I’m super busy editing this morning, but obviously there is big news on Cuba. I’ll have more to say soon, but you should all know that I’ve been calling for this ever since Obama was inaugurated, as my archives can attest. In the meantime, let’s celebrate with some appropriate music.
Please remember to drink Bob Menendez’s tears.
Very very nice. And a good time to primary Menendez, n’est-ce pas? Rush Holt, where are you??
I’m old enough to remember Cuban sugar. And since we’re hearing that this Pope has been urging both sides to negotiate, you’re old enough to remember the role of not just the Beatles but of that Pope in ‘tear down that wall’.
That face of religion has been missing for a very long time.
I expect RWNJ to completely ignore the Pope’s role in this. I mean even Fox News isn’t gonna slam the Pope right?
I’m old enough to remember when Life magazine portrayed the Cuban Revolution like the Founding Fathers in the American Revolution. They were overthrowing a dictator. I believe that lasted until about six months after the new government was installed. Then all of the Southern Democratic members of Congress were suddenly worried about Communism 90 miles away. And the hysteria began right at the beginning of the Kennedy administration. Coincidence? Looking back, I think not.
Even Ed Sullivan was enthusiastic about Fidel, and got one of the first American media interviews with him.
But the hysteria in US-Cuba relations didn’t begin under Kennedy but Ike. Fidel came on an unofficial goodwill visit to the US in Apr ’59, but by then Ike had learned (iirc) that Fidel might be one of those dangerous lefty socialist types, and so sent VP Dick Nixon to receive Castro and give him a lecture and generally cold shoulder.
Restrictions on imports of Cuban sugar began soon thereafter, with an oil exports ban the next year. Diplomatic relations were severed by the US just a few days before JFK took office.
Today’s announcement could have happened 50 years ago, as Kennedy was in the process of starting the normalization of relations process, secretly, but literally as his unofficial rep was meeting w Castro in Havana, the news arrived about Dallas.
Before overseeing normalization with Cuba, JFK had to oversee the Bay of Pigs Invasion to topple Castro. That fiasco led to the next one and then countless covert ones thereafter.
Yet another idiotic scheme hatched in the Ike admin.
But it did teach Kennedy some valuable lessons about the deceptiveness of the CIA and the dangerous people leading it. Good for him that he got rid of Dulles and the two others who lied to him.
A shame however that he didn’t get that second term to clean out the entire Agency. Instead, they got to him first.
That prick is already crying:
Alan Gross:
Wikipedia has a lot more.
Fool, its actually two prisoners released. A traitor to La Raza.
Reports coming out now it’s 53 political prisoners, 1 intelligence officer and Alan Gross for the 3 the US released.
So many layers to this. And did the price of oil soften the ground for the negotiation?
Rubio called Obama “the worst negotiator since Carter”, before even hearing the particulars of the deal. Anyreasonable person would consider Rubio to be an idiot right about now.
Any reasonable person would consider Rubio to be an idiot 24/7/365.
After Cuba, Iran. Then North Korea. Then Palestine.
Guess what generally comes with an embasy for both sides–intelligence stations. And larger numbers of people to talk to to find out where you can make big mistakes by not knowing the culture.
Folks like Menendez sometimes let their personal emotions getting in the way so they miss the thread.
Long overdue and reflecting a different international order than was present in 1950 and 1960.
with Menendez it isn’t his emotions it’s his grift
Until Congress acts, there will still be travel restrictions that his constituent services can help out with.
like those campaign contributors from ecuador, for example. and on top of it he wants to mess things up w. the Iran talks
here’s the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/world/americas/ecuador-isaias-obama-campaign-robert-menendez-hilla
ry-clinton.html?_r=0
Sometimes one must acknowledge that one has lost and quit sulking. Just like Britain after a while acknowledged American trading rights and quit interfering with American ships. That took about forty years, a similar time frame.
Hey there oh great presidential explorer Jeb, day 1 after your declaration, so care to put your big toe into the discussion?
Not exactly a secret, but very difficult to find information on it. Residence of the Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana. Photo.
The US Department of State does issue information about events (aka parties) at the residence. As to its history and occupation over time there seems to be zip. However, a couple of decades ago I was privy to State Dept contract for work on the residence. IIRC, the residence was once owned by Franklin Roosevelt who donated it to the State Department.
So, it won’t be difficult to establish a US Ambassador’s residence in Havana.
But…but…
Don’t miss my post on this situation from 4 years ago.
My Take On Cuba circa 2010.. (Originally “Cuba and CommuCaribbeanism-A Sad, Strange, Brave Old New World”)
As I say in the intro:
Check it out.
AG