President Trump's Cuban mistake (yes, even Alabamians 'get it'!)

[yallerdawg]

By the editorial board of The Anniston Star

*****

Don’t believe the bluster coming from Trump and the Florida Republicans who influenced this decision. This isn’t about causing change in Cuba. It’s about Trump’s desire for affirmation that comes from attacking the landmark policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama.

It’s laughable, if not foolish, to accept Trumpian logic that says reverting to Cold War-era restrictions on Cuban trade, travel and business will force the Castro government to end its repressionist policies. They won’t. From the 1960s until this decade, every White House blocked Cuba from American money and tourism. Significant change didn’t happen, and a collection of smart people — educators, historians, politicians — realized a dusty Cold War policy was doing more harm than good.

That was behind the Obama administration’s loosening of those restrictions. Its policy was smart, not soft, since warmer relations would help both nations — particularly in trade, and especially for Gulf Coast states such as Alabama — and facilitate negotiations. Our state already ships 7,000 tons of poultry a month to Cuba, The Star reported earlier this week. Chicken, considered a humanitarian item, hasn’t been banned under the trade embargo.

Trump, however, obsesses about winning, whatever the costs, and protecting his presidential image. Rolling back anything carrying Obama’s signature is a splendid way to increase that image among Republican voters who couldn’t wait for the 44th president’s final term to end. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, told USA Today that the island nation “is a natural market for our nation’s farmers and ranchers — and when we don’t sell to Cuba, another country does.” That a bipartisan list of congressional members is against Trump’s Cuba mistake says a great deal about the motivation and merit of the president’s decision.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Trump's petty policies and vindictive outbursts

just remind everyone (and write history) how truly great President Obama was/is.

[dubyadiprecession]

2. Trump's presidency is going nowhere, except to the inevitable impeachment vote.

[leftstreet]

3. Loser 45 is also giving China and Russia a gift

Both countries are expanding in Cuba and this will keep US developers at bay

Guess he felt he owed Russia for helping him win, and gosh China just gave him all those lucrative trademark$