In fairness, the black and white picture you paint puts him on the same level as Stalin, Mao, Hitler et al. I would have to disagree and point out that the history of Cuba (+ Castro) is far more involved than your summary suggests (you can start by looking at the swell guy he overthrew).
Castro steps down.
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Castro and Cuba haven't been helped by the fact the United States has had a complete economic embargo on it during that time has no doubt impinged on Cuba's economic prospects since 1962. With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Cuba lost its remaining ally but the economic cold war waged on it by the United States continued unabated.
If one were to remove the United States' access to imported oil (almost 60% of it's total consumption) I doubt it would remain a bastion of free market capitalism for very long. One can hypothesize the effects this would also have on its democratic system. Also, I imagine we would see large numbers of US citizens looking for economic refuge north of the border in Canada.
All Castro had to do was free his people. He hardly held the high moral ground on that one.
You're absolutely correct, I was going to mention PO but it's a bit off topic, but as you brought it up, Cuba has indeed been mentioned as a case in how to manage peaking and declining oil & gas supplies.
Cuba also initiated a large scale wind and solar energy programme. Recent drilling off Cuba has uncovered large potential oil reserves.
We have a relatively small population and plenty of good farming land so we'll feed ourselves fine.
All America had to do was call an end to their economic embargo which then that might have lead to some form of a successful socialist society in Cuba but I guess that would be something that America would find hard to live with, ergo punitive embargoes remain in place.
Cuba also has virtually no industry, proportionally very few cars, and little of the energy demands of a modern thriving economy, so you're hardly comparing like with like.
So? It still went from a period of energy availability relative to its then economic output (pre- Soviet collapse in '91) to a period (post '91) where the energy availability was drastically reduced with a corresponding drop in economic output. Do you think an industrialized nation if it were to undergo a similar reduction would far any better relatively speaking?
Can't do that as we're part of the EU, free movement within member states, etc. See any potential problems there down the line?!?
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z103
Guest
What do you mean by 'free'?
He stood up to American bullying, and he did it with flair and intelligence. Who does not admire the little guy who stands up to bullying?
American interests in Cuba had been to a great extent gambling, nightclubs, prostitution, and other dark activities. Castro did largely end this, making an enemy of the American Mafia interests who owned what had been goldmines.He rescued his nation from being an off-shore dyonisian playground where US citizens from the bible belt states could hide their sins from their neighbours. Walking off a ship in Havana now, one no longer has to run the gauntlet of a long avenue of brothels. It remains to be seen if his brother Raul can set his free people from himself whilst keeping them from being enslaved (again) by US dollars.
Castro did genuinely try to help his people, and he did some very worthwhile things.
In Cuba, a poor country, the average 8th grader is better educated, by far, than he or she is in the United States. Tests and observations have shown this many times. His health care system and medical training were remarkable achievements. Both recognised by the UN and the World BAnk.
He resisted numerous murder attempts by the CIA and its agents, he resisted an invasion, and he withstood a senseless embargo.
These facts tell us something about Castro not widely appreciated in the U.S. and some countries in Europe. He was a popular figure despite having opponents just as all politicians do.
Castro's only flaw was that of all dictators, he wouldn't hand over power. Like most "communist" dictators he found out that the latter part of Marxism, the withering away of the power of the state, will never happen in human society.
American interests in Cuba had been to a great extent gambling, nightclubs, prostitution, and other dark activities. Castro did largely end this, making an enemy of the American Mafia interests who owned what had been goldmines.He rescued his nation from being an off-shore dyonisian playground where US citizens from the bible belt states could hide their sins from their neighbours. Walking off a ship in Havana now, one no longer has to run the gauntlet of a long avenue of brothels. It remains to be seen if his brother Raul can set his free people from himself whilst keeping them from being enslaved (again) by US dollars.
Castro did genuinely try to help his people, and he did some very worthwhile things.
In Cuba, a poor country, the average 8th grader is better educated, by far, than he or she is in the United States. Tests and observations have shown this many times. His health care system and medical training were remarkable achievements. Both recognised by the UN and the World BAnk.
He resisted numerous murder attempts by the CIA and its agents, he resisted an invasion, and he withstood a senseless embargo.
These facts tell us something about Castro not widely appreciated in the U.S. and some countries in Europe. He was a popular figure despite having opponents just as all politicians do.
Castro's only flaw was that of all dictators, he wouldn't hand over power. Like most "communist" dictators he found out that the latter part of Marxism, the withering away of the power of the state, will never happen in human society.
The defence of Castro in this thread is really amusing - thanks for brightening my day with some good laughs guys 
I'll finish my involvement in what is certain to be a never-ending thread by asking this:
if Cuba is so wonderful, and the US so dreadful, how come I've never heard of Americans fleeing to Cuba in the dead of night on a homemade raft across shark infested waters? Maybe Americans, with their inferior education, don't know how to make homemade rafts?
I'll finish my involvement in what is certain to be a never-ending thread by asking this:
if Cuba is so wonderful, and the US so dreadful, how come I've never heard of Americans fleeing to Cuba in the dead of night on a homemade raft across shark infested waters? Maybe Americans, with their inferior education, don't know how to make homemade rafts?
The right to self-determination. Democracy.
No, it's not that.
Given the choice how many people would choose to live in a prosperous free and democratic country or a totalitarian communist dictatorship?
Before choosing remember that if you don't like it in the democratic country you can leave but if the commies are not for you it's tough, you are stuck there.
I'll take the latter thanks, and work on the problem of weaning myself off the oil dependence.
Apologies.
Would you take their political system as well?
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z103
Guest
Ah! - you're referring to elections?
Where once every few years, people vote bertie back in again, or once in a while give fine gael a go (who are pretty much the same). I would hardly call that self-determination. Of course it suits the political parties.
TDs are generally voted in on the following grounds;
- Who people think are going to win. Everyone likes to back a winner.
- Which election posters look nicest.
- Whoever their parents vote(d) for.