Fidel Castro's suddenly ceding power to his brother while apparently undergoing medical treatment should remind us that we, the United States, really need to face the fact that we haven't done enough to be in a position to constructively engage a post-Castro Cuba.  This neglect has been bipartisan and whether tied to appealing to the Cuban immigrant vote or the embarrassment of being unable to eliminate Castro during the Cold War it brings us no closer to promoting a democratic transition in Cuba. 

This CNN piece gives you an idea of where we're at and while its good that the State Department has a group and a point man devoted to democratic transition in Cuba, I may be reading this wrong but essentially we assume that when Castro dies, suddenly Cuba will open up, bygones will be bygones, the Cuban people will be singing our praises and Americans carrying big suitcases with money will start showing up and rebuild everything for only a couple hundred million dollars, or so?  Sounds like the kinda planning that made Iraq such a success.  In fact it reminds me a little of an old interview with Jorge Mas Canosa a few years before he died where it was suggested that once Castro was gone, it was a only a matter of Mas and his Cuban American National Foundation buddies stepping off the boat and taking the reigns of government.  Woof...

Update (8/1/06): Heather Hurlbut over at Democracy Arsenal provides us with a link to the latest report from the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba with some  thoughts on the more dubious aspects of their analysis.  Bottom line: This is the crew that was instrumental not only in toughening sanctions and meaningful diplomatic contact between the two countries but making it harder for Cuban Americans to see and help families still on the island yet they see few obstacles to a new Cuban government quickly seeking U.S. help when Castro's gone.  Your tax dollars at work...