I have mixed feelings on this one. The decision was 100% right at the time. The sanctions are both a deterrent and assurance that they don’t become to powerful. The world needs policed the same as your neighborhood. (On the other hand, post Castro Cuban cigars are plentiful in Tampa’s Little Cuba. )

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Only a liberal would know how hard it is to get a nicotine patch to stick to a monkey.

I apologize for your thin skin. Keep making anti-American comments and you'd better grow a shell. I'm certainly not going to let them go unchallenged.

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

And right here we have the core of your belief system. You cannot hear challanges to it, and thus are unable to defend it. Which is what you need to be able to do because it is a very controvesial belief.

I think they were.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq

I remember some debate on the avoidance of enemy deaths. THe rational was that since we knew we were going to win and they knew we were going to win, that instead of needing to destroy enemy units that we could just keep them out of contact with their commanders. THen after the US was in control of the country the unharmed Iraqi units would just surrender.

THis level of concern for the enemy soldiers was described as unprecedented.



Furthermore, don't you agree that the "liberation" that laca wants would be a horrible bloodbath and that his lack of concern about the cost reflects badly on him?

Okay you lost me completely, it sounds like total gibberish.

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It all comes down to this on election day: Are you a racist, or do you look down on spastics?

The US elects its President with the 'electoral college' rather than a straight majority national vote.

Here is a quick background on how this works:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Electoral_College

Florida has a very large population that carries a vast number of 'electoral college' votes in Presidential elections, with the winner of the vote in Florida taking all the electoral votes. In the US, with rare exceptions, the winner of the popular vote in each state takes all the electoral votes of that state (state law determines how their electoral college votes will be cast, but almost all have a 'winner take all' approach).

As an example of this in action, in 2000, Bush's victory in Florida allowed him to take all of Florida's electoral college votes, the total number of which then exceeded Gore's total number he got from states he won, and Bush won the election--all despite the fact that Gore got more overall votes than Bush in the total national tally.

Here is another quick link to show you how this works, citing the 2000 election:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._pr...election,_2000

Given Florida's population size, it also has alot of seats for Congress.

Florida has a large and very politically influential population of Cubans and Cuban-Americans, and this community is, on the whole, extremely anti-Castro. To pass legislation that seems to 'go soft' on Castro and/or befriend him will result in infuriating the Florida Cuban population and their political machines and they will severely punish anyone who makes such decisions. And on the flip side, by giving them their demands on handling Castro, it gets their support.

I don't have a thin-skin. However, I do have a penchant for mutual respect for the other's right to an opposite opinion, along with intelligent and relevant conversation and your post missed out all three.

JP, I know this is the post-modern era which has led to the 'death of the author', but please do not keep accusing me of 'anti-Americanism'. Many times posters on here, particularly when they are losing, can only come back with this sort of all-purpose insult. I am not anti-American. I was asked once if I could pick one person from any era or any time who would it be. JP, I chose Paul Robson. A true American Hero. Although, I do think his life transcended any nationality.

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Lucky is he (sic) who has been able to understand the causes of things
Virgil

Yes, I do agree. I find laca to be an insult to the Cuban people as well as an insult to the inclusive ethos usually promotoed by those who are left-wing.

Just as I condemn the US for its actions, so I would condemn the Cuban government if they ever managed to find some stone-age weapons and callously invaded Florida, or worse, Texas.

If consideration for enemy soldiers were part of the invasion strategy I would be very surprised. If that is so, the facts would have very quickly borne out the huge mistake made. Rumsfeld certainly didn't display any concern in his 'shock and awe' snigger on my TV. And his previous sniggering statement re 'Afghanistan has run out of targets', whereby the lickspittle journalists all laughed, also doesn't demonstrate any humanitarian qualities.

I will not totally condemn force as a necessity. The South African peoples tried every legal way to destroy apartheid. However, every peaceful action was met by a violent reaction. Every attempt to change an unfair law was met by the legislation of an even more draconian law. In the end they had no choice but to turn to force. In the meantime, though, they were declared terrorists and enemies of South Africa, white South Africa that is!

So even though I say Long Live the Revolution, I hope that when the peoples of this world say to the profiteers, arms manufacturers and oppressors - enough, that change will come about by peaceful means. Although, I doubt it!

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Lucky is he (sic) who has been able to understand the causes of things
Virgil

HA HA!! Good one! Thanks, I get to start my day with a laugh!

But that is my point, according to communist ideology, they want to invade. They see us as their enemy because of who we are, not what we do.

Rhetoric designed to project confidence, the actual implemented plan was as I said. I sourced my point and remember it personally.

Good.

I'm growing weary of listening to non-Americans from countries that haven't done 1/10 the good the US has, tell us what's wrong with our country.
I've done much more than just level the claim, I've backed it up. Here's a bit of free advice for you. If you don't want to be labeled anti-American then make sure that 95% of your posts aren't bashing the US. It's as simple as that.
I could retaliate against OZ by speaking about the barbaric policies instituted against the Aborigines, but I don't believe in engaging in a Crusade against someone else's country.
Wow! There's one American that you like.
And it's Paul RobEson. I'm very familiar with his story since he went to the same college as I did and Rutgers maintains a lot of historical records on him. The Rutgers Choir is even called the "Paul Robeson Choir" and IIRC< there is at least one building named after him on campus.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

I am only stating facts. It is only ideology that prevents any command economy from legislating its way to first world status; not economics.

Thanks for explaining.

Its really not a good thing if the Cuban population in Florida are powerfull enough to more or less dictate the embargo on Cuba. There's something basically wrong with that and the voting system must be changed.

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It all comes down to this on election day: Are you a racist, or do you look down on spastics?

Nothing wrong with the system. It appears that only the Cuban exiles have a strong opinion about the embargo and that opinion isn't overridden by any great desire by the rest of the country to remove sanctions. If it was put to a vote, I'd bet that the general population would be in favor of keeping it.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

These "facts" are in dispute. This is the underlying differance that is preventing true communication between you and just about everyone else. If you want to communicate your position, this is what you need to discuss, not assume that everyone else already "knows" it.

I totally agree, but if I had said that, I would have been "Picking" on him for saying he was wrong HEH HEH.