They're releasing U.S. prisoners, my Gs. Its a new world... A new era, holmes. I think this is the thawing of the relationship.
Hooray for a brave new world. What if this was the beginning of open trade and tourism with our neighbor, dawg?! I've always wanted to Cuban, B. I hear its beautiful, G. Though, I would want to visit before it is tainted by American tourism, to appreciate the antiquated beautyof the place.



VIVA LA ALAN GROSS

12/17/2014 9:02:16 AM

WELCOME HOME, BRAVE SOLDIER, AMERICAN HERO!

12/17/2014 9:08:01 AM

Now, lettuce examine who we had to swap for his release....

12/17/2014 9:12:11 AM

we probably just gave them more 1950s cars to tool around in

12/17/2014 9:37:50 AM

12/17/2014 10:26:51 AM

¡NO MAS FIDEL!





OK but in all seriousness, Alan Gross is going to have some serious catching up to do since he has been locked up since 2009. Most surprisingly he will have to learn that between 2009-2014 while he's been away:

(1) the Black Eyed Peas have broken up
(2) Lady Gaga is doing some kind of weird Lounge singing thing with an old man
(3) Approximately three members of Congress have sent out pictures of their body parts through Craigslist and other media
(4) Unemployment is higher and Da Massiah supported the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate in Egypt
(5) The WTC was finished rebuilding and nobody wants to rent space in it
(6) A member of the Bush and Clinton clans are respectively considering a run for office

Welcome back from a shitty country to another shitty country




[Edited on December 17, 2014 at 10:51 AM. Reason : ]

12/17/2014 10:37:05 AM

does this mean I can finally get some goddamn cigars?

12/17/2014 10:57:30 AM

What does this mean for the average american?

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

12/17/2014 11:43:56 AM

Cruise stops in Cuba.

12/17/2014 12:09:38 PM

So basically, get these niggas on our side before ISIS/USSR2.0 gets to them?

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

12/17/2014 12:11:29 PM

Quote :

"does this mean I can finally get some goddamn cigars"

They'll lose their mystic, similar to how Yuengling beer did when it came to NC

12/17/2014 12:14:24 PM

When can I stop buying natty bo?

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

12/17/2014 12:16:12 PM

too bad they started stamping all passports this summer

12/17/2014 12:57:27 PM

Is Fox News screaming about Obama and allowing communism to infiltrate America yet?

12/17/2014 1:18:33 PM

Rubio has already come out saying Obama is appeasing the communists.

12/17/2014 1:19:53 PM

^^ no, but Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) [of Cuban descent] held a press conference expressing valid points concerning the USA's concessions during this deal which Fox News is justifiably backing

Why don't you go to Cuba, chat on a message board, see what your rights are, and see if you still criticize the Repubs so much?


[Edited on December 17, 2014 at 1:21 PM. Reason : ]

12/17/2014 1:20:41 PM

^this guy, lol

12/17/2014 1:35:11 PM

Rubio is, and always has been, an idiot.

12/17/2014 1:44:02 PM

Well I was reading this thread in reddit about the Cuban sentiments among the country and


oh that's right, reddit is censored in Cuba

so is facebook

and pretty much everything

Cool.

12/17/2014 1:47:14 PM

what's your point?

12/17/2014 1:48:03 PM

I think he's saying we should bomb them.

12/17/2014 1:49:33 PM

point is that American ideology is about the free expression of ideas and censorship and lack of freedom under the Castro regime has been wrongfully punishing the Cuban people:

Quote :

"[t]he regime’s brutal treatment of the Cuban people has continued unabated. Dissidents are harassed, imprisoned and even killed. Access to information is restricted and controlled by the regime. That is why even more than just putting U.S. national security at risk, President Obama is letting down the Cuban people, who still yearn to be free."

12/17/2014 1:53:56 PM

You think opening relationships with Cuba is exclusive of advancing their rights?

12/17/2014 1:56:53 PM

This means the port of Tortuga is finally open. I can now offload my plundered spices and tea for much needed provisions and tankards of ale.

12/17/2014 2:01:15 PM

With more and more states legalizing weed, we will not be able to fully take advantage of that Cuban link cheeba

12/17/2014 2:03:12 PM

I think everyone is aware that cuba is communist and has human rights issues.

