Obama should not have gone to Cuba

[Raul Castro]

I disagree with it and Raul Castro, although a revolutionary hero (he is the name of my account) should not have let Obama into Cuba, there should be no negotiations with the imperialist forces in America. Think about it, America threatens Cuba by saying their companies will starve out the cuban people if the communists didn't comply, cuba nationalized property to protect themselves, America embargoes them, god fucking shit ass tits ***** INVADES THEM (bay of terrorists) and then 50 years later after still terrorizing the cuban people they come and negotiate, not ony is it bad morally. But Obama didn't want to end the embargo (since all the restrictions are still in place) he just thought friendliness would help get his imperialist buddies back into cuba, the people who agree with Obama only agree because they think this way Cuba will allow gigantic corporations back in to murder their people. No negotiations, the cuban people have waited 50 years, they can wait 50 years more. It is the slogan of cuba, "Patria o muerta" (probably spelled it wrong) which means "homeland or death", The embargo should end when we americans protest against the cuban embargo and hope to get it stopped, no negotiations, nothing. We take it off and Cuba says thank you. Done fucking deal. Anybody disagree?

[willowtooth]

Lots of people have protested the cuba embargo in america? The embargo is against Cuba, why would they not work as hard they can to end it? They dont like being under embargo? Denying entry to the leader of the country responsible for the embargo, wouldn't serve any purpose. I dont know what makes you think it would (even symbolically)? The embargo hasn't fully ended because its not one specific law its a series of sanctions and laws that for the most part require congressional approval, considering obama leads the democrats who vote in favor of ending the embargo (along with 180 nations at the UN) and the republicans are staunchly against it. Why on earth would they deny letting him into the country?

Since about 2014 to literally 5 days ago obama has been working to eliminate these restrictions, theyve participated in a prisoner exchange releasing the cuban five, TV shows and other entertainment industries have begun operating there under relaxed standards the MLB is even talking about playing spring training games in Cuba. Air travel and ferry/cruise services to cuba have been re-opened, travel between the two countries has already doubled, theyve ended the controversial wet feet/dry feet policy. They have relaxed banking embargoes allowing american banks into cuba and foreign investment from cuba. The government has already opened an account in the USA. Internet, mail and package delivery and phone service is open to cubans (including netflix) they officially resumed full diplomatic relations opening embassies in both countries and removed Cuba from the "state sponsor of terror list" which is a big one. There's alot more too....

....and your asking why they let the guy who did this onto the fucking island at all? Are you serious?

[Raul Castro]

Yes, but read bourgeois news, they all say they hope for "better relations and reforms", Obama clearly said in his speeches he every market reform Raul initiated Obama would lessen the embargo, BTW Fidel (El commandante) agreed with me.

[RedSonRising]

The Cuban government can't demand an end to the Embargo (which hurts the Cuban people) and the release of the Cuban 5, only to then turn their nose up when the chance is presented to them. Obama clearly had intentions of expanding US capitalism into Cuba by conflating free speech with a free market, suggestions which Raul pushed back against at their public meeting.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Yes, but read bourgeois news, they all say they hope for "better relations and reforms", Obama clearly said in his speeches he every market reform Raul initiated Obama would lessen the embargo, BTW Fidel (El commandante) agreed with me.

Of course foreign capitalists will say this, however it's a gamble that must be made by any state formed or led by a revolutionary party because of the simple fact that, unless you want to live in a radically primitivist society, autarky is impractical if not impossible for any modern economy. A nation the size of the USSR could not do it, so it's highly unlikely that a tiny country like Cuba could. Of course, Cuba has trade with Latin America and the EU so they are far from autarky, but they have the same problem of large foreign economic interests through trade with those countries, too. The Cuban people have sacrificed a lot for their revolution, but they want to see general improvement in living standards for themselves and their children. Moreover, the deal offered by Obama was likely to be the best deal Cuba could possibly get from the US, so might as well do it now when you have an administration which has not been as hardline against the Latin American left than any of its predecessors (not to say that the US has ever stopped working to undermine those regimes, however it was a far lower priority under Obama than, say, Ronald Reagan).

It's worth noting that a lot of American commentators had the opposite concern - that opening up to Cuba would bolster the regime. I don't think either extreme is right here.

[Antiochus]

But why are people pretending that Raul Castro and the PCC aren't blatantly trying to introduce "Dengism" into Cuba?

[ckaihatsu]

But why are people pretending that Raul Castro and the PCC aren't blatantly trying to introduce "Dengism" into Cuba?


It's a good point -- I think the 'math' here is that the Western markets are relatively better than a strained quasi-leftist autarky or limited Latin-America trading sphere. Revisionism is the cost.

[willowtooth]

Yes, but read bourgeois news, they all say they hope for "better relations and reforms", Obama clearly said in his speeches he every market reform Raul initiated Obama would lessen the embargo, BTW Fidel (El commandante) agreed with me.

Fidel agreed with market reforms. Cuba survived on subsidies from the Soviet Union. They still haven't recovered from that loss, and thats when these reforms really began. They were eating the animals at the Havana zoo, so they began allowing things like foreign currency,entrepreneurship, and private property. And they continue to do so, the latest "jobs" are taxi drivers and "dandy's" which actually earn more than doctors. Maybe there's a specific reform you dont like, that you think shouldn't be changed? Like the end of universal rationing, or the legalization of cell phones for the average person?


So what exactly did the old man say? To be specific: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore," was his answer to being asked if he believed it was something still worth exporting. That is hardly an admission of total failure. He clearly thinks it worked once, and since he does not elaborate on the reasons why he thinks it doesn't work now, it is premature to assume that he is chucking in the towel.
Nor can the statement be interpreted as him saying that socialism per se has failed – merely that Cuba's current model of it no longer fits the times. He has consistently held the view that there are as many models of socialism as there are countries that try it out. As a Marxist he believes that the particular circumstances of each society and the peculiarities of their histories affect the character of whatever politics they might have – be they communist or capitalist.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/10/fidel-castro-cuba-communist

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

But why are people pretending that Raul Castro and the PCC aren't blatantly trying to introduce "Dengism" into Cuba?

It's fair to critique the policies which the Cuban Communist Party is taking, however the material conditions in Cuba don't really fit with "Dengism". For one thing, Cuba does not have hundreds of millions of desperate workers available for exploitation by major Western manufacturers. For another, it is clear that progressive elements of the Cuban regime, like free access to education and health care (things which certainly don't exist in China anymore) are necessary components to the maintenance of power by the regime. So I don't think the worry should be that Cuba will become another China or Vietnam.