the t shirt guy
Some facts about Cuban Communist Revolutionary Che Guevara (aka T Shirt guy).
Che was a totalitarian, achieving huge amounts of disaster.
Many of the early leaders of the Cuban Revolution favored a democratic or democratic-socialist direction for the new Cuba, but Che was a mainstay of the hardline pro-Soviet faction, and his faction won.
Che presided over the Cuban Revolution's first firing squads.
He also founded Cuba's "labor camp" system—the system that was eventually employed to incarcerate gays, dissidents, and AIDS victims.
posted by Larph at 05:20
4 Comments:
thanks ralph, that's one of those questions i was afraid to ask.
Ralph,
While all of this is factual, it doesn't paint the full picture. Che made some serious mistakes, but he also lived a life in selfless dedication to the exploited people of Latin America. Perhaps if the church hadn't been so abysmally complicit in the exploitation, he would not have turned to the only other movement he saw that was seeking justice for the poor- communism.
I highly recommend early biaography "Motorcycle Diaries" (which was made into a decent film, as well). Just thought I would add some balance.
Peace,
Jamie
great! I was hoping somone would add some conversation to my propagand-ish post!
cheers, Jamie, and of course excellent points.
I have been weighing up wether or not I would invest in the rental fee or not. perhaps I will.
Just to add my own slant...
One of my current "heroes" of late, Deng xiaopeng the late chairman of the chinese communist party.
Eventually wrested control from mao's sycophants and changed the direction of 1.3 billion people's lives in a HUGE way.
Introduced privatisation etc., whilst at the same time adamantly defended information control and helped solidify his tight reign in many, many ways.
What Im trying to figure out right now is this:
many 20th Century figures including:
Joseph Stalin
Kim Il Sung
Mao Zedong
Fidel Castro
Pol Pot
Ho Chi Minh
Kim Jong Il
Jiang Zemin
could in some quasi-rational way be defended for commitment to socialist ideals including justice for the poor and the least.
However, They are all memorably recognised for their tyranical reigns and the destruction and death they wrought through their power.
Pop icons, they are not.
So what makes Che any different, and how did he achieve the status he has reached?
I just couldn't imagine a similar Stalin-like t shirt being stomached in the same way, which is sort of why I chose to engage this topic te way I did.
Any ideas, anyone?
Ralph,
Watch the movie and you will understand why he was and is so revered. Some of his speeches also reflect something that skirts the Gospel so closely.
Besides, as a film, it is brilliant. WELL worth the rental fee.
Peace,
Jamie
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