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Cuban Cigars


TJGladeRaider

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As with all things, there is a flip side to this coin.

I grew up in Guantanamo, our Navy Base in Cuba from the mid sixties, until I graduated from High School in 1975. There is a reason why Castro has been popular - and make no mistake, he was VERY popular - that has nothing to do with brutality. This guy should never be compared to the brutal despots of the world.

In the 1950s, Cuba, under Batitsa, was essentially one big sugar plantation - a slave state to US interests, both sugar and oil. Some of you may find the following to be of interest.

Operation Zapata - you may know it as Bay of Pigs

More about Zapata

The bottom line is, Cuba was a place where a very small group of "have gots" lorded over an entire population of "have nots" in subservience to US interests. Castro nationalized everything, took the wealth of the "have gots" spread it among the "have nots" and kicked the US interests out . . . sort of sounds like another revolution a couple of hundred years prior.

Study the situation and check what the stats say about educational levels, infant mortality rates, average income, life expectancy as it existed under Batista, and as it is under Castro.

You don't even want me to get started on the hero JFK and the way he stared down the Kremlin in the Cuban Missile Crisis - if the chicken-[censored] gutless puke hadn't abandoned the US CIA trained . . . no, let's just stick to watches.

Thanks so much my friend for that other, wonderful, information.

Bill

That all sounds fine and dandy, unless you happen to have been one of the "have gots". Why does everyone always have something against the "have gots"? We lost a lot of money in that revolution. So it's O.K. for the "have gots" to now be the "have nots"? Their is some inherently wrong with that mindset, and unfortunately that is the way it worked out for most of the people that fled from Cuba. I agree with you about that gutless, womanizing, weasle of a President JFK. Don't get me started on that myself. Oh well, probably best to stick to watches. Political threads that get off of the beating path of the original topic, usually just spiral down. I do happen to agree with Chicken Manny. Try a Dominican! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

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That all sounds fine and dandy, unless you happen to have been one of the "have gots". Why does everyone always have something against the "have gots"? We lost a lot of money in that revolution. So it's O.K. for the "have gots" to now be the "have nots"? Their is some inherently wrong with that mindset, and unfortunately that is the way it worked out for most of the people that fled from Cuba. I agree with you about that gutless, womanizing, weasle of a President JFK. Don't get me started on that myself. Oh well, probably best to stick to watches. Political threads that get off of the beating path of the original topic, usually just spiral down. I do happen to agree with Chicken Manny. Try a Dominican! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Actually, both sides have partial accounts of the whole truth (or 100% of their sides)... Castro is very popular...not because he is a tyrant (Saddam Hussein style...let's not get into that one either)...but because he reacted to the needs of the majority, the 'have nots' (the have gots...of course, being the minority)... He was a predictable outcome of decades of ill wealth distribution and increasing social asymetries (level of education, mortality rates in adults and infants, basic sanitary services etc)...problem was (is) he remained in power for 40 years...and replaced the capitalist oligarchy with a communist oligarchy...many reasons behind it that we do not hear in the US...in fact, Che Guevara left Cuba after the revolution because he did not want to be a part of a government structure that ressembled the prior dictatorial government (so the legend goes) ...but that's way beyond the point... The upside is that Cuba has increased dramatically their education level, healthcare parameters etc...for many years Cuba had the lowest infant mortality rate in Central and South America, has mandatory vaccination, etc...

The generation of cubans that experienced first hand both sides of the coin supported and still supports the revolution...the new generation of young cubans cannot compare their situation to those days first hand as their parents do...Hence, the brain washing, the propaganda and the counter-propaganda to the US propaganda, to maintain the status quo.

The good cuban cigars however, are superior IMHO to any dominican you can find... I smoke Davidoff's grand cru #4...great draw, creamy and soft and superb smoke overall :victory: and cubans every time I go abroad...not worth the risk however to try to buy them in the US. :thumbdown:

Well, my friends I want to leave you with an image that perfectly blends all the topics we covered here...Cuba, 'revolucion', cigars and of course watches... :victory:

134459-18465.jpg

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Lots of money as well... or just travel due north toward Nanuq and stop before you hit Alaska... read up on the penalties for being in the CONUS and in possession of Cuban Cigars... If your willing to face those penalties for a smoke you need to consider that you might be addicted to the nicotine.

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Seriously though, how do I get a box of cuban Montecristo #2s to my door in the US?

Linder,

The best Cuban selection and quality are in London or Geneva. Alextor mentioned in a earlier post that tobacconists will ship to the US, even your big retailers; Dunhill, Davidoff & Desmond Sautters (London), but sans the bands and Cuban box. They generally mail the bands separately to you in a envelope. You can call them up ask what they have in stock and they don't even pause when you say ship to the US. It's certainly not as cool of course as getting them like the rest of the world does, but sure as hell safer if you really want them. And expect to pay a premium.

Something to keep in mind is that most Cubans need aging regardless of brand, the tobacco is just too young and don't particularly smoke that well. A few years socked away in a humidor really makes a difference -patience I don't possess!

I used to buy from a London source with bands on and in the original box, until I had a box seized by customs, Romeo & Julieta Churchills no less :angry: -guess I was lucky that was all that happened after reading the CA article.

With that said, I agree with the other posters about Dominican, there are plenty of quality and tasty ones out there to choose from.

Good luck in your quest.

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This is the info I was looking for :)

I have been looking online but I do not know the names of any reputable retailers and was wondering specifically which websites members have had luck with.

Glad that helped :)

#2's are one of my favorites as well! BTW, pricing might be the best at Sautters and they're nice chaps to deal with too.

Edited by tmg
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