"Mark Weaver" wrote:

Or is it just possible that the Bushies reversed course on greater
openness because of the recent mass roundup democracy / human-rights
activists who were given quick show trials and long, long prison
sentences? Doesn't it tweak anybody's conscience (canadians,
aussies, europeans, as well as yanks slipping into Cuba through the
back door) to go and vacation in a repressive police state (however
nice the beach hotels may be)?

I agree it's BS for the US govt to tell US citizens where they can and
cannot travel, but I certainly could not go spend my vacation dollars
to help perpetuate such a regime (even if that's not the intent of
spending $$ there, that's the effect).

American citizens spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year
supporting China, through buying products and services - most of which
replaced stateside companies with our own workers. Anything you can say
about Cuba does not even rate as pocket change compared to China.

We could also mention the thousands of Central and South Americans
killed by right wing death squads over the last two decades, too.
Nothing Cuba has done compares with the ugliness in Guatamala, El
Salvador, Argentina, and others.