Passport Question

[Texas Proud]

C'mon....Cuba isn't worse than at least a dozen other countries that the US gleefully trades with. Give them credit--despite their lower standard of living, they have a high literacy rate and health care. How were things under Batista? What about free trade, construtive engagement, all those conservative buzzwords that seem to apply here?
nobody likes Castro, but enough is enough with the Cuba embargo already. It really looks silly at this point. Maybe if the dems take the white house they will finally get it together to end the nonsense. Personally, I'm not betting on it. If I were a betting man, I'd lay money on the wimp-out option. They seem to be good at it.

First.... sorry for the thread hijack....

Bosco... come on now....

well, I hadn't really brought up Democrats vs Repubs, not sure it's relevant here.

Your previous post...

Having indisputable proof placed in my US passport that I had violated an American law, especially a law as irrational and obviously right-wing politically motivated as that one, is just not something I would do....

That looks to me like you brought it up...

Also... according to Wiki.... "In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton expanded the trade embargo even further by ending the practice of foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies trading with Cuba in dollar amounts totaling more than 700 million a year." So, don't hold your breath for the dems to change anything even if they win all branches...

And, (again wiki)... "The current regulation does not limit travel of US Citizens to Cuba per se, but it makes it illegal for US Citizens to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba under most circumstances without a US government Office of Foreign Assets Control issued licens"

SO, it does look like you can travel to Cuba and not be illegal if you get your friend to pay for everything while there....

Finally... "It is estimated that each year some 80,000 Americans visit Cuba, including over 3,000 business visits." seems like a lot of people are going... even though they aren't suppose to...

C'mon....Cuba isn't worse than at least a dozen other countries that the US gleefully trades with.

Agree... and also agree that it is stupid to keep it going... it does nothing for us.. but, I doubt we would be importing that much from them anyhow... and it would probably not be a big buyer of our exports... (small country wiht not much money)... still, it should be overturned and I would bet that when Castro dies it will be...