[fintstone]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Despite Raul’s assurances that Cuba will remain Communist, the reality is that he is aging & Fidel is a walking corpse. Sooner rather than later, something is going to happen. Wouldn't it behoove the US to position itself to be friendly - or at least on talking terms - with the eventual winner? The Cuban economy is loosening up very slowly. Starting just over 10 years ago, private in-home restaurants & B&Bs popped up for tourists & weren’t quashed. Raul eventually made it legit & private enterprises have sprung up accounting for some 20% of their feeble economy. Cubans can now leave – although they have to pay for the privilege. It’s not democracy but these cracks in their hardline policies are all positive developments – not unlike what China went through a surprisingly short time ago.

It's time to speak softly & lean the big stick in the corner for a while.

Ian

Just the opposite. It does not behoove the US or the Cuban people for the "system" that keeps Castro in power to work (or for us to prop it up). It is not working...and that is the only reason the small and black market businesses are allowed. With the economies of state sponsors Venezuela and Russia failing due to the huge drop in oil prices, Cuba (and Castro) were in big trouble. Obama just bailed him out.