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You want me to disagree intelligently with your "predictions" of the future?

Let me ask you, what do you base them on? A crystal ball?

Let's base the predictions of the future of Cuba based on the past conditions (pre-Castro) and the present.

Pre-Castro, Cuba was second only to the US in economic status in the hemisphere, and among the top ten countries in the world in per-capita income. Castro's (and the New York Time's) claims of abject poverty were overblown propaganda. Cuba had more television and radio sets per capita than every country IN THE WORLD with the exception of the US.

Cuba had the most newspapers per capita in the world.

Cuba enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the US which made it the prefered vacation destination for Norteamericanos..

Presently, the Americans of Cuban descent residing in the US are quite possibly the wealthiest immigrant group here, having acheived that status in less than 45 years, and billions of dollars are earmarked for investment and development in Cuba once the island is free.

Last but not least, Fidel Castro himself has admitted that nearly 25% of the population of Cuba has shown a desire to migrate to the US, tens of thousands have died trying to do just that. Bizarre behavior for people who "hate the US", wouldn't you say?

As I said, you know very little about Cuba.

They are trying to get here precisely because Castro is there. You and I both know this. You have agreed with my assessment that when Castro is gone, many more will want to come here at the beginning. One of the interesting things will be whether Cubans who have left under Castro will return as many claim they will. My guess is that the vast majority will not.

Once the initial influx is over, Cuba will be become another country with both a very rich and very poor class. Obviously this is just my opinion, just as you have yours.

American hotels will spring up in Cuba and American tourists will come. There will still be abject poverty in much of Cuba.

Certainly Cuba will be much better over all than it is under Castro but to think it will fare any differently than the rest of the region seems to be unrealistic to me. What is it to you that disinguishes Cuba from the rest of the Carribbean?