It is Christmas Day and all the presents are open and all are greatful  but how greatful are we? Do we really need anything we just opened? We should be greatful for our kind President Berack Obama. While we disagree on just about everything,   he  silently takes out the Cuba card and after 50 years of silence tries to be reasonable and offer the people of that country some hope and help. That is a nice Christmas Present. Why did he do it? A second term President doesn’t have to worry about losing Florida in an election. I hope he did it just as an act of kindness.

Cuba is only 90 miles from the United States and at one time it offered a real communist threat to this country. At one time we thought the island was a detonator in a countdown to nuclear damnation for us. Now Havana is a city of antiques. The cars are all from the 1950’s which was the last time the people were able to import things from America. Their leader is an 83 year old Dictator still wearing battle clothes.  The people do not have computers or access to the Internet. Freedom is still a far  away dream for these people who are sunk in verv  deeply into socialism.

They do have free housing, medical care and education, all of which is very costly here in America but they have no choices as to how or where they can do things.  It is strange to see harbors along the water that have no boats in the water. The government restricts ownership of a boat because the government fears that many would simply sail away and never return. The government runs just about everything. 80% of the Cuban people are government employees and they get paid pretty much the same which is somewhere between $20 and $50 dollars per month. Yes, I just said per month. Compare that with the value of what you just shared in Christmas presents alone just today.  Be grateful Americans.

Their pay scale doesn’t matter if you are a street sweeper or an accountant. They also get a ration booklet that includes food stamps that gives them eggs, milk and butter but that only lasts about 10 days. The people object but not too loudly. Some who have revolted have been in prison for 50 years. What happens in Cuba needs to be known since the government does not care much about the people. People who started a opposition news service were arrested in 2003. Establishing relations of any kind with the United States is important and can only bring some good to the starving people.

President John F. Kennedy signed the trade embargo after he bought 1,200 Cuban cigars for himself. Only Congress can vote to lift the embargo. Our Congressmen don't do much good lately. As a visitor if you get permission to visit, you can bring things for you to use, to sell or provide to the people is outlawed.  In the colleges there are no copy machines or paper. Only 5% of Cubans are connected to the Internet so e-mailing someone is impossible. In the new agreement Obama has added an exception to the embargo.  He is offering Cuba Internet access. Next year a United States flag will once again fly over an embassy there.

Castro only allowed cell phones in 2008 where America provided tens of thousands of phones to the country and gave them away for free. The ban on travel has been lifted. People apply for visas to the United States in the amount of 500 per day and now they get processed. 2 Million of their family members live in America and they know that they are poor because Socialism is bankrupt. Be grateful for the family and friends you have around you. Be grateful for your gifts and most of all be grateful to be able to speak what is on your mind in this country. Stop the killing. That only stops all our voices. Merry Christmas Day my faithful readers. I am so very grateful for your visits to my page here.