Fidel has brought about one of the first truly egalitarian countries in the world where wealth is not the measure the country is held up to, but instead its the fact that every citizen of cuba is intitled to free education, free health care, sudsidised housing, subsidised food ect. We keep hearing about how many people keep risking there lives to escape cuba every year and that this in some way shows that socialism/communism has failed, but millions are escaping over the Mexican border into the USA every year but no one ever says this is because of the failed model of capitilism. If the american government hadn't put up a blockade around the island of Cuba for the last five decades maybe Cuba would be in a better state, but in saying that it hasn't done bad. We must not forget that a lot of places in the us are a lot poorer than Cuba

The fact that he resigned (if he is still alive) is one of the biggest failures of U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century.

Charismatic communist leader that could preserve the communism in the stand-alone country in South America until now. His deeds terrify, but they are nothing in comparison with leaders of the Eastren European countries and China.

Cuba is great! Fidel is not perfect, but he's held out against the US and maintained his county's culture and reduced inequalities.

Fidel is THE personality and leader of the 20th century.

I heard that he's a Communist.

Still alive, still going strong and still the biggest arsehole in Cuba, how much more can the people take from this decrepid old piece of garbage,,,,,,,

Betrayed Che.

Commie thug. Like to kill his own people. Dumps his criminals on the US. Is a hypocrite that has used capitist ways to keep his county going while still bashing anything but communism.

A friend of mine has parents who came here from Cuba and the stories they told me about their life under Castro were absouletly horrific. Oh yeah, leftwingextremist- can you please list the etc. part? Then again, you probably can't because if you could you wouldv'e mentioned them...

He's not perfect but I'd rather have Castro as my leader than Bush. Americans can be free as long as they have got money, but in Cuba they all have healthcare, higher education, etc no matter how much they earn.

Does anyone realize why thousands of Cubans brave the waters between Havana and Miami each year? It is because they are trying to escape towards freedom- a freedom too many ungrateful Americans take for granted and fail to realize that many who are less fortunate than they are actually willing to die for. Fidel Castro is a dictator who has repeatedly oppressed Cubans. Not to say life under the Bautista governments of the 1950s were any better, but certainly, Fidel Castro did not (and has not) contributed to the positive welfare of his people. Perhaps many might disagree with this opinion, but Cubans can definitely do better (if given the chance).

georgebushit hit it right on the button. Fidel Castro is a modern day genius. He is the best political leader of our era and forever will be. He has had conflicts with Eisenhower, JFK, Johnson, Nixon, Bush, and the best thing is he has out lived all of them. Hmmm I wonder why? The United States of America portrays him to be this evil dictator and a devil. The U.S. government puts things out there for us to believe and for us to understand how bad of a man he is. But what they don't show you is all the good things he does as well. I will one day visit Cuba and see that beautiful island. Viva Fidel Castro & Viva La Revolution!

No other political leader tells more truth than him. I wish people visit Cuba and learn about its democracy before accusing him of being a dictator. His Legacy will Live Forever!!

My family left Cuba after 1959 Revolution which brought Fidel Castro to power. Obviously, I grew up hearing about all the atrocities of this regime, but nonetheless I will try to be as impartial as I can when discussing his 45 year tenure as dictator of Cuba. I'll give Castro credit, here's a guy who has held on against the United States for so long. Castro ironically enough came to power on a platform of popular support in the late-1950's. Rather than enact democratic reforms, Castro's new government began to impose political purges and a reorganization of government along Stalinist lines. He still violates human rights even into today by executing political dissidents who dare rise up against his leadership. Those who give him hero status must realize that this is a man who doesn't respect basic freedoms that we all take for granted here; freedom of speech, assembly, and due process. Castro really isn't a communist, even he himself realized, like the former Maoists, that you can't impose such a system on a fairly agricultural society like Cuba; his system is actually more of a cult of personality which revolves around the great leader himself and Che Guevara. I believe that he's managed to hold on so long because Castro's a nationalist, as much as the exile community here in Miami would like to deny it, a lot of people over there respect Castro for standing up to the United States by nationalizing their assets. Castro became a communist in large part just to get on the nerves of the Americans; that and the Soviets were willing to give him plenty of military and economic aid. Being a part of the non-aligned movement during the Cold War was not enough for him. He supported communist revolutions in Angola and Grenada. As the Soviet Union liberalized it's policies during the late-1980's, relations began to cool somewhat. When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Cuba lost it's main markets for agricultural products and even hard currency. The Cuban economy, never very strong, began to crumble. A lot of Castro's programs are very popular, particularly his health care and education programs which brought modernity to the countryside. However, the standard of living in the island remains very low to the point that it has become very difficult to support this social network. It serves everyone, but not well. Castro opened up immigration to the United States during 1980 and 1994; the result was that thousands of people both times fled in anything that could float over to Florida. There is a lot of popular discontent and disenchantment with Castro, fear of standing up to the leadership prevents any strong popular dissident movement from rising up. Castro's revolution didn't really fix the gross inequities found on the island; in fact, it made everyone even poorer than before. Since the Russians are unable to sponsor Cuba, Castro has begun to partially privatize co-opts, but their economy remains too dependent on agriculture. They need to liberalize and diversify. Castro's Cuba remain economically isolated. Part of this has to do with the US embargo which has to be lifted if we expect genuine liberalization to occur both socially and economically. You can't divorce the two really. The embargo is really ineffective because every country in the world trades with Castro at any rate and the US sends billions of dollars to the island at any rate. So what's the point of all the animosity? Castro is a tyrant, but we deal with a lot of these types. Conditions will improve for all of the people if we lift the embargo. It will take political courage because the exile community here in Miami won't like it, but someone has to have the guts to say that the embargo has clearly been a failure. The people will benefit the most by lifting the embargo. Our policy towards the island is wrongheaded, but so is Castro for pursuing stubborn policies modeled after a system that long went into the dustheap of history. But I do admit, the guy is very tenacious.

