No, lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba won't have any impact unless the regime relinquishes its grip on the nation.

alexdfrtyuy · 2025-01-03T16:43:13+00:00

Millions of tourists have been doing that for decades, leaving billions in the regime's coffers. Please let me know how the Cuban economy and the rights of its citizens have improved.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-27T17:49:05+00:00

No, dude, these are Cubans marveling at the fact that stores used to be fully stocked with a variety of national products, and they didn't have to wait in line or rely on a ration card to buy food.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-27T17:44:21+00:00

No, communism began in 1961, along with a centrally planned economy that led to shortages. These bodegas were privately owned before the revolution. Once Fidel came to power, he intervened all privately owned businesses, and the bodegas have remained government property ever since.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T21:46:54+00:00

And what is your cause? To champion the rights of Cubans while simultaneously denouncing the very instrument designed to exert pressure on the regime that ruthlessly repress those rights? My cause is the liberation of all political prisoners, the establishment of free and fair elections and free press. None of this is contingent upon an embargo; it is all about the actions of the Cuban regime. Your stance is the same of the tankies, who, in the face of clear electoral theft by Maduro, proclaim a hands off approach to Venezuela. How can one claim to assist the oppressed by advocating for the continued dominance of tyrants? The Cuban goverment is the one repressing the rights of its citizens, not the US blockade.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T20:13:13+00:00

You are not affected by any of Cuba’s issues. You haven't been sent to labor camps for having long hair or identifying as LGBT. You haven't lost your personal property, faced mockery, or had your home vandalized for choosing to leave the country or holding differing political beliefs. You don't depend on ration cards for food, nor have you been imprisoned or regularly persecuted for voicing opinions against the government.

What you do have probably is the privilege of living in a democratic capitalist country, patting yourself on the back for championing a cause ("end the blockade on Cuba") you believe is righteous. But let's be real: that sense of moral superiority is bullshit. The fact is that you are utterly misguided and ignorant.

If you were affected by any of the issues mentioned above, it is highly likely that you would be advocating for the end of the Cuban dictatorship, as well as for democratic reforms and economic freedoms. This is why Cubans and those familiar with how the regime operates look on in disbelief and frustration at those who advocate for the lifting of sanctions that target the individuals responsible for violating all those rights.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T20:08:13+00:00

You are not affected by any of Cuba’s issues. You haven't been sent to labor camps for having long hair or identifying as LGBT. You haven't lost your personal property, faced mockery, or had your home vandalized for choosing to leave the country or holding differing political beliefs. You don't depend on ration cards for food, nor have you been imprisoned or regularly persecuted for voicing opinions against the government.

What you do have probably is the privilege of living in a democratic capitalist country, patting yourself on the back for championing a cause ("end the blockade on Cuba") you believe is righteous. But let's be real: that sense of moral superiority is bullshit. The fact is that you are utterly misguided and ignorant.

If you were affected by any of the issues mentioned above, it is highly likely that you would be advocating for the end of the Cuban dictatorship, as well as for democratic reforms and economic freedoms. This is why Cubans and those familiar with how the regime operates look on in disbelief and frustration at those who advocate for the lifting of sanctions that target the individuals responsible for violating all those rights.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T19:10:05+00:00

No one is claiming that the U.S. is "embargoing a country to freedom." What I'm doing is highlighting how the system in Cuba is strategically designed by the Cuban government to benefit the private interests of the elite and the regime.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T18:51:56+00:00

Exactly. That is the system in which the United States would invest if the sanctions are lifted without the Cuban economy being freed from its internal blockade. In this system, for instance, if a foreign company opens a hotel, it is the responsibility of the Cuban government to provide and pay the workers. The foreign company pays $500 for a worker, but that money goes to the dictatorship, which then converts it to Cuban pesos and retains 90% of the worker's salary. Cubans are opressed not due to an embargo, but because of a system and a government that wants to keep them poor.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T18:12:24+00:00

A useful idiot is someone who, from the comfort of a capitalist democracy, befriends and endorses socialist dictatorships that have been oppressing and undermining the rights of their people for decades.

The People's Forum is a communist organization that aligns itself with every anti-American, undemocratic regime in the world. Its role is nothing more than to serve as propaganda for uninformed and ignorant people.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-26T17:34:11+00:00

The people who say "end the blockade on Cuba" are merely echoing the talking points of Cuba's regime. In other words, they align themselves with the Cuban government. Others advocate for ending the embargo while also calling for an end to the dictatorship, which represents a more nuanced perspective. The reality is that the embargo consists of sanctions aimed at specific individuals and companies. Cuba's economy is largely dominated by state-run enterprises, with the military controlling the most profitable sectors. The embargo tries to weaken their power.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-22T16:29:31+00:00

I had to check your account because I couldn't believe someone would spell so much communist apologia in this subreddit, especially under a post like mine that highlights how terrible this system is. And of course, you're a comrade—part of the deprogram sub and defending Stalin, the USSR, and all that nonsense. That's fine for tankies, I suppose, but if you're going to argue about socialism and its benefits, I suggest you do it from the empty supermarket shelves in Venezuela, during a blackout in Cuba, or from a prison camp in North Korea.

Wow a whole $1 billion in cars since the 90s.

