I was thinking about the issues that have been brought up thus far in the current presidential contest and, conversely, those that haven't been brought up. One issue that doesn't seem to be on the radar at all (as usual) is the U.S.'s policy towards Cuba. I'm curious as to what impact this issue would have on the votes of my fellow aficionados.
If either candidate were to pledge that, if elected (or re-elected), he would work to end the embargo on Cuba, or at the very least exempt the export of certain products from the embargo, including cigars, would that cause you to vote for him (assuming you're currently planning to vote for his opponent)? Alternately, would it cause you to vote against him? Or would it be completely irrelevant to your voting decision?
If people can get over ourselves and our little hobbies, and look at a much more significant issue, I think it would provide perspective. Forget cigars and trade and the wet tee-shirt contests we are bombarded with when we visit places lik Cancun, Negril, or any other vacation spot. A larger issue here is hypocrisy and humanity. Here we are, a country preaching our righteousness to the world, supposedly standing on high moral ground, critical of the supposed human rights violations of the Castro regime, yet we ourselves cause and/or are victims of our own inhumanity in many respects and on many varied fronts. We preach about family values, yet tell Cuban immigrants that they cannot go visit their families, even sick or dying parents, their children, their brothers and sisters, nobody, more than once ever THREE YEARS!!! Why? Because the population here is funnelling revenues into Cuba by helping their families there purchase frivolous things like beds, refrigerators, food, shoes, clothing, washing machines, air conditioners...things like that...that cost money. And when those things are purchased in the stores, the money trickles up. But at least there is benefit to the people in the form of assistance that they ordinarily and otherwise would not have.
So, how can we preach morality and human rights, when we deprive ourselves of such morality and rights (in varying respects and to different degrees, of course, but equally as important)? How can we preach about family values when we create a DE FACTO HAVANA WALL that separates family members...ON OUR OWN ACCORD AND VOLITION!?
These are the more important issues that face us as human beings...forget cigars for one minute.
___________________ Santa Cabilla...patron saint of Quericæstan. VIVE COULTER! VIVE CPD!
Posts: 10728 | Location: Avenida de las Nalgas, Quericæstan | Registered: May 02, 2002
While CCs are near and dear to my heart, there are far too many bigger issues to divide the candidates. I would prefer that both candidates finally evaluate why we have this embargo in the first place and what has it accomplished? Certainly the time frame has been long enough to determine if it is effective.
Give me break!!! Do you really think that the members in this forum are so shallow that they would change their voting preference based on something like this.......surely you were laughing as you posted this.
As ridiculous as it might sounds to some, I believe no candidate will touch it for the same reason they won't touch the border... don't want to loose the votes. Hispanics are a larger minority than Blacks now and many are Cuban or Mexican. Unless something brought it to the forefront, I doubt they'll touch it. Especially Bush, he wouldn't want to bring heartache to his brother in FL.
--------------------------------------------------------- "There are five things, above all else, that make life worth living: a good relationship with God, a good woman, good health, good friends, and a good cigar." -- Prince Sined Yar Maharg
danstuff....are you talking about the war on terror? if so why would the white house let three assains and terrorist into the US? If my information is correct the white house allowed Posada and his friends in the US...
is the white house two faced??? It's ok to allow these men in because they only tried to kill castro.....what a joke...
