quote:

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On November 8, the United Nations General Assembly, for the 15th consecutive time and by overwhelming majority, passed a resolution condemning the U.S. blockade against Cuba and demanding that it be lifted.

The resolution obtained the support of one more country than last year, with 183 votes for, 4 against – the United States, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands – and one abstention, Micronesia.

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Oh, and the sovereign state of Iraq was "absent" for the vote. In more ways than one.

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On this occasion, Havana charged that “sanctions against citizens and enterprises have been intensified, with a special emphasis on travel agencies, which were subject to audits and sanctions.”

“Pressure has also been intensified against religious, academic and non-governmental organizations in the United States with the aim of preventing the development of ties and exchange with their counterparts in Cuba.”

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I think they've become their cold war nemesis, the USSA.

[ 10 November 2006: Message edited by: Fidel ]

quote:

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These are prosperous times for the economy of the Cuba, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez does indeed have a lot to do with it. Gross domestic product grew at 12 per cent last year, according to Cuba's Economy and Planning Ministry, the fastest rate since President Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

Though reliable data on the Cuban economy is hard to come by, and government figures are often outdated and impossible to confirm, anecdotal evidence backs up the Cuban claims.

"The Cuban economy is doing okay," says Wayne Smith, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington who spent 25 years as a U.S. diplomat focusing on Cuba. "I see it moving forward. I see important improvements." He last visited Cuba in September.

The government says foreign investment was up 39 per cent in 2005 and tourism is booming: A record 2½ million visitors will fly into Cuba in 2006 from Europe and other Latin American nations.

Even as Mr. Castro, 80, lay in a hospital suffering from an unidentified intestinal ailment that required surgery, the economic good news kept pouring in. Gross domestic product, which was $58-billion in 2005, grew another 12.5 per cent in the first six months of 2006, Mr. Rodriguez said in a Sept. 12 press conference.

"All the indications are that the Cuban economy is stronger than it has been at any point since the end of the Cold War," says Robert Muse, a Washington-based attorney who specializes in international trade and the U.S. embargo of Cuba. "Those who bet the only way for the Cuban economy to resuscitate was through Castro's death, or a transition to a democratic system, may keep waiting perpetually."

The flood of new money pouring into Havana has allowed Mr. Castro to revive his effort to spread his revolution -- and his anti-Yanqui ideology -- to the rest of Latin America and Africa. Cuba, a nation of 11.3 million people, claims to have stationed thousands of doctors, nurses, engineers and social workers in 68 developing countries.

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Venezuelan oil helps reignite Fidel's Cuba

Definitely a story not mentioned in the Miami herald or EmmaG's posts.

[ 10 November 2006: Message edited by: a lonely worker ]

quote:

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“This is not an embargo, but an act of economic war,” said Cuba’s vice-foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, at a mid-October news conference. He complained that Cuba had to spend far more on insurance and freight in 2005 because Cuba was forced to trade with nations more distant than the United States.
...

In all, Rodríguez said “conservatively” that the embargo has cost the island more than $86 billion. That includes income lost as the tally of Cuban-American visitors fell 54%, from more than 115,000 in 2003 to less than 62,000 in 2005. Visits from other Americans fell 45%, from over 85,000 in 2003 to 39,000 in 2005.

Washington has cracked down on Americans who go to Cuba without special licenses by fining 487 people a total of more than $500,000 for breaking a ban on travel to Cuba.

It is also increasingly chasing companies in third countries who do business with Cuba and threatening banks to close down Cuban accounts and transactions in dollars, he told a news conference.

“The blockade intensified and its extraterritorial reach has been extended,” Rodriguez said during the release of Cuba’s annual report to the UN General Assembly on the impact of the embargo.

Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department fined Dresser Rand Group Inc. $171,300 for trading with the island. The New York-based supplier of energy products was penalized because its Brazilian subsidiary had purchased raw materials from Cuba.
....

Stepped-up U.S. measures include stepped up action to freeze Cuban assets and the creation of a task force to chase Cubans nickel, Cuba’s top export with annual sales of $1.1 billion, mined in part by Canada’s Sherritt International.

Cuba said there had been a marked increase in U.S. pressure on foreign banks to cut correspondence relations with Cuban banks over the last year.

Swiss bank UBS AG and HSBC in London closed dollar accounts held by Cuba, the Cuban report to the UN said. And Trinidad’s Republic Bank Ltd. has stopped processing payments that Cuba makes to U.S. agricultural exporters.

