming business supplying grey-market auto parts to Cuba (strictly speaking, no US laws are violated). If Castro ever dies, it's gonna put them out of business.

[Epidemic]

I am torn on the issue.

I do see sanctions as hurting people more than governments.

I think we should just go in and blow him up.

Clean less suffering and generally good for business.

No assasination though I am talking about a beach assault.

[Mike]

Originally posted by Epidemic
I think we should just go in and blow him up.

Clean less suffering and generally good for business.

No assasination though I am talking about a beach assault.

Invade Cuba? Is that your solution for everything?

I know a few people that have been to Cuba, and they usually come back and say it's a decent area. Unfortunately they had to take a minor detour into Mexico first.

[Epidemic]

What is wrong with invading cuba. 27 seconds to destroy military. Two weeks to install exile government 30 minute trial for castro and all is good with the world.

Heck we are talking about an island where is he gonna hide. 3000 troops search the whole island in a day


PS is your solution for everything to let it pan out no matter how much suffering it causes.

Sanctions do not work (if you are going to sanction a country it should be for a 5 year trial period) If no effect from sanctions at the end of said period. either deal with them or blow em up.