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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Why Can't We All Travel To Cuba?

Earlier this month, entertainers Jay-Z and Beyoncé were given a license by the US government to travel to Cuba. Because it is not otherwise legal for Americans to travel to Cuba, this trip was only permitted as a "cultural exchange" by the US Treasury Department. Many suspect that the permission was granted at least partly due to the fame, wealth, and political connections of the couple.

Some Members of Congress who continue to support the failed Cuba embargo, demanded that the Administration explain why these two celebrities were allowed to visit Cuba. The trip looked suspiciously like tourism, they argued in a letter to the White House, and American tourism is still not allowed in Cuba. They were photographed eating at the best restaurants, dancing, and meeting with average Cubans, which these Members of Congress frowned on.

Perhaps it is true that this couple used their celebrity status and ties to the White House to secure permission to travel, but the real question is, why can't the rest of us go?

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can. It is very easy to get approval. Volunteer with a church group that does missionary work there. Don't believe all the US hype about it being such a horrible place. Thousands of tourists go to the resorts there from Europe and South America.

Anonymous said...

I know a Salisbury resident who has been there several times.

Anonymous said...

It is on my bucket list to go.

Anonymous said...

Rubio made a high profile stink about a rapper who happens to be an Obama supporter going to Cuba just to get his face on tv and score political points. Meanwhile when we ship billions of dollars in the form of jobs and direct investment to China, a staunch communist nation with a poor human rights record, nuclear weapons, and a robust military, I see no outrage. Thats just considered good ol' capitalism.

Anonymous said...

You don't see any outrage over jobs being shipped out to China, 5:38? Where have you been?
Maybe you need to start watching FoxNews. They are always bitching about jobs being sent to China and the poor working conditions.

Anonymous said...

And Dennis Rodman can go to N. Korea and all is well?

There goes the Democrats said...

send OBAMA, HILLARY, Reid, Pelosi, Mulkulski, O'Malley...man the list goes on and do not allow them back.