Cuban Threat?

[Don Polo.]

^Please,they would have been already doing that if that were the case.They go to places like China,Nepal and Thailand that have crazy immigration and visitation red tape.

Why wouldn't they just hop on a connecting flight from DR?That's what my family does.

Belive me they wouldn't go to Cuba in droves like that.

 

[A.Hidalgo]

Americans could care less or more probably wouldn't have a clue whether they're welcome or not.
As long as there's a few Hooters and Arbeys scattered around the countryside......a waterslide park here and there and a Disneyworld Cuba..they'll come in droves.
HEY AMIGO DOS CERVESOS POR FAVOR.......COMPRENDE?????

Ah Gary nough said. You are so perceptive.HAHAHAHA

 

[gary short]

My friend when Fidel croaks........ it obviously will be a different Cuba.

 

[Don Polo.]

^Not by much because Raul will take the reigns.

At best we will see a normalization or relationships.A few hundred thousand Cubans coming every years,some McyDee's here and there and a Gap,and yes a few more gringo's will come but the vast majority know they will not feel welcome.

Realize that Cubans have been under staunch Communism propaganda and Anti-American brainwashing for over 40 years..that's two generations worth of gringokillers.

Do you think they will embrace americans with open arms?Half of them won't.

 

[gary short]

OOOOHHHHHH Ya they will ......when those greenbacks start circulating...forgetaboutit......

 

[Don Polo.]

^You must not know any cubans,then.I'm half cuban and have been dealing with the mentality of both exiles and native fresh of the boat cubans my entire life.

A good chunk of them would rather starve then live under the american system.I'd be suprised if they're won't be an armed movement & terror cells once the system starts to be re-modified.

 

[gary short]

Don, seriously, pardon my smartass atitude. I'm in agreement with your hypothesis. Also I believe that Joe Blow Cuban that is living in or on a nationalized farm or building in any large centre is not going to put up with any repatriation concept originating from wealthy revolution era landberons.

 

[Ricardo900]

When Castro dies and when Cuba opens up, there will be a flood of expat Cubans going back to the homeland saying "Oye, You are on my property", and then you will have thousands of Cubans swimming over to the US, for a better life. US Casinos, Resorts and McDonalds will open up every where on the island. The cuban people will welcome us with open arms, more like open hands. There will be a Cuba1 website, with a similar host of characters, and of course the ever popular Sankie threads. It's going to be a big party, hoooray!!!

 

[cobraboy]

Do you think they will embrace americans with open arms?Half of them won't.

Simple solution: we'll just swap all the current political prisoners for the half, you mentioned, that won't*.















*My color for sarcasm.

 

[drbill]

I hope that Cuba never changes... it's perfect just as it is.

Like an undated diorama in the world museum, with quaint dominoes games on every street corner, improvised carburetor repairs on the '58 Pontiac, block-long lines for scant rations of meat by-products.

That's all they need, certainly, just to be themselves, in their natural milieu, no outside interference needed or welcome.

Really, they're happy that way... they like it!

 

[Tuan]

Wealthy land barons returning? Brainwash can't compete with data:

For instance, 6 million, half the current population, went into exile since 1959. Does that mean that 40-60% or more of Cuba's then population were wealthy land barons?

According to the UN report of 1959, Cuba had the 3rd highest rate of the UN's definition of middle class -- out of 152 countries? So much for Fidel having improved the state of the poor oppressed masses.

But I admit, 6 million land barons certainly could mightily oppress one.

 

[cobraboy]

Wealthy land barons returning? Brainwash can't compete with data:

For instance, 6 million, half the current population, went into exile since 1959. Does that mean that 40-60% or more of Cuba's then population were wealthy land barons?

According to the UN report of 1959, Cuba had the 3rd highest rate of the UN's definition of middle class -- out of 152 countries? So much for Fidel having improved the state of the poor oppressed masses.

But I admit, 6 million land barons certainly could mightily oppress one.

Can you imagine Castro imposing Communism if those 6 million folks hadn't left? Think about the standard of living with twice as many people, even if there were an increase in GDP.

 

[gary short]

Wealthy land barons returning? Brainwash can't compete with data:

For instance, 6 million, half the current population, went into exile since 1959. Does that mean that 40-60% or more of Cuba's then population were wealthy land barons?

According to the UN report of 1959, Cuba had the 3rd highest rate of the UN's definition of middle class -- out of 152 countries? So much for Fidel having improved the state of the poor oppressed masses.

But I admit, 6 million land barons certainly could mightily oppress one.

Where did you get 6 million returning landbarons????

 

[Don Juan]

Cuba libre? Not for a while.

Cuba will become a mayor thread to DR's economy but not until Raul is dead.
A Gorbachev-like leader will emerge and transform its whole ideology to resemble that of today's China.
But this won't happen for the (hopefully) next five to ten years which will give us enough time to try and drastically improve our infrastructure and educational over-all skills.
If we do nothing, we can flush any further growth down the toilet. Investment in electrical power plants, aqueducts and education is, at present, not only vital to further our present growth, but as a sure-fire way to insure our place in the ranks of the progressive, die-hard capitalist and prosperous nations of the world.

Long live the entrepreneurial, consumerist, decadent capitalist!! Co?o!

