You really think things were better for the typical Cuban before? Lets remember that Cuba was a dictatorship BEFORE Fidel (who unlike his predecessor was actually elected mind you) ever came along. Modern Cuba is almost totally literate, attracts people from around the world for it's healthcare, has a higher life expectancy than the US, is richer than it was before and is as much a tourism industry was it did before the Revolution.
He was a tyrant but only an idiot would argue that Cuba is worse off now.