Beautiful Revolutionary: Che Guevara Remembered

[Judi Lynn]

OCTOBER 6, 2017
“Beautiful Revolutionary”: Che Guevara Remembered
by DANA COOK

Fifty years ago—on October 8, 1967—the Argentine guerilla leader who played a key role in the Cuban Revolution was captured by the Bolivian military, with help from the CIA. He was executed the next day. In the following, Pablo Neruda, Maureen O’Hara, Jerry Rubin, I.F. Stone and others write about their encounters with the revolutionary icon who most know only from his image on tee-shirts. Susan Sontag and Jesse Ventura tell why he was their idol.

(Compiled by Dana Cook)

‘Ideological differences’
Herbert Matthews, journalist (New York Times)

I was in the Cabanas Fortress of Havana to greet Guevara when he entered the capital in triumph at the beginning of January 1959, and I came to know him fairly well until the time he disappeared on the quixotic quest that was to fail but, as with the hero of Cervantes’ story to whom Che likened himself, was to immortalize him. Our meetings were always long arguments in the small hours of the night when he would defend Marxism and the measures that the Castro government was taking—while I disagreed. In two of his books which he autographed for me, he expressed friendship despite our “ideological differences.”

from A World in Revolution: A Newspaperman’s Memoir, by Herbert L. Matthews (Scribner’s , 1971).

Freedom fighter
Maureen O’Hara, actor and singer

…we arrived in Havana on April 15, 1959 [to make the film Our Man in Havana, based on the Graham Greene novel].

…I stayed close to the Capri Hotel, our home base. You would meet everyone important in the revolution there sooner or later because it was a popular place to go for dinner or coffee or to smoke a cigar. I enjoyed interesting conversations with Che Guevara there…I would see him in the restaurant and he’d come to my table to say hello and eventually would sit down and join me. Che would talk about Ireland and all the guerilla warfare that had taken place there. He knew every battle in Ireland and all of its history…

…I believe he was far less a mercenary than he was a freedom fighter. I think he was a product of his grandmother and her teachings. I look back on how young [31] and idealistic Che was when I made that picture. It’s hard to believe that he had already helped to topple a dictator and liberate a nation. Today he is a symbol for freedom fighters wherever they are in the world and I think he is a good one. When word came of his capture and execution, I was deeply saddened…

More:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/06/beautiful-revolutionary-che-guevara-remembered/

[msongs]

1. sociopathic serial killer nt

[brush]

2. Why do you say that?

[GatoGordo]

6. Because its true?

Just because he SAID he was an advocate for the oppressed doesn't mean he wasn't willing to sacrifice them (or anyone he thought stood in his way) without hesitation for the Glory of the Revolution.

He was infamous for his summary executions. Nothing like starting your day with a cup of Cuban coffee, a cigar and blowing the brains out of a peasant.

[brush]

7. Different side of the coin I guess. I'm racking my brain to recall a bloodless revolution...

Nothing comes to mind.

[GatoGordo]

8. I'm racking my brain

trying to figure out how the virtues of a revolution wash away the blood from the hands of a ruthless murderer?

Murdering peasants because they didn't drop their plows to join his guerrilla forces? Executing his Marxist comrades, because he SUSPECTED they MIGHT not be faithful to the revolution has he was? Thousands of summary executions in La Cabaña prison (including boys, women and the mentally ill) without a hint of a trial, let alone charges? What side of the coin is that?

"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary. These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate." – Che Guevara

[delisen]

26. "Our Revolution" do you think it is not

a real revolution?

[brush]

27. In a sense it's attempting one. It remains to be seen if it's just another unsessessful rebellion.

[OBenario4]

15. Compare his body count...

... with that of any American president in the last two centuries.

[Marksman_91]

3. It's so funny when some wear this murderer's face in merchandise.

The irony must be lost to them

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Racist and sexist. . . . . nt

[Skippy33]

5. che was

a murdering sack of shit. Anyone who thinks otherwise is likely mentally unhinged.

