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Every so often I'll see a student walking around campus proudly sporting merchandise bearing Che Guevara's picture.
For those unfamiliar with Guevara's famous photograph, it has a green background with Guevara peering to his right and wearing a beret. I've seen this image on tote bags, posters in dorm rooms and tapestries hanging in students' apartments. Hollywood has glorified him with the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries," and celebrities often sport his image. For many, Guevara is seen as a brave freedom fighter devoted to the cause of serving his people. For people who actually experienced Guevara's influence in Cuba, he is seen as a ruthless murderer and a power-hungry oppressor.
Supporters like to view Guevara as someone who suffered with his people, a man too idyllic to concern himself with matters such as money and material possessions. Inconveniently for Guevara's followers , however, he didn't show so much discretion when it came to his own lifestyle choices. Humberto Fontova, a Cuban refugee, describes the mansion Guevara lived in only a week after entering Havana, Cuba, in his book, "Exposing the Real Che Guevara." The owner of the mansion was forced to flee Havana with his family in order to escape a firing squad. Guevara's plunder contained a yacht harbor, a huge swimming pool, seven bathrooms, a sauna, a massage salon, and five television sets. Does this really qualify Guevara a "man of the people"?
Many people consider Guevara an educated man who understood the value of education and arts. Our newspapers and biographies on the so-called "lover of literature" still contain these themes. It's a good thing these writers are operating in America, though, because under Guevara's leadership in Cuba they likely would've been put out of business or even murdered. Guevara's first judicious act was to preside over a book burning of 3,000 stolen books and sign the death warrants for many Cuban authors.
The same Argentinean man who imperialistically tried to impose his political views on the Cuban people is often lauded as someone who "finally stood up to imperialistic America." In 1964, Guevara got a hero's welcome in New York City as he spoke to the United Nations and bellowed, "Executions? Certainly, we execute! And we will continue executing as long as it is necessary!" As he was rushed from one socialite party to the next that night, New Yorkers gushed over him. Only after he left America did the New York Police Department discover his plot with the Black Liberation Army to blow up the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and the Washington Monument.
This made perfect sense to Guevara, who said, "We must never give him a minute of peace or tranquility. This is a total war to the death ... the imperialist enemy must feel like a hunted animal wherever he moves." Perhaps New Yorkers would have been a little more hesitant to throw soft-ball media questions at him if they'd known his deadly plans for their city.
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Considering your lack of referenced sources, can we assume you witnessed all these atrocities first hand? Seriously? "A boy", "The Jailed Men", your article is about as believable as an internet chain letter.
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Che was a very evil man and it is well documented!
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wait....this isn't an internet chain letter?
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Yea, a lot of things here aren't in any of the best imparcial biografies of che guevara
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Sorry max the murderous lout's criminal and human offenses are quite well documented for anyone that wishes to look. You may want to replace that Che shirt and go to a library and learn.
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Hey, Max, it's an opinion piece - not a research paper. The author provided enough detail for you to look these things up yourself. Anomo is correct. Che's misdeeds are hardly secrets or the stuff of conspiracy theory. Peace.
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For those interested in specific sources: **Quote about individualism by Che: Jon Lee Anderson, Che: A Revolutionary Life, p. 470. **Thoughts about hippies, gays and rock and roll lovers: Daniel James, Che Guevara: A biography and Canek Sanchez Guevara (Che’s grandson) in an interview with Proceso magazine. **Estimated 500 executions: More modest estimation of executions from cables sent from the American embassy in Havana to the State Department in Washington. (The Killing Machine, Alvaro Vargas Llosa) Cuban journalist Luis Ortega wrote in his book Yo Soy El Che! that Guevara sentenced 1,892 to execution. Daniel James in Che Guevara: A Biography says Che admitted to “several thousand†executions. **Pierre San Martin spoke about the executed boy in an article entitled “Como Asesinado El Che Guevara†in El Nuevo Herald on December 28, 1997. The article was then summarized in Humberto Fontova’s book “Exposing the Real Che Guevara.â€
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Thank you for taking the time to post all these source documents.deanc
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Allison, Well done both above and below.
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While Max has a point...Aldrich's references support for her opinion pieces are often found to be without basis, Guevara did "murder" people in the name of revolution or retribution. But, in honor of Aldrich's walk along the fine line of moral indignation, try replacing the following words or phrases above: "Guevara" with "George Bush"; "Hollywood" with "Fox News"; "execute" with "torture"; "La Cabana" with "Gitmo"; "Fidel Castro" with "Patriots"; "Cuba" or "Cubans" with "Iraq" or "Iraqis"; "Carlos Santana" with "Rush Limbaugh"...and so on. See, blurring the lines to support your own political ideology is fun!
