It is and was fascinating. I'm completely positive that is an accurate analysis of what was, is and will be from a very close point of view.

And there can be others which are also accurate. (You even mention another cousin with a different POV.) Fidel is undoubtedly narcissistic or sociopathic, revolutionaries invariably are. And revolutionaries inevitably do what they must to preserve the revolution, just as the American government will do anything it can to preserve it's government. All of the abuses of the Patriot Act, of Stalin's gulags, of the Chinese slaughters are done in the name of "Homeland Security". That explains them, I believe, without excusing them. With a huge and hostile country 90 miles away it did behoove that revolution to be very, very wary.

While there is undoubtedly a considerable amount of envy on the part of Cubans toward their wealthier cousins, I suspect Fidel was able to clamp down harder on his populace with the aid of Cuban patriots using the "Great Satan" as the foil. And had Cuba been able to conduct normal trade with the US, matters may have been substantially different.

I remember the times of the revolution, and I don't think Castro was communist at that time. I know there was considerable speculation. I believe he was socialist. I believe he was against the abuses of the corrupt governments Cuba had, and couldn't have fomented a successful revolution without there having been considerable disaffection toward the status quo.

However, the displaced Batista's insisted upon sanctions and to stay in power Castro had to align Cuba with some other power. The USSR was all that was left (so to speak). That may or may not be accurate, may be a contributing but not controlling factor, or not operative at all. That's how it seemed from a long, long ways away.

It seems to me it's like looking at a the mirrored ball in a disco - there is one ball with many, many different views. What is clear is that the people of Cuba, a very bright, hard-working and well-educated bunch, have suffered needlessly. I believe it's been at the hands of all involved - the Batistas, who didn't seem to give much of a rip for Jose Seispack and thereby encouraged the revolution, the Castros who placed their power above all else, and the US which will sacrifice anyone on the altar of "free enterprise" and profits for multinationals.

Arf