In July, the Netherlands Caribbean Bank (NCB), a subsidiary of Dutch financial services group ING Groep NV, was put on a U.S. blacklist for doing business in Cuba. Source

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Acosta said that enforcing sanctions against Cuba is a political priority of the United States. "We want to make it perfectly clear that federal agencies are fully alert and will make sure they enforce the regulations against Cuba. If we have evidence of a violation the violator risks being penalized with up to 10 years in prison and 1 million dollar fine."

Scotiabank carries US big stick against Cuba

Meanwhile the anti-Cuba press is still spending its money on totally pointless articles:

Fewer Canadians flocking to Cuba

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The number of tourists arriving in Cuba from Europe and Canada has fallen, according to a Tourism Ministry report seen by Reuters Tuesday.

The number of tourists from Canada was down 1.9 percent in September from last September, the number of tourists from Spain fell 5.7 percent, Italy 15 percent, and Germany 9.8 percent and France 5.2 percent, with only Britain showing an increase of 5.7 percent.

The report gave no reason for the drop.

But industry sources said the communist-run Caribbean island has put less emphasis on tourism as a key driver of its economy in recent years as discounted oil from Venezuela, a boom in medical and other service exports and spike in nickel prices eased economic pressures.

Industry sources said earlier this year that partly because of changes to exchange rates, Cuba was becoming increasingly costly and less profitable for foreign tour operators, some of whom were switching to other Caribbean countries.

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Of course being in the middle of hurricane season along with political uncertainty had absolutely nothing to do with this. At the same time Canadian travel to many other countries dropped for the same month as well but why let facts like this get in the way of a "bad Cuba" story.

Another interesting story is the pressure many travel companies are facing by offering packages to Cuba. In Britain, many have been taken over by American companies leading to the usual clampdown:

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Hundreds of British travellers have had their Cuban holiday plans destroyed due to a clampdown on business with the government of Fidel Castro by Cendant, the American company that owns British travel agencies such as Ebookers, Octopus and Travelbag.

Cendant has spent the last year buying up online travel agencies around the world. But in the last two weeks, it has told all its subsidiaries to cease business immediately with Cuba, on the grounds that it could be liable for prosecution in the United States under the terms of the 44-year-old American trade embargo against the Caribbean republic.

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And finally some good news:

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The Canadian Govt has found an interesting way to wave those two Anglo-Saxon fingers at the US. One of Cuba’s major industries is nickel mining (with associated cobalt ) and the mines, which were expropriated after the revolution, are run by a Canadian company, Sherritt. The actual nickel production is done in Canada and under Helms-Burton it would be an offense for anyone to enter the US with a product made from that metal. There are a number of Canadian nickel producers, but the Mint specifically buys from Sherritt for the manufacture of the coinage.

The end result of this is that under US law, possession of Canadian silver (actually made from a nickel alloy) coinage within the US is a criminal offense. I will confess, I don’t know whether this has been done deliberately or not, but I do hope so.

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Since this article is from 2005, one can only wonder how long our "New Government" will continue doing this.

Here's the link to both quotes (it's about halfway down):

That Cuban Ban.

[ 14 November 2006: Message edited by: a lonely worker ]

[ 16 November 2006: Message edited by: a lonely worker ]

Cuba blasts Swiss banks for cutting off business

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Cuba's central bank blasted Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse on Thursday for cutting off business dealings with Cuba, saying they had bowed to U.S. pressure.

In a statement, the central bank said the United States' long-standing economic embargo against the communist nation led to the banks' "pitiful" decision.

"The actions of these two banks have nothing to do with respect of the law or looking after their banking transactions. It is simply an act of submission to the U.S., which they don't dare confess," the Cuban bank said.

The Swiss banks said on Sunday in response to a published report they had stopped doing business with "sensitive" countries," including Cuba, citing the difficulties and expenses involved.

A UBS spokesman said other "sensitive countries" included North Korea, Iran and Sudan.

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So North Korea develops a nuke, Iran's building one, Sudan is committing genocide and Cuba?

This imperialism is disgusting and I'm somewhat surprised the Swiss held out as long as they did considering what the US has put them through:

CUBA: Swiss Banks and Fidel Castro

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Congress is being asked to look into Swiss banking giant UBS amid questions over its handling of bank-note transactions for Cuba. Newspapers have picked up on Florida Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s complaints that the bank hasn’t satisfactorily explained the source of $3.9 billion processed for Cuba over a period of seven years. UBS paid a $100 million fine in 2004 for doing business with Cuba and other rogue states and hoped the issue would go away.

