and the walls come tumbling down in the city that we love

After five long decades of isolation the embargo imposed upon the Cuban people by Eisenhower and strengthened by many Presidents since is finally being lifted.  We Canadians have been trading with the Cubans throughout the totality of this unpleasant policy (if only because we felt the need to avail ourselves of their wonderfully warm beaches during our long and brutal winters) but it's good to see there has finally been a sensible decision made in Washington. It is clear the sanctions did nothing to destabilize Fidel (in fact they appear to have shored up support for his regime and that of his brother) and they have taken a monstrous toll on the Cuban people, almost as much as the economic system put in place by the island dictator or the political repression of his state.  Perhaps now the Cuban people will have something aside from rice and beans to eat every meal and the women can live comfortably without having to resort to prostitution.