Comments on: Land of the free

By: Ereshkigal

Ereshkigal — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 01:12:39 +0000

Cuba produces and exports numerous goods, cigars being merely one of its notable exports. Consuming other Cuban-produced goods—say, sugar—would violate the law as well. Want some candy, little girl?

By: nick

nick — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 21:58:11 +0000

According to historians, Kennedy pushed and signed the law but originally wanted to exempt Cuban Cigars. Congress disagreed with him and disallowed the Cuban cigar exemption. Kennedy only signed the executive order (not a bill from Congress) after buying up all the H. Uppmans in the DC area, of course.

By: reuben

reuben — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 11:20:50 +0000

As Melanie Phillips, Carol Gould and I were discussing just the other day, it’s practically impossible for me to leave my London house these days without an America-hating Brit attempting to plant Cuban cigars on me.

By: Bernard Yomtov

Bernard Yomtov — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 05:32:10 +0000

When did we go to war with Cuba? I must have missed it. More seriously, is it possible this regulation is just some bureaucrat overreaching?

By: Abnu

Abnu — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 04:30:49 +0000

You mean Tommy Franks was breaking the law when he smoked Cubans at Gitmo?

By: Dan McEnroe

Dan McEnroe — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 03:48:15 +0000

So, we can’t subscribe to the World Court because we’re worried about foreign governments having undue sway over our armed forces, but we’re giving just about everyone in the Caribbean, UK, France, and the rest of Europe the opportunity to narc on our tourists. Think about it – extorting American tourists spotted smoking a Cuban cigar could become a whole new cottage industry overseas!

By: cigars

cigars — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 03:44:47 +0000

Well I hate to disagree with you but the Trading with the Enemy Act does not affect smoking cuban cigars in locations where the cigars are legal. That law prohibits trading with Cuba and the importation of articles from Cuba or made in Cuba. According to historians, Kennedy pushed and signed the law but originally wanted to exempt Cuban Cigars. Congress disagreed with him and disallowed the Cuban cigar exemption. He signed it as Congress sent it to him and therefore the importation ban of Cuban cigars. SHOT BY BOTH SIDES has an inappropriate interpretation of the laws impact. And by the way, why would someone want to spend so much on Cuban cigars??? They are not what they used to be.

By: cigars

cigars — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 03:44:12 +0000

By: ikpmgsn

ikpmgsn — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:28:46 +0000

I told them about Gov. Schwarzennager but they said it’s not worth fining a guy who already carries that much money around just to park his Hummer.

By: neil

neil — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:05:51 +0000

Bernard, I believe the law is the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917. The text of the law may be found here (PDF link).

By: jet

jet — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 00:49:36 +0000

It’s funny how when centralized economies are forced to compete with capitalism, they start to become more liberal. How progressive would Cuba be if we had dropped the embargo the day Russia stopped sending billion dollar subsidies to Cuba? Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons still doesn’t make it the right thing.

By: DeAnn

DeAnn — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 00:36:29 +0000

What if someone else buys it and gives it to someone as a gift? And then, that someone lets you smoke it? Am I going to be fined $250,000?

By: Bernard Yomtov

Bernard Yomtov — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 23:34:50 +0000

I notice that this is described as a regulation. Is anyone familiar with the relevant statute?

By: harry

harry — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 21:50:55 +0000

Don’t smoke, never have. I barely drink—I’ve never been drunk. So I figure I’m clean. When I applied for initial visa (in 1985) I was frank about my one conviction (a miner’s strike-related conviction). The woman at the American consulate where I had to go to get the visa laughed when she saw my waiver and I told her the story. Laughed as in—‘this is not the kind of thing that could get you excluded—we know what was going on’. So I’ve always felt ok about it. Can’t speak for Keiran, Henry, or Brian.

By: bob mcmanus

bob mcmanus — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 21:08:26 +0000

Well, Tommy Chong did Fed time for selling bongs. I presume the point of this, among others, is simply another weapon to get you if they want you. Do we lack lawyers here? If they use this to nail Al Franken or Alec Baldwin or Bill Clinton, and only them, is it reasonable for an appeals court to overturn on selective enforcement?