Fidel Castro had a stroke and is near vegetative state

[Gandalf]

Miles you are so cute when you go on your I hate America rants. The thread is about Cuba so why are you comparing it to the US (as if there even is a comparison)? You could list those problems for just about every nation particularly one that has a diverse population of over 300+ million people. That being said I can think of a country that thousands of people daily risk their lives to enter but you are right that place probably sucks balls. Have you actually been to Cuba? B/C I have and I would say all things being relative that they are not doing very well. At the end of the day if you have to make a system or set of ideas mandatory then they probably are not very good.

I haven't been to Cuba but have read a fair bit about the place and have said that it is struggling. However, most of that struggle is as a result of draconian US foreign policy.

I compared it to the US because an American was attacking it and being rather repulsive about what it has become. I didn't feel it was fair to attack Cuba like that.

I really dislike Castro's 'cult of personality' and his dictatorship, but there are undoubtedly some things that you have to respect about Cuba. It is surviving and it is only the nastiness of the US that is making it this poor. America has done more to hurt Cuba than Castro.

[VictorCharlie]

Whatever Miles if it had been Aussies discussing Cuba you'd have still gone on your predictable America is bad rant. I'm all for ending the embargo but if you are seriously going to suggest that Cuba's issues stem more from an embargo than its oppressive regime then you are truly ignorant.

Cuba and the Death of Communism - Reason.com

Cuban Confusion - Reason.com

Cuba: What Is and What Can Be - Hit & Run : Reason.com

[Gandalf]

It is a combination of the two. I am not ignorant, just unwilling to put all the blame on 'communism'. You need a combination of economic freedom and state planning and when the balance tips too far either way you have problems. Cuba has its problems, I have never said otherwise, but it is not completely without merit.