I love the idea. The land area seems kind of small, but the deep-water port more than makes up for it.
It will sure piss off the Cuban Communist party!
By the way, I also wrote some articles on the Freedom City concept before Trump ever came out in favor of the idea. I also profiled the idea in my second book.
I think the American Mountain West offers many possible sites. It has massive amounts of relatively flat federal land and major freeways running right through the middle.
I would recommend experimenting with the idea by allowing suburbs to be built in the federal lands around Las Vegas. As far as I know Las Vegas is the only major metro region surrounded by large amounts of relatively flat federal land. Seems like a perfect test site.
"Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to make available at less than fair market value land in Nevada, in accordance with the RPPA, for purposes of affordable housing (housing that is assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937) only to State and local governmental entities (including local public housing authorities)."
I think that this is a very exciting idea, and I would love to see it happen! That said, it looks like the US currently has a leased agreement with Cuba for the base. According to Article III of the second part of the lease, the US can't conduct "commercial or other enterprise within the leased areas" (unless the lease is renegotiated): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base#Permanent_lease
My understanding of the lease is that the Cuban government says it isn't real and doesn't accept payment, and the US says it is real and sends payment, and everyone just doesn't do anything about it because Cuba can't win a war against us.
One problem: I doubt that there is *any* support for lifting the stupid Cuban embargo in the Republican party. (Or the Dems either. They'd have to admit that what they did to Cuba for the last 40+ years, i.e. basically since the fall of the German wall, made no sense whatsoever.)
Building a city takes a lot of resources. So does feeding its people. If you need to ship everything in, continuously, I doubt the project would be viable.
Certainly a SEZ would be better than the current use of Guantanamo Bay. And with rising world tensions, it would be nice to have that additional useful “outpost”. Still, we could just immediately repeal the Jones Act which no longer serves a productive purpose. That would create immediate relief and additional prosperity for our American citizens in Puerto Rico.
"The land on which the base stands was leased to the US by Cuba in 1903.
The Cuban government which came to power in the revolution of 1959 has long demanded its return, saying it is a violation of international law, but the US points to a legal provision making the lease permanent unless it is terminated by mutual agreement."
Cuba is internationally recognised as an independent sovereign nation state. So how would they feel about the US building a huge city on land that is in dispute?
Given President Trump’s recent edict (sorry - “Executive order”), he might try building it and staffing it with deported migrant workers - it worked fine elsewhere in the 1930s/1940s - for a while.
From that article: “The project aims to convert the current Port of Ponce into a value-added tax-free customs-free international shipping hub similar to, though not as large as, the megaports located in Singapore and Rotterdam.”
"Like Shenzhen and Hong Kong, another benefit would be to show the Communist party controlling the neighboring region that capitalism works better. China is not a Communist country anymore, and I suspect the success of Shenzhen and Hong Kong played a big role."
What do you mean "China is not a Communist country anymore,"??!
Love the idea but not overly enthusiastic about making it a SEZ to facilitate foreign trade. That's a big incentive for other countries to build new ships - not necessarily something the US would want (following the arguments in something like The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, which while flawed in many ways, makes a very convincing argument as to the importance of US Naval supremacy as a gateway to space supremacy)
I haven't come across that - interesting. The global or the US shipping industry? Seems like it couldn't do anything but help the US shipping industry. You want our ports, you ship on our boats kind of thing.
As a Cuban American myself, I support it 💪
If it’s sold right, you’d likely get many Cubans in Miami to support this idea as a way to further embarrass the communist regime.
I love the idea. The land area seems kind of small, but the deep-water port more than makes up for it.
It will sure piss off the Cuban Communist party!
By the way, I also wrote some articles on the Freedom City concept before Trump ever came out in favor of the idea. I also profiled the idea in my second book.
I think the American Mountain West offers many possible sites. It has massive amounts of relatively flat federal land and major freeways running right through the middle.
I would recommend experimenting with the idea by allowing suburbs to be built in the federal lands around Las Vegas. As far as I know Las Vegas is the only major metro region surrounded by large amounts of relatively flat federal land. Seems like a perfect test site.
I write more here:
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/did-donald-trump-steal-my-freedom
Vegas resident! There's actually a special program for transferring BLM land to developers set up by Harry Reid for this exact purpose.
Tell me more!
I just found this article. No history, but it is quite recent:
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/blm-to-auction-11-properties-across-las-vegas-valley/
I believe that this is the actual legislation.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/449/text
The summary says:
"Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to make available at less than fair market value land in Nevada, in accordance with the RPPA, for purposes of affordable housing (housing that is assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937) only to State and local governmental entities (including local public housing authorities)."
