your egg roll and dumplings :pokerface:

On one hand, I am not Rubio, so I can't understand how deep his personal grudge and hatred towards Cuba is. To me, Cuba doesn't pose any legitimate threat to the US at all, so I can't understand why Rubio feels the need to topple the current Cuba gov.

On the other hand, if I were in Rubio's shoes, and we change Cuba out for Communist China, then I would totally understand how deep that hatred runs towards the regime. But then in that case, why enact the oil blockage that would first of all hurt regular Cubans before hurting the Cuban gov? The kidnapping of Maduro has already demonstrated that the Trump-led US is not afraid of breaking international laws and take out soverign country leaders. So why not do the same surgical operation on Cuba instead of hurting regular Cuban folks?

Because the Cuban Exile community in the US doesn't give a rats ass about the Cuban people (who they probably see as beneath them in their place in socio-economic and racial hierarchy). They are only butthurt about what they lost in the Revolution and want it back by any means necessary and if that involves starving out millions of people then so be it.

My guess is that Trump and his minions want Cuba for defensive reasons.

Cheeto wants his Chrome Dome missile defense system to also be set up in Cuba too?

Trump's whole worldview is stuck in the 60s it's no surprise he's still going after holdovers from that era.

All the commentators / political analysts are saying Trump wants to follow through on his "Donroe Doctrine" and turn the entire North, Latin, and South Americas into the US' sphere of influence, and within that sphere, every country would essentially become a subordinate state to the US before being an independent soverign nation, so there is that hegemonic ego he wants to stoke for himself.

But as I was saying, I'd hardly think imposing an oil blockade on Cuba is a good option to pursue that hegemony.

There's probably no viable governing alternative to Cuba's ruling communist party. Unlike Maduro where the US probably did some side deal with his VP to get him out. Of course there's no way he's going to try sending the military to invade. So short of another Bay of Pigs style invasion he's going to try and starve the Cuban people into doing his dirty work for him. It won't work, of course, but he can tell his constituents in Florida "See I'm being tough on Cuba"

Good brief clip ... Bill Maher and Freeland, and Chris Christie on 'so what do Republicans say behind closed doors?'

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18376i6SpU/

This 100%.

The majority of these exiled Cubans were the wealthy white, or mestizo Cubans.

They could give a flying fuck about the afro-Cubans that remain on the island, in fact they go out of their way blocking any ability for their native countrymen to immigrate into the US.

They're vile people for the most part, and can't wait to swoop in and purchase wide swaths of land once the Cuban government collapses.

But vast majority of Cubans are Mestizo no? According to wikipedia Afro-cubans make up less than 10% of the population. I mean sure you got some Ana de Armas types but most are like Fidel's complexion right? Still makes sense though racial hierarchy in Latin America is no joke.

They're all more than happy to light up a Cuban cigar and talk about how forbidden it is that they have one in the first place and all the mystique surrounding it blah blah blah people are disgusting, Trump and his cronies just let that disgusting side of a lot of people shine unabashed and shame free.

Epstein files suggest acts that may amount to crimes against humanity, say UN experts