US must do more to improve Cuba ties: Richardson

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

US must do more to improve Cuba ties: Richardson
by Carlos Batista Carlos Batista – 1 hr 23 mins ago

HAVANA (AFP) – Washington should do more to improve its relationship with Havana, which in turn needs to show flexibility, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said Friday during a visit to communist Cuba.

Richardson, formerly a US lawmaker and diplomat who has been a frequent special envoy in diplomatic crises, met with officials including National Assembly speaker Ricardo Alarcon during the five-day trip.

The US governor, who is half Mexican, grew up partly in Mexico City and speaks Spanish, said he would pass along his recommendations to the Barack Obama administration.

"Normalizing relations is going to take time, it is a complicated thing and there are a lot of issues to address. After 50 years (of strained ties) you cannot change everything in a year.

"It will take time, but we have to do it," Richardson, 61, told reporters at a briefing at the close of his visit.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090828/pl_afp/cubauspoliticsrichardson_20090828184012

[Mika]

1. WE should do more? After EVERYTHING that Cuba has done to us?

:sarcasm:

[LaPera]

3. And what have we done for Cuba...Embago for over 50 years?

Because the fucking right-wing assholes fled Cuba and demanded embargo...all these exiled Cubans cared about was getting their wealth back - fuck the Cuban people, they suffered when these same assholes were in power in Cuba and have suffered from their politically imposed embargo that they still demand to be kept in place....The rich republicans have no problem making millions & billions of dollars working with communist China and it's slave labor, just as they wanted for the people in Cuba.
The Lying fucking corporate fascist still want to exploit Cuba.

[Mika]

6. The anti Cuba lobby is bipartisan, because US anti Cuba policy is bipartisan.

Interestingly, the mix of pro normalization US representatives are a bipartisan group also.

Without the US embargo/sanctions as policy both groups would lose a serious campaign funding plank. Hence the status quo prevails.

That's how US politics works. Money.

---

[Louisiana1976]

2. Richardson is right--

and as part of improving relations we need to lift the trade embargo and the ban on Americans' travel to Cuba. Both are useless relics of the Cold War.

[LuckyLib]

4. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, China has seen regimes come and go.

If we'd only had a vocal (and well off)Chinese refugee community clamoring for embargos . . . the political reach of the Cuban American lobby has far outreached anything rational. The above poster said it best -- those who left were part of the ruling class and the privileged. Once the new government was in place, they continued from afar to wreak economic havoc on that nation.

[Vidar]

5. Pitiful for a country born of revolution to always support the ruling class.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. USA (robber baron elite) is terrified of Cuba.

.
.
.

Think about it - the USA is the new "Empire" chaser - Cuba is a mellow country, and too close to the USA mainland for the likings of the PNAC gang.

Russia had their nukes on the way there once, could happen again . . .

THEN THE USA WOULD HAVE TO BEHAVE!!

And not wander all over the globe bombing the shit out of innocent countries.

OH MY!! - The USA behaving decently . . .

there's a thought.

[jmcauliff]

8. President Obama can change the parameters

President Obama should listen to Governor Richardson. Tomorrow he could allow unlimited non-tourist travel for educational, cultural, humanitarian, religious and other people to people purposes, the essential precursor to Congress restoring everyone's right to visit Cuba.

Urge he do so via the White House Office of Public Engagement http://www.whitehouse.gov/ope/contact/

John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development
www.thehavananote.com