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...on this?

Many of the conservatives on this site were eerily silent on this one from Steve*R. I'd like to hear your take on this...


"http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=BFB5A001-6781-4BDC-81A33C9FCC3C0201&title=US%20Tightens%20Restrictions%20on%20Cuban%20Cigars&catOID=45C9C785-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Business#

US Tightens Restrictions on Cuban Cigars
VOA News
06 Oct 2004, 21:10 UTC


The United States Treasury Department has tightened its prohibitions against U.S. citizens importing or consuming Cuban cigars.

The department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced in a notice posted on the Internet that even Americans licensed to bring back up to $100 worth of Cuban goods will no longer be allowed to include tobacco products in what they carry. Previously, those licensed were exempted from what was otherwise a total import ban on Cuban tobacco products.

The notice also clarifies that Americans are barred from not only purchasing Cuban goods in foreign countries, but also from consuming them in those countries.

The penalties for violating the prohibitions include maximum criminal fines for individuals of $250,000 and imprisonment for up to 10 years. Corporations can be fined as much as a million dollars."

Glad you asked, Hog. As an Independent, I get to find fault with everyone and pick the lesser of evils come November. I think this has to be a tie with 4 years ago as far as the 2 worst candidates I've ever seen run for President. JMHO.

Getting back to your question, this was done by the administration of your party. I, personally know of other examples of over-aggressive, invaseive Federal crime policies and actions. As a cigar smoker, I would like you and others to convince me why I should ignore this and still vote for Bush. To me, this kind of $hit is enough reason to tip the scales.

Well if you'd read the above post, lofty you should've been able to infer that I am on the fence over these 2. I'm looking for somthing to "tip the scales" as I said and this could be it.

Thank you for your comments.

cuba seems to be selling all the cigars it makes all over the world. as everyone knows, cuban cigars are available on the internet from spain, honk kong and many other legit places. all these new laws are designed to try to destroy the castro regime, but cuba's economy is not dependent on their cigar sales to the usa, so the laws are political ploys that serve no real benifit to the usa.

what sticks in the craw of politicians about cuba is stupid and i don't understand these boycots that are not doing all that much anyway, except we can't sell fords and chevy's in cuba.

cubans living in florida or anywhere else in this country are having their ability to visit relatives in cuba curtailed, because as i heard one congressman say, they bring a lot of money into cuba and help the economy of this country where child prostitution runs rampant. this is such BS, i only mention it as an example.

i really could give a rat's ass about cuba personally, although i know they do have a 100% literacy rate and regardless of what kind of medical treatment they get, because we don't know the qualifications of their doctors, every one has medical coverage and the mortality rate for child birth is better in cuba then here.

add to all this is the fact that, in spite of all the hype, cuban cigars are not the be all and the end all of cigars. the DR makes cigars every bit as good as anything cuba can make. cuban cigars are over rated and over priced. before the embargo, when excellent cigars were not being rolled in other parts of the world, cuban cigars amounted to less then 25% of cigars smoked in this county.

the forbidden fruit is not as sweet as it is
touted to be.

sketcha, the link you posted above does not come up... I wanted to view the actual bill on this one and see who all signed off on this... curious only because so many the Kerry Campaign lately have been pointing the finger at the Bush Administration have been co-signed and put through mainly by his own party... Well F*&K Bush signed It LMAO!!!!!

anyways do you have or is their another link on this one? or the actual bill itself?

Thanks
Hog

Rick,

I have to agree with your post. I like many Cuban cigars but I don't want to give any support to that regime. IMO, I think we could do more to get rid of it by trading.

Hog,

Pasted this from Steve*R's post on C&R forum.

lofty,

And the rest of the world might not hate us as much.

George Sr. was a very good President. Ask him what he thinks about going into a country like, say Iraq with no exit strategy. Let alone such a meager "Coalition."

Sylance,

I don't recall voting for this law. Nor was I even alive to vote for a representative to vote for it for me. Nor is the Soviet Union still a threat.

All laws have different levels of enforcement and punishment based on their importance. Bush has decided that this law is more important than it used to be. I strongly disagree. So maybe I should vote for someone that does not put this embargo at such a high priority.

Well said Macs.. and also well said on the Cigars & Related forum...

is this topic dead in the water??

I didn't post to this on the C&R forum for the simple reason as Macs pointed out..

Now posting to this over here on the Misc. board.. will it really make a difference in your habits?

forbiddin fruit... you want more of it... Why?? I find allot of Nics/Hond smokes are just as good as the Cuban counterparts...some even better in other aspects.. would I pass up a good cuban cigar? not on your life... but that depends on which one we're talking about ;0)

So Why did Bush inforce a tougher law on Cuban imports/exports on this issue??

almost makes you want to hate the Administration for just the simple reasoning as this article... LMAO!!!!

Hog

Sketcha,

I'm not sure what answer you are looking for. Both Kerry and Bush are in favor of the embargo so neither will get you cigars. Denis Kucinich and Wesley Clark were against the embargo.

Once the election is over and the "I'm tough on Cuba" vote is secured, you will have a better chance of Kerry changing his stance if elected since his stance is softer in general.

Food for thought:

If the person that rolled the wonderful ISOM you are smoking was caught reading this thread, would he or she be thrown in jail? Regardless of the embargo and its effectiveness, is this a troubling thought?

"I'm not sure what answer you are looking for. Both Kerry and Bush are in favor of the embargo so neither will get you cigars. Denis Kucinich and Wesley Clark were against the embargo."

Oh yea. To answer your question, Bush is stepping it up and has been for some time. I just thought as Cigar Smokers maybe some conservatives could break party lines and espouse their disagreement with W. on this. A few have so far, but only a few.

I'm glad I'm independent. Me and folks like Bill O'Reilly can make up our own minds instead of blindly following the blind.

Well I didn't expect to permanently break party lines, just an admission of imperfection on the part of G. Dub, which I basically got from you. I apreciate your candor.

Tell me though, honestly if Kerry had been President and taken this stance, would you have been so easy on him?

I agree that trade would cause the REGIME in Cuba to suffer, and not the people, it worked with the USSR! I also NEVER stated that I agree with everything Bush says or does, but on the whole, I think he does a pretty good job. I do NOT agree with the strengthening of the embargo, and I DO NOT agree with the Patriot Act! I just find the things Kerry has done SINCE he came back from Nam to be VERY disturbing!