Cuba

[Dugout DickStone]

Natural gas isn't something you put in a barrel and load onto a boat. Russia will make crazy bank exporting gas to China and India and the rest of SE Asia as their industrial economies boom. We can't even get our north slope gas to the mid con market. crap, until the marcellus and utica shale, the most populated part of our country was running on heating oil and propane.

The only thing keeping Russia down is its stupid people and dumbass government. They are the one country whose natural resources compete with ours.

Hence the reason this fossil fuel monster of the Adriatic has a strong currency, a burgeoning tech economy and an upwardly mobile highly educated youth.  However will this dominant force be counter balanced?! 

But they can pipe natural gas to old europe's dying economies tho

[Dugout DickStone]

Wait, I forgot about all of SE Asia and China's just now emerging economies (that are just now booming and haven't at all slowed a bit) who are thirsty for the crude pumped via currently existing direct pipelines at premium prices to the Russians.  They would never buy from the super tankers of over priced oil that can't easily get now.

You should invest heavy in rubles

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

You're misunderstanding of natural gas markets is affecting your misunderstanding of FX.

[8manpick]

Seems like some people are #1murrica! and others are #1human

[mocat]

Doesn't the Godfather I have scenes shot in cuba?

do you mean set in cuba?

[Institutional Control]

Doesn't the Godfather I have scenes shot in cuba?

do you mean set in cuba?

I know it was you, mocat.  You broke my heart. You broke my heart.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

It turns out the only people this benefits is the dictatorial regime of cuba. Shocking, Obama got his ass negotiated to pieces again. Fortunately the embargo is statutory, so, per usual, he doesn't have any authority to do anything.

Woof, what an overblown bullshit thing to get excited about.

[sonofdaxjones]

The other interesting thing is, is we continue to poke the bear.   It is past due, to start the normalization path with Cuba.   But there's this move, there's the attempts to overthrow Assad, the Ukraine, the former Soviet republics in Central Asia, Georgia etc. etc.   A Russian economy that's tanking, and Russia spending the equivalent of a trillion dollars upgrading their armed forces.

But hey, the past doesn't matter according to Lib.

[Dugout DickStone]

You're misunderstanding of natural gas markets is affecting your misunderstanding of FX.

I don't think you have any knowledge about what infra structure there is in place to get Russia's gas to China and you really don't know what rock bottom price China is paying Russia.

Either way, we can and do liquefy and ship it to India currently.  and from the looks of it, will drop some prices to undercut Russia.

Sorry, Russia is our bitch and currently has influence somewhere between Mexico and Guam.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

LNG is a fraction of the market and exponentially more expensive that natural gas.

I agree we are far superior than russia, thanks to decades of capitalism v. socialism, but russia certainly isn't our bitch.

[Dugout DickStone]

LNG is a fraction of the market and exponentially more expensive that natural gas.

I agree we are far superior than russia, thanks to decades of capitalism v. socialism, but russia certainly isn't our bitch.

It is but getting cheaper and India may not have a choice.  Russia isn't sending much NG to India because they will never build a pipeline to India. 

If they weren't our bitch, we wouldn't be opening an embassy in Havana.  I mean it sucks for the Russians that they can't stop Cuba from groveling at our feet but they aren't in a position to protect or aid Cuba anymore.  Maybe they could send them tanker ships full of worthless rubles.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

LNG is a fraction of the market and exponentially more expensive that natural gas.

I agree we are far superior than russia, thanks to decades of capitalism v. socialism, but russia certainly isn't our bitch.

It is but getting cheaper and India may not have a choice.  Russia isn't sending much NG to India because they will never build a pipeline to India. 

If they weren't our bitch, we wouldn't be opening an embassy in Havana.  I mean it sucks for the Russians that they can't stop Cuba from groveling at our feet but they aren't in a position to protect or aid Cuba anymore.  Maybe they could send them tanker ships full of worthless rubles.

If making an insanely one-sided deal with Cuba is our way of sticking it to russia, perhaps we are russias bitch. Food for thought.

[Dugout DickStone]

LNG is a fraction of the market and exponentially more expensive that natural gas.

I agree we are far superior than russia, thanks to decades of capitalism v. socialism, but russia certainly isn't our bitch.

It is but getting cheaper and India may not have a choice.  Russia isn't sending much NG to India because they will never build a pipeline to India. 

If they weren't our bitch, we wouldn't be opening an embassy in Havana.  I mean it sucks for the Russians that they can't stop Cuba from groveling at our feet but they aren't in a position to protect or aid Cuba anymore.  Maybe they could send them tanker ships full of worthless rubles.

If making an insanely one-sided deal with Cuba is our way of sticking it to russia, perhaps we are russias bitch. Food for thought.

How is it one-sided?

