Cuba trip will test U.S. trade policy

[Judi Lynn]

74°
Tuesday Aug. 9, 2005

Cuba trip will test U.S. trade policy

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and state agricultural leaders Saturday will embark on a six-day trade mission to Cuba to lay the groundwork for sales of dry edible beans. If the delegation is successful in cracking that island nation's agriculture market, it may, in so doing, help bring U.S.-Cuban foreign policy into the 21st century.

The group will try to open the market for Nebraska agricultural products and will test the waters for Cuba to purchase Nebraska-made medical products, as well.

The representatives have a tough row to hoe, what with the Bush administration's reluctance to weaken or break the long-standing U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
(snip)

Recently, Kirby Jones, president of the U.S. Rice Producers Association, told The Associated Press that at some point the Bush administration "will have to look at the political price of going against several Republican agricultural states."

If our delegation is thwarted by obstacles thrown up by an antiquated Cuba policy, the political price here in Nebraska could be high, indeed.
(snip/)

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/08/09/editorial_main/doc42f7ebd4dc4f5458835222.txt

[zippy890]

1. "antiquated Cuba policy" is right

Nebraska wants to do business with Cuba - can't get more red state than that.

Time to end the trade embargo of Cuba.

[Mika]

2. Its about time for there to be a political price for Cuba sanction support

Pandering to the campaign interests (fundraising) is costing many many jobs.

Cuba sanctions should have had a fork stuck in them decades ago.




That is not a church in Cuba. Repeat.. NOT a church. :)

[Judi Lynn]

3. Very cool photo. I agree. I can't see a church there anywhere, either.

That's probably because it's like the right-wingers say, those commies are all atheists, and you could be persecuted if you try to go to church in Cuba.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. Don't you see it? They have to keep them hidden...

It's in the forefront of the large white building. It has a little white dome on the roof marking it for all the supressed Catholics.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Oh, YEAH! Say, thanks! They hid it so well. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

5. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just seen it.

Right in the Miami right-wing Cuban Batista-loving nutsto Herald, an admission that Cubans DO have other ways of getting to the states besides making little rickety boats and clinging to them through 90 miles of high waves and storm-infested seas. Does anyone hear remember reading posts from South Florida posters who claimed Cubans take their lives into their own hands coming to the U.S. and that Feedel Castro won't let anyone leave Cuba?

You'd think they'd feel embarrassed to keep spewing those antique whoppers at us.

Well, look at this, from the Wednesday Miami Herald. This story concerns a young man who came to Florida, spent 3 years in high school there and is on his way to Yale, with a full scholarship.

Grew up in Cuba's school system, came here not speaking English, spent 3 yrs in high school, got a scholarship to Yale. He took English lessons with his dad in Florida.

Here's the part which will make Cuba propaganda spotters snicker:

MOVING ON: Future Yale student Luisel Peña with a Sudan poster. NURI VALLBONA/HERALD STAFF

UP FRONT | EDUCATION

Recent arrival from Cuba already headed to Yale

A 23-year-old Hialeah man has moved from a local community college to Yale in just three years after leaving Cuba.

BY NOAH BIERMAN

[e-mail]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

....His parents divorced when he was 2. In 1992, Peña's father came to visit his brother in Hialeah and stayed, leaving behind a career as a civil engineer to work in construction.

Back in Cuba, Peña kept reading. He especially likes Italian author Umberto Eco, whom he calls one of the best living authors in the world. He studied English, learning how to read and write but he did not feel confident speaking.

Luisel's father became a U.S. citizen and visited Cuba five years ago to tell his son he wanted him to move to Miami. Luisel was indifferent. He would miss friends. But his parents believed he needed to leave the island to fulfill his promise.

Something else happened on that visit. His parents fell in love again and decided they would remarry nearly two decades after their divorce. Luisel left Cuba on Aug. 22, 2002, his mother 18 months later.
(snip)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12344153.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This fragment of the story is so full of contradictions of propaganda we've heard for years. It's HILARIOUS.

His dad came here for a VISIT to see his brother. (We are told this never happens.) He stayed in the States. Just like that.

The kid reads Umberto Eco. (We've been told Cubans aren't allowed to read anything from outside their culture, that they are kept in the dark, reading only propaganda.)

His dad CAME BACK TO CUBA FOR A VISIT. Now how can that be? Wouldn't Feedel Castro try to have him thrown in jail?

He was offered the chance to come to join his dad. He didn't want to. Wanted to stay with his friends. (Like any kid anywhere.)

The kid finally just mysteriously comes to America. Later his mom just comes to America. You note the article doesn't mention their little "rickety boats."

Hey, where's his "car boat?" You know, something like this!

Did he come in a "truck boat," like this?

Maybe he walked.

The Miami Herald is strangely secretive about this.

Well, I hope someone here gets the point, after seeing a steady trickle of posters trying to push the old Miami/right-wing looney toons propaganda. Thanks.

[Mika]

7. You are getting the picture Judi Lynn.

99.8% of what Americans hear about "communist Cuba" in the MSM is bullshit.
99.9% of what spews forth from the Miamicuban exiles is swill.

After being filled to the brim with US anti Cuba propaganda I went there. I was amazed to find that Cuba is NOTHING like the depictions made in America. Nothing.

This is why the US government does not want Americans to be able to go freely and easily to the island and see it (and the people) for themselves.



Thanks for posting the story and your thoughts on it. With pictures too! :thumbsup: