| For those of you who came to age during
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| | The Impact
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| the 1960's, you probably vividly remember
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| | No American wanted Communism to spread
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| where you were when JFK was shot. For
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| | throughout the world, believing that the
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| those of you who are cigar lovers, you
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| | form of government that works for insect
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| probably vividly remember where you were
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| | colonies would not necessarily work for
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| when he made Cuban Cigars illegal.
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| | humans, but no American wanted cigars
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| For over four decades, cigar smokers of
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| | from Cuba to become illegal either.
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| America have been left without the
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| | JFK himself was among those who indulged
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| ability to procure what's reputed to be
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| | in the luxuries of a Cuban Cigar. In
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| the finest smokes on the market; they've
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| | fact, knowing the embargo was imminent,
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| been left empty -handed like a child who
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| | JFK sent his press secretary out to
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| lost a favorite toy, a very luxurious,
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| | obtain a stockpile of Cuban Cigars on the
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| flavorful toy, in a neighbor's backyard.
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| | eve before he signed the Executive Order.
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| This has placed cigar lovers in perpetual
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| | For those who didn't have the inside
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| wonderment, asking why they are missing
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| | information of the President, the Cuban
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| out on one of life's greatest pleasures.
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| | Cigar embargo ended a cigar democracy
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| The History
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| | Americans had come to love and expect.
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| Bent on a legacy of close economic and
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| | Just as Prohibition forever changed the
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| geographical relations, the ties between
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| | alcohol industry, the Cuban Cigar embargo
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| Cuba and America began to unravel when
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| | forever changed the cigar industry; it is
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| the Cuban Revolution gave Fidel Castro
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| | as if all the government needs to do to
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| power on January 7, 1959. These tensions
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| | shake up any industry is make something
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| between the two countries were further
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| | about that industry illegal. While
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| compounded when Cuba and the Soviet Union
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| | Prohibition saw bootleggers and wine
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| appeared in cahoots, like two forces
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| | smuggling, the Cuban Cigar embargo saw
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| attending a Communistic tea party.
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| | the black market obtain a best selling
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| Reacting to this two-headed threat, the
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| | item.
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| US dealt with unraveling ties by severing
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| | But, of course, anytime anything comes
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| them altogether.
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| | onto the black market, counterfeiters sit
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| Cuban Cigars found their way into the
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| | by licking their lips and waiting for
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| history books on February 7, 1962.
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| | unsuspecting purchasers. This is
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| Intending to cut off Castro and his
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| | particularly true with Cuban Cigars.
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| government, JFK implemented a trade
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| | While they are seemingly easy to get
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| embargo. Americans, under this embargo,
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| | inside the US, everyone has a friend who
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| were prohibited from purchasing Cuban
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| | has a friend who sells them, those
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| Cigars and Cuba, as JFK intended, lost a
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| | patrons who purchase them have a better
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| majority of their customer base, and a
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| | chance of being scammed than obtaining
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| great amount of revenue.
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| | the real thing.
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| The US government knew this would happen;
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| | The Cuban Cigar embargo also added to its
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| just four years earlier 67 percent of
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| | already exciting reputation: smoking
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| Cuba's exports and 70 percent of their
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| | something illegal often seems more fun
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| imports involved the US. A trade embargo
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| | than smoking something not prohibited by
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| was sure to hit them below the belt. And
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| | law. Banning the cigars drew attention to
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| so, JFK laced up his gloves.
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| | them and, as soon as smokers learned they
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| While the embargo resulted in American
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| | couldn't have them, they wanted them even
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| exporters losing an estimated 1.2
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| | more. This resulted in a boom in the
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| billion, the Cuban government lost much
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| | black market (Cuban Cigars began
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| more; the embargo cost them roughly 70
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| | circulating everywhere), an upslope of
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| billion. However, this loss didn't hit
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| | cigar smuggling (people began
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| Cuba with the force intended; the Soviet
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| | transporting Cuban Cigars from Canada,
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| Union, supplying Cuba with subsidies,
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| | where the embargo did not exist) and a
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| shielded the blow.
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| | foundation of counterfeiting (some people
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| The Criticism
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| | were able to quit their day jobs and
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| As soon as the embargo began, so did the
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| | start a business peddling fake Cubans,
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| criticism. While tobacco lovers
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| | not much of a dental plan, but lucrative
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| everywhere were angry, standing by and
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| | nonetheless).
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| watching their ability to procure the
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| | The Cuban Cigar embargo is the epitome of
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| best cigars in the world go up in smoke,
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| | tobacco history. Not only have few
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| much of the criticism came on a political
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| | government acts in the entire existence
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| level.
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| | of America impacted the smoking industry
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| While some argued that the embargo only
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| | so drastically, but the Cuban Cigar
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| strengthened the unity between the Soviet
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| | embargo demonstrates how much the history
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| Union and Cuba - just as the attack on
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| | of a nation is intertwined with the
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| Pearl Harbor strengthened the
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| | history of cigars.
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| relationship between the US and Great
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| | The embargo had nothing to do with cigars
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| Britain - others argued that the embargo
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| | themselves, JFK wasn't offended or turned
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| gave Castro an excuse for Cuba's lack of
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| | off by something a Cuban Cigar had once
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| prosperity. In a time when Cuba was
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| | said to him. It was merely a political
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| plagued by problems, critics feared
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| | move to protect a country during a time
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| Castro would be able to shrug his
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| | when Communism seemed ready to take over.
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| shoulders and say, "What? It's not me;
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| | However, times have changed: the Soviet
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| blame the cigars."
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| | Union has since dissolved and Cuba is not
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| To this day, the embargo continues to be
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| | the threat they were in the years that
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| looked on negatively by members of the
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| | preceded the Cold War. It seems, in
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| United Nations. Each year the UN calls,
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| | fairness to American smokers, that Cuban
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| by a large majority vote, for the US to
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| | Cigars should once again be legal: the
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| lift its embargo and each year the US
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| | Cuban Cigar embargo needs a little
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| refuses.
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| | embargoing of its own.
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