Arresting 75 guys and putting them in jail for long periods of time is "defending yourself"? One would have thought that the best way to defend yourself would be by creating a vibrant, outspoken, active civil society of people who believed in Cuban independence, the defense of Cuban democracy, and the virtues of an egalitarian road to development.
Of course, it's too late for Castro to do that, isn't it? It's an unknown question how much Cubans attraction to egalitarian social policies has been contaminated by the ugliness of the political dictatorship and the poverty of the command economy. Nobody really knows what the Cuban people think of their government. I think Cuba should have an open election as soon as possible so that everyone--including the Cubans--can see.
If Cubans turn out not to want to elect a government to "defend the revolution," the Cuban revolution is not worth defending.
Brad DeLong