UN casts record vote against U.S. embargo on Cuba

[Say_What]

For the 14th year in a row..

<clips>

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Nearly every country in the U.N. General Assembly told the United States on Tuesday to lift its four-decade old economic embargo against Cuba in a record vote of 182 to 4 with 1 abstention.

The vote, held for the 14th consecutive year, was on a resolution calling for Washington to lift the U.S. trade, financial and travel embargo, particularly its provisions on penalising foreign firms.

Voting "no" were the United States, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands. Micronesia abstained and El Salvador, Iraq, Nicaragua and Morocco did not vote. Last year the vote was 179 to 4, with several countries not voting at all.

Cuba has been under a U.S. embargo since President Fidel Castro defeated a CIA-backed assault at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. Friends of the United States, including Canada, Japan, Australia voted "yes," although the European Union also strongly criticised Cuba's human rights record.

The measure is nonbinding and has had no impact on the United States, with the Bush administration having tightened restrictions against Cuba, including penalties against U.S. and foreign firms, visits from Cuban Americans, licensed travel and remittances to families.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-11-08T202018Z_01_HO869699_RTRUKOC_0_UK-CUBA-UN-USA.xml

[Canuckistanian]

1. A resolution against the US?

Plans to invade US are 'on the table' unless the US complies.

[damntexdem]

4. Oh no, not the Northern Menace!

They'll sweep down on us behind a cold front that freezes us in place.

There goes Miami!

[Canuckistanian]

14. Yeah, watch it, buddy,we're baaaaad.....

On the plus side, it easier to pick up the dog turds when they're frozen solid.

[arwalden]

10. Heh-heh... Why Not?

:thumbsup: Good one!

[indepat]

2. When just a little over 2% say you are right on an issue, a wise man would

would....

[PDJane]

3. I wonder ........

how many folks outside the US would like to see Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, at the very least, tried for war crimes?

[saigon68]

6. I venture several Billion

With a B

[makeanoise]

5. If anyone has the right...

to the bomb the hell out of this country, it would be Cuba...

[Mika]

12. No country has the right to do any such thing.

While the US has engaged in illegal activities against Cuba, Cubans really don't consider the American people to be enemies of Cuba. As a matter of fact, the Cuban people and their government welcome Americans to their country and they wish that millions more would be able to come to visit. Most Cubans are well aware of the lack of representation that Americans have re: US/Cuba relations issues.

[Briar]

7. Iraq's failure to vote

tells you who really runs their "government".

[Say_What]

8. Last year Iraq was absent...

Here's the results from last year. Same bought-and-paid for stooge countries voted with the USSA.

<clips>

Against: Israel, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States.

Abstain: Federated States of Micronesia.

Absent: El Salvador, Iraq, Morocco, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/ga10288.doc.htm

[dkofos]

9. It is long past time to end the embargo.

It does no good.

[Rainscents]

11. About dame time! USA has no power left in the world anymore and no

one is listening to us.

[foflappy]

13. "United States now Cuba's biggest food supplier"

Another interesting article (from Reuters)


http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-11-04T213203Z_01_N04409611_RTRIDST_0_CUBA-USA.XML

[Say_What]

15. Much to the chagrin of the MiamiGusanos...

Because of the embargo and Helms-Burton Cuba cannot buy many of the medicines and parts necessary to repair medical equipment. Also, Tio Sam is doing his ugly best to make the food purchases as difficult as possible. The difficulty has caused the Cubans to purchase elsewhere and the US farmer is the one suffering the loss. Consequently, the *get Fidel at any cost* method also hurts US citizens.

If the Gusanos had their way they would starve their poorer island brothers and call it *bringing democracy to Cuba*. They are real pukes. :puke:

From the article:

In five years, Cuba has become the 26th largest market for American agricultural exports, up from 225th, purchasing more than 6 million tonnes of products valued at more than $1 billion, Alvarez said.

Early this year the Bush administration announced tougher payment procedures that require letters of credit before shipments can leave U.S. ports.

"The food we buy goes directly to our people and the measure created delays and insecurity, forcing us to divert $150 million to other suppliers," Alvarez said, insisting existing restrictions meant Cuban food purchases were half of what they could be.