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I feel like this comment is attempting to redirect blame. The article says nothing of Bush or the Iraqi war so we have no idea what the author thinks about those problems. It is very possible, probable even, that the author has just as much distain for those acts. You cannot say one person is not bad simply because there was someone else worse. Well at least he wasn't Stalin right(someone Ernesto strived to become).
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Well actually Che strayed away from Stalinist beliefs and did not have a pro soviet view. Just saying not disagreeing with the execution facts.
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what a streach my goodness what didnt you included global warming
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lol learn to spell retard
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You are clearly misinformed BetweentheLines. First off, no one tortued innocent Iraqis. They captured known supporters of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. You seem to blur the difference between "supporters of terrorists intent on killing innocent Americans" and "innocent 14 year old children trying to protect their fathers."
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The US Military just bomb innocent Iraqi civilians instead....
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/database/incidents/page550
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Reagan aiding in the death of 1 million Iraqi/Iranians by selling weapons to both sides = OK - Reagan's CONTRA death squads leading to the deaths of 70,000 in El Salvador, more than 100,000 in Guatemala, and 30,000 in Nicaragua = AWESOME ! Best President Ever ! ... - Che having a few hundred rapists and murderers of the former dictator shot after found guilty in tribunals = He's a Butcher !
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This article is pure BS...try doing a little more in depth research into what you're trying to talk about instead regurgitating tired old worn out lies...you list no credible sources at all and you quote Dumberto Fontanova!!!!!...Jeez that guy has the crediblity of a pedifile preist trying to run a day care center...Look, if you have philosophical or ideological disagreements with something or someone, that's fine...but for Christ's sakes back it up with facts not out & out lies!!!!!
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Pretty postive you cannot call signed death warrants by Che as well as his own diary saying he likes to kill a lie. The media has totally manipulation people into thinking he is a hero. Just wondering if you support Stalin or Hitler? Che is the same only has yet to be pegged as evil.
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Are you kidding? If anything the media has manipulated the AMERICAN people into thinking Che was this brute anarchist and the US was this pious "for the people" society. Bullsht. The fact of the matter is that America was an imperialistic monster who considered those who were not in sync with their western ways were backward animals. Learn your fukcing history Lydia.. sht seriously pisses me off. America was promising countries (ex: the Philippines) freedom when in reality they were looking to exploit the weaker and expand their influence. I dont care if you think che is evil, i believe he was a liberator who did what he had to do... but to compare him to the likes of Hitler and Stalin? That's downright fukcing outrageous.
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OH...and just one other thing...I just have to call out one example of your pathetic lies...you claim that he (Che) was involved in a terrorist plot in 1964 with the Black Liberation Army?...Well...guess what dear writer and readers?...The BLA was formed in 1970!!!!!How the hell can he could have plotted ANYTHING with the BLA THREE YEARS AFTER HE WAS KILLED???!!!! Pathetic liar!!!
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You are one of the biggest idiots alive. Leave the U.S. and try and survive.
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Thank you I was waiting for someone to adress that claim.
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imperialist bull, have you ever bothered to inform yourself about the genocides perpetrated by the imperialists?
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thank you.
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It's amazing that McCarthyist propaganda like this is still in circulation. Clearly, ALL of these quotes were taken far out of their original context and were used to portray a revolutionary popular-supported leader as a blood-thirsty dog, even though those who met him say that the reality is far different.
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This comment was deleted for violating our comment policy.
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You are clearly sick in the head. I'd love to see how your life would be living in Cuba under Che. Instead you live comfortably and safe here in "evil, imperialist America." You are an absolute hypocrit.
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Why are you living here instead of your beloved communist cuba. Hypocrite!
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America is a beautiful country that allows conversations like this to occur with out a consequence. Though, our elitist friends who control 90 % of the wealth are not so beautiful. Che was a rebel soldier fighting for latin america rights. To label him as evil and to glorify our presidents is illogical. Dont forget gitmo, native indian annihalation, middle eastern diplomacy, third world imperialism, and countless of other hideous truths we have not been told of. Point is check your fallicies.
Straight outta compton.
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The Op-ed is laughable.
Che was involved in some summary executions of Battista's death squad members and torture goons. It's a revolution folks, not a pillow fight. People get killed in revolutions, and these "victims" weren't members of the racia humana.
Che never persecuted hippies or gays, there were no hippies in Che's time (for chissakes) and long hair wasn't a political statement.
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