Cuba and the US

[Atothe]

We gotta talk about how the relationship between Cuba and America is softening. Imagine dozens of Cubans playing in the majors and minors. Salary demands normalizing and maybe a major league team in Havana.

[Terminator]

Cuba has a higher population than the DR. MLB could see a shitload of Cuban players should relations actually normalize.

[GD]

Alfredo Despaigne pls

[deepz]

It won't happen, at least not anytime soon. No congress will vote on lifting embargoes or softening stances. The reason is Florida. It's a swing state and WAY too vital for the democrats and republicans to vote on something that's seen as Cuba-friendly.

[Angrioter]

Cuba has a higher population than the DR. MLB could see a shitload of Cuban players should relations actually normalize.

 

Dominican > Cuban

[deepz]

However it is nice PR for an outgoing lame duck president.

[Orgfiller]

This is truly amazing news. I would be extremely happy if some of these deserving talents get their shot in the big leagues, and most importantly, the ones that have already defected get to play for Cuba in the WBC.

[Orgfiller]

Dominican > Cuban

 

Fight me.

[G-Snarls]

[Inklink]

Did they discover oil in Cuba or something?

[Atothe]

I don't know much about the politics but I would love to see Havana revitalized and possibly seeing a major league team there. Beautiful city

[Atothe]

Ang Cuba >>> Dominican Republic

[Jimcanuck]

maybe a major league team in Havana.

 

No Cuban can afford a ticket

[Dr Negative]

It won't happen, at least not anytime soon. No congress will vote on lifting embargoes or softening stances. The reason is Florida. It's a swing state and WAY too vital for the democrats and republicans to vote on something that's seen as Cuba-friendly.

 

It could certainly go this way, but I think the new generation of Cuban Americans doesn't care so much about this + the business wings of both parties probably regard the embargo as bad economic policy.

[deepz]

It could certainly go this way, but I think the new generation of Cuban Americans doesn't care so much about this + the business wings of both parties probably regard the embargo as bad economic policy.

 

I agree with this and think the embargo is stupid and should be lifted.

 

However, the younger generation of Cuban Americans are democrats and are already against the embargo. The anti-Castro exile Cuban Americans are hugely pro-republican and their voting bloc is a MAJOR asset to republicans in Florida. And for that reason alone you will not see congress vote to lift the embargo. And that's who has to do it, congress. It can't be an executive order from the President.

 

I think this is a nice play by Obama. It makes it a discussion. Maybe in a few years another, more mature congress will vote to lift it.

[Terminator]

Dominican > Cuban

 

It's 12 million for Cuba to 9.5 million for the DR.

[Dick_Pole]

This is bad news for me. I prefer an oppressive regime that keeps the week-long all inclusive vacations there cheap and American-free. I also like the lack of economic opportunity so Cubans have to make a living by kissing my Canadian ass two weeks out of every year. Cuba has some of the best preserved natural habitat in the world because of the lack of development and the fact that the people get thrown into prisons if they do something like kill a cow or eat lobster without the government's permission first. I can live without the dozen or so extra Puigs that would make it to the MLB.

 

Now I'll prepare for some whiny liberal to complain about how mean I am hoping that the Cuban population remains oppressed and without democracy with the irony being that Trudeau having been such pals with Castro is part of the reason why this "communist" regime has survived for as long as it has.

[Orgfiller]

This is bad news for me. I prefer an oppressive regime that keeps the week-long all inclusive vacations there cheap and American-free. I also like the lack of economic opportunity so Cubans have to make a living by kissing my Canadian ass two weeks out of every year. Cuba has some of the best preserved natural habitat in the world because of the lack of development and the fact that the people get thrown into prisons if they do something like kill a cow or eat lobster without the government's permission first. I can live without the dozen or so extra Puigs that would make it to the MLB.

 

Now I'll prepare for some whiny liberal to complain about how mean I am hoping that the Cuban population remains oppressed and without democracy with the irony being that Trudeau having been such pals with Castro is part of the reason why this "communist" regime has survived for as long as it has.

 

You're a f***ing piece of s***.

[King]

This is bad news for me. I prefer an oppressive regime that keeps the week-long all inclusive vacations there cheap and American-free. I also like the lack of economic opportunity so Cubans have to make a living by kissing my Canadian ass two weeks out of every year. Cuba has some of the best preserved natural habitat in the world because of the lack of development and the fact that the people get thrown into prisons if they do something like kill a cow or eat lobster without the government's permission first. I can live without the dozen or so extra Puigs that would make it to the MLB.

 

Now I'll prepare for some whiny liberal to complain about how mean I am hoping that the Cuban population remains oppressed and without democracy with the irony being that Trudeau having been such pals with Castro is part of the reason why this "communist" regime has survived for as long as it has.

 

Strong username to post content ratio

[Atothe]

Strong username to post content ratio

threads like these are gold. Dick pole going on a lot of people's s*** list

[Dick_Pole]

You're a f***ing piece of s***.

 

Ok, let the Americans and democracy in and enjoy your McDonald's, gangs, cocaine, gun fights, steroids in your farm animals and chance to vote your choice of two hacks to the US government every 4 years. My regret is that I'll never get a chance to shake Fidel's hand. Don't care about Raul, he's a pussy in by nepotism.

