Would Cuba be better off without Fidel Castro, or would things be the same or worst with his predecessor?
477484
As long as Cuba is communist the majority of people will live in poverty.  The United States still has some hatred for the Cuban govt. because of the missle crisis.  Cuba also tricked us into believing that they were capitalist.  As long as Cubans complain about Fidel or any one else with a similar regime i dont believe we will help and with out US help Cuba is doomed.  (remember we control most of the world bank)
1178070
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born 13 August 1926) is the current President of Cuba. He held the title of Prime Minister from 1959 [1], after commanding the revolution that overthrew Fulgencio Batista, until 1976 when he became president of the both the Council of State and the Council of Ministers. Castro became first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party in 1965, and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic.
2974
Because of the strategic position of Cuba, the United States possessed it at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, and later leased the property for a military base.  The United States has continued to do so even into Castro's reign, presumably because it did not want to relinquish such a strategic position, it did not want to give up the improvements it had made, and because it does not really affect Castro's power.  Castro has only cashed one rent check from the United States anyway.
341545
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (pron. IPA: [fidel alexandro kastro rus]; born August 13, 1926) has been the leader of Cuba since 1959, when, leading the 26th of July Movement, he overthrew the regime of Fulgencio Batista. In the years that followed he oversaw the transformation of Cuba into the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere.\nCastro first attracted attention in Cuban political life through his student activism. His outspoken nationalism, and radical critique of Batista and US corporate and political influence in Cuba, brought a receptive following as well as criticism, together with attention from the authorities. Later, his leadership of the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks, subsequent exile, and eventual guerrilla invasion of Cuba in December 1956 cemented his fame worldwide. Since his accession to power in 1959, he has maintained a high, and controversial, profile. Inciting much condemnation, praise and debate, Castro is a highly controversial leader who is viewed as a dictator by some while others see him as a legitimate and popular leader.\nInternationally, after the failed American-directed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961, his leadership has been marked by tensions with the United States, a close partnership with the Soviet Union (resulting in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis) until its collapse in 1991, and foreign intervention in many countries of the third world. Domestically, he has overseen the implementation of land reform followed by the collectivization of agriculture, nationalization of leading Cuban industries, and the availability of free health care and free education.\nIn the event of sickness or death, Castro would likely be succeeded by Vice President, Raúl Castro, his brother.\n\nEarly life\nCastro was born into a wealthy farming family in Birán, near Cueto, Holguín Province (formerly Oriente Province) and not far from the birthplace of Fulgencio Batista, the man whose government he was to overthrow. The son of a former colonial soldier Ángel Castro y Argiz (and immigrant (after 1898) from Galicia, Spain) and his cook, Lina Ruz González, Castro has two brothers: Ramón, who has a position in the agriculture department and is said to run the family estates; and half-brother Raúl, the Cuban defense minister.Castro also has at least one other sibling, his sister Juanita, who lives in the United States. In summary his family situation was complex his siblings include Ramón, Lidia, Pedro Emilio, Ángela, Raúl, Juana, Emma, and Agustina\n\nAs for aspirations of his future career, according to Georgie Anne Geyer (1991), one of Castro's first and most quoted biographers, the dominating factor in Castro’s life is hatred for the United States, a claim confirmed by his first wife and others (Raffy, 2003). His antipathy toward America can be traced in significant part to his childhood. Castro is the illegitimate child of Angel Castro (1875-1956), an illiterate Spaniard from Galicia, Spain, who went to Cuba as a private with the Spanish army to fight against the United States. He was the paid substitute for the son of a wealthy Spaniard. The elder Castro fought in that “splendid little war” against the Cuban George Washington, José Martí, in the eastern-most province of Santiago (where Martí died and three years later Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders also fought); Castro studiously avoids talking about his father’s participation in the war against Cuba’s founding fathers (Fuentes, 2004).\n\nEducation\n\nCastro was educated at Jesuit and La Salle Christian Brothers Schools private schools in Santiago de Cuba and the Colegio de Belén in Havana, graduating in 1945. He would later expel the faculty from Cuba, like many other priests and religious figures, and have the schools property nationalized. After high school, Castro enrolled at the University of Havana to study law. Here he joined the Union Insurreccional Revolucionaria (UIR, the Insurrectional Revolutionary Union)
111588
Why?  Is the flag needing another star?  What will we do with the Virgin Islands and Pueto Rico ?  Empire building for its own sake is not a good thing.  Why not invade Itally ? \nI don't see the rationale and there are limits to what kind of burden the US economy and military can manage as it is.\nWhat's there? Baseball players, sugar cane, and a few decent musicians ?   Why not invade Columbia and free them from drug lords...but the key reason not to invade Cuba is that CUBA HAS NO OIL.\n\nVenezula had better watch out.
480145
The embargo could hardly be called a new event since it was put in place by John Kennedy. Why don't you do one based on the soon to take place change of power in Cuba. What will happen when Fidel dies? Or about how even with the increases in tourism to Cuba in recent years, the everyday person is still denied access to visiters and the illeagality of cuban ownership of any kind of foreign currency.
937959
I wouldnt cuba is a sh%Thole, and why would want to give Fidel factories, instructure in place. Become closer to France to curropt them more we need to break thier arrogance together. Remember, France is xenophonic but the its always fun to hear British jokes bash France hahahaha..
419961
I went to war over U commie bastards , Why dont U go to Cuba with that A-s hole Castro.Share my a-s most of UR freedoms R taken away , and the goverment will tell U how to think.Eat Me !
649909
I think Fidel's brother Raul is still hanging around. The Cuban Politburo might just go for him.
