"Cuba and the Crimea" Topic

So the US decides that it wants to secure its base in Cuba by taking over, as many Spanish speaking relatives of people in South Florida are being threatened by the new Raoul Castro regime.

Could the US take Cuba fast enough? What would the people of Cuba do? What would the world reaction be? What tps are available to Cuba?

Remember, NO POLITICS!

Hardly politics. Its a argamwe scenario.

I know that. I am just reminding anyone else who may want to join in.

Aha thanks then

What would the world reaction be?

Canada loses a nice vacation spot…

Tried it once, didn't do too well. We're not that good using proxy troops without support.

Use regular forces with full support, long weekend to clean up the Cuban army. Long term depends on if we include Cuba as a member of Major League Baseball.

Probably the US would take note of Sun Tzu, and just wait until the old school hardliners die off … then open up trade, increase diplomatic relations, etc. Gitmo is not under any real threat …
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

Sun Tzu

Cuba could have been won by now using economic rather than military 'warfare' – instead of cutting trade, increase it to the extent that Cuba depended on the States, make them an ally – US has supported lots of Right Wing states in the past, hearts and minds on a few Left Wing states might pay big dividends. Vietnam is another candidate. A few military contracts with Vietnam could solve lots of problems – former enemy to friend, increased trade, valuable ally against China.

Makes sense to me to liberate them.

A shame we didn't carry through on that, back in the day.

Obviously The General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Russian: Военная академия Генерального штаба Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации) read Sun Tzu….

是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也。
For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

凡用兵之法，全國為上；破國次之；全軍為上，破軍次之；全旅為上，破旅次之；全卒為上，破卒次之；全伍為上，破伍次之。
In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

The West not so much!!!!!

Or, to bottle up an entire fleet in the Black Sea, using the enemy's naval tactics against him?

Einheit – Sounds like the Russias had read Sun Tzu too … @ Garrison – With all the Cuba escapees in Southern Florida, and some old school distain from them, who still remember the Bay of Pigs, etc., … As well as the old school remnants of Fidel's regime and cronies … Both sides don't want to make nice. At least until all the older generation hold overs on both side dies off. Which should not be too long. For a long time I've believed once that happens Cuba will be a new US holiday location as well as a new economic market … for both. Kind of what is happening in the Crimea … Old Cold Warriors are still about … Now that I think of it … I'm one of them !

Bay of Pigs was 1961 – 53 years ago. Now compare Cold War with Hot War. 53 years after WW2 is 1998. The main difference would seem to be military need, certainly WW2 was remembered by a lot of people way after Germany and Japan became useful allies.

No doubt, there is as many willing to remember history but want to go forward as well. As you mentioned Germany and Japan are good allies. And I'm glad of it. But there are still some holdovers as we have seen again recently … Frankly, I'd like to see better US-Cuba relations, for a number of reasons. With economic and social readily coming to mind. But as I said, there are still a number of old school hardliner throwbacks in both Cuba and Russia … Not to mention North Korea never left 1953 …