We will discuss the Corona Virus situation in New York City

We will discuss the Corona Virus situation in New York City with Michael Prada 03/27 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

We will discuss the Corona Virus situation in New York City.........and other stories.......

click to listen:

Friday’s video: Lots of Democrats talking Cuomo 2020.....

Friday’s video:

Lots of Democrats talking Cuomo 2020.....

click to watch:

Don’t blame the embargo for shortages in Cuba

It did not take long for the Cuban regime to bring up the embargo in the context of the coronavirus.  This is from an NBC News report:    

The island faces chronic shortages in basic goods that have worsened with the Trump administration’s tightening of the embargo, citing Cuba’s human rights record and its support for Venezuela’s government. Long lines and crowds outside stores are a normal way of life here.

Soap and detergent are difficult to find right now in ration stores, which are those that sell by the “libreta” or ration book. But they are available in dollar stores for those who can afford it.

Well, here we go again.  Let’s end the embargo and Cuban socialism will finally work after 60 years.

Yes, it’s true that President Trump tightened the embargo by actually enforcing it.  But it wasn’t only Trump: after all, The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996 connected lifting the embargo with improvements in human rights in Cuba.   

The shortages of food and medical supplies have nothing to do with the embargo.  My mother can tell you about standing in line for hours hoping to get her milk ration for the week.  My mother did not have to do that in pre-communist Cuba.

So lifting the embargo will only give the regime a political victory.  The shelves will still be empty the next day.

It’s about socialism, not the embargo.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Cuban-American, Dancing On The Hyphen by Amarilys Gacio Rassler

The Cuban American experience is very unique.  Like Amarilys, I am part of that generation that came here as kids, grew up in the US and has been going back and forth between two neat cultures.

In this book, you will meet Amarilys' family, grandfather, her love of cooking and our Cuban American story.

I should add that Amarilys was a "Pedro Pan" kid, or one of the 14,000 unaccompanied children who came to the US in the early 1960s.  She connected with her parents a few years later.

This is a great book for a long weekend, specially if you are looking for something uplifting in this rather negative world.

Please check out this book.   Here is the link to get it!

 You will enjoy it a lot:

Great book: Cuban-American, Dancing On The Hyphen by Amarilys Gacio Rassler http://t.co/7ZrihHz2Kl via @amazon
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) March 25, 2014

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A word about Anthony Lewis (1927-2013)

We remember Anthony Lewis, who was born on this day in 1927.   He died in 2013.

Like many conservatives, I did not agree a lot with Anthony Lewis.  

Nevertheless, I will say that Mr. Lewis was a great writer.

My favorite was "Gideon's trumpet", a book that Mr Lewis wrote about the landmark case of James Earl Gideon's fight for the right to legal counsel:

It is a very good book:




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Happy # 30 to TV Marti

On this day in 1990, TV Marti began broadcating to Cuba.

On balance, TV Marti has done a good job bringing news to the Cuban people. It followed Radio Marti that went on the air in 1985. We congratulate all of our Cuban friends in the US for making the broadcasts possible.

I don't know if TV Marti reaches as many Cubans in the island as Radio Marti does. My guess is that more Cubans have access to a radio than TV, specially given the blackouts. At least, that's what I've heard from Cubans who've left the island recently!

Nevertheless, happy birthday to TV Marti!

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

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