1045207
Last night I watched Bill Moyers interview of Salman Rushdie on PBS - first of a new seven part series - and Mr Rushdie addressed this issue.  \n\nHis comment was that people who have never experienced freedom don't know that other avenues are available, and I agree.  \n\nWith the usual total control of the instruments of suppression, the military, secret police, the newspapers and other information media, and the often fatal consequences for disobedience it is probably remarkable that any of these people rebel.  Additionally, keeping body and soul together in most dictatorships doesn't leave time for much else.  \n\nThat mindset take a long time to change.  The Internet should help.  \n\nCuba is a bit different in that Castro replaced a government that was corrupt and his early supporters remembered.  \n\nRemember, too, where the is no free press there isn't much debate.
1152028
Unfortunately yes. If for no other reason than his uncanny preserverance. He has survived and led his country, though there have been many attempts on his life. He has kept alive communism in his country.\nOne can only hope that once he is out of power, Cuba can gain enough freedom to replace him with someone that has human rights as a main issue.
1144306
NOT MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!\n\nLike nowadays, America is built upon the poor under dictatorships.\nBatista was dictator of Cuba with America owning 75% of the farmland. It was practically a U.S. state.\nInfo at http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.com
1072582
Cuba is a communist nation. the people get treated right some Cubans want to overthrow the president Fidel Castro because he has been in power for over 43years. They cant have free elections and they are not allowed to talk bad about their president.
236002
He is a much worse version of Castro. He takes everything from his people and should be taken out of power
529589
Cuba is ninety miles from the US.  Cuba was the only country in the western hemisphere that was communist.  Russia put missiles in Cuba directed at the US,  The wealthy Cubans got out and moved to Florida when Castro took over, became a political force.  Russia was the only other superpower that could challenge the US and in Cuba they were too close for comfort.  Remember the times -  it was early 60s.  Only two powers had nukes, Russia and the US.  School children practiced drills against nuke attacks.  They were taught to hid under school desks. Shelter were set up  and stocked by the govt in case of a nuke strike.  It was not too long after the Red scare congressional hearings and many US citizens being ruined by blacklisting.  A big difference now and then is that the US economy was strong.  Manufacturing took place in the US.  We had the natural resources to  keep the country going.  It was  around 20 years since Europe was torn apart by a World War.  It was around 20 years since the US saw what a nuke could do.  Rmemmber Japan.  Memories were fresh and not yet part of history  that few people are still alive to remember. Items made in Japan were trinkets with a low value.  We had a nice little war going called Viet Nam against the Communist.  How could we say it was OK for them to be in Cuba even though the previous system was a place of extreme wealth and extreme poor.  Corruption was common and then go to war against the same political system in Southeast Asia. War in the past  always helped the US economy. The reason that we don't don't beat the drum against China the way we did USSR is that China holds a huge chunk of the US debt now.  If they called it in the US would be bankrupt.
897194
The history of Cuba is essentially the history of the tragedy of American foreign policy since WW2.\nHistory already has absolved Castro in most parts of the world except right factions and miami dissidents in the US. His famous speech,  "History will absolve me" has become true...at a time during the Batista regime when Cuba mainly served as a gambling island and was owned by Americans, Castro led a people's revolution stating that history would absolve him. Ever since 1959, in Cuba, he has been absolved.  The entire history of Cuban politics in the past 50 years has been charaterized by anti-Americansim - his rule a defense mechanism against the greatest Empire in history. In that time, he has taken Cuba from a corrupt protectorate of the USA, from a client state of the USSR...to now, a completely independent country.  He is the leader of one of the smallest countries in the world, but is known throughout the world. He has taken Cuba from the tyranny and subjugation of the Batista regime, and brought on a people's revolution that has seen Cuba produce Nobel Prize winners, Olympic Athletes, Baseball players, Jazz musicians, doctors...taken the education and healthcare sytems from being in shambles to developing and sustaining a standard that not only erases illiteracy, but is capable of exporting to other developing countries...both in medicine and education.  \nFidel Castro has taken the Cuban people from being occupied slaves of the US and turned them into someone. An incredible achievement that not many other leaders in history can claim.\nNelson Mandela is one of Fidel Castro's closest friends...without Cuban aid and support during the 1980s apartheid...South Africa, Namibia and a host of other south african ".would not have gained independence wen they did.  But, as Harry Belafonte says, "If you don't understand this history, then you will never understand the importance of the Cuban revolution." Castro came into power and was greeted as a liberator of the Cuban people - he still is. The worst crime that he commited was giving the land and resources back to the Cuban people, instead of American companies. For that, the USA tried to invade during the Bay of Pigs; after that the world narrowly escaped a nuclear crisis as Cuba aimed to defend itself with Soviet aid against another attack.  Throughout, the Trade Embargo has remained...paradoxically granting themselves of American independence, but also, being isolated from the world's largest economy. I think the better question is: Will the US ever be absolved for what it has done to Cuba and its people since its revolution, which is completely supported by its own people. If only the USA would respect the sovereign rights of other countries. Will the US ever be forgiven for Operation Peter Pan, in which the CIA and the Catholic church kidnapped over 20,000 Cuban children from their parents and flew them to the US. Will the US ever be forgiven for being hypocrites for not trading with Cuba, but with China on an unprecendented level.\nVive le Castro! Vive le revolucion!
812807
It is possible to have a benign dictator - someone who has absolute control and uses it (to some extent) to benefit the people he governs.  But it is hard to argue that the government of Cuba is anything else when opposition groups are illegal and there are no observers or NGO oversight during elections.\n\nCastro has done a lot for his country, particularly in terms of education and medicine, but it is sad to see it come with a loss of civil and human rights.  I think it's misleading to look at his actions as entirely good or bad.