Interesting. I had never heard of that.
I think that this is a very exciting idea, and I would love to see it happen! That said, it looks like the US currently has a leased agreement with Cuba for the base. According to Article III of the second part of the lease, the US can't conduct "commercial or other enterprise within the leased areas" (unless the lease is renegotiated): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base#Permanent_lease
I had read the original but not the amended version. Thanks. You are right!
My understanding of the lease is that the Cuban government says it isn't real and doesn't accept payment, and the US says it is real and sends payment, and everyone just doesn't do anything about it because Cuba can't win a war against us.
One problem: I doubt that there is *any* support for lifting the stupid Cuban embargo in the Republican party. (Or the Dems either. They'd have to admit that what they did to Cuba for the last 40+ years, i.e. basically since the fall of the German wall, made no sense whatsoever.)
Who talked about lifting the embargo?
Building a city takes a lot of resources. So does feeding its people. If you need to ship everything in, continuously, I doubt the project would be viable.
It’s a good idea. Especially after we diplomatically make Cuba part of Florida
And Greenland part of Maine. Canada is north North Dakota.
Tomas,
I can't tell if you are being facetious or not.
Are you seriously suggesting invading and colonising other countries?
interesting concept. it would be like hong kong when it was a british port with a communist country just across the border.
That’s exactly what it would be!
And it was good for both Hong Kong and China. That’s where Shenzhen comes from!
Certainly a SEZ would be better than the current use of Guantanamo Bay. And with rising world tensions, it would be nice to have that additional useful “outpost”. Still, we could just immediately repeal the Jones Act which no longer serves a productive purpose. That would create immediate relief and additional prosperity for our American citizens in Puerto Rico.
Agreed!
I think this is brilliant. Made me laugh out loud (in a good way)
What a truly horrendous idea. Guantanamo is a colonial vestige, extracted from Cuba at gunpoint. It is occupied territory, not part of the US.
Hello Tomas,
I live in Australia and I don't know much about Cuba. I've only just done some brief background reading on Guantanamo Bay.
It seems Cuba owns the land that it is currently leasing to the US for a meagre sum of $4,000 per annum.
According to this short BBC article:- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-31059030
"The land on which the base stands was leased to the US by Cuba in 1903.
The Cuban government which came to power in the revolution of 1959 has long demanded its return, saying it is a violation of international law, but the US points to a legal provision making the lease permanent unless it is terminated by mutual agreement."
Cuba is internationally recognised as an independent sovereign nation state. So how would they feel about the US building a huge city on land that is in dispute?
They wouldn’t like it but they can’t do anything about it and it would be legal
Given President Trump’s recent edict (sorry - “Executive order”), he might try building it and staffing it with deported migrant workers - it worked fine elsewhere in the 1930s/1940s - for a while.
Worked well for Australia!
You mention Puerto Rico. Why not put the SEZ there? It seems like that’s already happening: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Cordero_Santiago_Port_of_the_Americas
From that article: “The project aims to convert the current Port of Ponce into a value-added tax-free customs-free international shipping hub similar to, though not as large as, the megaports located in Singapore and Rotterdam.”
The tax is part of the issue, but canceling the Jones Act would be even more valuable I reckon
"Like Shenzhen and Hong Kong, another benefit would be to show the Communist party controlling the neighboring region that capitalism works better. China is not a Communist country anymore, and I suspect the success of Shenzhen and Hong Kong played a big role."
What do you mean "China is not a Communist country anymore,"??!
Think what communism is.
Then compare that to China’s economic system.
Don’t mix labels with realities. The CCP can label themselves however they want. That doesn’t make them communist.
Love the idea but not overly enthusiastic about making it a SEZ to facilitate foreign trade. That's a big incentive for other countries to build new ships - not necessarily something the US would want (following the arguments in something like The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, which while flawed in many ways, makes a very convincing argument as to the importance of US Naval supremacy as a gateway to space supremacy)
It is estimated that the Jones Act has in fact been negative for the shipbuilding industry. This is just one coy way to put pressure on it 😅
I haven't come across that - interesting. The global or the US shipping industry? Seems like it couldn't do anything but help the US shipping industry. You want our ports, you ship on our boats kind of thing.
Rubio should see this
I think it's a great idea, but what would we do with all the Cabal collaborators that are currently being housed at Gitmo?
Cabal?