I won't brush away the missteps and abuses of certain leaders. We must, however, place these injustices in their proper context.

Socialist countries faced opposition from the most economically and politically powerful nation in the history of the Earth. Given the successes that socialist economies did achieve -- in providing healthcare, housing, transportation, food, jobs, etc. -- can you imagine how much more successful they could have been had the United States helped instead of destabilized them at every turn? But the US could not peacefully allow us to develop socialist production of goods for direct consumption. This economic model is a direct threat to the capitalist's appropriation of profits.

Fortunately, all systems decay over time and after collapse there is a period of time where a decentralized, democratic system can exist for a period of time.

I hope you're right, but time will tell.

I think Castro was incredibly popular in Cuba from the beginning. They were not forced into communism.

Oh you're right, I have total faith in the "iron law" created by someone who went on to join Italy's National Fascist Party

That's the first time I've ever seen a "law" called an "iron law", which is kind of wild for a law of political science. Kinda like they had insufficient evidence and had to resort to PR instead, like "look, it's an iron law, you have to believe it".