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The Boats of Cuba
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Simply breathtaking.

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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Because they all sunk trying to escape the prison island?
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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That's really unfair to the thousands of Cubans who fled the island since 1950.


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Re: The Boats of Cuba [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [Old Hickory] [ In reply to ]
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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I (internet) knew a guy who windsurfed from Cuba to the Keys. Got picked up before he was out of the water but was treated well and he eventually got paperwork to move to NYC. Dude was hardcore and one of the most positive humans.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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SailorSam wrote:
I (internet) knew a guy who windsurfed from Cuba to the Keys. Got picked up before he was out of the water but was treated well and he eventually got paperwork to move to NYC. Dude was hardcore and one of the most positive humans.

Why did he leave? Was he actually from Cuba or just a guy from Miami that was a puppet of the Batista regime in exile? (Getting out ahead of someone's usual rebuttal)
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [Old Hickory] [ In reply to ]
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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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that one must have been blown badly of course by a hurricane.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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The usual...oppression, lack of opportunity and dreams of freedom. He was a bit naive about what he'd find here but he was badass enough to windsurf across the open ocean so he'll do better here for sure.

I know what you're getting at, though. I'm from a former eastern bloc country too and there are a LOT of people even today (50+ mostly) who talk about the good old times pre-1989. Sure, some of the romanticize the past and gloss over the gross mistreatment of dissidents. But many actually have a point and that is - masses of average and below average folks don't actually benefit from more freedom. Life is complicated and stressful and just keeping up is a ton of work. I can see the allure of the government taking care of you - especially if it does a good job. That's a matter of expectations and perceptions and a whole another can of worms ;)
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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I think most of the people who post here are self starters and enjoy freedom. Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you.

SailorSam wrote:
The usual...oppression, lack of opportunity and dreams of freedom. He was a bit naive about what he'd find here but he was badass enough to windsurf across the open ocean so he'll do better here for sure.

I know what you're getting at, though. I'm from a former eastern bloc country too and there are a LOT of people even today (50+ mostly) who talk about the good old times pre-1989. Sure, some of the romanticize the past and gloss over the gross mistreatment of dissidents. But many actually have a point and that is - masses of average and below average folks don't actually benefit from more freedom. Life is complicated and stressful and just keeping up is a ton of work. I can see the allure of the government taking care of you - especially if it does a good job. That's a matter of expectations and perceptions and a whole another can of worms ;)

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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SailorSam wrote:
The usual...oppression, lack of opportunity and dreams of freedom. He was a bit naive about what he'd find here but he was badass enough to windsurf across the open ocean so he'll do better here for sure.

I know what you're getting at, though. I'm from a former eastern bloc country too and there are a LOT of people even today (50+ mostly) who talk about the good old times pre-1989. Sure, some of the romanticize the past and gloss over the gross mistreatment of dissidents. But many actually have a point and that is - masses of average and below average folks don't actually benefit from more freedom. Life is complicated and stressful and just keeping up is a ton of work. I can see the allure of the government taking care of you - especially if it does a good job. That's a matter of expectations and perceptions and a whole another can of worms ;)

Well every Pole, Ukranian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and Russian I know who lived under Communist government fucking hated it and love American freedom. Seriously they run the gamut of political views, social views, and economic views (age even some left as kids teena adults elderly) , but all of them when you bring up Communism in the home country make Reagan look like a soft commie lover.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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windywave wrote:
SailorSam wrote:

Well every Pole, Ukranian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and Russian I know who lived under Communist government fucking hated it and love American freedom. Seriously they run the gamut of political views, social views, and economic views (age even some left as kids teena adults elderly) , but all of them when you bring up Communism in the home country make Reagan look like a soft commie lover.

Selection bias. I don't think I need to explain that to you.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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SailorSam wrote:
windywave wrote:
SailorSam wrote:

Well every Pole, Ukranian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and Russian I know who lived under Communist government fucking hated it and love American freedom. Seriously they run the gamut of political views, social views, and economic views (age even some left as kids teena adults elderly) , but all of them when you bring up Communism in the home country make Reagan look like a soft commie lover.

