Why is the US Picking on CUBA???

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by MrFun
. . . . . and communists would view capitalist corporations as leeches in this regard. But yes, there were native corporations that suffered too.

Eventually. Nationalization happened for one reason, the escalating broohaha betwen the U.S. and Castro, the companies took the U.S.'s side, and sabotaged operations.

Cuba then nationalized U.S. owned companies and offered them compensation based on what the companies had stated they were worth in their taxes. Since this was far below market price (i.e., the companies were tax cheats), they refused payment.

In other words, they cheated the government and refused the compensation for their punishment. I can't see how Cuba should be punished for this.

[MrFun]

I agree in that aspect, Che.

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


All resource rights contracts signed with the Cuban government during the Batista regime was obtained by kickbacks to Batista and his wife. He was completely open about the process. The same thing generally applied to equipment supply and just about every other business contract.

Certainly there's enough taint from the US side that it's not an open and shut issue as to whether seizures were unjustified.

I agree with your last statement, and in my dismissiveness of the business side of them, didn't distinguish between legitimately and illegitimately gained assets, etc.

What you've said, though, doesn't really address what I was explaining to MrFun that I'd like to see: the return to Cuban nationals of their property, mainly the land, of which plenty was nationalized that had no connection to gov't contracts, etc. That's what the broad brush comment referenced, and if you didn't mean for it to address this, mea culpa.

Vince, Ted, Britney said flip a coin, post the winner and she'll be there when I'm done (giuve me 2-3 minutes once I stop posting).

[GePap]

States have the right to nationalize anything they want as long as they provide the owners with compensation- its called emminent (sp) domain. So the Castro government need not give anyone their land, only pay them fair compensation- the question is, do they pay the official value at the time, or the official value plus interest, or the claimed value, or claimed plus interest?

[Imran Siddiqui]

So the Castro government need not give anyone their land, only pay them fair compensation

I think they'd be happy with that. And I believe the value that is to be given en eminent domain is official value plus interest. HOWEVER, it isn't international law to do so, just US Constitutional Law. States are allowed to nationalize without compensation if they so desire.

[chequita guevara]

And remember, the Cubans did try and compensate the companies. The companies, however, refused to be compensated. From a strict libertarian standpoint, yes, Cuba was wrong. But from every other standpoint in the world, "Hey, you don't wan't the money, no problem. You don't have to have the money."

Originally posted by Vince278
Another victim of the Yankee Traders in the early 20th century?

More of the United States DoWing Spain when Cuba had them on the ropes, invading Duba and "liberating" it the Spanish, then telling the Cubans that if they wanted the U.S. to leave, they had to put these certain amendments in their Constitution, which effectively made the American ambassador the ruler of the country (think Paul Bremer, only Tameney Hall style).

Under American rule, the island was effectively bought up by U.S. companies. Cuba became a playground for America's wealthy while the average Cuban lived a life of desperate poverty.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Solomwi
Vince, Ted, Britney said flip a coin, post the winner and she'll be there when I'm done (giuve me 2-3 minutes once I stop posting).

With apologies to Ted, I just won the coin toss. Please give me time to take a shower before you send her over.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Under American rule, the island was effectively bought up by U.S. companies. Cuba became a playground for America's wealthy while the average Cuban lived a life of desperate poverty.

That's pretty much how the Yankee Traders operated. They were so infamous that they became the model for the Ferengi in ST:TNG (as a matter of fact, when the Ferengi were first encountered on the show Data used the phrase "Yankee Traders" to describe them in a nutshell).