[Cartierfor3]

all I want is Cubans to play for the Royals and no one else. make it happen Obama

[sonofdaxjones]

Damn the long term geopolitical implications!! . . . as long as a Democrat is president.

[Dugout DickStone]

Damn the long term geopolitical implications!! . . . as long as a Democrat is president.

yeah, I can really see us exploiting the crap out of Cuba being a problem.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Damn the long term geopolitical implications!! . . . as long as a Democrat is president.

I want free trade and a strong economy . . . as long as a Republican is president.

[michigancat]

Damn the long term geopolitical implications!! . . . as long as a Democrat is president.

Can you summarize the long term geopolitical implications?

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

How about one of you libtards explain how this helps us or the people of cuba?  You don't get the benefit of all your 50 cent presumptions.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Damn the long term geopolitical implications!! . . . as long as a Democrat is president.

I want free trade and a strong economy

Then stop dutifully voting democrat, libtard.

[michigancat]

How about one of you libtards explain how this helps us or the people of cuba?  You don't get the benefit of all your 50 cent presumptions.

Officials said that, among other steps, the U.S. will ease travel and remittance policies; expand commercial sales and exports; and ease imports, including of tobacco products and alcohol. The U.S. will expand Cubans' access to the Internet and telecommunications.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

How about one of you libtards explain how this helps us or the people of cuba?  You don't get the benefit of all your 50 cent presumptions.

Officials said that, among other steps, the U.S. will ease travel and remittance policies; expand commercial sales and exports; and ease imports, including of tobacco products and alcohol. The U.S. will expand Cubans' access to the Internet and telecommunications.

You realize cuba is a military dictatorship right? And that won't change?

LOL at that list of things benefiting the us.

[michigancat]

there's other good stuff, too. You guys should read it:

Facilitating an expansion of travel under general licenses for the 12 existing categories of travel to Cuba authorized by law-

General licenses will be made available for all authorized travelers in the following existing categories: (1) family visits; (2) official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; (3) journalistic activity; (4) professional research and professional meetings; (5) educational activities; (6) religious activities; (7) public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; (8) support for the Cuban people; (9) humanitarian projects; (10) activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; (11) exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials; and (12) certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines.
Travelers in the 12 categories of travel to Cuba authorized by law will be able to make arrangements through any service provider that complies with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations governing travel services to Cuba, and general licenses will authorize provision of such services.
The policy changes make it easier for Americans to provide business training for private Cuban businesses and small farmers and provide other support for the growth of Cuba’s nascent private sector.  Additional options for promoting the growth of entrepreneurship and the private sector in Cuba will be explored.

Remittance levels will be raised from $500 to $2,000 per quarter for general donative remittances to Cuban nationals (except to certain officials of the government or the Communist party); and donative remittances for humanitarian projects, support for the Cuban people, and support for the development of private businesses in Cuba will no longer require a specific license.

Authorizing expanded commercial sales/exports from the United States of certain goods and services-

The expansion will seek to empower the nascent Cuban private sector.  Items that will be authorized for export include certain building materials for private residential construction, goods for use by private sector Cuban entrepreneurs, and agricultural equipment for small farmers.  This change will make it easier for Cuban citizens to have access to certain lower-priced goods to improve their living standards and gain greater economic independence from the state.

Initiating new efforts to increase Cubans’ access to communications and their ability to communicate freely-

Cuba has an internet penetration of about five percent—one of the lowest rates in the world.  The cost of telecommunications in Cuba is exorbitantly high, while the services offered are extremely limited.
The commercial export of certain items that will contribute to the ability of the Cuban people to communicate with people in the United States and the rest of the world will be authorized.  This will include the commercial sale of certain consumer communications devices, related software, applications, hardware, and services, and items for the establishment and update of communications-related systems.
 Telecommunications providers will be allowed to establish the necessary mechanisms, including infrastructure, in Cuba to provide commercial telecommunications and internet services, which will improve telecommunications between the United States and Cuba.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/17/fact-sheet-charting-new-course-cuba

[michigancat]

How about one of you libtards explain how this helps us or the people of cuba?  You don't get the benefit of all your 50 cent presumptions.

Officials said that, among other steps, the U.S. will ease travel and remittance policies; expand commercial sales and exports; and ease imports, including of tobacco products and alcohol. The U.S. will expand Cubans' access to the Internet and telecommunications.

You realize cuba is a military dictatorship right? And that won't change?

LOL at that list of things benefiting the us.

It will change. Not overnight, but it will change. This will do more to get rid of the Castros than the 50 year embargo.

You really think selling products to Cubans won't benefit the US?

[8manpick]

Isn't the more important side that being able to sell goods/tourism to Americans will benefit Cubans? Or does Raul get to hide all of that money in his mattress?