more on cuban thaw

[hdroadglide]

saw this on drudge this morning. appearantly b.o. is leaning towards easing things. at least according to british news. notice it is not in the u.s. news at the moment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/08/cuba-obama-administration

 

[Hardcore]

Wow, so maybe there will be a lift on cigars as well???

 

[flathead59]

I may have missed something in the article, but I don't remember any reference to lifting the embargo. The way I read it they are looking at easing the travel restrictions for people that have immediate family on the island, as well as re-assessing the definition of immediate family.

Mark

 

[smokinj]

I may have missed something in the article, but I don't remember any reference to lifting the embargo. The way I read it they are looking at easing the travel restrictions for people that have immediate family on the island, as well as re-assessing the definition of immediate family.

Mark

You read correctly Mark

Obama's proposed Cuba measures would only partly thaw a policy frozen since John F Kennedy tried to isolate the communist state across the Florida Straits. "It would signal new pragmatism, but you would still have the embargo, which is the centrepiece of US policy," said Erikson

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

Yeah, hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

 

[uvacom]

Raul is in the process of replacing many of the upper level Cuban government officials. Nobody really seems to know what direction Cuba will be taking as a result of this. I would be surprised if the US administration lifts the embargo before the dust settles on this one.

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

if it comes... it will come in someone's second term. no way would a first term president that wants to be reelected lift the embargo before then.

 

[Clint]

Let's pray that the embargo stays in place!

 

[openendstraight]

Let's pray that the embargo stays in place!

that is fine with me, so long as they lift the travel restrictions, or atleast loosen them

 

[Eric_GranPuro]

If they did lift the embargo though, you could buy direct from Cuba and get around the new SCHI-P taxes at the same time. Dos buenos.

 

[weskimad]

Why do we want the embargo to stay in place?

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

Why do we want the embargo to stay in place?

Most feel that lifting the embargo will cause another cigar boom and the quality of Cubans would suffer.

I agree that this would happen. Also, some feel that even with the boom over, demand would still exceed what Cuba is capable of producing.

 

[Lorax429]

I am not trying to pick a fight, but wishing that an Embargo that has been completely ineffective in accomplishing it goals, and has only succeeded in keeping oppressed people in poverty because you are worried about the quality of your illegally obtained cigars is more than a little selfish.

Of course sarcasm doesn't translate well in a forum post so maybe I'm just misreading the sentiment behind the post... :dunno: