When we get nationalized free health care here, you'll be happy with your $30/month

They sent your Obamy phone to the dude down the street that is driving the Escalade pulling 2 4wheelers and a Seadoo behind it.

Oh he called the other day and said to tell you Hey, and thank you.

Are the workers enslaved? Are working conditions horrid? Are they forced to work 18 hours a day?

If the point is simply compensation, then what is the pay for other 'manual' labor in those areas of Cuba? Is it comparable? Gather some facts before you waste any outrage. Maybe you have, but I don't see the reason to be upset yet. Free healthcare, free education, subsidized housing, food, and a host of other stuff that the government takes care of. What is the cost of living? I strongly suspect that instead of being suppressed by the industry, they are simply victims of their government....no different than any other laborer in Cuba. Our government has imposed embargoes for a reason. Therefore, our feds have already tried to get you to avoid smoking Cuban cigars. Ironic that our government is controlling you so that maybe the Cuban government will control Cubans less?

By the way, I'm enjoying an extremely well-rolled PSD4 as I type this....I'll tip the roller if I see her

Is this $20 American dollars? $20 pesos?

Yup. And add in storage and transport for more big numbers.

Distributors also place significant markups on the product.

The rollers are only one.

I'd imagine their salary is in line or better then the dudes chopping the leaves in the fields. At least the working conditions are a bit better than being in the fields.

Same for me.

I know the argument that many other aspects are to be taken into account when making a cigar, but if I can buy a pound of plums for $1.29 I would imagine that farming, distribution, and storage would not take much capital as well, especially in the countries that these cigars come from.

I would be willing to bet that the cigar itself (lets say the MB3 for instance that we get for $3.50) would cost pennies on the dollar to produce. Not sure of the answer but it just feels wrong to me and sometimes weighs on my mind.

How many pennies? 3? 5? 12, 18.... ??

Macro economics is too complicated for me.

Cigars, compared to plums, or probably most any other organic product, even wine, is a complicated product to bring to market, meaning, your doorstep, or your shpo.

In almost any line of product creation, there are those who work the most, for the least.........it’s always been that way, and is likely to stay that way.

A few years back, I was in a Dollar Tree store, and I bought a hammer, for a dollar?!

Yeah, it’s Chinese, but it drives a nail just fine.

A hammer...........for a dollar.....wtf........now THERE is some weird economics.