Us-cuba-relations

[unigermany]

Dear Sirs,
In the last few months the interest for the transforming processes within the Cuban society and the role of the Cuban organizations in foreign countries has increased in the Research Institute for Political Science and International Relations in Europe concerning a possible promotion of the establishment of a civil society. This way and in the course of the research projects of the department for Political Science and International Relations of the Cologne University we would like to ask you for your collaboration by answering the following questionnaire. We are especially interested in the participation of all Cubans living in foreign countries and the members of the organization they represent. All answers will be handled anonymously and with discretion. Thank you in advance for your valuable cooperation.

www.onlineumfragen.com/login.cfm?umfrage=2958

Wilson Cardozo (M.A.)
Research Institute for Political Science
Cologne University
Gottfried-Keller-Straße 6
50931 Köln
Germany
wcardozo@uni-koeln.de
www.uni-koeln.de

[lipmonkey]

I see you are making your rounds this morning unigermany.

Too many personal questions for me. :)

[rejs7]

The works get over and it already spring to mind.

If you don't like Cuba you don't have to live there, but it is not for anyone other than the Cuban people to decide their fate. If the Americans end their embargo, and allow westernisiation to happen, Castro will be faced with a far bigger threat to his power base than the do gooders who meddle from afar.

[9sublime]

Doesn't Castro stop the residents from leaving?

[Sadistic Savior]

If you don't like Cuba you don't have to live there, but it is not for anyone other than the Cuban people to decide their fate.

Actually, it is up to Castro (or I guess his Brother now...their family is a monarchy in all but name). The Cuban People dont get a vote.

Doesn't Castro stop the residents from leaving?

No. But there is a quota (US-imposed) as to how many people are allowed to leave each year. Castro decides who wins the lottery.

It is US imposed because of the massive flood of people who would all leave at once if there was no quota.

The Cuban government currently forbids its citizens from leaving or returning to Cuba without first obtaining permission from the government. In a translation by Human Rights Watch, under Cuba’s criminal code, individuals who, “without completing legal formalities, leave or take actions in preparation for leaving the national territory” can face prison sentences of one to three years in prison.[6] From 1985 to 1994 the number of illegal emigrants is estimated to 82,500, with an additional 7,500 up to the mid-2000.[5] Cubans who reach US soil by air, sea or ground are allowed to stay and work; Cuba says this practice encourages dangerous illegal emigration attempts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_emigration#Cuba

[drippinhun]

Cuba is a one-party republic. Seeing the dismal difference between our two parties in the U.S., I sometimes wonder if we aren't in the same shoes.

[9sublime]

Same here in Britain, the Labour party are less liberal than the Conservatives now.

[drippinhun]

Not to change subjects, but Bush's Daddy CIA connections must have dug up something on Tony to have him do such an about face in 2001. I just hope his retirement payoff was worth selling his nation down the creek.

[9sublime]

Tony Blair was a fantastic speaker, a great actor. That is how he got his job, and that is how he maintained it. He gave people home because of what he promised to do and they way he said it. Now people have realised thats all he did, and he only had the balls to follow America, not break away from them.

It wasn't our war, it wasn't our fault, and America has enough military to do the job of the UK's troops. Our military is nothing compared to yours, but it doesn't bother me because we don't need a big one as long as we don't go bombing everyone. Iceland has no proper military, but nobody goes after it.

[palerider]

Cuba is a one-party republic. Seeing the dismal difference between our two parties in the U.S., I sometimes wonder if we aren't in the same shoes.

Considering that in cuba you can be charged, judged and executed on any given day before lunch, I am surprised that you would make any comparison between cuba and the US. But then, you were apologizing for the soviet union also. Your affinity for socialism is somewhat surprising since it has failed everywhere it has been tried.

[drippinhun]

Considering that in cuba you can be charged, judged and executed on any given day before lunch, I am surprised that you would make any comparison between cuba and the US. But then, you were apologizing for the soviet union also. Your affinity for socialism is somewhat surprising since it has failed everywhere it has been tried.

I have an affinity to leave others alone and butt out. I don't believe it is worth one drop of our blood casting stones at others (when ...), or pissing away our treasury on such folly. We could have been a friend to Cuba if it weren't for the fact that the ultra-weathy in this country didn't want the workers to get silly ideas like free health care and other public conveyances.

[Sadistic Savior]

Cuba is a one-party republic. Seeing the dismal difference between our two parties in the U.S., I sometimes wonder if we aren't in the same shoes.

