Cuba

[oldglory]

"UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. General Assembly voted for the 16th straight year Tuesday to urge the United States to end its trade embargo against Cuba whose foreign minister accused the U.S. of stepping up its "brutal economic war" to new heights.

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The 192-member world body approved a resolution calling for the 46-year-old U.S. economic and commercial embargo against Cuba to be repealed as soon as possible.

"The blockade had never been enforced with such viciousness as over the last year," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the assembly, accusing President Bush's administration of adopting "new measures bordering on madness and fanaticism" that have hurt Cuba and interfered in its relations with at least 30 countries.

Delegates in the General Assembly chamber burst into applause when the vote in favor of the resolution flashed on the screen — 184 to four with one abstention.© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved"


This could be good news........:smile:

 

[Halon]

I wish we could pull our heads out of our asses! Like the story said, tho, the UN has been telling us to do this for 16 years and it hasn't happened yet. Castro has to die first.


TYLER

 

[Volusianator]

We can at least cross our fingers. The only issue I see, and it's been beat to death, is that I fear the quality of Habanos will decrease even more than it already is when the embargo is lifted. Cuba will certainly step up production to keep up with US orders causing IMHO quality to go down. I can see this being the case for maybe five years until the luster wears off and purchasing slows.

 

[dpricenator]

My guess is prices won't go down, if they don't go up, so why worry about it. Have any of us ever gotten in real trouble for ordering CCs? I have the same thoughts on this as I do with the legal "Medical Marijuana" stores in CA. Why go to a store that sells them when you can buy them on the black market for less? i.e. a stolen Ferrari cost less than one at a dealer. my.02 I don't mind breaking the law for something as small as a cigar. Especially a dumb law. I could be wrong as I don't know the penalties for buying CCs. Pot is only a $50 ticket and a $50 class in my neck of the woods. Not that I'm smoking any more, but i am stil a proponent of the decriminalaztion of marijuana.

 

[caudio51]

If the embargo is lifted demand will go up, causing supply to go up, prices will rise, quality will go down.

 

[jmatkins]

If the embargo is lifted demand will go up, causing supply to go up, prices will rise, quality will go down.

I do agree.

 

[GatorMike]

Habanos S.A. is run by the Cuban Gov. right?? But I've also heard Altadis owns a large stake in Habanos S.A.

 

[njsarge]

Unfortunately, if Fidel dies I think little will change here from the government's point of view. Power has already been passed to his brother Raul Castro and most of the regime are younger communists. A lot of the old guard is gone but the oppression still remains. If Fidel dies maybe Raul will ease up and allow some more freedom to his people but I think that will be a long shot. I don't understand our government's stance, we trade with China, Vietnam and other repressive regimes around the world.

 

[Ratbert]

Just a few days ago the Bush Administration reaffirmed that they have no intention of lifting the embargo against Cuba.

I think after so long it has just become the order of the day to continue the embargo. Has it done any good? Obviously not, since Fidel is still in power almost 50 years after the revolution...who knows, having the United States serve as a convenient bogeyman may have even helped to solidify his power over the years.

In my humble opinion (and I'm no political science expert) to end the embargo Fidel would have to pass away and the Cuban people would have to demand free elections, either of their own accord or through undercover manipulations by outside influences. If Cuba embraces free and democratic elections, then the embargo will be lifted. However I do not see this happening any time soon.

 

[Halon]

Dave,
The penalty for ordering habanos online is pretty stiff. The good thing is that it's very hard to prove.

And I believe Habanos S.A. has empty fields waiting for the U.S. to lift the embargo. I'm sure prices would go up, but I would think that the U.S. would be their number 1 customer. Therefore I would hope that the best sticks would get sent over here. Prices will rise, though hopefully only for a year or two.

I also read an article a while ago about Bush's plans to lift the embargo/rid Cuba of communism after Castro dies. It seems as though they view Castro as the sole "problem", and once he croaks then we'll go in there and do what we do best...


TYLER

 

[dpricenator]

Is there a link or somewhere I can read the exact penaties for ordering a box of CCs? Not that I would ever do that, but hypotheticly speaking.

 

[Halon]

There have been a few threads about it on other boards. I think CNN did a special on it not too long ago.


TYLER

 

[dpricenator]

I am not currently allowed to view those threads.

 

[oneaday]

If the embargo is lifted demand will go up, causing supply to go up, prices will rise, quality will go down.

Do any of you boys remember the cigar boom (Late 90s / early 2000s) and the resulting quality?

One of the most compelling reasons I know to stock up on your favorites, when the embargo is lifted it will make the boom seem like a popcorn fart.

 

[cvm4]

Habanos S.A. is run by the Cuban Gov. right?? But I've also heard Altadis owns a large stake in Habanos S.A.

Altadis owns 50%. They gave Cuba improved technology, marketing, and most importantly cash.

 

[no_substitute]

Do any of you boys remember the cigar boom (Late 90s / early 2000s) and the resulting quality?

One of the most compelling reasons I know to stock up on your favorites, when the embargo is lifted it will make the boom seem like a popcorn fart.

yep...

I don't have space to store for enough smokes for 5 years straight, but I have enough to store about 3 years worth, which is enough to smoke good stuff every other night for 5 years.

 

[CWS]

Is there a link or somewhere I can read the exact penaties for ordering a box of CCs? Not that I would ever do that, but hypotheticly speaking.

Here you go:
http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=10303

 

[blessednxs65]

C'mon Dubya... As one of your last official acts on the way out the door, throw us a bone. End this thing and we'll have a smoke on you!

 

[mpieniaz]

C'mon Dubya... As one of your last official acts on the way out the door, throw us a bone. End this thing and we'll have a smoke on you!

Unfortunately Bush was the one that made this official by having Congress pass this. Befor that it was only an Executive Order in which any president could end it with their John Hancock at the bottom of another EO. So it would be difficult now to enbd it so easily.

 

[dpricenator]

Here you go:
http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=10303

Right on, thanks Chuck. If I were to ever do something crazy like that I could deal with confiscation, but I don't want to pay any fines. I guess I'll stick with my NC's:halfgrinw