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Title: Understanding the "Other Guy" Better
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Published: Dec 20, 2014
Author: Peter Coyne
Post Date: 2014-12-20 11:37:17 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: None
Views: 26

"It's an opportunity to understand the other guy better. It's that simple." explained Michael Parmly on NPR's All Things Considered Thursday. "What do diplomats want to do? Diplomats want to understand where the other guy's coming from."

Long suffering reckoners know we don't give a hoot about what government officials says. Then again, most government officials don't sound as reasonable as Mr. Parmly did.

It also doesn't hurt that Paul Mampilly and I both traveled with him to Havana together last month.

Michael is a good man to go to Cuba with. Especially if you want to "understand the other guy better". He was, after all, the former chief of mission to the U.S. interests section in Cuba.

His connections were good for a private audience with Lizt Alfonso's ballet -- a premier Cuban dance company. Paul, the ladies man he is, snagged a photo with the troupe afterwards. Doesn't he look happy?

Paul Mampilly with a bunch of dancers

When asked if Republicans would undo what President Obama, Mr. Parmly answered "I think they'll try…"

That would be a shame. We've had a forecast on the books since November: Cuba will be open, integrated and the hotspot for American tourist in five to ten years. Our missive from Tuesday is below in this week's recommended reading.

"I have been reading Daily Reckoning for years and mostly agree with your articles" wrote one respectful reader in response to it. "However, your article regarding the so called Cuban embargo is thoroughly full of $h*t."

Hrmm...

"It is not true that most Cubans want the sanctions removed" the reader continued, making us suspect he works as a speechwriter for Marco Rubio, "including the dissidents on the island have told me themselves they want a regime change-instead of open US relations. The economy in Cuba is measly and basically all is owned by Castro, his relatives, the generals, and their friends, using basically slave labor. Contrary to your believe Communist Cuba IS a threat to all of Latin America by arming and training communist guerrillas in Colombia, etc. Also is involved in Bolivia, El Salvador, Venezuela, Chile, Nicaragua, Ecuador and many other countries, including covertly selling arms to North Korea.

"They are a brutal, corrupt dictatorship and cannot be trusted. Foreign businessmen constantly get arrested and extorted by being accused of corruption. I would never trust , visit, or invest there until all of the communist regime is removed."

But we never said "most Cubans want the sanctions removed". As to the rest… well, it's your prerogative.

"God guys" wrote a second, less impassioned reader, "you sound so much like the joke about the man who went to heaven and saw lots of people from different religions there and then sees a big walled enclosure. He asks St Peter what it's for and is told it's for the (choose your religion) , they think they are the only people here. Cuba has been a popular holiday destination for Europeans since the 90's if not earlier. Where on earth have you been... the USA? But the simplistic 'tit for tat' thing was a good summary that I cut and pasted."

Glad to provide the history lesson. If you haven't seen the essay, you can find it below. It's in there with this week's other recommended reading. Once you're done soaking it up go ahead and add your two cents in the comments section.

Sound investing,

Pete

for The Daily Reckoning


Poster Comment:

When I was delivering flowers years ago out of Miami, we used to go to the Cuban restaurant for lunch. There was a little waitress in there. When I would say something to her, she would try to think of the words to reply, and would have some trouble with it. Then, she would stomp her foot in frustration. They were all light skinned, and this meant that they had lots of Spanish blood.

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