Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Odds and ends

  • The State Department spokesman started his briefing last Friday and ran into a series of questions on Cuba, where reporters asked why the Administration welcomes and encourages incremental changes in some countries, but not others. The Herald’s Cuban Colada summarizes the exchange; the full transcript is here.

  • Cuba’s food importer tells AP that rising food prices will cause Cuba to spend 20 percent more in 2008 to import the same amount of food as last year.

  • Added to the blogroll at right: Miami and Beyond, an eclectic blog with sharp commentary on Cuba, written by Alex, formerly of Stuck on the Palmetto.

  • When in RomeAP’s Will Weissert decides to find out what the fuss about Cuban cigars is all about.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I love your pictures, good blog!

Anonymous said...

laugh laugh yuk, yuk...brain-dead reporters "grilling" equally brain-dead State Department flak on Cuba.

flak should have mentioned that 34 of 35 countries in western hemisphere are democracies. flak should have mentioned that 34 out of 35 countries signed interamerican democratic charter. this is the western hemisphere...there are democratic standards here. what don't they get about that????

Alex said...

Thanks Phil!

I can see why it's such a pickle for McCormack to explain why China is ok and Cuba isn't. But the reverse is also true: just because China has liberal economic policies doesn't mean we have to forget the political repression. It's bad in Cuba and bad in China.

As for the "massive influx" coming to the US, somebody please tell the reporters there's still a US visa needed. Way to do their homework.

Anonymous said...

It is true that the US now has the ball in their court. With Cuban restrictions coming down, the US must decide whether to allow tourist visas freely and risk an influx, or to continue to hand-choose based on political criteria.

Anonymous said...

it's not hard to explain if you have a brain

Anonymous said...

not to defend the state department spokesperson, (i disagree wholeheartedly with his feeble defense), but the folk who call him brain dead are just bitter red necks.

I love it how the fly -overs dismiss everything people more educated than they are say.. its a weird type of populism that exists in the USA - red necks know best - intellectuals should be dismissed. That's been the mantra for the past 8 years (and fox news)

Rodney said...

yes i think the same as Alex. if China is making the same thing than it is ok and if it is in Cuba than put sanctions?? then i wish that there where no cuban cigars they should be china cigars????