U.S. Limits Gift Parcel Deliveries to Cuba

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday banned U.S. citizens from including clothing and other items in their parcels to Cuba, a move that further isolates Cubans from their relatives in the United States.

Under the new rules by the U.S. Department of Commerce, packages can no longer include clothing, seeds, personal hygiene items, veterinary medicines and supplies, fishing and soap-making equipment.

Food, medicines, medical supplies and equipment and receive-only radio equipment are still allowed, according to the regulations published in the Federal Register.

For packages containing items other than food, deliveries are limited to one parcel a month per household, instead of the previous one parcel a month per individual recipient.

(snip)

The parcel limitations come on top of rules published last week by the U.S. Department of Treasury, which cut the frequency that Cuban Americans can visit their relatives on the island to once every three years from once a year, and curtailed the amount of money they could spend there.

more…
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=10&u=/nm/20040622/ts_nm/cuba_usa_parcels_dc

[Vogon_Glory]

1. More Restrictions: How Will Cuban-American Voters React?

I can't help but wonder if these restrictions may be enough to force all but the hardest-core Batistianos into reconsidering their knee-jerk voting habits. It may be one thing to cheer on further restrictions against the Cuban government, but quite another to enable the people tormenting one's relatives.

This set of restrictions, stacked on top of the travel restrictions forcing Americans to leave Cuba by the end of the month, might finally be enough to make those who have given the Boosh regime the benefit of the doubt consider if they like Reich's and Noriega's policies.

[Tempest]

2. Angrily

Florida: Eroding: Bush's Cuban Support
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5040192

Cubans unhappy over new policies could cost him state, experts say
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/cuba/stories/052204dnintcubaside.4d93.html

For Cuban-Americans, more empty promises
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/10/Columns/For_Cuban_Americans__.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

3. There are people in the States who are not Cuban yet have friends there

who will be very disturbed by this new act of petty viciousness.

There has been a certain element in our country from the first which has been obsessed with controlling Cuba. In better times, common sense has a way of suppressing the lunatic fringe more successfully.

It has been going on since before this delight was written by the U.S. Undersectary of War, John C. Greenwood:

.....The island of Cuba, a larger territory, has a greater population density than Puerto Rico, although it is unevenly distributed. This population is made up of whites, blacks, Asians and people who are a mixture of these races. The inhabitants are generally indolent and apathetic. As for their learning, they range from the most refined to the most vulgar and abject. Its people are indifferent to religion, and the majority are therefore immoral and simultaneously they have strong passions and are very sensual. Since they only possess a vague notion of what is right and wrong, the people tend to seek pleasure not through work, but through violence. As a logical consequence of this lack of morality, there is a great disregard for life.

It is obvious that the immediate annexation of these disturbing elements into our own federation in such large numbers would be sheer madness, so before we do that we must clean up the country, even if this means using the methods Divine Providence used on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

We must destroy everything within our cannons’ range of fire. We must impose a harsh blockade so that hunger and its constant companion, disease, undermine the peaceful population and decimate the Cuban army.
(snip)

http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/bmemo.htm

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

Anyone with half a brain can see the lowest in our nation's character, our grubby little bullies have been attempting to possess this island for a looooong time. They appear to think getting to the top of the heap in American politics entitles you to emperor privileges, and you must claim ownership of all countries which can't successfully fight you back.

[Vogon_Glory]

6. Our Demographics Won't Change The Voter Equation

I suspect that this "petty viciousness" will indeed have a noticeable effect on Cuban-American voters who still are in contact with their Cuban relatives in ways that won't hit quite so hard with the rest of the electorate. These little measures will effect families. That'll hit home even stronger than the Elian Gonzalez imbroglio seemed to.

In the case of non-Cuban voters, the effect will be less noticeable. Those voters more favorable to most aspects of Fidel's regime are already firmly in the anti-Boosh regime camp. Other voters, like me, less bound to supporting Fidel's economic and political changes since 1959, already have a tapas dinner full of issues for which we already very strongly oppose Dubya and his fellow Banana Republicans. But people of my stripe don't have family and strong friendships on the island, and other issues are more likely to sway our voting.

I'm sure that many right-wing evangelicals will support this nasty little Boosh regime measure. But I doubt that many protestants who had been evangelizing in Cuba before Dubya's underlings announced these and other odious policies will be among these measures' supporters.

[Senior citizen]

4. Does that mean the CIA can't send Castro

any more poisoned cigars or exploding seashells?


:silly:

[struggle4progress]

5. kick

:kick:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Open letter to Sec. of State Powell on the new constrictions on Cuba.

June 22, 2004

Dear Secretary Powell:

As part of the faith community of the United States, we are deeply concerned
over the newly announced actions of the U.S. Administration aimed at
hastening the transition of government in Cuba. These measures delay once
more any official dialogue between the U.S. and Cuban Governments, further
restrict interaction between Americans and Cubans, and further limit contact
among Cubans and Cuban exiles.

On the 6th of May, President George Bush accepted the recommendations from
the report of the "Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba," a group created
by the Administration under your chairmanship. Basically it would appear
that the Commission seeks to strengthen the failed policies of the past forty
years. This is done through:

* A cut in family visits from one per year to one every three years
* Restrictions on remittances to family members
* A virtual end to educational travel
* Increased U.S. enforcement of existing travel restrictions, including more
prosecutions of presumed transgressors
* Increased aid to dissidents in Cuba
* Illegal radio and television broadcasts from a U.S. C-130 military aircraft
flying close to Cuban airspace

The Bush Administration claims that these measures will empower Cuban civil
society and deny resources to the "Cuban dictatorship." We feel that they
will actually deny much-needed assistance to the Cuban people, weaken Cuban
civil society organizations, and lead to an increase of tension between the
U.S. and Cuba. In fact, the announcement of these measures has already
increased fear in Cuba of a possible U.S. military intervention.

Churches in the U.S., as well as other faith-based organizations, have been
working with the people of Cuba for many years, supporting education programs
as well as work with the most vulnerable sectors of Cuban society. We have
seen an increased openness in Cuban society as the result of this kind of
cooperation, along with the ongoing interchange that results from groups of
U.S. citizens visiting Cuba on educational and humanitarian missions. This
supports the view, which we share, that increased engagement leads to change,
reform, and the opening of society.

As we have opposed the economic embargo against Cuba for many years on
humanitarian as well as moral grounds, we must oppose these new measures. In
addition, we have received a call from the Cuban Pastoral Forum, an ad hoc
group made up of more than 200 pastors and priests in Cuba, asking the
churches of the U.S. to seek to reverse these measures.

Along with the World Council of Churches, we are participating in the Decade
to Overcome Violence. At a time when there is an increase of military
activity around the world, with untold suffering and loss of life as a
result, we must do all we can to reduce tensions, not increase them.
Therefore, we call on the Administration to reconsider these measures and not
only lift them, but lift the embargo and, as Congress has voted for the past
several years, lift all travel restrictions to Cuba.

We must do all we can to increase dialogue, not stifle it.

Sincerely,
Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary

-end-
National Council of Churches
475 Riverside Dr, New York
New York 10115-0050
www.ncccusa.org; [e-mail]
Media Contact: 212-870-2252

http://www.wfn.org/2004/06/msg00157.html