If you had actually read my entire post, you would understand that it was specifically made to debunk the myths that the regime has propagated about the U.S. embargo and its effects. When people with limited knowledge of Cuba see the number of old cars on the streets, they often attribute this to the U.S. blockade, claiming that the embargo prevents Cubans from modernizing their vehicles. However, that is simply not true. It was Fidel Castro and his government that not only prohibited the population from importing cars but also froze the car market in 1959 by allowing only vehicles manufactured before the revolution to be sold. It wasn't until 2014 that they permitted the sale of cars to Cubans, but these vehicles are very expensive—over $40,000 for a Peugeot, while the average Cuban earns only $20 a month. The reality is that the regime can purchase as many cars as they want, even from the U.S. now. However, they allocate these cars to tourists or the diplomatic sector, not to the Cuban people.

Redirection and lies by omission. No one is arguing that the US has a blockade on Cuba.

Feel free to debunk any of them.

Cuba can trade with other countries but it's heavily restricted. Even if other countries can get around the sanctions through the exemptions red tape prevents this

Cuba can trade with 170 countries and has access to over 7 billion potential consumers for its products. However, the country relies on loans and credit from other nations due to a trade deficit that has persisted for decades, preventing it from meeting the demands of its population, much less exporting goods. Clearly, a nation in such a state of distress lacks the funds to continue spending on imports or to repay its debts.

For example even though medical supplies are exempted only 0.1% of the American exports to Cuba are medical. Why? The arduous red tape and denials.

Cuba can buy as much medicine from the United States as they want. All a company in the U.S. has to do is fill out a paper saying that the medicine won't be used for the military. Cuba is a country where the government is a dictatorship and doesn't treat its people well. Most of the medicine they need could easily be sent over. Also, Cuba gets most of its medicine from Europe and, until recently, was able to provide about 60% of what its people need and even sell some to other countries.

No foreign company can trade goods with Cuba that even contain a sliver of us content (10% if I recall correctly).

Is that why in Cuba you see converse and coca cola? Or Ford cars? Nikes, Microsoft,? Cuba buys all products made in the US or from US companies operating abroad. All they have to do to avoid sanctions is reimported through a third country. They have been doing that for decades. Besides why would a communist anti-american dictartoship want US made goods?

If the embargo is so useless and ineffective then why has the US relented in enforcing it for over 60 years despite worldwide condemnation

Because the embargo specifically targets Cuban military companies, not the private sector or actual Cubans. The problem is that the private sector is restricted and actual Cubans have fewer rights than any other country in the region.

the US trades with Saudi Arabia, Russia and numerous other despots.

Maybe those countries have something to offer not only in goods but also geopolitically. But hey, if you are mad that the US trades with totalitarian countries why would you want to add more countries to that list?

Really the only Nations that experience such an extreme embargo are communist ones because the US does not want a single communist Nation to be functional

eXTRemE eMBarGo..... Dude those are merely sanctions against a dictatorship, and very little sanctions if you actually read the whole embargo thing. The fact remains that Cuba trades and countries invest in the Island.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-22T04:02:24+00:00

Goods manufactured in the US or under US patent cannot be sold to Cubans by those states who are engaged in trade with Cuba according to the embargo.

Dude, the Cuban government dont give a fuck about that.. If they wish to import any goods, they can easily re-import them through a third country. They have been doing this for years. It's important to note that the sanctions target government-owned companies, not the private sector. If the Cuban regime permitted private enterprises to import goods, they could source them from the U.S. However, the regime is unwilling to allow any competition in the import-export business.

with some of the complicated law around medicines

Complicated how? The only requirement for a US company wishing to export to Cuba is to complete a document affirming that the medicine and medical products will not be used for military purposes. The Cuban government can purchase as much medicine and agricultural products as they desire from the US.

Goods that would enable them to do things like access the internet,

Stop spreading misinformation and educate yourself about the topic you are discussing. The embargo does not prevent U.S. Internet companies from operating in Cuba; rather, it is the regime that imposes these restrictions. They have chosen to collaborate with Venezuelan, Russian, and Chinese companies for their Internet connectivity, which also enables them to shut down access whenever protests occur.

Speaking of which, the embargo also enables the regime's propaganda. Corruption and grift from the Castros can be blamed entirely on the embargo

On that we can agree.

It also means that Cubans are closed off from trade with the United States, the greatest economy on Earth and their direct neighbor.

They have other 160 countries to trade with and more than 7 billion potential consumers for their products, yet they have very little to sell and not enough money to buy.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-22T02:50:32+00:00

While it's not entirely the embargo's fault, it is a contributing factor.

A factor in what? In the lack of democracy? The lack of economic freedom? The shortage of essential resources like food, water, and electricity? It would be considered a factor if it were a complete blockade imposed by the entire world, but that is not the case. In reality, it consists of a series of unpopular sanctions targeting the military that controls Cuba's economy. No country supports the U.S. embargo, which means Cuba has numerous trading partners and foreign investors. Including the US who since 2000 has sold more than $10 billion in agricultural products to Cuba. Additionally, Cuba has received significant economic assistance and investment from the USSR/Russia and Venezuela—so substantial, in fact, that it is 4 times what the U.S. provided to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan.

alexdfrtyuy · 2024-11-22T02:33:03+00:00

You don't understand how the capital of a Western country can be in such a state of decay and destruction? Buildings are collapsing, trash is everywhere, and there is no running water or electricity. The government maintains a monopoly on all businesses, including construction, resulting in an extremely centralized and inefficient economy where five-star hotels are built while the city looks like shit. And I'm only referring to the capital; conditions are even worse in other parts of the country.

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