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During Obama’s term, US-Cuba relations dramatically improved, with fewer travel restrictions and other dealings. Cuba was on track to having the embargo removed

During Obama’s term, US-Cuba relations dramatically improved, with fewer travel restrictions and other dealings. Cuba was on track to having the embargo removed. The “microwave attack” story came out in mid-2017 when Trump was in office. Travel restrictions came back and foreign relations languished. It’s trivially easy to blame a nation state for an attack, and then use it as excuse to end political support, agreements, or funding. Cuba has been the repeated target of bullying by the United States for the better half of the last century, despite no recent transgressions other than most-likely-fabricated ones such as these “microwave attacks.”

thepasswordis 5y ago
1) These things started in 2016, before Trump was in office. 2) The US isn’t the only country claiming this is happening. 3) It is still happening, now, in 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome
- tediousdemise 5y ago
  > In 2017, President Donald Trump accused Cuba of perpetrating unspecified attacks causing these symptoms. Although the attacks were hearsay, immediate political actions were taken against Cuban diplomats who were likely working to lift the embargo: > In August 2017, the United States expelled two Cuban diplomats in response to the illnesses. Despite zero evidence, Cuba was rapidly blamed in gross political fashion: > In October 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump said that "I do believe Cuba's responsible. I do believe that", going on to say "And it's a very unusual attack, as you know. But I do believe Cuba is responsible." Why would Cuba jeopardize its warming relationship with the US? This is textbook propaganda.
  - jjcon 5y ago
    > So, we only began hearing reports when Trump was in office, allowing for a significant planning period. You are alleging a massive intergovernmental conspiracy, created up by Trump just so he can have some cover to strengthen restrictions on Cuba? No, the US doesn’t need a conspiracy to do that, they can just do it unilaterally. There are dozens of families that have been affected by these attacks, with varying levels of government experience, from multiple countries, investigated by multiple governments, independent panels, contractors and health professionals. It would take conspiracy on a massive scale to get everyone on the same page… all to do something that can be done without conspiracy and at the snap of a finger. That is hilariously ridiculous, not a single chance that is the case.
    - tediousdemise 5y ago
      The only conspiracy here is that targeted microwave beams are zapping people’s brains. Holding a security clearance and being the under the constant threat of fine and imprisonment for unauthorized disclosure makes keeping national secrets trivial. Many ambassadors and politicians are required to hold security clearances.
bigbillheck 5y ago
The only 'transgression' Cuba's done is its unwillingness to be a US puppet state.
- totalZero 5y ago
  Cuba isn't exactly Switzerland. It has a long history of being a Soviet puppet state during the 20th century, and a nucleation site for anti-US activities elsewhere in Latin America. Furthermore, there would be no Maduro regime without the influence of Cuba, and that regime is expressly pro-Russia and destructive to Venezuela. Let's not distill away the complexity of the situation.
  - tediousdemise 5y ago
    I don’t think Venezuela or Russia are relevant in this situation, since we are strictly taking about US-Cuba relations.
    - totalZero 5y ago
      If you understand the patchwork quilt of Latin American relations, then it is immediately obvious how those other countries are related to Cuba. Imagine discussing Cuban "transgressions" (under the present regime, no less) without considering the Soviet role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, for example.
      - tediousdemise 5y ago
        That’s understandable, but the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Why is the US still vehemently opposed to Cuba, or improving its relationship with Cuba? Even North Korea has better standing with the US than Cuba, but it makes little sense.
        CalChris 5y ago
        Because Miami.

thepasswordis 5y ago

1) These things started in 2016, before Trump was in office. 2) The US isn’t the only country claiming this is happening. 3) It is still happening, now, in 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome

tediousdemise 5y ago
> In 2017, President Donald Trump accused Cuba of perpetrating unspecified attacks causing these symptoms. Although the attacks were hearsay, immediate political actions were taken against Cuban diplomats who were likely working to lift the embargo: > In August 2017, the United States expelled two Cuban diplomats in response to the illnesses. Despite zero evidence, Cuba was rapidly blamed in gross political fashion: > In October 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump said that "I do believe Cuba's responsible. I do believe that", going on to say "And it's a very unusual attack, as you know. But I do believe Cuba is responsible." Why would Cuba jeopardize its warming relationship with the US? This is textbook propaganda.
- jjcon 5y ago
  > So, we only began hearing reports when Trump was in office, allowing for a significant planning period. You are alleging a massive intergovernmental conspiracy, created up by Trump just so he can have some cover to strengthen restrictions on Cuba? No, the US doesn’t need a conspiracy to do that, they can just do it unilaterally. There are dozens of families that have been affected by these attacks, with varying levels of government experience, from multiple countries, investigated by multiple governments, independent panels, contractors and health professionals. It would take conspiracy on a massive scale to get everyone on the same page… all to do something that can be done without conspiracy and at the snap of a finger. That is hilariously ridiculous, not a single chance that is the case.
  - tediousdemise 5y ago
    The only conspiracy here is that targeted microwave beams are zapping people’s brains. Holding a security clearance and being the under the constant threat of fine and imprisonment for unauthorized disclosure makes keeping national secrets trivial. Many ambassadors and politicians are required to hold security clearances.

bigbillheck 5y ago

The only 'transgression' Cuba's done is its unwillingness to be a US puppet state.

totalZero 5y ago
Cuba isn't exactly Switzerland. It has a long history of being a Soviet puppet state during the 20th century, and a nucleation site for anti-US activities elsewhere in Latin America. Furthermore, there would be no Maduro regime without the influence of Cuba, and that regime is expressly pro-Russia and destructive to Venezuela. Let's not distill away the complexity of the situation.
- tediousdemise 5y ago
  I don’t think Venezuela or Russia are relevant in this situation, since we are strictly taking about US-Cuba relations.
  - totalZero 5y ago
    If you understand the patchwork quilt of Latin American relations, then it is immediately obvious how those other countries are related to Cuba. Imagine discussing Cuban "transgressions" (under the present regime, no less) without considering the Soviet role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, for example.
    - tediousdemise 5y ago
      That’s understandable, but the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Why is the US still vehemently opposed to Cuba, or improving its relationship with Cuba? Even North Korea has better standing with the US than Cuba, but it makes little sense.
      - CalChris 5y ago
        Because Miami.