Cuban Vacations: An American Dream

[Krill]

Me thinks by the time 4 years are up Obama is either going to be the most loathed Prez in US history, dead, or despot for life.

One of the three...

[Kidlicious]

IMO, Cuba shouldn't even treat foreigners on any scale that would limit the care that it's own citizens recieve.

Also, food is scarce in Cuba, so they don't let just anyone move there.

[KrazyHorse]

Me thinks by the time 4 years are up Obama is either going to be the most loathed Prez in US history, dead, or despot for life.

One of the three...

Most Americans favour lifting some or all of the trade restrictions on Cuba. It's basically only the hard right wing of the Republicans and a large part of the Cuban exile community (which somehow still believes that they're going to get compensation for the property they lost in the Cuban revolution) which oppose it.

[Theben]

I don't know what gave you the idea that Cuba gives away medical care to all foreigners. They might donate some to people from poor countries, but people from developed nations are expected to pay for their own care. The prices are, of course, much lower than they would be for similar procedures in the US. Medical tourism to Cuba is a significant source of revenue for the island.

Americans already fly to countries like Thailand and India for major medical care. It's a no-brainer really: $50,000 in the U.S. or $10,000 in Asia + $2000 plane ticket?

[Zkribbler]

Me thinks by the time 4 years are up Obama is either going to be the most loathed Prez in US history, dead, or despot for life.

One of the three...

I, on the other hand, believe Obama will go down as the greatest president since Teddy Roosevelt.

[Theben]

He'll live or die by his economic policies and success of the economy in general.

[KrazyHorse]

Americans already fly to countries like Thailand and India for major medical care. It's a no-brainer really: $50,000 in the U.S. or $10,000 in Asia + $2000 plane ticket?

Medical care in the US (and in fact in the entire developed world) is far more expensive than it needs to be partially because doctors restrict entrance to their profession through long residencies and overpriced and overly selective medical schools. It's a classic example of what happens when any profession is given basically unfettered control of licensing standards, enforced by the State.

By the way, I've heard that even some insurers near the Mexican border send people across for certain procedures.

[Theben]

A few insurers will pay for the plane ticket in the cases I've referenced.

[Aeson]

President Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.

to the first part...

Not sure how the second part actually works... do they all share the remittance equally?

[KrazyHorse]

? It basically means that people are allowed to send cash to relatives in Cuba if they want to. Who they send it to would be up to them. As far as Cuban law goes, I'm not sure if there is some sort of tax on remittances.

[Aeson]

Just thought it might be deemed "income" which is supposed to be the same for everyone?

[KrazyHorse]

I'm not sure what the income rules in Cuba are, but I doubt they flatten income exactly.

I'm also not sure how meaningful a comparison of income tax rates would be in a planned economy since there are all sorts of implicit taxes in such a system.