The Economist has an excellent special feature on the resignation of Fidel Castro and a selection of articles on his ascent into power, his descent into communism and his history of conflict against the United States. It is really interesting to read the political thoughts of the times, so I recommend everyone go check it out.

As far as the Fidel's resignation, well, it was a long time coming. The change, however, will not occur quickly as many believe his inner circle will remain in charge. Add to the fact that Raul Castro, brother of Fidel, is unlikely to get any more consideration or diplomatic overtures from the US than Fidel got, and the status quo seems perfectly safe.

In truth, Cuba no longer matters much in the international sphere, so it isn't a surprise to see it largely ignored. Its only function now is to serve as the rallying cry of leftist leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and as the ideological origin of new-age Latin American leaders like Brazil's Lula da Silva.

Cuba's importance now is largely symbolic. To some, it is the symbol of the specter of communism while to others it is the symbol of American heavy-handed policies. Regardless of what Cuba symbolizes, though, I think it is safe to say its days as a security threat is over and has been for a long time. So what is the difference between Cuba and the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean island nations? Well, their baseball players have to be smuggled out while everyone else is trained in American-made academies.