Source: My father who studied political science

There's numerous individuals with political science degrees who defend socialism and Marxism-Leninism extensively as well.

me who wrote a 2 page paper on spirituality in Marxist-Leninist countries

Communism defeated folks, pack it up.

a friend I have whose family faced dire consequences when Cuba established communism

I'm sorry to hear that your friend was a Batista-supporting slaver, but glad that Castro freed his slaves and kicked him off the island.

he visits Cuba on a regular basis and sees the aftermath of communism.

Cuba is far and away the most developed island in the Caribbean, has higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality than the United States, is a world leader in medical science, the most successful nation in the third world, the world's largest exporter of doctors, and is the only country in the world with both high human development and a sustainable ecological footprint. The vast majority of the planet wishes it could achieve Cuban living conditions, and likely could if imperialist nations can be incapacitated.