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Comment by bruceb | Hacker News Reader

We trade with countless non democratic states yet do to a few factors such as Florida being a swing state Cuba is evil incarnate.

If after 50 years the embargo hasn't worked it isn't going to.

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I think it's not about non-democracy, and more about setting precedents and reminders. Threats are only worth something if they are believed, and Cuba never did anything to warrant a lifting of the sanctions. The rationale is that lifting the sanctions would weaken the threat of sanctions against other countries.

While I would applaud a removal of the sanctions I can understand why it's such a hot potatoe. I think Cuba will have to wait until the next president, or make a relatively large gesture towards changing its ways.

Absolutely, Cuba was supposed to become an example of what it means to thwart US interests, in most simple and blatant terms. A quick video and an interesting article from Chomsky on this here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_K5nLyvijw

http://www.chomsky.info/books/hegemony02.htm

If you think we're not trading with Cuba because of the lack of democracy, you probably don't know much about the embargo.

It hasn't worked?

No. There is still a Castro in office. If the point wasn't in a long term ending of the regime, what exactly was the point of the embargo?

Punishment.

Which countries have nationalized our companies and gotten away with it since Cuba did it?

Iran. Which is why they have their own embargo.

Then why doesn't Bolivia?

> our companies

Who is the "our" in our companies? I never owned a company in Cuba.

Venezuela. Bolivia. Peru. Chile. Guyana. Jamaica.

The only thing the sanctions against Cuba did was drive them into the loving arms of USSR. Well played.

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