Friday, October 9, 2009

Odds and ends

  • Reuters: Coast Guard interceptions of Cuban migrants were down sharply in the fiscal year ended September 30.

  • Another profile of the Angels’ Kendry Morales, this one from USA Today.

  • In advance of the UN General Assembly debate on the resolution condemning the U.S. embargo, the Cuban foreign ministry publishes a report on its effects.

  • I don’t have the Taylor Branch book on President Clinton, but this Newsweek article says he termed the embargo on Cuba a “foolish, pandering failure.”

10 comments:

leftside said...

Is it too much to ask for Ruters to compare the numbers of Cubans being interdicted by the Coast Guard versus other foreign nationals? Perhaps that would shed some light on the argument that the reductions are the result of the US economy and better enforcement, as is claimed. For if those were the main reasons wouldn't those things also hold true for those arriving in boats from Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico or wherever?

Well, in fact 2009 interdictions from Dominicans, Haitians, Mexicans and Chinese has already topped their 2008 figures. Only Cubans and Ecuadoreans have been been reduced. So might there be other, country-specific causes?

Anonymous said...

clinton you two faced sob -- so the embargo is a foolish, pandering failure; so why did you pander so much to the hard right cuban exiles; you could have done so much to normalize relations, instead you made things worse. saying that now is the failure, too bad you didn't have the cajones to stand up the gusanos when it would have mattered.
and now your wife is just stating the same old crap.

leftside said...

The end of the ration book?

Lazaro Barredo Medina, editor of Granma, wrote today in a full-page signed opinion:

"The ration booklet was a necessity at one time, but it has become an impediment to the collective decisions the nation must take."

He said the government ought not do away with the rations by decree, but suggested readers should start to prepare for life without a system that people on this island both covet as a birthright and complain is woefully insufficient to meet even the most modest needs.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous October 9, 2009 3:45 PM,

Pres.Clinton did not have "cajones"? What do boxes have to do with anything Cuban?

Vecino de NF

Anonymous said...

Leftside,

The Barredo Medina article is what Cubans of certain age will call a "Queridos Amiguitos" moment.

Vecino de NF

Anonymous said...

Leftside wrote: "Lazaro Barredo Medina, editor of Granma, wrote today in a full-page signed opinion:... He said [the ration system]... is woefully insufficient to meet even the most modest needs."

WHAT?! Is this the same Lefty who boasted yesterday of the abundant and tasty foods the Coma Andante was lavishing upon the grateful revolutionary Masses? Lefty, you need to return *immediately* to Mazorra for your overdue electroshock treatments!

Anonymous said...

On Planet Leftside, Cubans sent to Mazorra need "help."

Anonymous said...

oops, typo slip, cojones, but either way, clinton doesn't have them, and if he did he'd be working hard to end the embargo.
thank you vecino, it's nice to be prefect isn't it (opps another typo)

Anonymous said...

Anonymous October 11, 2009 9:40 AM,

Wondering if your knowledge of Pres.Clinton's anatomy comes from a reliable source? This emasculation was probably after the affaire Lewinsky (after all we have physical evidence that contradicts your observation) Maybe Sec.Clinton had him fixed after that.

Vecino de NF

Anonymous said...

the clintons have always disguised themselves as hard dems, reality they are soft repbs (in the sense of real republicans, not the twisted party that is going loony tunes now)
clinton had the chance to really change things re Cuba and he blew it. hillary just as bad, thought she was a terrible choice for sec of state