President Obama's historic trip to Cuba (3/21/2016)

[Arkain2K]

During Obama's historic visit to Cuba, Castro called on the United States to abandon "the territory it occupies" with a naval base at Guantanamo Bay, and to lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba. He said relations would never be fully normal until both were accomplished.

Also, apparently there's no such thing as "political prisoners" in Cuba.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...1e4ff6-eef5-11e5-89c3-a647fcce95e0_story.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/21/raul-castro-demands-return-guantanamo-bay-obama-visit

 

[7437]

I would have been surprised if he had said sonething different.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[Falsedawn]

The CNN article made it sound like Obama sonned Castro.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/21/politics/obama-cuban-raul-castro/index.html

In an extraordinary sign of the shifting attitudes, Castro was willing to answer one question on why his regime was keeping Cubans incarcerated for expressing anti-government views. But his response only underscored the schisms between himself and Obama.

"Did you ask if we had political prisoners? Give me a list of political prisoners and I will release them immediately," Castro said defensively when asked by CNN's Jim Acosta why his government was incarcerating dissidents.

Unaccustomed to press conferences, Castro at first appeared confused at whether the question was directed to him and later asked for it to be repeated as he juggled the headphones he wore to hear its translation.

Later, Castro delivered a litany of areas where he said the U.S. was failing, from inadequate health care to lower pay for women. He ended the unprecedented question-and-answer session after a second inquiry on human rights, saying he'd said "enough."

Obama, meanwhile, appeared to relish putting Castro on the spot, winking at the assembled journalists when it appeared Castro wasn't going to answer his question.

"Excuse me?" Obama said to prompt the Cuban leader.

In his own message on human rights, Obama defended his decision to come to Cuba even as government dissent is punished.

"We have decades of profound differences," Obama said when asked what his message on human rights was during his "frank conversation" on the issue with Castro. "I told President Castro that we are moving forward and not looking backwards."

 

[Joe]

sounds like a good idea

 

[glennrod]

I heard about the women beaten and arrested..the wives of dissidents. Why is Obama cozying up to such a fascist state?

 

[dontsnitch]

 

[Orgasmo]

I heard about the women beaten and arrested..the wives of dissidents. Why is Obama cozying up to such a fascist state?

I heard about detainees being waterboarded, held without proper trial and sent to black prisons operated by the intelligence agency where they get tortured. I don't know why the world puts up with this fascist state either. Let's not throw stones in a glass house.

 

[glennrod]

I heard about detainees being waterboarded, held without proper trial and sent to black prisons operated by the intelligence agency where they get tortured. I don't know why the world puts up with this fascist state either. Let's not throw stones in a glass house.

And lets not justify bad behaviour by pointing out other bad behaviour...i mean seriously, so fucking what?, who gives a fuck etc..i had the pleasure of seeing your president with his cheesy fucking smiles and photo ops like everything is all gravy with Cuba all of a sudden. Oh wow, first president in 90 years to bla bla bla. If Obama told it like it is then I could respect that..even using your logic by being like "well we know that Cuba's leadership are scum, but we deal with other scumbags in other parts of the world too"...but he isn't. This is being dressed up as some "marvelous accomplishment" and its nothing but a farce

 

[Orgasmo]

And lets not justify bad behaviour by pointing out other bad behaviour...i mean seriously, so fucking what?, who gives a fuck etc..i had the pleasure of seeing your president with his cheesy fucking smiles and photo ops like everything is all gravy with Cuba all of a sudden. Oh wow, first president in 90 years to bla bla bla. If Obama told it like it is then I foul respect that..even using your logic by being like "well we know that Cuba's leadership are scum, but we deal with other scumbags in other parts of the world too"...but he isn't. This is being dressed up as some "marvelous accomplishment" and its nothing but a farce

It's called hypocrisy. Lecturing others on the same thing you are doing that is. Last time I checked, Cuba isn't going around invading countries, overthrowing governments and supporting countries with jihadist leanings. So really, Cuba ranks lower on the scumbag scale.

