Fidel Castro has been a horrible leader for Cuba. I think there is no debate in the civilized world on this point. I've been "el museo de la revolucion" in Havana. He basically blames the inevitable catastrophic results of his policies on US conspiracies. I've seen ordinary people being harassed and arrested on the streets by the special police. Locals aren't allowed to enter / visit the tourist hotels. There are chronic shortages. A man begged me on the street to buy his children milk. None of this is debated.

But we must face the facts. Fidel has outlasted 6 (!) US presidents. And while we've tried everything from economic embargoes to assassination attempts, we have failed. Plain and simple. And unfortunately the Cuban people have paid for it. Their economy is in shambles. How many times do we have to prove that economic growth is the ONLY way to improved standards of living. So over the last 60 years maybe Fidel would still be there, but at least the average wage of a Cuban worker would be larger than the current $250/year. That's right, per YEAR.

And don't forget, once people get a taste of prosperity, social change is just a step behind.