Sailing Communism

From Yahoo:
"US allows first ferry services to Cuba in over 50 years"

 

The United States authorized commercial ferry services to Cuba for the first time in more than a half-century on Tuesday, another major step in improving relations between the two countries. In what was hailed by ferry operators as "a historical event," the US Treasury lifted a decades-old ban and at least four Florida companies said they had been licensed to launch boat services to the island. That adds to the charter air services that had been permitted until now, focused on enabling Cuban-Americans to visit their families. The ferries will also be allowed to carry cargo to the communist island of 11 million, which sits just 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the southern tip of Florida. Four companies confirmed they had received licenses from the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to provide ferry travel. Whether by plane or ferry, American travelers to Cuba still have to come under one of 12 categories permitted in the landmark easing of US sanctions announced by the White House in December -- including family visits, official government business, humanitarian projects and sports gatherings. But even under embargo restrictions, the number of Americans traveling to Cuba has surged in recent years, with many going via third countries. And in a coincidental announcement not tied to the new Treasury rules, US airline JetBlue announced Tuesday it would begin direct charter flights to Havana from the New York City area, home to the second largest population of Cuban-Americans after Florida.

 

^ This is another step in showing how communism has failed another country and how they are trying to move into capitalism to survive. It happened in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Even Vietnam and China continue to open alter their once-strict communist structure in order to provide a better life for their citizens and to stop being isolated from other countries. As a Canadian-American I can go to Cuba (if I wanted to) without having to fall under one of the education categories Americans have to. I have no real desire to go. If I go back to the Caribbean I would prefer to go back to the Bahamas - where their tourist industry is well established, everyone speaks English and I only met extremely helpful and friendly people - even away from the tourist traps. I don't see a need to pay double or triple and jump through all the hoops to visit a collapsing communist country. I probably would have gone to the USSR if I was old enough, but a place like Cuba just doesn't do it for me. I should mention that when I first read this I got the mental picture of a cargo ship sailing from Florida to Cuba while at the same time small rafts and other floatation devices "sailing" from Cuba to Florida. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/us-authorizes-commercial-ferry-services-cuba-195144868.html