You dont have to vote for either major party in the US. You can vote for whoever you want. Even yourself.

The major parties are major for a reason; they represent the views of most Americans.

I have an affinity to leave others alone and butt out.

So, had Hitler not attacked you, you would have been ok with letting him stuff half his population into ovens. Is that what you're saying?

We could have been a friend to Cuba if it weren't for the fact that the ultra-weathy in this country didn't want the workers to get silly ideas like free health care and other public conveyances.

Yeah, I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the Cuban People are not allowed a voice in their own government, or that the government in control of them likes to cuddle up with our enemies.

[palerider]

I have an affinity to leave others alone and butt out. I don't believe it is worth one drop of our blood casting stones at others (when ...), or pissing away our treasury on such folly. We could have been a friend to Cuba if it weren't for the fact that the ultra-weathy in this country didn't want the workers to get silly ideas like free health care and other public conveyances.

Free health care? Practically everyone on that pathetic island lives like a pauper, taxed and impressed into abject poverty so that a few can live like kings and they can get free health care?

I would rather pay for my own thank you.

[vyo476]

The major parties are major for a reason; they represent the views of most Americans.



Seems to me that most Americans these days have grown very weary of the two-party system; finding an advocate of partisan politics is a tough job. I'm not saying I favor a one-party system so don't even go there; I'm just saying that the two-party system is inciting the ire of most Americans these days (myself included).

If the parties no longer represent the feelings of most Americans on their own existence than any representation of other ideals gets lost in the hypocrisy. In that sense we are growing more and more like Cuba - the people don't want the parties advocating what the people want, even if the parties are correct in their representations of their constituents' opinions. Basically, the people are saying to the parties, "You guys may be saying the right stuff...but we don't want you saying it."

[Sadistic Savior]

Seems to me that most Americans these days have grown very weary of the two-party system

If that were true, they would not insist on voting for the same two parties. Obviously they are not tired enough to actually vote for someone else.

I'm not saying I favor a one-party system so don't even go there

I wouldnt dream of it. But the fact remains that they do have choices. For whatever reason, they are choosing to vote for the two main parties anyway. No one is forcing them to vote Republican or Democrat.

If the parties no longer represent the feelings of most Americans on their own existence than any representation of other ideals gets lost in the hypocrisy.

How did you determine that the vast majority of Americans do not really agree with Democrat or Republican ideology?

In that sense we are growing more and more like Cuba

We are not even in the same universe as Cuba. Americans have a choice. Lots of choices actually. Cubans have none.

the people don't want the parties advocating what the people want,

You have no way of knowing what the people want beyond how they choose to vote. Even commercial polls like CNN and Fox and Pew are only a pale shadow; they go off a small sample. But an actual election polls the entire voting population.

Democracy is based on compromise...it is unlikely you will ever get someone into office that you agree with on every issue. You dont always get your way. But even so, no one is forcing you to compromise...you can still vote for whoever you want. The fact that the majority doesnt agree with you does not mean that you do not have freedom to choose. It just means you were overruled.

[vyo476]

If that were true, they would not insist on voting for the same two parties. Obviously they are not tired enough to actually vote for someone else.

I wouldnt dream of it. But the fact remains that they do have choices. For whatever reason, they are choosing to vote for the two main parties anyway. No one is forcing them to vote Republican or Democrat.

In most cases they're forcing themselves, because they don't believe an independent candidate has a chance at winning. It's organization vs. a lack of organization - the Democrats and the Republicans are well-organized (kind of...) and can get their messages out there. The problem with independent candidates is that there are too many of them - you may vote for Joe Schmo but the next guy over votes for Jane Doe because Jane Doe's economic policy is a bit less lenient than Mr. Schmo's. Eventually you have as many candidates as you have citizens and that's no good either. Fear of allowing this to happen and the convenience of the two-party system keeps the two-party system in place.


How did you determine that the vast majority of Americans do not really agree with Democrat or Republican ideology?


That's not what I meant at all. I meant that most people do agree with the Republicans or the Democrats about everything other than the very existence of the two parties. Issues like abortion or the War in Iraq, yeah, the people will generally conform to one of the two major opinions. No one is a fan of partisanship, though, and partisanship is what keeps the two parties alive. There's a fundamental difference of opinion there between the people on one hand and the parties on the other that must be addressed in order for all other issues to be anything other than hypocrisy.


