Cuba to petition the United Nations to end the U.S. embargo for the 20th consecutive year - Polidicks

[quote]Cuba blames the U.S. embargo for nearly a trillion dollars in losses to the island's economy since it was imposed by President Kennedy in 1962. Vice Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno said that at current prices a conservative estimate of economic damages to the island up until December 2010 would be more than $104 billion. However, he added, if you take into consideration the extreme devaluation of the dollar against the price of gold on the international financial market during 2010, they would add up to nearly a trillion dollars. Cuba will be presenting a resolution at the current U.N. General Assembly on the "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." This will be the 20th time the same resolution is put to a vote there. It has repeatedly been approved by the international community. [b]Last year's vote was: 185 countries in favor to 2 -- the United States and Israel -- against.[/b] Speaking to journalists in Havana, Moreno insisted the embargo violates international law and the U.N. Charter, and constitutes genocide according to the 1948 Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Yesterday President Obama authorized the continuation of the embargo for another year under the Trading with the Enemy Act, stating that it is in "the national interest of the United States" to do so. Moreno particularly attacked the extra-territoriality of the embargo listing various fines imposed by the U.S. on third country entities such as a $500 million fine against the Dutch Bank ABN Amro last year for "having carried out unauthorized financial transactions in which Cuba or Cuban Nationals had interests." The vice foreign minister noted that in all from March 2010 to April 2011 there were several multimillion dollar fines levied against U.S. and foreign banking institutions for having conducted operations with Cuba. He also noted the embargo interfered with Cuba's cooperation with international agencies giving the example of how in January 2011, the U.S. Government seized over $4.2 million of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria because they were earmarked for the implementation of cooperation projects with Cuba. The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 further codified the original embargo into law so as to maintain sanctions on Cuba until Havana takes steps toward "democratization and greater respect for human rights." The Helms-Burton Act passed by Congress in 1996 added yet further restrictions to prevent U.S. citizens from doing business in or with Cuba. In 1999, President Bill Clinton expanded the embargo even more by prohibiting foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies from trading with Cuba. This led among more serious moves to the removal of Cuban-made pajamas from shelves in Wal-Mart in Canada. Clinton did authorize the sale of certain humanitarian products to Cuba in 2000 only on a cash basis with no credit permitted. The policy has pitted pro-embargo Cuban-American exiles against many business leaders and agricultural producers who insist trade with Cuba would benefit American farmers, port workers and others. The U.S. Rice Federation has lobbied hard in Washington believing that Cuba could once again become the largest foreign market for American grown rice, a position currently held by Mexico. At present the U.S. State Department says the biggest obstacle to improving relations between the two countries is the imprisonment of an American aid worker Alan Gross. Gross was arrested in December 2009 and sentenced last March to 15 years in prison for bringing illegal communications equipment into Cuba as part of a program subcontracted to his employer by USAID. The Cubans say this program and others like it are intended to overthrow throw their government. Moreno refused at this morning's press conference to respond to a question on Gross. Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson left Havana this morning after a week's efforts to see the American who is being held in a Havana military hospital. Yesterday Richardson told foreign journalists in Havana that the Cuban Government had rebuffed all his appeals. Nevertheless, President Obama said yesterday in Washington that his administration's relaxation of the travel ban that now allows more Americans to visit Cuba on educational, religious, cultural or people-to-people group trips would remain in effect as would the loosening of restrictions on the amount and frequency with which Cubans in the U.S. could send money to relatives on the island.[/quote] source: [url]http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20106159-503543.html[/url]

[quote] In 1999, President Bill Clinton expanded the embargo even more by prohibiting foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies from trading with Cuba. This led among more serious moves to the removal of Cuban-made pajamas from shelves in Wal-Mart in Canada. [/quote] How is that legal? If it's a foreign subsidary, surely it belongs to the country that it's in, and has to follow their laws as opposed to the laws of the parent companies country... Well, the how's that legal can apply to the whole situation, but still.

I just don't understand why it's still in effect.

Because they are communists(!!!) Edit: And the us government isn't exactly known for admitting mistakes or correcting them.

Cuba is a pretty chill place

wait - if the removal was approved last year, why are they still having to petition to get it removed?

Does this mean it won't be a pain in the ass to get Cuban cigars potentially soon? Or is it more likely nothing is going to happen.

[quote]Last year's vote was: 185 countries in favor to 2 -- the United States and Israel -- against.[/quote] You would think they would get the picture.

