Why is it OK for Americans to buy granite from Iran, but not buy cigars or rum from Cuba?

[OmahaBlueDog]

Serious question: I recently had occasion to discuss granite countertop with someone "in the business." It was a brief discussion, and I didn't get really in depth, but I was asking about granite prices as compared to (for example) Corian. He told me granite prices were all over the road, and that the price of the granite depended on the quarry, color, scarcity, etc. Then, he told me that the nicest granite comes from Iran.

..wait, I thought Iran was the root of all terrorist evil (along with North Korea). So, how come it's OK to buy granite from the axis of evil, but I can't buy Havana Club at my liquor store????

[Poll_Blind]

1. Well, importing anything from Iran (directly or indirectly) is prohibited currently with the...

...exception of the following, listed in http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/iran/iran.pdf">this document:

a) Gifts valued at $100 or less

b) Information and Informational Materials

c) Household and personal effects used abroad by people or their family members arriving in the U.S. where the items are intended soley for their, personal, use. (i.e. deoderant, for instance)

d) Baggage accompanying people arriving in the United States which is incidental to travel

You cannot purchase Persian rugs, for instance, anymore. (Just passed Sep 29, 2010)

Check out the document, I might be missing something. So it is very similar to the Cuba bullshit.

PB

[bluedigger]

2. Everybody knows that Vermont granite is the best!

Of course, it means trading with a socialist state.:rofl:

[OmahaBlueDog]

4. I already trade with you commies for that damned Ben & Jerrys

I might as well serve it on a big slab of Vermont granite

[ProudDad]

10. Ben & Jerry's are no longer Ben and Jerry's

"After a failed attempt by Ben Cohen to return the company to private ownership, Ben and Jerry’s was purchased in August 2000 by the Unilever conglomerate…"

However, in 2002, the Center for Science in the Public Interest accused Ben and Jerry’s of abusing the “All Natural” label for using artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, and other factory-made substances in their products. Ben and Jerry’s official response was that they used a different definition of “all natural” than the CSPI. In August 2006, Ben & Jerry’s came under criticism from the Humane Society of the United States for using eggs in its ice cream that come from hens confined in battery cages."

http://obrag.org/?p=9046


Say NO to High Fructose Corn Syrup -- just officially changed by the Obama Administration to "Corn Sugar"...

[Art_from_Ark]

6. But it's New Hampshire that bills itself as "The Granite State"

Maybe Vermont should bill itself as "The State With The Best Granite, And It's Not New Hampshire" :rofl:

[bluedigger]

7. Those commies always take credit for everything!

They invented baseball, you know.:rofl:

[flamingdem]

3. Iranians don't control the vote in Florida, YET! nt

[TexasObserver]

5. Because there isn't a well funded "Granite" lobby in the USA.

[WinkyDink]

8. Florida's electoral college votes. DUH.

[ProudDad]

9. Because the granite is Islamic

and we're "not at war with Islam(tm)"

And the cigars are Socialist and therefore very, very dangerous...

[MadHound]

11. Because Cuba and Castro remain a perpetual thorn in the side of rich and elite in this country

After all, the people of Cuba took away the offshore playground for the rich and elite. Thus, much like a small child, the rich and elite threw a temper tantrum and are trying to starve Cuba out as revenge.

This might change when Castro dies, I certainly hope so. I would like to see Cuba opened up to US trade, there are literally hundreds of antique autos down there, and I would love to bring a couple of them home.

[ProudDad]

12. You know, the Mafia should erect a statue to Fidel Castro

in the middle of Las Vegas...

It was the Cuban Revolution and the Boeing 707 that put Bugsy Siegel's wet dream on the map...

And those Nevada folk were much cheaper to buy off than Batista EVER was...

[ProudDad]

13. Opening up Cuba to the destruction of U.S.American "goods"

the petroleum-franken-food-substances disguised as "corn" and other heavily subsidized USAmerican abominations produced by corporate "food" factories would probably ruin the best chance the human race has at a sustainable way of living on Earth.

They are the leaders in decentralized, community organic gardening and are very close to being the only self-sufficient advanced nation on Earth -- ADM and Cargil and the rest would destroy that effort and seal the doom of nearly all air-breathers on Earth soon.

It REALLY is that serious. Not only is the wrong class winning the class war but the polluters are winning the war against those who would like to preserve the Earth as a hospitable environment for most of her creatures.

[backscatter712]

14. Because of Human Rights(TM) - the same reason we buy all out stuff from China. n/t