Thread: Cuba President Raul Castro demands US hands back Guantanamo Bay

Originally Posted by MW

Like I said, I don't support normalization with any country ruled by a communist dictator. We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

How about Globalists, Monarchs, Socialists and Kings/Queens?

Originally Posted by Judy

And, ironically, this embargo hasn't been fostered by Americans, it's been fostered by Cuban immigrants who hate their country so much that they would lobby our government to starve it out. It's a revenge thing by Cubans here to get back at Castro. Our national policy shouldn't be based on such things. Castro is no better or worse than any other socialist or communist leader.

The early waves of emigration from Cuba included a lot of former patricians.

Our policy toward Cuba had nothing to do with United States's interests and everything to do with placating the former Cuban upper class. We have active relations with dictators and de facto dictators in places like the former Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia. There and in other countries, our relations are about building influence.

One of the realities of international relations is that we have to accept the necessity for interacting with people whose values are very different from ours. That's a long term perspective, which requires statesmanship, a.k.a. a patience and persistence.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by vistalad

The early waves of emigration from Cuba included a lot of former patricians.

Our policy toward Cuba had nothing to do with United States's interests and everything to do with placating the former Cuban upper class. We have active relations with dictators and de facto dictators in places like the former Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia. There and in other countries, our relations are about building influence.

One of the realities of international relations is that we have to accept the necessity for interacting with people whose values are very different from ours. That's a long term perspective, which requires statesmanship, a.k.a. a patience and persistence.
**********************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Exactly. Great point, vistalad!

I don't really care one way or the other, but if Guantanamo is turned over to Cuba, it had better be and empty lot when they get it. JMO

Originally Posted by Newmexican

I don't really care one way or the other, but if Guantanamo is turned over to Cuba, it had better be and empty lot when they get it. JMO

It's a really BIG lot. 45 SQUARE MILES.

"Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (also called GTMO and pronounced gitmo by the U.S. military personnel stationed there^[1]) is located on 45 square miles (120 km²) of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."

Why should we give Cuba a fully operational and high tech base and port to be used by countries that hate us? Look what we left for ISIS.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

Why should we give Cuba a fully operational and high tech base and port to be used by countries that hate us? Look what we left for ISIS.

No one said anything about leaving them anything they could use.
The comment was ONLY that it is a REALLY BIG area.

Represented businesses[edit]

Guantanamo's McDonald's

In 1986, Guantanamo became host to the first and only McDonald's restaurant within Cuba.^[57][58]
A Subway sandwich shop was opened in November 2002.^[59] Other fast food outlets have followed. These fast food restaurants are on base, and not accessible to Cubans. It has been reported that prisoners cooperating with interrogations have been rewarded with Happy Meals from the McDonald's located on the mainside of the base.^[60]
In 2004, Guantanamo opened a combined KFC & A&W restaurant at the bowling alley and a Pizza Hut Express at the Windjammer Restaurant.^[61] There is also a Taco Bell, and the Triple C shop that sells Starbucks coffee and Breyers ice cream. All the restaurants on the installation are franchises owned and operated by the Department of the Navy.^[62] All proceeds from these restaurants are used to support morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) activities for service personnel and their families.^[63] In the 1980s, there was even a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store, the first franchise to open on the base.^{[citation needed]}

There's no reason at all to return Guantanamo Bay to Cube. I support normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba and lifting the embargo on Cuba, but I don't support giving them anything other than that, no foreign aid, no immigration, no "free trade", and certainly no Guantanamo Bay. We also need to repeal this crazy asylum policy that tells Cubans if they make it to US shore they have asylum here. No, No, No.

http://www.alipac.us/f19/u-s-officia...-talks-317341/