[Judi Lynn]

16. If most of the U.S. citizens' opinions carried any weight,we wouldn't HAVE

an embargo on Cuba now. Polls showed this years ago. It has been shown yearly at the U.N. for 14 years that the WORLD disapproves of it strongly, except, as you've mentioned, the tiny cluster of 4 tiny countries we've strong-armed into standing up for the embargo, one of them, Israel, into the U.S. for HUGE financial support, very dependent on U.S. handouts, ITSELF has business and diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Now VietNam, to which Americans can travel freely, and with whom Americans trade volunteers to try to help:

Viet Nam to assist Cuba in overcoming US embargo, says Ambassador
11/09/2005 -- 17:28(GMT+7)

New York (VNA) - Viet Nam will work with other nations and international organisations in assisting the Government and people of Cuba in overcoming the negative consequences of the trade embargo imposed by the US, said the Vietnamese representative to the United Nations.

At the plenary meeting of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly on the necessity of ending the US's embargo against Cuba in New York on Nov. 8, Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the UN expressed Viet Nam's friendship and solidarity with Cuba, and stressed that Viet Nam has always opposed the imposition of any unilateral embargo and blockade by one state against another.

Ambassador Le Luong Minh condemned the US embargo against Cuba, saying that it has caused great damage to the economy of Cuba and much suffering to its people, and aggravated tension between the two countries. The diplomat said the differences between the US and Cuba should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations based on the principles of respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, mutual respect and understanding.

The UN General Assembly at the session voted overwhelmingly for a resolution to condemn the 44-year US trade embargo against Cuba. With 182 votes in favor, four against and one abstention, the assembly for the 14th time called on the US to end the embargo, which has caused accumulated direct damages of 82 billion USD to Cuba's economy.-Enditem
(snip/)

http://www.vnagency.com.vn/NewsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=29&NEWS_ID=174032

[Say_What]

17. Just goes to proove...

that a government by the people for the people went by the boards decades ago.

Even the Oligarch's Daily is reporting what Radio Mambi, etc, will view as *negative press*. They reported that Bolton was hiding out in a Security Council meeting (too embarassed to attend). They even reported Perez-Roque's great remarks about the Bushistas.

Predictably, the US just reshuffled it's US-Cuba team giving impact to Perez-Roque's view that ``the U.S. government is delusional with the idea that it can overthrow the Cuban revolution.'' I'll post it if it's note already posted.

<clips>

...The embargo, aimed at toppling Castro's socialist system, has been steadily tightened under President Bush's two terms. Pérez Roque said ''most likely'' Bush would tighten the blockade even further.

''Never before, as in the last 18 months, was the blockade enforced with so much viciousness and brutality. Never before had we seen so cruel and relentless a persecution by a U.S. administration against the economy and the right of the Cubans to a dignified and decent life,'' the Cuban minister said.

But Pérez Roque stressed that ``the U.S. government is delusional with the idea that it can overthrow the Cuban revolution.''

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/cuba/13117680.htm

[Judi Lynn]

18. There has always been some extreme arm-twisting and intimidation

going on prior to these votes. They've hooked only small, defenseless countries into standing with the embargo. I think they got Guatemala once.

It's wonderful Bolton didn't take it like a man, and went into hiding. Figures. He can get really vicious when he has all the power on his side, from what we've heard.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nov. 9, 2005, 11:39PM

Texas rice farmers eager for Cuba trade
Conference urges an easing of U.S. restrictions
By JENALIA MORENO
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

BEAUMONT - Texas rice farmers Charlie Reneau and Bill Dishman are paying twice as much to fuel their tractors and combines as they did two years ago.

That and falling prices for their products are hurting the pocketbooks of these East Texas farmers.

Hoping to increase the demand for Texas rice and perhaps drive up the grain's prices and their profits, the two farmers are searching for ways to expand their export markets, including one that is just 825 miles away — Cuba.

"There's a desperate need that we have to get back into some of our foreign markets," said Reneau, who's been farming near Beaumont for 25 years. "Without those we're going to be in extremely hard times."

Texas farmers and cattle ranchers gathered at the Texas-Cuba Trade Alliance conference held in Beaumont Wednesday to push for the U.S. to ease trade restrictions with the island nation so Cuba can buy more Texas rice, cattle and milk.

That doesn't seem likely for now, as the Bush administration has tightened restrictions against Cuba, for example, by requiring the country to pay cash before shipments leave U.S. ports.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3450794

[foflappy]

19. Perhaps it never was.

"that a government by the people for the people went by the boards decades ago."

For the record RE: Cuba (IMO)

The US embargo against Cuba is foolish..and possibly evil.

The relationship between the USA and Cuba is pretty sick, any way I look at it..maybe someday people will look on it with revulsion of past deeds of unjustness.