Large and in charge.

VIVA FIDEL!

Hideous dictator who oppresses Cuban citizens to the point where ordinary people risk their lives to leave. A prime example of how Communist theory always leads to tyrannical dictatorships. Jimmy Carter had no business trying to "make nice" with this criminal. Shame on you, Jimmy.

Communist dictator for 40+ years...one would have to be totally stupid to rate him higher than 1. Do you like Saddam Hussein, too?

Thug.

He has destroyed an island that went from a very prosperous place to live to the most poor country in the America's. He has separated families. Fidel has poured his gerrillas all over Latin America and now see what is happening in Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, etc. What is the world waiting for?.

ONE OF THE BETTER COMMUNIST LEADERS. HE IS NOT AS BAD AS STALIN! A LITTLE CORRUPT, BUT NOT AS MUCH! STILL BETTER THAN BUSH!

I'll give him this, he sure outlasted his enemies.

Criminal totalitarian - hence, hero to Liberals.

VIVE LA REVOLUTION!!!!!

Castro is a suppressive dictator that carries out these merciless forms of government in the name of Marx and communism. It disgusts me that such totalitarian regimes still exist in the world today in which free choice is completely taken away and you are told what you can and can't do in regards to every aspect of everyday life.

Miserable little twit. He has done nothing good for Cuba. I pity that poor little nation. The U.S. needs to do the right thing by Cuba, as we do with our other pet nations. Cuba is like the small pup that cannot care for itself. We must wean the pup of Castro, and raise the pup to be a strong nation of grand, powerful capitalism.

Cubans are starting to like him. Wasn't ignorance what made the Garden of Eden so perfect?

Certainly by now Castro should be able to see the error of his ways. Communism plainly does not work- especially, in Cuba. He should give his people a chance to live better and prosper by freeing them from the shackles of his backward system of self-absorbing, ego-glorifying mindless power; Dictatorship Communism. -----

Castro is a communist butcher. To laud him for his educational and athletic programs ignores the big picture. I am concerned that we in America have had it so good for so long that we no longer appreciate those freedoms we have left to us. We've become accustomed to trading our rights for greater (perceived) safety, security and material well-being. We've come to accept infringements on our constitutional rights, which are occurring with increasing regularity. That's a dangerous tendency. Incidents such as Ruby Ridge, Waco, and the kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez point out the dangers inherent in our increasingly powerful and brazen federal government. America is a republic - a nation of laws. When the government ceases to obey the law, that government ceases to be legitimate. Such is the case with Castro.

leader of a country with no liberty,no free elections, no freedom and a disastrous economy for the whole population population since l959.

He is a communist dictator, who leades thru intimidation. He got there thru waging war not an election. He should not be considered.

not even a good communist!

Hey, you gotta respect a man who loves baseball!!

He started out good--what happened. Cuba could have been a good country. But why are we afaid of him still ? If we wait until he dies, then there will be a power struggle to take control, and it will be the same as all the other former "RED" countries. Blood shed. I was in Cuba before Castro and they are wonderful people.

Despite the fact that their primary natural trading partner STILL refuses to deal with them, Cuba is still better off than most south american countries.

This guy blows. He is an oppressive fool, but then there was Batista....Who was worse?

Cuba is not a democratic paradise, but they have the highest living standards in Latin America as far as literacy, health and income distribution. Give those guys a break.

He pauperized Cuba.

Over 4 decades, the unfortunate cult of the personality may come to overshadow important facts. Before the revolution, Cuba was operated by the US as a brothel, gambling den ... why do you think people have revolutions? Why have the Cuban people supported their revolution for so long? They have the highest standard of living of any country outside the developed nations. I have been treated at a Cuban hospital. The Cuban medical system, at least 10 years ago before the vengeful and hateful US embargo (and other world economic conditions) really hit hard, was exponentially better than the US medical system. Life may not have been easy, but people didn't die of poverty in Cuba, and women lived with dignity.

Should have been assassinated a long time ago.

Got to give the guy credit for his guts and staying power.

I may not agree with his policies, but he has placed a focus on education for his people, and they live a decent life (food and home wise). Better than a lot of countries!

I have respect for Castro, although I don't agree with his policies. Here is a man who through strength of personality alone has defied the most powerful country on the planet for decades. Also, during the heyday of socialism, he built a society with a strong focus on education and athletics, that once had one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean.