Castro offers medical aid to U.S.

[BeBMan]

How do you know what difference it would have made exactly during the last days?

[Winston]

I'm guessing, as are you I presume.

[BeBMan]

I did not make any statement about what difference it would make. My POV is however that in such a situation any form of help should be seriously considered, and not quickly refused due to political differences.

You were quick to say it wouldn't do much, something that seems impossible to know from here.

[Sikander]

Re: Castro offers medical aid to U.S.

Perhaps he can help us with the persistant pain in the dong we've been experiencing for the last 45 years or so. It might be related to the malignancy just below our dong which has been in place over the same period.

[Winston]

No BeBro, I was quick to say it would make little difference at this point compared to the negative impact of lifting the embargo.

Now it seems you're making the assumption that the offer is not being given serious consideration. I'm quite sure it is, it's just not that difficult of a decision to make, in light of what I just stated about the importance of maintaining the embargo.

But let's see what happens.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Winston

Now it seems you're making the assumption that the offer is not being given serious consideration. I'm quite sure it is, it's just not that difficult of a decision to make, in light of what I just stated about the importance of maintaining the embargo.

It wasn't an assumption about the US reaction, but a fact about your reaction towards the offer

[Winston]

Wrt. Cuba, same thing.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Winston


My impression is the U.S. doesn't want to be friends with the current regime, so it's a bit beside the point really.

It didn't want to 'be friends' with Khomeini's regime in Iran, but it didn't restrict the sale of missiles to them.


Only Cuban gift horses should be looked in the mouth then ?

Surely medical supplies and blankets or tents or water purifiers won't turn the Big Easy into Kronstadt ?

[Winston]

The Iranian thing was a mistake. I never agreed with it.

Technically however, it was the Israelis who supplied the Iranians with the anti-tank weapons, and the U.S. then agreed to resupply the Israeli stock. Just to keep that side of it straight.

Edit: And it wasn't done in order to court Iranian "friendship", but in the hopes of securing the release of hostages, held for over a year in Beirut. The reasons for the operation being conceived and given the go were certainly understandable, but like I said, I still disagree with it.

[lightblue]

I don't see what the issue is with Cuba nowadays, I mean in the Cold War ok, now it seems petty. It's not because he's a dictator, because the house of Saud, Musharraf, Mugabe etc are traded with.

Must be the communism thing.. aren't you over it yet?

(btw Winston I like how you as a danish person speaks for all of the US...)

[Winston]

You must be reading something into my posts that I just don't see myself.

You will allow me to express my personal opinion on the importance of the embargo, I trust?

[Winston]

BTW, Mugabe isn't traded with. But then Hu Jintao is. Funny you didn't mention him.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Sandman
Obviously the Cubans felt that offering help would be a good way to improve relations, like how Greece and Turkey managed to become friends in the wake of the earthquake there.

Exactly.


It could start a new chapter in U.S.-Cuban relations, and more importantly save some lives. Instead, I suspect that Bush's political pride will get in the way. The result will be more American dead for no good reason.

[VetLegion]

Sandman

Winston

[lightblue]

The only reason noone will lift the embargo is because the Cuban expats in Florida, which as we all know is an essential state in any election, would go against whoever did it. If it weren't for that the embargo would've been lifted 15 years ago.