http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/w...p-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 Already, this breakthrough is seeing backlash from elected officials Marco Rubio plans to have a press conference criticizing Obama for this move http://www.msnbc.com/shift/watch/rubio-remarks-on-cuba-373835331812 ----------------------------- [/news] [opinion] Embargo on travel is still in effect, as I think it takes congress to lift that. Put importing and exporting should see light. #legalcubancigars lol oh, and #CommunismWillConsumeYou Republicans are definitely going to cause a fuss.
This policy of isolation between the two countries is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that a few Cubans in Miami can control federal policy that negatively impacts the entire country is beyond me. Florida is a highly political state, so Presidents / Congress has been afraid to address this issue for years. I applaud President Obama for bringing this issue to light. Both countries will gain from opening their markets, especially Cuba.
I could go to North Korea, Iran and Syria for vacation, and the only thing US Customs & Border Patrol officials would say to me when I return to the US is "Welcome home." Not to mention that China, a communist country, is one of our biggest trade partners, and we've had diplomatic relations with Vietnam since 1995 - and we fought a fucking war over communism with them. And if you want to talk human rights abuses, look no further than our biggest ally in the middle east - Saudi Arabia, a fascist shithole with no freedoms whatsoever where you can have your head chopped off in the public square for such heinous crimes like being homosexual, renouncing your faith or having sex outside of marriage. Hell, I'm pretty sure even Cubans are allowed to fuck someone they're not married to. There is absolutely no good reason, not one, to not have diplomatic relations with Cuba or not allow American citizens to travel there. I'm glad to see diplomatic relations resume, and I hope this is just the first step because there's still a long ways to go.