Selection bias. I don't think I need to explain that to you.

Some came after the curtain came down
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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windywave wrote:
SailorSam wrote:
windywave wrote:
SailorSam wrote:


Well every Pole, Ukranian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and Russian I know who lived under Communist government fucking hated it and love American freedom. Seriously they run the gamut of political views, social views, and economic views (age even some left as kids teena adults elderly) , but all of them when you bring up Communism in the home country make Reagan look like a soft commie lover.


Selection bias. I don't think I need to explain that to you.


Some came after the curtain came down

Me including. It still takes pretty strong feelings about opportunity and political environment to leave culture, friends, and family behind. Not everyone back home has those same feelings.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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When I lived in the keys , I ran a marine towing territory from islamorada to the west end of the seven mile bridge. At least once a week I towed boats , rafts , and one and done go fasts used to escape or smuggle people over. Ive seen some pretty ingenious contraptions. One I remember was a patched up ,bare bones wellcraft with nothing but the stringers. Fitted with a 1950's era farm tractor engine complete with a giant tiller type rudder.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [len] [ In reply to ]
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"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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cerveloguy wrote:
"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.

Because it's against the law for them to leave?
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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SailorSam wrote:
The usual...oppression, lack of opportunity and dreams of freedom. He was a bit naive about what he'd find here but he was badass enough to windsurf across the open ocean so he'll do better here for sure.

I know what you're getting at, though. I'm from a former eastern bloc country too and there are a LOT of people even today (50+ mostly) who talk about the good old times pre-1989. Sure, some of the romanticize the past and gloss over the gross mistreatment of dissidents. But many actually have a point and that is - masses of average and below average folks don't actually benefit from more freedom. Life is complicated and stressful and just keeping up is a ton of work. I can see the allure of the government taking care of you - especially if it does a good job. That's a matter of expectations and perceptions and a whole another can of worms ;)

Former East Euro here...well said :-)
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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cerveloguy wrote:
"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.

This is the reason why people should travel more and visit another country more then just once with an organized tour group for few days. People go once or even don't go at all but are somehow experts on the what people in a given country think/feel/want.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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cerveloguy wrote:
"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.

Just because you aren't leaving doesn't mean that you like it there.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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cerveloguy wrote:
"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.

You sure know how to tee 'em up.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP wrote:
cerveloguy wrote:
"Sometimes we make the mistake and think that everyone thinks like us. So I agree with you. "

Every time some guy floats across on a raft he's he's held up as a symbol of freedom and the American way of life. There are 11 million people in Cuba. Its not like everyone of them is trying to leave. Obviously most aren't.


Just because you aren't leaving doesn't mean that you like it there.

Doesn't mean they don't either. I'm sure there are lots of Cubans that would leave and lots that wouldn't. Could probably say the same about most places. As Len pointed out, we tend to think everybody on the planet thinks just like us and wants to be just like us, but that's not always the reality.
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [sphere] [ In reply to ]
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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: The Boats of Cuba [softrun] [ In reply to ]
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softrun wrote:
SailorSam wrote:
The usual...oppression, lack of opportunity and dreams of freedom. He was a bit naive about what he'd find here but he was badass enough to windsurf across the open ocean so he'll do better here for sure.

I know what you're getting at, though. I'm from a former eastern bloc country too and there are a LOT of people even today (50+ mostly) who talk about the good old times pre-1989. Sure, some of the romanticize the past and gloss over the gross mistreatment of dissidents. But many actually have a point and that is - masses of average and below average folks don't actually benefit from more freedom. Life is complicated and stressful and just keeping up is a ton of work. I can see the allure of the government taking care of you - especially if it does a good job. That's a matter of expectations and perceptions and a whole another can of worms ;)


Former East Euro here...well said :-)

I was in Bosnia for a few days last year, and I encountered this in multiple conversations with middle aged or older folks who miss the "Tito Days".
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