Cold war ended in the 90's ffs, we should have gotten rid of this embargo a decade ago.

[QUOTE=Sir M;32472906]wait - if the removal was approved last year, why are they still having to petition to get it removed?[/QUOTE] The United States has veto powers.

[QUOTE=Ogopogo;32473683]You would think they would get the picture.[/QUOTE] Especially if this has happened multiple times.

[QUOTE=Thy Reaper;32473767]The United States has veto powers.[/QUOTE]Not in the GA, but I think a SC resolution would need to be passed for the U.S. to be abide, but, they have veto there.

It really wouldn't surprise me if the US ends up like Russia did after the USSR collapsed, with the way they're heading down. As much as the economy would suffer, maybe it's for the best if the world had no superpower anymore.

As intriguing as that sounds, what would the alternatives be?

ITT: people don't fully understand the politics brewing even today between the US, Cuba and other groups. One example is that flights aren't allowed between Cuba and the US (Or was that just repealed? I can't remember if I learned of that or heard of the repeal in a news article) I think it was because there was suspicions that Cuba was harboring militant groups. People need to realize that all politics decisions that seem "stupid" may have a real situation behind it. Its hardly just a grudge against the Bay of Pigs incident. However it WOULD make the US-Cuba relations flourish and make the horribly oppressed country come out of the crap that its in. I think some politicians just believe that there will be a revolution and that will open up doors for US involvement in their government which they wanted to in the first place.

I want some fucking cigars damnit

[QUOTE=Sir M;32472906]wait - if the removal was approved last year, why are they still having to petition to get it removed?[/QUOTE] Just because the UN agrees on something doesn't mean any said nation will follow its decision - especially the United States. Israel is another great example of that.

Oh for fucks sake...remove the damn embargo already. Its not like Cuba would sneak biological weapons into the US via trading right? Why can't everyone say "hey, we all live on this miserable rock, lets work together to make ourselves less miserable." God....you'd think the word "partnership" is completely foreign to politics.

[QUOTE=Solo Wing;32474451]Oh for fucks sake...remove the damn embargo already. Its not like Cuba would sneak biological weapons into the US via trading right? Why can't everyone say "hey, we all live on this miserable rock, lets work together to make ourselves less miserable." God....you'd think the word "partnership" is completely foreign to politics.[/QUOTE] but...but...but...THEY'RE REDS D:

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;32474472]but...but...but...THEY'RE REDS D:[/QUOTE] Take a knife. Cut open your stomach. See what color you are on the inside. Hint: it's red.

[QUOTE=Van-man;32474509]Take a knife. Cut open your stomach. See what color you are on the inside. Hint: it's red.[/QUOTE] I'm a blue blood

Stuff like this is why the UN is still ultimately a joke. Whatever the US says, goes, even if every single other member (except Israel) disagrees.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;32474645]Stuff like this is why the UN is still ultimately a joke. Whatever the US says, goes, even if every single other member (except Israel) disagrees.[/QUOTE] This isn't really that kind of issue, the GA are just the "sending angry letters" guys, so if Haiti or someone had a trade embargo with Cuba they couldn't be forced to drop it either I don't really see how a trade embargo could be forcibly removed by the Security Council either, but I do think the Security Council veto gives the US too much power and should be removed

It's funny, we still have this embargo pretty much because they're only communists, but china (which is communist) pretty much owns us.

[QUOTE=MightyMax;32475725]It's funny, we still have this embargo pretty much because they're only communists, but china (which is communist) pretty much owns us.[/QUOTE] Well, Communist as far as their party name goes.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;32474645]Stuff like this is why the UN is still ultimately a joke. Whatever the US says, goes, even if every single other member (except Israel) disagrees.[/QUOTE] I really dislike the UN. They're a danger to the national sovereignty of every country, even the United States.

[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;32476128]I really dislike the UN. They're a danger to the national sovereignty of every country, even the United States.[/QUOTE] How dare they try to stop countries from being unjustly shit upon!

I like how the United States and Israel and the only nations opposed.

[QUOTE=Megafanx13;32476045]Well, Communist as far as their party name goes.[/QUOTE] To be technical, no communist party was truly pure communist. [editline]25th September 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=doonbugie2;32476301]I like how the United States and Israel and the only nations opposed.[/QUOTE] "Hey, we'll support your embargo if you support our blockade"

jews (Israel) and jew servants (USA) ;) [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Trolling or dumb" - Starpluck))[/highlight]