• IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    17
    ·
    2 months ago

    If any other country like China or Russia blockaded a country to the point where it would cause a collapse … we’d probably start WWIII in defence.

    US does it and it’s just taken as a normal part of world politics and perfectly acceptable.

    What the hell did Cuba do to deserve this? They had a difference of opinion and they didn’t want to be taken advantage of … they’ve since had to be literally starved to death because of it.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      34
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      An embargo is not a blockade.

      The embargo excludes food and medicine, and, in fact, Cuba has, previously, explicitly rejected unconditional offers of US aid.

      Cuba’s core problems are not due to the embargo, as much as the Cuban government and the terminally online left would like to peddle that narrative.

      The embargo is stupid, pointless, and immoral. But it’s not what’s causing Cuba’s current problems in any significant degree.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        2 months ago

        Call it what you want but the effect is still the same.

        Yes Cuba can trade with whoever they want in the world … the US just makes it so difficult and complicated that no one wants to be bothered.

        • PugJesus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          21
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          2 months ago

          Is that why Cuba’s biggest trade partner is that notable enemy of America, Canada?

          • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            10
            ·
            2 months ago

            Yes but the amount of trade that happens is so miniscule that it doesn’t do much for their economy.

            It’s like having someone pin you to the ground, tie up your hands and feet and rest their knee on your neck and then ask why you’re having a hard time getting up on your own

            • PugJesus@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              15
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              2 months ago

              Yes but the amount of trade that happens is so miniscule that it doesn’t do much for their economy.

              Bruh, Cuban-Canadian trade is worth over a billion annually. They’re one of Canada’s largest trade partners.

              I guess the Netherlands and Spain are also inconsequential, and China is, of course, holding back on TRULY trading with Cuba out of fear for US sanctions despite the fact that China is already trading with Cuba on a massive scale.

              Cuba was the third richest country in Latin America before the fall of the SovUnion. Could it possibly be that their economy was built on a house of cards and they haven’t meaningfully shifted since it fell?

              At some point you have to accept that the embargo, while wrong, is just not even close to core to the problems Cuba faces.

              • barsoap@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                edit-2
                2 months ago

                Netherlands and Spain

                Just to give a perspective on this: The Dutch are notorious traders, that is, much of their business involves being middlemen, lots of stuff made anywhere in the EU flows via the Netherlands, nominally or physically. Spain, well, is self-explanatory: They’re speaking Spanish over there. The EU overall is Cuba’s second largest import and third largest export partner, a third of tourists to Cuba come from the EU.

                As to the EU itself: It’s generally illegal to comply with US sanctions on Cuba and Iran. If you’re affected you can contact the commission and ask for an exemption if it’s really bad but generally speaking you’re supposed to work with the commission to find a way around the sanctions. There’s literally EU civil servants specialised in sanction-busting by finding ways to transfer money, ship stuff etc. that doesn’t involve the US.

                They used to enjoy preferential tariffs but have become too rich by now so standard tariffs apply.

                At some point you have to accept that the embargo, while wrong, is just not even close to core to the problems Cuba faces.

                True. Also it would be way worse if Cuba didn’t have Canada and the EU to fall back on. Also, OTOH: The current trouble is specifically cause by US sanctions – secondary ones regarding Venezuelan gas, though, not the primary ones on Cuba itself. Cuba doesn’t really have money to import that stuff and the Venezuelians are basically giving it away for free when you happen to be Cuba so of course they’re buying it.

                Heck in a couple month’s time we might be seeing news about a large-scale Namibia-style investment: Build lots of renewables with European money, gain a stable electricity network and pay the whole shebang back with hydrogen exports. Cuba is plenty stable (and sunny) enough for such a deal.

    • _Cid_@lemmy.world
      cake
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      2 months ago

      Errrm Russia is literally in the process of attacking a neighbouring country right now. They are tying their very best to make this country collapse with things far worse than sanctions, and no one has started WW3 yet.

    • tal@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      2 months ago

      What the hell did Cuba do to deserve this?

      The embargo? Seized a bunch of American-owned property in the revolution. The US said “you can nationalize it, but you gotta pay for it”. The Cuban government said no, and the US said “then we won’t do business with you”.

      Lot of property owned by Americans out there in the world. Makes people think twice about treating it as a free cash grab bag if the last group to try it regretted it.

      Also, as someone else pointed out, it’s an embargo, not a blockade, which would be forcibly preventing them from doing business with anyone else, like, parking warships offshore and not letting anything in or out. A blockade would be an act of war. Embargoes are not.

  • Media Bias Fact Checker@lemmy.worldB
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    2 months ago
    The Guardian - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

    Information for The Guardian:

    Wiki: reliable - There is consensus that The Guardian is generally reliable. The Guardian’s op-eds should be handled with WP:RSOPINION. Some editors believe The Guardian is biased or opinionated for politics. See also: The Guardian blogs.
    Wiki: mixed - Most editors say that The Guardian blogs should be treated as newspaper blogs or opinion pieces due to reduced editorial oversight. Check the bottom of the article for a “blogposts” tag to determine whether the page is a blog post or a non-blog article. See also: The Guardian.


    MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: Medium - Factual Reporting: Mixed - United Kingdom


    Search topics on Ground.News

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/26/cuba-power-grid-failure-financial-crisis

    Media Bias Fact Check | bot support