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Right, with a capitalist system they’d laugh in the face of the economic blockades.

jollybean 5y ago
It's not a 'Blockade', which would normally mean someone trying to stop anyone/anything from entering or leaving. US Embargo against Cuba would surely be a drag on even a 'regular capitalist economy' - but at they same time they'd do just fine with it. They can trade anything with any of the other 180 nations of the world. Most prosperous nations don't trade that-that much with the US. And if they were open and fair, there'd be no embargo. Stop defending this murderous regime there are no excuses for them.
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  Not really. Other countries with "regular capitalist economies" if there is such a thing have been scared shitless of an embargo and every single one has seen economic disaster. The key to the embargo are two measures, the exclusion of Cuba from the global financial system, and the restriction on ships that docked in Cuba. Because of these, trade with Cuba from other countries is severely restricted. It's the same situation as the Iranian embargo, just even worse. As you can see in Iran even in capitalist countries it causes untold economic disruption. There would 1000% be a blockade even if Cuba became capitalist as long as it was opposed to US geopolitical interests. The US trades with endless murderous dictators and even traded with the USSR, the determining factor of the embargo is the Monroe doctrine, not anything else. Ever since 1776 Cuba has been struggling with escaping the American sphere of influence.
- syops 5y ago
  The problem is that a country the U.S. embargoes isn't free to trade with all other countries since the U.S. prohibits any company that does business with the embargoed country from doing business in the U.S. The size of the U.S. economy being as large as it is makes a U.S. embargo effectively a global embargo.
  - Turing_Machine 5y ago
    > since the U.S. prohibits any company that does business with the embargoed country from doing business in the U.S. That is not true in this case, or even in general. Canada trades with Cuba, but is not restricted from trading with the United States. For example, you can freely purchase Cuban cigars in Canada. Another example: the U.S. had an embargo against Iran for many years, but that didn't stop Siemens in Germany from selling them uranium centrifuges, nor did it result in a U.S. embargo against Germany. Edit: here's a Canadian government site encouraging Canadian companies to do business with Cuba. https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/cuba/index.aspx?lang=eng https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/cuba/index.aspx?lang=eng
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      Reality is more complicated. Generally in order to trade with Cuba or Iran you do have to use financial instruments to insulate yourself. Siemens did not sell centrifuges to Iran when it was during the full embargo. It did so earlier. Even then, sales of this equipment to Iran are done with coordination with the EU that does the footwork to insure the companies and avoid sanctions.
      - Turing_Machine 5y ago
        Can you show me on the Canadian Trade Commissioner site where it suggests that businesses need to "insulate themselves"?
        sudosysgen 5y ago
        Why do I need to? It's well documented that the US has secondary sanctions on Cuba : https://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles/index.page?ArticleID=en/Competition_EU_and_Regulatory/us-lifts-cuba-sanctions-100519 https://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles... The Canadian government will in effect compensate you for these secondary sanctions though.
        5y ago

It's not a 'Blockade', which would normally mean someone trying to stop anyone/anything from entering or leaving. US Embargo against Cuba would surely be a drag on even a 'regular capitalist economy' - but at they same time they'd do just fine with it. They can trade anything with any of the other 180 nations of the world. Most prosperous nations don't trade that-that much with the US. And if they were open and fair, there'd be no embargo. Stop defending this murderous regime there are no excuses for them.

sudosysgen 5y ago
Not really. Other countries with "regular capitalist economies" if there is such a thing have been scared shitless of an embargo and every single one has seen economic disaster. The key to the embargo are two measures, the exclusion of Cuba from the global financial system, and the restriction on ships that docked in Cuba. Because of these, trade with Cuba from other countries is severely restricted. It's the same situation as the Iranian embargo, just even worse. As you can see in Iran even in capitalist countries it causes untold economic disruption. There would 1000% be a blockade even if Cuba became capitalist as long as it was opposed to US geopolitical interests. The US trades with endless murderous dictators and even traded with the USSR, the determining factor of the embargo is the Monroe doctrine, not anything else. Ever since 1776 Cuba has been struggling with escaping the American sphere of influence.
syops 5y ago
The problem is that a country the U.S. embargoes isn't free to trade with all other countries since the U.S. prohibits any company that does business with the embargoed country from doing business in the U.S. The size of the U.S. economy being as large as it is makes a U.S. embargo effectively a global embargo.
- Turing_Machine 5y ago
  > since the U.S. prohibits any company that does business with the embargoed country from doing business in the U.S. That is not true in this case, or even in general. Canada trades with Cuba, but is not restricted from trading with the United States. For example, you can freely purchase Cuban cigars in Canada. Another example: the U.S. had an embargo against Iran for many years, but that didn't stop Siemens in Germany from selling them uranium centrifuges, nor did it result in a U.S. embargo against Germany. Edit: here's a Canadian government site encouraging Canadian companies to do business with Cuba. https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/cuba/index.aspx?lang=eng https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/cuba/index.aspx?lang=eng
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    Reality is more complicated. Generally in order to trade with Cuba or Iran you do have to use financial instruments to insulate yourself. Siemens did not sell centrifuges to Iran when it was during the full embargo. It did so earlier. Even then, sales of this equipment to Iran are done with coordination with the EU that does the footwork to insure the companies and avoid sanctions.
    - Turing_Machine 5y ago
      Can you show me on the Canadian Trade Commissioner site where it suggests that businesses need to "insulate themselves"?
      - sudosysgen 5y ago
        Why do I need to? It's well documented that the US has secondary sanctions on Cuba : https://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles/index.page?ArticleID=en/Competition_EU_and_Regulatory/us-lifts-cuba-sanctions-100519 https://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles... The Canadian government will in effect compensate you for these secondary sanctions though.
        5y ago