 

[glennrod]

It's called hypocrisy. Lecturing others on the same thing you are doing that is. Last time I checked, Cuba isn't going around invading countries, overthrowing governments and supporting countries with jihadist leanings. So really, Cuba ranks lower on the scumbag scale.

I agree, but Cuba is basically being rewarded for bad behaviour. The only thing that pisses me the fuck off in all of this, is the attitude that it's all good and strengthening relations with Cuba is brilliant..all the while with that big gay smile on his face..like everything is "A - OK". I would respect Obama a lot more if at least acknowledged that the Castro brothers are pieces of shit. No gay photo ops with the cheesy smiles, none of that shit. Do it with a stone face at least, none of that "I am so overjoyed to see you" bullshit. And I don't care whose done it before either. It's just something that caught my eye and pissed me off.

 

[Orgasmo]

I agree, but Cuba is basically being rewarded for bad behaviour. The only thing that pisses me the fuck off in all of this, is the attitude that it's all good and strengthening relations with Cuba is brilliant..all the while with that big gay smile on his face..like everything is "A - OK". I would respect Obama a lot more if at least acknowledged that the Castro brothers are pieces of shit. No gay photo ops with the cheesy smiles, none of that shit. Do it with a stone face at least, none of that "I am so overjoyed to see you" bullshit. And I don't care whose done it before either. It's just something that caught my eye and pissed me off.

If US cut off diplomatic relationship with any country that had history of human right abuse, it would not have any trade or political relationship with anyone at all. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and UAE are much higher on the scumbag scale, and yet the West calls them "allies" and hug their shitty leaders on camera. I assume you're okay with these?

Sanction and isolation have not gotten rid of the Castro brothers in 60 years, but if you allow Cubans to freely travel and trade with US, their society would transform dramatically in 10 years. Democracy is spread through free flow of ideas and goods, not imposed through sanction and invasion.

 

[Deleted member 453401]

 

[Throttlehead]

If US cut off diplomatic relationship with any country that had history of human right abuse, it would not have any trade or political relationship with anyone at all. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and UAE are much higher on the scumbag scale, and yet the West calls them "allies" and hug their shitty leaders on camera. Sanction and isolation have not gotten rid of the Castro brothers in 60 years, but if you allow Cubans to freely travel and trade with US, their society would transform dramatically in 10 years.

Democracy is spread through free flow of ideas and goods, not imposed through sanction and invasion.

What do you mean? It looks like democratic Iraq is looking great.

 

[Orgasmo]

What do you mean? It looks like democratic Iraq is looking great.

I agree. ISIS definitely added flavor to your usual Shia vs Sunni vs Kurd politics and energized the Iraqi voters.

 

[glennrod]

If US cut off diplomatic relationship with any country that had history of human right abuse, it would not have any trade or political relationship with anyone at all. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and UAE are much higher on the scumbag scale, and yet the West calls them "allies" and hug their shitty leaders on camera. Sanction and isolation have not gotten rid of the Castro brothers in 60 years, but if you allow Cubans to freely travel and trade with US, their society would transform dramatically in 10 years.

Democracy is spread through free flow of ideas and goods, not imposed through sanction and invasion.

Believe me, all of it makes me cringe. Saudi Arabia being in the "human rights council" of the U.N?. Turkey wanting to get into the EU..it pisses me off. Nations as barbaric as these should be cleansed, and maybe they would be if we, as a human race were truly "good"

 

[second sight]

What do you mean? It looks like democratic Iraq is looking great.

it was

 

[second sight]

so if he demanded it what did the queen say...yes I'm guessing

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

How about instead of that, we take Raul and his POS brother and give them nice, long--well, not too long, since they won't last--stays in Guantanamo instead?

I heard about the women beaten and arrested..the wives of dissidents. Why is Obama cozying up to such a fascist state?

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Lift trade embargos so Murica can dominate the trade, and keep Guantanamo for the strategic advantage.

Or you can literally just ignore the Island altogether. Obama can just send down an intern to be like, " hey waddup" and then leave. What can Cuba offer besides art deco, vintage cars, cigars. We can get all our baseball players from DR. Are any one of you siked about going to boxing camp down there or something?