The US of course worried mightly about Cuba. I've been to Havana, it's a mess, really, people begging in the streets, delapidated old buildings housing 10 families, these ancient cars puffing around smoking like crazy. "Communism" has to morph into crony capitalism to have much of a shot at anything.
I will say the "private stores" in Cuba were decent, you could tell immediately if you entered a government tourist shop, it was obvious. If we opened up to Cuba, IMHO, and turned Hilton and Marriot loose down there, they'd be quasi-capitalist in about 20 years.