We are not even in the same universe as Cuba. Americans have a choice. Lots of choices actually. Cubans have none.


I didn't say we were Cuba. Simply that we were growing more like them.


You have no way of knowing what the people want beyond how they choose to vote.

You could try asking. My opinions on this are based on simple conversation with others.


Even commercial polls like CNN and Fox and Pew are only a pale shadow; they go off a small sample. But an actual election polls the entire voting population.

There is a difference between a person and the people. A person has personal, individual opinions. The people are a group of individuals who are trying to think of what is best for the country.


Democracy is based on compromise...it is unlikely you will ever get someone into office that you agree with on every issue. You dont always get your way. But even so, no one is forcing you to compromise...you can still vote for whoever you want. The fact that the majority doesnt agree with you does not mean that you do not have freedom to choose. It just means you were overruled.

I agree with everything you have to say in this paragraph wholeheartedly. I just don't believe that the majority of Americans are big fans of partisan politics. I don't expect to vote for a candidate that I totally agree with (unless I'm running for office...) but I would rather my candidate not be wrapped up in partisanship, which is only destructive.

Tell me, do you like partisanship?

[Sadistic Savior]

In most cases they're forcing themselves, because they don't believe an independent candidate has a chance at winning.

Even assuming that is true, compromise is a choice. No one is forcing them to compromise.

Fear of allowing this to happen and the convenience of the two-party system keeps the two-party system in place.

The People have the choice to change they. They choose not to.

There's a fundamental difference of opinion there between the people on one hand and the parties on the other that must be addressed in order for all other issues to be anything other than hypocrisy.

I dont see where the hypocrisy is. I dont think most people dislike having two major parties. I think it is a vocal minority that dislikes having two major parties.

We are not even in the same universe as Cuba. Americans have a choice. Lots of choices actually. Cubans have none.

I didn't say we were Cuba. Simply that we were growing more like them.

Not really. A pig cant grow into an elephant, no matter how fat it gets. They are two different species.

The fact that we can choose our leaders and they cant is a very fundamental difference. We have a choice, just like we did last year and the year before and the year before that. Nothing fundamental has changed. Even if 99% of Americans were Republican, we would still be nothing like Cuba.

Me: You have no way of knowing what the people want beyond how they choose to vote.

You could try asking. My opinions on this are based on simple conversation with others.

That will not tell you how all Americans feel. Just the few you talked to, who may or may not resemble the average. If Saddam said "I have talked to people, and I think they are ok with my leadership" would you really take that answer seriously?

A poll is the equivilent of asking the opinion of everyone at once. Not just people you have come into personal contact with.

There is a difference between a person and the people. A person has personal, individual opinions. The people are a group of individuals who are trying to think of what is best for the country.

Having an opinion as to what is best for the country is still a personal opinion. There is no difference.

I just don't believe that the majority of Americans are big fans of partisan politics.

If they werent, they would be voting moderates into office. And that is not happening. Especially on the left.

Tell me, do you like partisanship?

I am an idealist, so I tend to vote for other idealists. There are moral issues that should not be compromised on. These moral issues are polarized between the two major parties (For example, most Democrats are pro-choice and most republican pro-life). Most people would consider that partisan.

[unigermany]

Only for Cuban people.

[Beetle Bailey]

I wonder why the US embargo on Cuba continues? Seems like sort of a vestige of the cold war. Is it because of communism? No, that can't be it. China and Vietnam are among our most important economic partners. Is it because Castro is a dictator? No, that can't be it either. We have close relations with dictators all over the world. There is more here than meets the eye. National security issues? Fear of communism spreading in the western hemisphere? I don't think so. I do not subscribe to any elaborate conspiracy theories. But I think it is pretty obvious that we have not been told the real reason why.

[Beetle Bailey]

Free health care? Practically everyone on that pathetic island lives like a pauper, taxed and impressed into abject poverty so that a few can live like kings and they can get free health care?

I would rather pay for my own thank you.

Talk about transparent agenda. Taxed? You must be joking. I don't think you quite get how their system works. Cuban people's poverty is not caused by taxes or free medical care. You must be a member of the AMA.

[lipmonkey]

I think the biggest factor why our current policy hasn't changed is because of the influence on our government by the Cuban-American lobby groups.

[unigermany]

We are especially interested in the participation of all Cubans living in foreign countries and the members of the organization they represent. All answers will be handled anonymously and with discretion. Thank you in advance for your valuable cooperation.