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Originally Posted by Charlatan
jorgelito: I would agree that "romanticizing" and "commodifying" Che is a bit odd (and in the latter case, highly ironic). But I would say that about most historical figures.
When I was asking if a comparison can be made to George Bush and his Admin, I was really just asking about the ends and the means part of the equation rather than the pop culture legacy.
That said, I can certainly see why a certain left leaning crowd might view Che with misty eyes. He presents a very heroic figure... an intellectual and a doctor who not only talked but took action. Yes, he was a guerrilla warrior who killed people (it's difficult to call him a terrorist as he largely fought against soldiers). But you can also argue that he was an idealist and a nation builder -- someone who viewed the colonial, imperial and corporatist dictatorships of Latin America and Africa as something that could only be overthrown through armed struggle.
It's the funny thing about most historical figures, they are never black and white. Some of them did some pretty awful things.
For me, Che stands as someone who stands firm against the worst aspects of US imperialism. It's also important to remember that he was a man of his time. I would like to think that if he were alive today he would be working with the democratically elected governments of Latin America that are currently struggling to rid themselves of decades of negative US influence (see: Boliva, Argentian, Venezuela, etc.).
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It's tough to speculate and your hypothesis is reasonably sound if not a bit overly optimistic in my opinion. I still think he would take arms and commit acts of terror. I suppose why I am so repulsed by him is because as an intellectual, doctor, it is unforgivable to me that he would murder natives, women and children indiscriminately. If not for that, then yes, he was a rather remarkable figure who committed stupid mistake number 2: he idiotically ceded power to Fidel Castro.
-----Added 9/9/2008 at 06 : 44 : 49-----
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Originally Posted by roachboy
jorgelito---i have no particularly nostalgic ideas about che guevara--but you don't need to be attached to find the ongoing conservative revision of the past to be disturbing.
watch chris marker's "le fond de l'air est rouge"
Fond de l'air est rouge, Le (1977) |
That's good to know Roach, and agreed. Thanks for the link, I will look into it at the next opportunity.
-----Added 9/9/2008 at 06 : 46 : 18-----
Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_dux
One only need to examine the history of the School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) to understand a little about US colonialism in Latin America...particularly to prop up right leaning regimes...and how it created an environment for "revolutionaries" to thrive:
I expect someone to say...consider the source...SOA Watch has agenda..blah blah blah...
But some of the nastiest goverment officials in Latin America are graduates of the School of the Americas.
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Yes I believe this was the "better a dictator than a communist" doctrine from the Cold War era.