Wouldn't opening dialogue and the embassy be a good way to potentially address the human rights issue? Or I guess we could just bomb them.

[Edited on December 17, 2014 at 2:04 PM. Reason : ]

12/17/2014 2:04:34 PM

^^^^ We tried talking. It did not work.

I don't think there is a clear answer.

However Rubio's analysis is informed and correct.







[Edited on December 17, 2014 at 2:06 PM. Reason : ]

12/17/2014 2:05:04 PM

so you're saying we tried a few decades ago, so no point in trying again?

what is rubio's position?

12/17/2014 2:09:43 PM

maybe those two ^^ could try talking again to see if we can't work out some differences?

12/17/2014 2:16:28 PM

Rubio's position

- No embassy in Cuba
- Will do best to stall confirmation of appointment hearings if Pres nominates Ambassador to Cuba (appointment must go through Senate confirmation hearings to be confirmed. Last Ambassador to Cuba from US was Ambassador Bonsal who was recalled in 1960 when revolution happened and US evacuated)
- US maintains presence in Havana through Swiss Embassy as part of "Mission" to protect US interests
- When Castro overthrew Batista during revolution, all US interests were nationalized and "stolen" from USA, effectively made Cuban property immediately, estimated in the billions of losses for USA and businesses


More thorough history at State Dept archives, good source to get the real deal: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v06/ch9


Essentially Rubio says no dice on new deal, but his constituents are more moderate, although Rubio has been vocal stating that he does not care if "99%" of people want better relations with Cuba.

12/17/2014 2:24:42 PM

I'm not sure if we should let what happened 55 years ago dictate our relationship with a country.

12/17/2014 2:30:33 PM

stategrad1000 is advocating that we remove embassies from, and sever relations with, any country that censors speech or is guilty of human rights violations

[Edited on December 17, 2014 at 2:32 PM. Reason : how many is that?]

12/17/2014 2:31:54 PM

I don't get why this is such a big deal.

12/17/2014 2:31:59 PM

55 years of losses in the billions, billions with a b, with accrued interest is substantial

This is about money, just like everything else.

12/17/2014 2:34:00 PM

Add ^ as another hapless victim of the Sunk Cost fallacy.

12/17/2014 2:47:59 PM

CNBC in Cuba this morning

Shit's getting real. Check out that skyline behind her.

12/18/2014 10:16:25 AM

I was there in April. Shit is just backwards and broken everywhere.

Hopefully we can give them some competent economists to work with instead of letting a bunch of guys with PhDs in revolutionary economics from U of Havana run shit into the ground.

12/18/2014 10:19:28 AM

decent baseball players should be readily available now

12/18/2014 10:26:30 AM

Can we discuss the implications of what this means for the average Cuban in terms of just having more information and different cultures more readily available for comparison? I mean, instead of a rag tag group of revolutionaries complaining about their oppressive government, quickly being arrested, and silenced.... You will potentially have widespread knowledge amongst your citizenry of what life is like outside of your oppressive Cuban society. A new era dawg, not just a staerter cap.

12/18/2014 10:34:29 AM

Cuban cigars for everyone

12/18/2014 12:08:08 PM

^^ you realize that there are plenty of canadian and european tourists in cuba already, right? its not like we're tearing down the berlin wall

12/18/2014 12:57:34 PM

Of course.


But my understanding was that part of this whole deal included working with Cuba to reform some of their policies, moving away from the long-held suppression of communism and dictatorship

12/18/2014 3:14:58 PM

^ just calm down

I am sure there is a nice young man for you to meet there and "show the world" to

12/18/2014 4:29:46 PM

12/18/2014 4:36:25 PM

multiple cuba threads and all that keeps coming up is "cigars"

12/19/2014 3:20:53 PM

So how long until there are Cuban beachfront mega-casinos with legal weed and prostitution?

12/19/2014 3:34:29 PM

Formally dropped from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, my Gs

5/29/2015 11:33:44 AM

I'd like to go over there and get me some of those classic cars rusting on the streets.

I'm still working on the logistics of getting it back over here.

5/29/2015 11:53:20 AM

8/16/2015 1:41:29 PM

I want to visit as soon as it's fully open for travel.

8/17/2015 5:54:30 PM