For centuries, Cuba’s greatest resource has been its people. Pico Iyer

Pictures are from more of the weirder wanderings in London.

Today’s talk is on Cuba…something or rather place that’s been in the news again recently and so kind picked up on it.

Kinda scattered this week I guess….but first I” pull my thoughts together for a little lusting over my favorite Scott.

North Americans don’t understand… that our country is not just Cuba; our country is also humanity. Fidel Castro

Ways to keep your mind occupied during Droughtlander:

Read The Making of Outlander: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/10/inside-outlanders-hunt-for-claire-fraser

Sign up for the OUTLANDER GIFT EXCHANGE: http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2016/09/outlander-3rd-annual-holiday-gift-exchange-now-open/

check out the more mature…love those blue eyes–Fergus: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/10/outlander-season-3-fergus

UNOPEN THANKSGIVING GAME JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY $12.00

I don’t want anything from Cuba. I want them to be free and enjoy the things I enjoy. Gloria Estefan

Cuba has long been a tiny source of huge irritation to the US of A.

“The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and due to its strategic location it served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the continent becoming a stopping point for the treasure-laden Spanish galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World. ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana It was the center of culture as well hundreds of years before Flagler created Palm Beach and help with the development of Miami in the early 20th century. In fact one of the reasons Flagler build the rail road that went to sea across the outstretched tiny little islands that make up the Florida Keys was to get to Key West as a jumping off point to go to Cuba only 90 miles—not because he wanted to have a drink at Sloopy Joe’s.

But we went from Spanish to British (who traded Cuba back to the Spanish for Florida) and then Spanish again here in Florida and from colonial to democracy. Things got pretty busy over here and things went along Ok and the US paid little relative attention to the Island less than 100 miles from it’s Island shores.

I think a policy of isolationism toward Cuba is misplaced and hasn’t worked. Rand Paul

Our first major issue was while the island was still under Spanish rule and one of our warships, the USS Maine was supposedly torpedoed or otherwise intentionally blown up in the harbor at Havanan. Survivors and the injured were taken to Key West where they were nursed by nuns (they actually had a convent there at the time–don’t say it). Key West’s fantastically strange cemetery–only in Key West–has a small section devoted to the military and included there are several of the unidentified sailors who perished in the infamy of explosion and fire.

And we all know that we went on there to the Spanish-American War…a gross misjudgement and poor military discipline according to current forensics and investigations the explosion was the result of slip shod maintenance on the ship and a captain that wasn’t paying attention. No torpedo, but an internal explosion that blew outwards not inward.

What ever the cause the result was that a huge power of America (along with Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders who spent some time at the Plant Hotel in Tampa–now the Unviersity of Tampa.) went up against the mighty power of Spain all on a tiny island in the midst of the Caribbean. Guess who won. So after all was over and Spain slunk away (hint its easier to supply your army from 90 miles away than it is from Europe) things quieted down again and it at least for us.

She is Cuba. If you want to love her, you have to be with her, but you can’t be with her in her current state. It’s the point of view of all exiles – you have to leave the thing you cherish most. Andy Garcia

Cuba went from the Spanish rule to a series of dictators, rebellions and freedom fighters many of whom ended up in Key West, which was prime escape point for disinters. While in the US we made note of but didn’t do a lot about this ongoing situation.

Cuba wasn’t forgotten though as it grew into a wild and crazy vacation spot that was known for its’ live sex shows and all manner of “What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” except substituting…well you know.

The last of the long line of dictators (discounting the Communist ones) was Batista who encourage Mafia involvement and investments. But while we vacationed there we failed to note (we’re good at that) the unhappiness of the people.

Cuba is such a beautiful country, and everywhere you go, there’s music and people dancing – especially in Havana. Julia Sawalha

Then came the Communist promising, like all politicians, everything. Butista fled (some say with a little help from Errol Flynn) taking the Cuban Art Collection with him (and which you can see at the Science and Art Museum in Daytona Beach to this day). Fidel and his gang took over, but unlike his pre-runners he changed the social order and made alliances with some bigger kids on the Communist block–mainly Russia. And now there was too many refugees for Key West and Miami became the center of the influx and went from tacky tourist to a city that is referred to by some as Little Cuba.

But Cuba and Castro was never the real problem, at least for our politicians…it was Castro getting involved with the big boys in this tiny part of the big confederation that included not only Russia but China, and who included some of the most powerful dictators the world had ever know standing against the free (some parts freer than others) world.

So here we have a group of everybody owns everything share the wealth group against democracies also know as the “free world” where you had to pay for everything. And as things got tenser and tenser we now had a new member of the bad guys glaring at us across 90 miles of salt water.

It turns out Cuba has this incredible healthcare system for a very poor country. Michael Moore

Then came the Russians first as a military presence to help protect them from all those strange people in Key West and then the missiles started to arrive…we had the standoff with the blockade and later the terribly botched Bay of Pigs mess.

Since then even though the missiles and Russians are long gone our relationship with the still Communist island has been strained even with the dying out of the Cold War.

The onslaught of refugees in makeshift rafts to our shore reached it’s peek with event causing up swings of arrivals from Miami down to Key west with most recently appears to have died out.

Both of my parents were born into poor families on the island of Cuba. They came to America because it was the only place where people like them could have a chance. Marco Rubio

More recently we have been working on a return to a better relationship with the Island. President Obama has worked to increase contact between the two countries and while tourism is still out: “The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and certain authorized export transactions.”

Resuming relationships with the small island is a hot topic with certain politicians mostly Republican which is amazing to me when you consider that everybody was so bragging about Reagan’s developing relationship with China, that has done wonders in taking our jobs and if you want to talk about human right violations that country makes Russia look good—Cuba’s not even a freckle compared to them.

So if you have a purpose you may return to Cuba which is nice for so many families in this country…but the tourists among us will have to wait a while longer to view the sunny shores of our nearest not always friendly neighbor

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“Cuba ought to be free and independent, and the government should be turned over to the Cuban people.” — William McKinley