I am not surprised to find your sentiments similar to my impressions of Cuba--down to the point where you say "None of these comments should be interpreted as support or justification for the Cuban regime, which is a brutal and corrupt dictatorship."

I don't strongly dispute your perception, but I do wonder about your basis for "brutal and corrupt." I am also somewhat amused by a condemnation of one governmental authority replacing one that was brutally repressive, exceedingly corrupt, and overly elitist and whose negative attributes were confirmed by the empirical evidence of my direct experience.

I do not personally know of the "major internal support" of the Castro dictatorship, but I do know that in 1957 I was a huge Hemmingway fan and in Cuba and ready to join with a great infatuation to the romantic revolution that was ready to return "Lefty Clark's Tropicana" back to the people. Hell, I even stayed in the same hotel Castro used when he came to town, the Rex Hotel.

And you are certainly correct when you say that much of the blanket condemnation of the exile community as wealthy reactionaries and fascists is unfair. By the same token that condemnation hits the mark in far too many cases to allow much comfort.

At some point third and fourth generation population of Cuban ancestory have to concede they are not, and never have been, part of an exile community.

I am a third generation Irishman and would feel it a major stretch to claim to be an Irish exile. I was able, and proud, to be able to establish and claim Irish citizenship and obtain an Irish passport once I was put on the Book of Lists. But exile, not hardly. I am quite comfortable to an American with Irish ancestors thank you.

Publlius