Some Americans can be quite obnoxious or they can be a bit misinformed. Some can even be a tad too stars and stripe-y but I do enjoy when they do come and visit Vancouver. It is good for the economy, at the same time it great when I see them enjoy what Vancouver get to offer. Some even come by the boatloads (translation : cruise ships), docking close to a quaint little area of downtown called Gastown. Aside from the expected souvenirs and gift stores within few blocks of the cruise ship dock, there are maybe close to a dozen cigar stores in the area.
I do not smoke but any cigar aficionado will tell you that Cuban cigar is the top tobacco product on the planet. But thanks to a long-standing boycott, Americans can’t openly get them, unless of course they are in a different country like Canada. And that is why those cigar stores seems to be thriving in the sea of “I love Vancouver” t shirt stores and dreamcatchers and Haida woodcarvings souvenir shops.
But recently there I have come across some related news which makes me shake my head. Washington’s
Office of Foreign Assets Control recently revised its anti-Cuban cigar policy making it illegal for any American to PURCHASE a Cuban anywhere, including Canada. If they do, the penalties include a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. Importation or sale within the US, I can understand. Possesion maybe. But purchase of Cuban cigar on a third country? Isn’t that like a little bit too much meddling into its citizens affairs? I can just picture it now… “convicted for purchase and possession of illegal Cuban cigars while on holiday in Canada”. Not only the Government poke its nose on people’s bedroom, they start to get into their out of the country holidays.
The Patriot Act had got some people worried about the US turning into a police state and with this revised regulation although in my opinion is unrelated, is just adding another reason for such paranoia. But then, putting up a revised policy is one thing. But enforcement is another. I am not quite sure how will the US Government would manage to catch Americans who violate the regulation. But I am not getting into that, I leave that up to the conspiracy theorists.
US Election is less than a 100 hours away and I cannot help but think depending on how Americans would vote, it would determine on what direction the country would be gearing into the next four years or so. I am not here to tell you who to vote, but vote wisely. More than anything it is your future.
Picture of the day
This Jack Russell terrier was reported missing by the family that owns it so imagine their surpriseand delight when it showed up on a televised football match chasing the ball. BBC News
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