 

[A.Hidalgo]

Where did you get 6 million returning landbarons????

I ask the same question. We know there were rich Cubans on the island but this number seems ridiculous

 

[sancochojoe]

The first thing that is going to happen is a major land grab. Many Cubans in the states already have claims and they are going to try to cash in and so will other investors and the people in Cuba will have no money to claim anything. I have family in Havana and they see this coming. In my opinion, not a civil war but some major fighting will happen and chances are the US will defend the ones who have claims because its in The US best interest. Also during the 50's the dominant population were white Cubans at 70 percent and now Cuba is 70 percent black. It would not surprise me that race will cause some social strife. After the smoke has settled, it will become another DR where the locals will service the american tourist like all the carribean islands do which were one of the many things Castro hated.

 

[juancarlos]

Hey, right now in Cuba "the locals" service all kinds of tourists, European, Canadian and those Americans who still visit in a more humiliating way than anybody ever thought. They can not even stay in the hotels where they service those foreigners and prostitution of both sexes has reached levels not seen in pre-Castro Cuba. So, if there is no civil war or widespread turmoil, things will not be worse but better than today. If there is any racial strife it won't be because of returning white Cubans, but because blacks and mulattoes, free from dictatorship, will demand equal representation in key places where they are absent today: the tourist industry and places with high purchasing power and the government, inluding foreign service, while being over represented in jails. As far as the racial make up of today's population, according to the 2002 census results released by the Castro govt. in 2005, three years later, 65% were classified or classified themselves as "white", 25% as "mulattoes" and 10% as "black". This is what the Castro regime reported. I certainly don't think only 10% are black and the percentage of mixed race Cubans may not be accurate either. But this came from the Castro govt. You can read about the racial situation here:

http://www.trinitydc.edu/academics/...onal/caribbean briefings/RecreatingRacism.pdf

And this was the racial make up of Cuba, 2002 according to official statistics:

http://www.cubagob.cu/otras_info/censo/graficos_mapas/g5.htm

Now, this possibility of post-Castro Cuba becoming "a threat" to DR in the future was mentioned by someone whose name escapes now, a few days ago in Clave Digital. His conclusion was that DR will have to work hard to equal some positive aspects Cuba has. Right now there are many tourists in Cuba, but many do not return. Cuba today is more expensive than DR. Perhaps a post-Castro Cuba will be more competitive. Since I am no tropical Nostradamus I am making no predictions. First let's see what happens in Cuba. As a Cuban, I have more interest in that than most on this board, but I am cautious. I do not predict any land grabs on the part of returning Cubans, of that I am sure.

 

[sancochojoe]

well it all depends on who is providing the statistics. One example below:

http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FACTS_Web/Cuba Facts Issue 11 April 2005.htm
http://www.afrocubaweb.com/pedroperezsarduy/psseminar.htm
amd most statistics have similar numbers. If most people don't beleive Castro why would you beleive his statistics. He knows what he has to do to get European investments.

If you study the pre 50's Cuba, you will find that many afrocubanos were marginalized greatly before dictatorship. Many afrocubanos would argue that they got better opportunity after Castro. Some underground documentaries of AfroCubanos in Cuba have made that claim. I'm not saying that many do not like being under dictatorship but pre 50's Cuba was not all that great for AfroCubanos.

On several programs, CNN, History channel etc the discussion of Land Grab by Cubanos who left cuba and left behind assets continue and existing pending law suits are waiting to be acted upon after Castro's Cuba falls. Fighting will happen. I hope I'm wrong.

As far as tourism is concern, America will always have the bigger dollar and investment to spend in this region and when Cuba opens up you will see the influence. For one, ease of access. Cheaper for Americans to travel there than Europeans even to do business. Look at the large investment control in DR by American interest both corporate and individual and DR is just now becoming a blip on the radar to your average Americans.

I have family there myself and I'm just as interested, but I also do not prefer an aggresive capitalistic push in the region that generally starts off as corruption and monopolies. Look at DR just to get an idea and its been a captalist society for years. Democracy on the other hand would be preferred and I welcome that than communism of course. I seperate the two ideas of Democracy and Capitalism most Americans interchange the two because they don't know any better. jajaja

 

[Don Polo.]

It will take decades before a post-communist Cuba passes the DR in terms of tourism and even FDI.

Mainly because of the exiles and natives will be at eachother's throats and the economy will have to rapidly adjust to free market prices and wages.

If you guys back home are scared..lol..well that's your own fault.How many decades has the DR had to solidify itself with the american tourist market now?

5 freakin' decades...don't be scared now..:tired:

 

[Dolores1]

When Cuba opens up to US tourism, the big winners will likely be the cruise ship industry, which will have new ports of call. The DR has not done much with maritime tourism, although there are projects for Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo pushing their way through. The country could even gain, with Spanish Caribbean becoming a popular route for cruise ships.

What people forget is that the DR and Cuba have been competing for Canadian and European tourism for years now. And if an American wanted to travel to Cuba, actually he can and hundreds of thousands have gone.

Also take into account that Cuba has weather more like that of Florida in the winter, the DR is warmer all around.

Industry experts here do not expect a major effect on Dominican tourism the day Cuba opens its doors to US tourists.