[GatoGordo]

9. The Great Che

“Hatred as an element of struggle; unbending hatred for the enemy, which pushes a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him into an effective, violent, selective, and cold-blooded killing machine. This is what our soldiers must become” – Che Guevara

[OBenario4]

10. Great post.

This man stopped Cuba from being another Haiti.

[GatoGordo]

11. Haiti is about the only country that has a lower standard of living

EOM

[OBenario4]

12. Cuba has some of the best social indicators of the Hemisphere. n/t

[GatoGordo]

13. Cuba is the least democratic country in the western hemisphere

But since Cuban schools have a fresh coat of paint on the walls, I guess that can be overlooked.

Only North Korea has the dubious honor of being less democratic. Hey. Cuba is #2!

[OBenario4]

14. You value fake democracies too much to my taste.

Brazil, for example, is far less democratic than Cuba.

[GatoGordo]

16. One party system in Brazil then?

Lots of political prisoners in Brazil?
Labor camps for political prisoners?
Political executions?
Censorship?
Unlawful assembly?
Ban on trade unions?

Fake democracy? Is Cuba a REAL democracy?

[OBenario4]

17. Nope.

We have more than 30 parties.

But there's no point, since they can only stay in power if our elite allows them so.

[Marksman_91]

18. Ah, so you prefer one-party rule with political prisoners and curbed freedoms.

Or am I misunderstanding your words?

[OBenario4]

19. I wouldn't mind having a one-party rule instead of a fake elitist "democracy".

As long as it's a party willing to listen to the masses, no problem.

Better than having 30 parties, all in the elites pockets.

[OBenario4]

21. Wouldn't mind moving to Cuba a bit, actually. Pretty much better than Brazil in EVERYTHING.

Do you wanna pay my airplane ticket?

[Marksman_91]

22. Nah, don't wanna waste my money on you

Just let me know how it all works out for you when you get to your communist paradise.

[GatoGordo]

23. The apologists for Leftist despots

would be the first ones sacrificed by them.

I'm becoming more and more certain that several of these forum "contrarians" are trolls. I can't believe that people who believe in democracy would embrace totalitarianism.

[GatoGordo]

25. Their hatred for all things "right wing"

far exceeds their humanity. Some Democrats are that way.

Years ago, I went to a local debate between two prospective candidates for a contested state Senate seat. When the Republican was asked what would he support in order to have universal, comprehensive and low cost healthcare, he said, "It would have to be revenue neutral". I thought that was a reasonable answer. At the very least, he wasn't opposed to universal healthcare.

The same question was asked differently to the Democrat. "Would you support a plan that provided low cost, universal and comprehensive healthcare if it lowered taxes on the wealthy?" Her response? "NO! The wealthy need to feel the pain."

WTF? All I could do was sit there with my mouth open. She cared more about "political purity" than doing the right thing. Talk about cut off your nose to spite your face. Of course, her opponent ran with it (painted her as an extremist who only cared about punishing success), and won the Senate seat.

Its infuriating. We Democrats have our zealots too. As we see with the above forum troll, he would gladly see others suffer so that he could be "politically pure".

[Judi Lynn]

28. "We Democrats?" Really? Interesting. n/t

[GatoGordo]

29. You have a foolproof litmus test

To decide who gets to be a Democrat?

That sounds very... German. Circa 1933.

[Judi Lynn]

30. To whom are you speaking? Decides who gets to be a Democrat?

Democrats are known by their character, their beliefs, their standards, their perspective, their grasp of history.

Right-wingers are known for their hot air and utter absence of actual respect for the human race, worshiping and attempting to advance the interests of the greedy, gutless racist oligarchs.

[GatoGordo]

31. Where does that leave someone who idolizes Che, a murderer and racist?

Last edited Wed Oct 11, 2017, 10:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Is there room in a political party for someone who reveres a mass murderer and racist, who only gave lip service to respect for the human race? Whats next? Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot?

It is shameful that any Democrat would revere him. Are you sure you are in the right forum? You seem to me more concerned about hating the "right wing" than you do about lifting up those who are marginalized.

But, I guess the Democratic Party is truly a "Big Tent".