I never really understood what the big deal was about the US embargo.
The ONLY country that had an embargo with Cuba was US of A.
Big deal. It's not like the Americans are the only country on the planet.
Go to any Canadian Tire, Walmart, Target or wherever and check where the products are made: India, China, Taiwan and so forth.
Cuba could purchase goods from any other country in the world at will.
German engineering and cars,Russian weaponry, British machining and financial services, Swiss optics and pharmacueticals,French foodstuffs, Canadian and Australian raw materials, Japanese electronics ,Italian designs and so on and so forth.
Really, who needs American stuff that badly after all, most of the stuff is available elsewhere cheaper and some of it is of higher quality than if it were of American manufacture.
So whats the big deal all about anyway?
On the Cuban side, Castro needed a whipping boy and excuse for all Cuba's socialist failures. The Helms-Burton and America provided that.
On the American side, the Americans were so arrogant as to believe that if THEY were not allowed to visit a certain country then it followed that the country in question would automatically wither and die.
Spin and politically influenced crud from both sides is how I saw it.
Americans always could visit Cuba. It is no trouble at all.
They just cannot travel direct.
Drive up to Taranna, park in long term, hop on a daily Cubana flight and Bob's your uncle. Just make sure you never admit to it when questioned by INS.
And for god's sake do not bring a bunch of made in Cuba junk packed in your bags when you return.
Cuban security will not stamp your passport if requested not to do so.
Stock up on Partagas or Cohiba's if you must and take them back to Taranna with you.
Either mail them to yourself from Taranna or go buy and equivelent number of boxes of the cheapest Canadian cigars you can find.
Replace the cheapies with the Cubans. Shrink wrap the box's. Bin the crappy ones.Drive home. No problema.
It presently looks like only American direct relatives of Cubanos will be allowed to travel legally to Cuba under Obamas tenure.
So just go to Canada or Mexico and catch a flight.
Thats what thousands of Americans have been doing for years.
Trex
