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Miss Modular · #1

Load up and get those cigars while you can, kids!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...a_030910143420

House votes to lift US ban on Cuba travel
Wed Sep 10,10:34 AM ET Add Politics - AFP to My Yahoo!

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The House of Representatives voted to end the decades-old restriction prohibiting travel to Cuba, a measure US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has already indicated he would veto.

By 227 to 188, lawmakers approved a bill authored by Representative Jeff Flake which would withhold funding to enforce the travel ban, effectively ending restrictions on travel to Cuba by US citizens.

The House has approved similar legislation in the past, only to see the US Senate fail to take up the measure.

The bill is given better odds this year, however, with the creation of the bipartisan Cuba Working Group in the Senate -- modeled after a similar group in the House -- uniting lawmakers committed to vigorously pushing behind the scenes for an end to the embargo and increased trade with the communist island.

In a statement last week, Flake said the embargo had outlived its usefulness as a political tool.

"If the US is serious about undermining Castro and bringing democratic reforms to Cuba, the best thing we can do is lessen Castro's control over the island by allowing Americans to travel to Cuba," he said.

"We have had a policy in place for over 40 years that obviously has not brought Cuba any closer to democracy. It's clear that change in Cuba would be greatly hastened by a change in our own policy," the Arizona Republican said.

Flake has offered the amendment effectively lifting the Cuba travel ban for the past two years, and it has passed the House of Representatives by widening margins.

Bush has said, however, that he would veto any legislation relaxing the four-decade embargo of Cuba.

House lawmakers approve two additional measure designed to soften US economic restrictions against Havana, voting 222 to 196 in favor of legislation authored by Massachusetts Representative Bill Delahunt to relax restrictions on remittances to Cuba.

They also adopted, by a vote of 246 to 173, a measure by Democrat Jim Davis of Florida that would prevent the Bush administration from ending "people to people" travel exchanges to the communist island.

Immortal Goat · #2

Looks like he might be gitting some more visitors soon.

Big Papa Goat · #3

I'm glad Canadians aren't insane

.

imported_Hollycaust · #4

No, but it must suck having a maple leaf as your national symbol.

ScruU2wice · #5

Big Papa Goat · #6

We also have the beaver!

imported_Hollycaust · #7

Ok, that makes it up a wee bit. The only thing sadder than the leaf is a country being named after a bird that folks eat up on Nov. 27.

AChimp · #8

Or perhaps a country with a bald eagle as its national symbol, when in fact, they have next to none left.

Jeanette X · #9

Quote:

Originally Posted by AChimp

Or perhaps a country with a bald eagle as its national symbol, when in fact, they have next to none left.

The status of the Bald Eagle has improved considerably. In 1995 it was removed from the endangered species list and reclassified into the less dire catagory of "threatened" in most areas.

And as for turkeys, the bird was named after the country, not the other way around.

El Blanco · #10

I never liked the sanctions against Cube. While I do think Castro is bleeding that country dry, we are the only country that won't trade with him. Now, he just lets cameras look at the peope he is starving and saying "Look at what America does to us". Even if everyother country is doing billions of dollars in trading, it is still bad PR for us.

At least now we can talk to him about human rights.

KevinTheOmnivore · #11

The vast amounts of starving people in Cuba is an interesting argument, because while I sincerely know that I'd rather live in a free society, it seems silly to argue that Castro is starving everyone to death. Fact is, Cubans are right there with us in statistics such as IMR, health, age expectations, etc. If Cubans are starving to death, what's happening here...? In many ways, the embargo has helped Cuba, because it has kept American GE mutant products and fast food chains out of the country. It has enabled them to boost their agricultural sector.

Now, again, I'd rather live in a society with more potential of upward mobility, as well as one where I have at least the option to eat that nasty McDonald's food, but you get the point.

imported_Hollycaust · #12

Oh my bad, Steve Irwin.

Made me laugh.

Just two more months.

Now doesn't this just make you damn proud.

But I do admit that whole 9/11 incident was completely embarassing.

KevinTheOmnivore · #13

Shut up.

Big Papa Goat · #14

I liked everything you said before except the GE mutant food bit.

KevinTheOmnivore · #15

Sorry.

Big Papa Goat · #16

I forgive you. Did you know the osterich in my avatar is genetically engineered? And he looks pretty happy to me.

KevinTheOmnivore · #17

And if he isn't, you could always just GE a smile onto his face for him.

Zhukov · #18

I thought it was an emu :/

I would have thought it silly to say that an embargo has kept McDonalds from setting up shop in Cuba, I didn't think they would have wanted to go there in the first place. :/

Vast amounts of starving Cubans? Oh, OK, whatever Vince.

VinceZeb · #19

zhukov, cuba is a fine place. Why don't you go take residence up there since you suck the dick of every communist warlord that comes up the pike.

Zhukov · #20

I would, but the party has 'phone cable rationing', only those with influences have acces to the internet - so I wouldn't be able to read your pearls of wisdom.

mburbank · #21

Hey, Vinth, will you drool if I ring a bell?

kellychaos · #22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanette X

Quote:

Originally Posted by AChimp

Or perhaps a country with a bald eagle as its national symbol, when in fact, they have next to none left.

The status of the Bald Eagle has improved considerably. In 1995 it was removed from the endangered species list and reclassified into the less dire catagory of "threatened" in most areas.

And as for turkeys, the bird was named after the country, not the other way around.

Ironic that these two comments coincided. Before making the bald eagle our national symbol, Ben Franklin was on a campaign to make the wild turkey our national bird. No lie. Look it up!

El Blanco · #23

Istead, it was made a lousy booze.

anyway: Zhukov, have you noticed how many people are piling on makeshift rafts, braving shark infested waters, starvation, disease, and tons of other things that could easily kill them? All this just so they can grab a hold of Miami Beach.

Do these sound like people living in a paradise?

KevinTheOmnivore · #24

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Istead, it was made a lousy booze.

anyway: Zhukov, have you noticed how many people are piling on makeshift rafts, braving shark infested waters, starvation, disease, and tons of other things that could easily kill them? All this just so they can grab a hold of Miami Beach.

Do these sound like people living in a paradise?

And again, this should be observed for what it is. It's a desire to live in a free society, one with a presumably unlimited potential for upward mobility. It's literally a desire to live in the land of milk and honey....

This however doesn't change the fact that people in Cuba are not impoverished, they are not starving, and they are not poorly educated (at least not any more or less in relation to those problems here in America). People aren't wealthy in Cuba, that's for certain. But there's virtually no homelessness, and many basic needs are covered.

This, IMO, is as ideal as a Communist type of system can be. Is it preferable to ours? Not in my opinion....