How was Cuba not effectively part of Russia’s Communist war machine, and how in the world can you compare NATO with the evil empire’s Warsaw pact, and compare NATO’s mission in protecting their own nations from Russian attack and nuclear war, with the evil empire’s mission in Cuba?
You make Castro and Communism and Russia’s efforts to conquer or destroy our nation sound reasonable.
> How was Cuba not effectively part of Russia’s Communist war machine... <
Cuba was fully integrated into the Soviet machine, with one important exception. There were no Soviet military units in Cuba (except for advisors, of course). No armored units, no bombers, etc. And that wasn’t because the Cubans and the Soviets were nice, peaceful guys. It’s because they didn’t want to provoke the US.
> how in the world can you compare NATO with the evil empire’s Warsaw pact <
My comparison is not from the viewpoint of morality. As you noted, the Warsaw Pact was just another extension of what Reagan rightly called the evil empire.
Instead I’m looking at things from a practical point of view. You simply must consider how your moves will be seen by your opponent. That’s how you win chess games (or diplomatic struggles).