Ros-Lehtinen has sent a series of letters to the likes of Treasury Secretary John Snow and UBS Chairman Marcel Ospel. “We’re trying to get to the bottom” of where the billions of dollars came from, says her spokesman. Some Cuban-Americans have their own ideas, citing cash obtained from illicit drug trafficking. A 2004 congressional hearing revealed almost nothing, says Ernesto Betancourt, a retired economist. UBS denies any money laundering and says the amounts were consistent with tourism revenues to Cuba.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Fidel:
The U.S. has become an oppressive, out of control rogue superpower.

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I don't know if you caught Bush's speech in Singapore, but it was the most blatantly hypocritical set of myths, platitudes, slogans and fallacies ever delivered to a willing/gullible audience.

quote:

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Originally posted by Pepper-Pot:

I don't know if you caught Bush's speech in Singapore, but it was the most blatantly hypocritical set of myths, platitudes, slogans and fallacies ever delivered to a willing/gullible audience.

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The 192-member General Assembly passed the measure by 184 votes to four, with one abstention. [...]

The US, Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands voted against repealing the embargo, while Micronesia abstained.

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Israel - an infamous suburb of Miami which ended up in the Middle East through some freak of continental drift - continues to cheer for any shit the U.S. throws its way.

If Harper wins his majority, watch for a 5th "no" vote next year this time.

quote:

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The number of tourists from Canada was down 1.9 percent in September from last September,

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Dont people at the Star know statistics?

1.9% drop is statistically insignificant...

But think about this resolution for a while people.
184 countries has voted for ENDING the crminal embargo against the island nation.
Only four have voted against(one out of four is US, 2 others are Pacific semi-colonies)

MBNA Canada, a subsidiary of Bank of America, is one of the largest Master Card issuers in Canada. Many "affinity" card programs are run by MBNA.

Also, they just bought out CUETS, which issues millions of Master Cards to members of credit unions and caisses populaires.

quote:

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Originally posted by Sven:
Calling the US actions a "blockade" is an extreme characterization (and it's characterized that way for a reason). I think it's more accurate, though less emotive, to call it an "embargo".

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Yes, a small third world country has a revolucion to overthrow a brutally repressive U.S.-backed mafia regime. The result of that was an attempt to invade the third world island nation, but the CIA orchestrated military invasion failed. And so then a decades-long blockade is imposed on the island. The devastating results of U.S.-led blockades are evident in North Korea, and evident as well in Iraq from 1991 to bombs away.

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That being said, I think the US policy is stupid. The more countries that freely trade with Cuba, the more open the country will likely become and, hopefully, that will lead to more political, civil, and economic freedoms for the people of Cuba.

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The 192-member General Assembly passed the measure by 184 votes to four, with one abstention.

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Interesting to read the summaries of the speeches made in the General Assembly on this issue. Here are a few:

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque estimated the blockade had cost Cuba $222 billion in the last 47 years (in current US dollars).

The South African delegate:

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“The embargo that was designed to stifle the everyday lives of the Cuban people has instead produced a contribution by Cuba to the betterment of the lives of other people around the world.” He particularly noted Cuba’s contributions to his own country’s freedom and democracy in the fight against apartheid.

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The Tanzanian guy said the embargo was specifically targeted to inflict the maximum amount of suffering on the people of Cuba, in an effort to undermine the Government.

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Originally posted by Fidel:

Oooooh Singapore! Don't mention Singapore around here. It's another oppressive capitalist nation, just like Haiti!

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Originally posted by Doug:

Lots richer than Haiti, but oppressive? Check. Capitalist? Check.

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Yeh-yeh Economist Paul Krugman described Singapore's as a state-managed economy. He said Lee Kwan Yew's mobilisation of resources would have done Stalin proud. And Singapore has rated not just in the top ten most competitive economies but high in the top five for several years running.

From Third World To First - The Singapore Story By Lee Kwan Yew

A book reviewer said:

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Hong Kong, Singapore, Third World backwaters four decades ago, are today much wealthier than Canada, United Kingdom, most other Western nations.

Hong Kong – 13th wealthiest country World Bank's ranking per capita GDP – achieved its great success through freewheeling, entrepreneurial capitalism. Singapore – whose citizens enjoy world's fifth highest incomes – rose even higher faster, not through free markets but through heavily interventionist socialist government.

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Hmm? 90% living in state housing? How lllow can they go infant mortality? Nationalised industries and visible state hand through Temasek Holdings? Sounds more New Deal socialist than Hooverite laissez-faire to me. Perhaps Singapore's advantage is that they aren't situated in Uncle Sam's backyard, although Lee Kwan Yew did accuse the CIA of spying on the island several years ago. Unlike Haiti, enjoying 20 some-odd U.S. military invasions over the years to put down people's revolts and sometimes with Ottawa's help, the island of Singapore runs like a Swiss watch by comparison. [Austin Powers]Yeeeeah baby!

[ 02 November 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Fidel:
A book reviewer said:

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quote:

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Originally posted by Fidel:
...British socialist Harold Wilson...

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Originally posted by CMOT Dibbler:
Singapore is not socialist! Singapore is not socalist! Singapore is not Socailist!

Truly socialist states do not have police forces which cane people for spitting on sidewaks!

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China is not capitalist! Capitalists don't hand over controlling interest, or large minority shares in their Chinese businesses, to the CCP!

The U.S. is not capitalist since Herbert Hoover, Social Security, Great America spending and Keynesian-militarism driving technology and innovation after leave-it-to-the-market failed.

Without public sector job creation, Soc-Sec, massive spending on military and public works of all kinds, the most allegedly capitalist nation in the world would experience 1929 on a permanent basis, or until another FDR came along and introduced New Deal socialism.

[ 02 November 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]

Fidel, excelent housing, food, education and healthcare are all very well, but in order for a country to be considered truly socialist, it needs to provide room for self actualization to take place, as well as providing the essentials. It needs to allow for many kinds of art and music to flourish, and most of all it needs to allow for an opposition.

[ 02 November 2007: Message edited by: CMOT Dibbler ]

[ 02 November 2007: Message edited by: CMOT Dibbler ]

quote:

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Originally posted by CMOT Dibbler:
Fidel, excelent housing, food, education and healthcare are all very well, but in order for a country to be considered truly socialist, it needs to provide room for self actualization to take place, as well as providing the essentials. It needs to allow for many kinds of art and music to flourish, and most of all it needs to allow for an opposition.

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The Cari Med Canada Trading Inc. has filed a complaint with the US government for interfering with its trade with Cuba….

Alberto Rodríguez, Cari Med sales and marketing manager, spoke about the criminal reach of the US blockade: “[US authorities] increasingly ask for more things. Licenses granted by the US Departments of Commerce and Treasury to sell products to Cuba are extremely restricted and exhaustive. They ask us for completely absurd details.”

“Among the recent problems we have faced due to the tightening of the US blockade is the semi-collapse of the non-invasive surgery program at the Cardiovascular Center at the William Soler Children’s Hospital...We want people to know that pressure from the blockade has been so hard that we have had to stop negotiations with this hospital. In other words, children with cardiovascular disorders suffer much more in some open-heart surgeries directly due to the actions of the US government,” said Rodríguez.

Outraged by the interference, Cari Med filed a letter of complaint with the head of the US Interests Section in Havana. “Incredibly, [the head of the US Interest Section] said that orders come from Washington and that he wasn’t even asked his opinion on the matter.”

Rodriguez called the US blockade a criminal act of genocide and cruelty: “These are the only words I can use to describe the action of preventing a child from being treated with a plug amplatzer [used to close internal cavities in the heart] while fighting for their life.”

“This device allows children to go home to be with their families much faster than without it. Even though we are a Canadian company, we are affected by the US restrictions to sell products to Cuba that benefit the general population and children in particular. This act shows the extraterritorial nature of the blockade and its brutality.”[/quote]

quote:

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Originally posted by Boom Boom:
What's Obama's position on the US blockade of Cuba - anyone know?

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The New American Century: Cut Short by 92 Years

quote:

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Yes; plenty of money will still flow into covert operations and CIA-sponsored dirty tricks just to keep alive the hope that Superpowerdom will be restored. That is to be expected. The well-heeled rogues in the British royal family still dream of rebuilding the Empire, too. But realists know that it’s just a harmless fantasy. Nothing will come of it. Empire’s have a short shelf-life and they’re impossible to stitch-back together

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It's time for change.

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From: Viva La Revolución | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged

quote:

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As president, I'm not going to take off the embargo... It's an important inducement for change, because we know Castro's death will not automatically guarantee freedom.

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The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for the 17th year in a row Wednesday to demand an end to the 46-year-old US trade embargo on communist-ruled Cuba, with only three countries saying no.

Some 185 of the assembly's 192 members voted in favor of the text which reiterated a "call upon all states to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures (such as those in the US embargo) in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law."

The United States, Israel and Palau voted against the resolution while Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained. - AFP

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[ 29 October 2008: Message edited by: M. Spector ]