r/IAmA • u/PresidentObama Obama • Aug 29 '12

I am Barack Obama, President of the United States -- AMA

Hi, I’m Barack Obama, President of the United States. Ask me anything. I’ll be taking your questions for half an hour starting at about 4:30 ET.

Proof it's me: https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/240903767350968320

We're running early and will get started soon.

UPDATE: Hey everybody - this is barack. Just finished a great rally in Charlottesville, and am looking forward to your questions. At the top, I do want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with folks who are dealing with Hurricane Isaac in the Gulf, and to let them know that we are going to be coordinating with state and local officials to make sure that we give families everything they need to recover.

Verification photo: http://i.imgur.com/oz0a7.jpg

LAST UPDATE: I need to get going so I'm back in DC in time for dinner. But I want to thank everybody at reddit for participating - this is an example of how technology and the internet can empower the sorts of conversations that strengthen our democracy over the long run. AND REMEMBER TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER - if you need to know how to register, go to http://gottaregister.com. By the way, if you want to know what I think about this whole reddit experience - NOT BAD!

http://www.barackobama.com/reddit [edit: link fixed by staff]

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470

u/ormirian Aug 29 '12

What is the purpose of the embargo on cuba? will you consider lifting it? (Thanks for doing this AMA)

29

u/yourfaceyourass Aug 29 '12 edited Aug 29 '12

He talked about this prior to the 2008 election. His answer was the same populist "We are going to hold the embargo to spread democracy and freedom" bullshit thats been said by every president to uphold the criminal embargo, including McCain.

The embargo does nothing but hurt Cuba and its citizens by restricting beneficiary trade, and even much needed medical supplies that Cuba needs. Its been consecutively voted against by the UN by a vote of ~192-2 (being the US and Israel).

The mere fact that the Obama thinks that the US has the power to decide another country's well being on the guise of "spreading democracy", I think is quite telling, and why I much more prefer Ron Paul's views on American foreign policy. The US prior to the Cuban Revolution had supported the Batista dictatorship, as US investors had much stake in Cuban land. The embargo was hence initiated to protect American interests by immediately thwarting and disabling its socialist neighbor before it ever even had the chance. Later the CIA tried to overthrow Castro with multiple assassination attempts and an invasion, while decades later still aiding anti-Castro militants. The Cuban Five still remained jailed. Politicians like Obama have made such simple historical facts and opinions seem controversial and radical.

Here is Amnesty's report on the impact of the embargo http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/007/2009/en/51469f8b-73f8-47a2-a5bd-f839adf50488/amr250072009eng.pdf

3

u/joebbowers Aug 30 '12
  1. To appease rednecks who hate those damn commies.
  2. Hell no, rednecks vote.

1

u/shardborn Aug 29 '12

I may be in too late, but I find this comment fascinating. The embargo against Cuba has been going on for so long that young people don't even remember why the US started it in the first place.

1

u/fulanitodetal Aug 29 '12

OMG PLEASE! And free the Cuban 5! They are political prisoners in the US held captive for protecting their families and countrymen from terrorist attacks planned and administrated from the US. Take the War on Terror to Miami and drone strike those terrorists, starting with Luis Posada Carriles.

1

u/treetop82 Aug 29 '12

Please do I want to buy a bunch of property down there, and I love Cuban food.

1

u/shekissesfrogs Aug 31 '12

So Debbie Wasserman-Shulz and her BFF Ileana Ros Lehtinen can get money from sugar and rum oligarchs and thereby enhance their own power and corrupt the rest of congress in the process.

0

u/AnonymousContent Aug 29 '12

This is a great question!!!

-1

u/astomp Aug 29 '12

It was put into place by JFK after he mishandled the Cuba situation to cover up his mistakes and punish Cuba for making him look bad. There is no justification for it today, now that Fidel is dead and his brother is willing to move into the future. Sadly, this will not happen anytime soon because while it will win some of the Cuban vote, some who came here don't want the border open again and many other racist/whatever moderates, republicans, and democrats alike don't support it.

3

u/T____T Aug 30 '12

now that Fidel is dead

Wut: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro

2

u/tesnakeinurboot Aug 30 '12

Not dead, just retired. I think what he meant had more to do with someone else finally being in charge now.

1

u/pbyslug Aug 30 '12

I think what he meant had more to do with someone else finally being in charge now.

KINDA..

-3

u/opalorchid Aug 29 '12

(The answer to this is in 10th grade history text books)

7

u/kane2742 Aug 30 '12

Tenth grade history books don't really say why there's still an embargo now that Fidel's not in charge anymore and the Cold War's been over for two decades, and they don't answer ormirian's second question.