Cuba legalizes independent filmmaking

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

ahhaha, how "brave" of the Cuban govt.  Also, I'll believe it when I see it.

I think you're understating the effect a bigger cultural independence can have upon changing things in longterm. It certainly played such role in the former Eastern Bloc.

A small step towards a better future. The Trump Admin made a big mistake by walking away from Cuban thaw.

Sanctions and belligerence only made the regime stronger. While it could be understood in the context of the Cold War, it lost all possible usefulness it might've had after 1989.

It's just like with the relations with Eastern Bloc during the 70s (detente). The period of opening undermined the Soviet strangehold over its satelite states, greatly helping in forming an effective internal opposition in the 80s.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

ahhaha, how "brave" of the Cuban govt.  Also, I'll believe it when I see it.

I think you're understating the effect a bigger cultural independence can have upon changing things in longterm. It certainly played such role in the former Eastern Bloc.

sure, and it says something that that they are 30+ years behind the Eastern Bloc in this.  It's certainly not something to brag about.  How many years do you think it will be before we see a Cuban made film that is critical of the govt?


edit-I totally agree with your second part, we should be doing everything we can to open Cuba up, not putting up barriers to that.

This is a valid point, of course, but we've seen long-established regimes crumbling down rapidly in not-so-distant past (not trying to make a prediction here).