U.S. - Cuba Talks To Begin On Wednesday

Reuters: Cuba wants off U.S. terrorism list before restoring normal ties

WNU Editor: I have only been to Cuba once (16 years ago) .... flew in from Montreal and I stayed there for one week in February. It is the worst vacation that I ever took .... and I vowed never to go back to Cuba again. It is a very poor country .... depressing in every-way ... and if poverty is your thing while you stay in a somewhat adequate hotel insulated from the outside .... then this is the place for you. As for these U.S. - Cuban talks .... the only ones who are excited are the media (of course), progressive groups, some U.S. Democrat senators .... and the White House. As for these talks .... I do not expect much .... Cuba needs and wants money, and the U.S. is going to promise to give them some at some future date. As for that "future date" .... I do not expect any significant change in Cuba until the Castro brothers are gone and the next generation of leaders that they have handpicked have also departed .... and maybe .... just maybe .... in 20 or 30 years some improvement will come to the country. But for the moment ... and for the next few years .... expect no free elections, no free media, no free trade unions, no opposition political parties, no free speech, limits on travel, limits on the money that you can make, limits on opportunity, limits on the internet, and (for these who love Facebook/Twitter/Reddit/etc. .... ) restrictions on social media.

More News On Wednesday's U.S. - Cuban Talks

U.S. Sets a Goal in Cuba: Open Internet -- WSJ
US Diplomats Head to Cuba to Negotiate Embassy Reopening -- VOA
U.S. and Cuba set to start work on opening diplomatic relations -- L.A. Times
Cuba lowers expectations on eve of high-level talks with US -- Washington Post
Cuba isn't ready yet for a democratic revolution -- Noah Feldman, Newsday/Bloomberg View