[Dick_Pole]

Strong username to post content ratio

 

The best times are when I say s*** like this in person too

[Orgfiller]

Ok, let the Americans and democracy in and enjoy your McDonald's, gangs, cocaine, gun fights, steroids in your farm animals and chance to vote your choice of two hacks to the US government every 4 years. My regret is that I'll never get a chance to shake Fidel's hand. Don't care about Raul, he's a pussy in by nepotism.

 

The best part is how ignorant you are about all of this.

[Spanky99]

Wow

 

Not a f*** given.......

[TheHurl]

I don't have to agree with any of the opinions of Dick Pole (and I don't) but I like the way he delivers them. Orgfiller is justified for killing him and his family now though.

[Boxcar]

I don't have to agree with any of the opinions of Dick Pole (and I don't) but I like the way he delivers them. Orgfiller is justified for killing him and his family now though.

 

I agree. Moogy-esque (RIP)

[Jimcanuck]

This is bad news for me. I prefer an oppressive regime that keeps the week-long all inclusive vacations there cheap and American-free. I also like the lack of economic opportunity so Cubans have to make a living by kissing my Canadian ass two weeks out of every year. Cuba has some of the best preserved natural habitat in the world because of the lack of development and the fact that the people get thrown into prisons if they do something like kill a cow or eat lobster without the government's permission first. I can live without the dozen or so extra Puigs that would make it to the MLB.

 

Now I'll prepare for some whiny liberal to complain about how mean I am hoping that the Cuban population remains oppressed and without democracy with the irony being that Trudeau having been such pals with Castro is part of the reason why this "communist" regime has survived for as long as it has.

 

When Trudeau was PM there was something called the Cold War going on. The Soviet Union invested heavily in Cuba.

 

Clearly you are a right winger. Known for spreading misinformation, election fraud, racism.

[KingKat]

When Trudeau was PM there was something called the Cold War going on. The Soviet Union invested heavily in Cuba.

 

Clearly you are a right winger. Known for spreading misinformation, election fraud, racism.

 

Wouldn't supporting Castro's regime be a little odd for a right-winger?

 

I think beneath his vitriol, Dick_Pole might actually be making a good point. When Cuba changes, progess may be made in some areas but a lot will be lost as well. The changes coming won't necessarily be to the benefit of the people either. Cuba is probably about to become a lot less Cuba-like and a lot more China-like and that's not necessarily progress.

[Olerud363]

Ok, let the Americans and democracy in and enjoy your McDonald's, gangs, cocaine, gun fights, steroids in your farm animals and chance to vote your choice of two hacks to the US government every 4 years. My regret is that I'll never get a chance to shake Fidel's hand. Don't care about Raul, he's a pussy in by nepotism.

 

It's kind of funny... people here take things to literally. Who is Dick Pole even insulting?? Liberals?? Conservative?? Americans?? Democrats?? Republicans??

 

He's insulting everybody actually. Perhaps making the larger point that none of us have the right to tell Cubans how to live.

 

Many of my far left liberal friends love Cuba and Castro. To them Castro is all that is righteous and good. He is a wise man who gives each Cuban a job, some food, and wonderful health care. Cuba has the highest quality of life. If I point out that lack of financial freedom means lack of choice on how to live your life, if I point out that repression is the only way to achieve Castro's goals my liberal friends say

 

"Olerud363 you are a very bad man, a very bad man to like the free market, you a very bad man"

 

Many of my far "right" friends are actually nothing but coorporate cronyists. They call themselves "libertarians" but there loyalty lies only to the coorporation. If it was up to them (as Dick points out) coorporations would rule Cuba and the farm animals would have more winstrol in their system then Raphael Paileiro and there would be "round up" in the soup. If I argue this my "far right" (phony right) friends say

 

"Olerud363 you are a very bad man, a very bad man to dislike large coorporations, you are a very bad man"

 

Very few actually care about individual freedoms. 49% like big government, 49% like big coorporations, both like a system where man is ruled by large institutions. 2% like freedom and perhaps Dick_Pole is one of the rare ones.

[immature]

Your using the term freedom like it has some objective meaning. Capitalists, libertarians or neoliberalism which essentially combines the two love spouting the word freedom while not having any idea what the hell it means. Nobody does anymore really, its been used in so many different contexts and has implied so many different things its simply a meaningless term. Ask the majority of people in Haiti, D.R, Belize, Mexico, Honduras and any other country within that surrounding area and they would willingly jump at the opportunity to live under this "oppressive system" with a lack of "financial freedom".

 

U.N. Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, and the Red Cross all rated Cuba's justice system as normal, i.e. no better or worse than ours. Anybody who has traveled to Cuba can attest to the fact that there are essentially no slums in Cuba, and that MOST of the people in Latin America not living in Cuba who are supposedly blessed with "freedom" are miserably uncomfortable and live sad, desperate lives. Each citizen is guaranteed a meal at school or on the job and all house/ institutionalized apartment annual payments cost approximately 10% of a persons salary which is equivalent to about $100,000 in most major cities.

 

So I suppose according to you I am one of these socialists that "love Castro". But in reality I just think its inexcusable the lifestyles the majority of people have and its commendable the lifestyles that Castro has been able to give to Cubans especially considering their history and where they started from.