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Offline Askold

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Obama and Castro
« on: March 23, 2016, 11:22:09 am »
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/how-obama-set-a-trap-for-raul-castro-221059

For some reason I haven't noticed talk about this development on FQA. Aside from the historical meeting Obama did something else that was unheard of as well:

Quote

“Excuse me —” Obama said, his disbelief immediately becoming mocking. White House officials tensed. Castro looked back at Acosta, pretending as though the later question hadn’t been for him.

“Second one was to you,” Obama said, prodding Castro along (and along the way, managing to deftly duck Acosta’s question about why he wasn’t meeting with former President Fidel Castro on this trip).

...

Finally, Castro relented and asked Acosta to repeat his question about political prisoners, then cut off the reporter, his right hand chopping the air.

“Give me a list of the political prisoners and I will release them. Just mention names,” Castro said. “If we have those political prisoners, they will be released before the night ends.”

Obama looked on with a smile.

It is almost unheard of in Cuba that the president has to answer to criticism. Obama humiliated Castro on a public stage and made him relent ...All this while talking politely and smiling.

This is how a proper politician works, few words opened up a chink in Castro's armour and made more progress than the decades of embargo.
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Quote from: sandman on May 30, 2012, 08:27:43 am
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
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Offline mellenORL

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2016, 11:30:41 am »
I watched the whole thing. Raul Castro had a dictator's hissy fit. His tone and repetition of "show me a list, and they'll be freed" was very telling of his character. Nasty little fucker, gone vicious and indiscrete in his dotage. I wanted to high-five Obama. Set Raul up perfectly. Obama knew well how to play him, having met with him before a few times, and used that experience of Raul's temperament to advantage.
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Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2016, 11:32:55 am »
I love it when people get the better of tyrants.
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Offline davedan

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2016, 12:18:25 pm »
Why wasn't Obama meeting with Fidel as well? Is it because Fidel actually is dead? One thing I think is sure that the end of the embargo will end Castro rule much faster than the embargo ever did.
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Offline mellenORL

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2016, 12:49:45 pm »
If Fidel is not already dead, he's probably senile and/or mentally ill.
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Offline Stormwarden

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2016, 02:00:17 pm »
Hats off to Obama on that one. He did good. He's doing better than Congress,at any rate.
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Offline Id82

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2016, 02:03:46 pm »
If he is alive he would be eighty nine years old. Granted Raul is not much younger, but I don't know how much influence Fidel has over Cuba at this point anymore.
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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2016, 02:16:56 pm »
Quote from: Stormwarden on March 23, 2016, 02:00:17 pm
Hats off to Obama on that one. He did good. He's doing better than Congress,at any rate.

Representing the country is actually one of the President's jobs (unlike the Emperor most people think the job is).
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Offline davedan

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2016, 07:44:49 pm »
Rum and Cigar time?
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Offline Stormwarden

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2016, 10:28:07 pm »
Quote from: davedan on March 23, 2016, 07:44:49 pm
Rum and Cigar time?

I think they already lifted THAT embargo. But don't hold me to it.
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Offline rookie

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2016, 11:37:32 am »
Quote from: davedan on March 23, 2016, 07:44:49 pm
Rum and Cigar time?

Interestingly enough, during the period of time during the embargo, other countries have made great strides in cigar manufacturing and tobacco growing. Now there are countries that not only rival Cuba, but surpass it as far as quality of cigars go*. Honduras and Nicaragua come to mind. Rocky Patel comes to mind. It's a forbidden fruit type thing I believe that keeps Havanas as the gold standard.

*Yes, I know it's subjective, but there are ratings systems for cigars, much like wines. Havana still makes a wonderful cigars which still garners high ratings.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2016, 11:41:53 am by rookie »
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Offline Askold

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2016, 11:39:28 am »
Except that Cuban cigars have only been forbidden in USA so the rest of the world didn't create better cigars to fulfill a void, they just did it independently and only lacked competition from Cubans in USA...
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Quote from: sandman on May 30, 2012, 08:27:43 am
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Quote from: SpaceProg on November 30, 2012, 10:21:56 pm
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline rookie

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2016, 11:42:58 am »
Very true, Askold. Sometimes, try as I might, I'm still an American at heart. But you're right.
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The difference between 0 and 1 is infinite. The difference between 1 and a million is a matter of degree. - Zack Johnson

Quote from: davedan board=pg thread=6573 post=218058 time=1286247542
I'll stop eating beef lamb and pork the same day they start letting me eat vegetarians.

Offline mellenORL

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #13 on: March 24, 2016, 11:54:41 am »
I would add Dominican cigars foremost to the world class list.
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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: Obama and Castro
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2016, 02:55:35 pm »
Quote from: Askold on March 24, 2016, 11:39:28 am
Except that Cuban cigars have only been forbidden in USA so the rest of the world didn't create better cigars to fulfill a void, they just did it independently and only lacked competition from Cubans in USA...

I mean, yes, non-US places exist[citation needed] , but it's a pretty big country. Has like a fifth of the world GDP. Selling to America is a big motivator.
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