1

Thanks John. and how sad that Israel feels the need to toe the line - no strategic import at all.....

2

Too much testosterone in Washington... not enough brains. That's the basic problem and always has been.

3

2 Australians, 1 Canadian, 1 US American? and 1 European, seems not enough.

4

#5 As stated elsewhere in this forum, the CAs (including the Miami Mafia I would think) no longer has influence on this administration. We will see if that has any affect.

5

Chef Hegan,

American legal tourists would go to the same places as Canadian tourists, they are people who are called "fly and flops". They are only interested in in flopping on a beach, no need to meet cubans.

Smilecu

6

Steve: while the legal arguments in your cite (from a Cuban website) may be construed as weak, the four key points are not disputed:

1) The expropriation of US assets was in accordance with Cuban law as re-written after the revolution.
2) No agreements were negotiated between Cuba and the US companies whose properties were expropriated.
3) No payments were ever made by Cuba for the expropriated properties of US companies.
4) Agreements were negotiated and small payments were made for the expropriated assets belonging to Canadian, UK, Spain, France and Switzerland. Only the US was excluded.
None of the agreements reflect the acceptance or homologation of the minimum international standard proposed by the United States of America and other Western European States as of 1938 as the demand for a prompt, adequate and effective indemnity.

And, that is exactly the source of continuing heartburn for the US companies whose assets were seized without payment.

Again, I am not supporting the embargo. Nor, do I have a proposed solution for this 50+ year old problem. I am merely saying these are facts that everyone should be aware of.

7

In 1988, 24 years ago, I visited Beijing. At that time Beijing was less developed than Havana, with flair of a previous isolated glory.

Today China puts together a new leadership and showcases its economic achievements. I would rephrase “the fall of communism” in the 1990’s to rather the “rocket start of its reformation”.

I would put my stake and invest in the Cubans future on the island, rather than taking them abroad. I wonder what effort of mind it takes to leave sugar behind, and think of something else.

Come back in 24 years and tell me whether I was wrong. I may be.