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Who here has any opinions on Che Guevara? The local paper ran this article yesterday from another source about the man, and here it is:
Che Guevara still making a statement
By Greg Morago
The Hartford Courant
Che will never go away. It appears that some communist revolutionaries never really die -- they just keep inspiring new generations of beret-wearing acolytes.
Che Guevara, the Argentinean-born guerrilla leader who became a hero to the New Left radicals of the 1960s, has been dead since 1967. But the spirit of the revolutionary theorist is very much alive. Oh, sure, there have been minor Che moments recently (Liz Hurley was photographed in London wearing a Che T-shirt; rapper Jay-Z sports similar Che-wear on the cover of his MTV Unplugged recording; humorist Margaret Cho uses an iconic Cho-as-Che illustration to promote her latest Revolution Tour).
Still, that's small potatoes to the load of new Che-related and Che-inspired events in pop culture, including:
Che in film:
Robert Redford was in Havana last month, not to score cigars but to screen his The Motorcycle Diaries for Cuban President Fidel Castro. The Motorcycle Diaries, which Redford produced, is based on the diaries Guevara wrote on a nine-month motorcycle trip through South America in 1952. Directed by Brazilian Walter Salles, it stars Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien). Guevara's widow, Aleida March, attended the screening along with Guevara's son and two daughters. The movie had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it received a standing ovation.
Che's life and times are being explored by director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line), whose Che will star Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro. Che will follow Guevara's revolutionary career, from his days as a doctor in Argentina to his role in Castro's guerrilla war against Fulgencio Batista to his time as an insurgent leader in Bolivia, where he was captured and executed by the Bolivian army at the age of 39. The movie, which is expected to be released in 2005, will also star Javier Bardem.
Che in print:
Ana Menendez's first novel, Loving Che, is immersed in Che-morabilia and even shows the rebel leader on the book cover. In Loving Che, a woman goes to Cuba in search of information about the mother she never knew. Instead, she receives a mysterious package containing photographs and letters detailing her mother's secret love affair with Guevara. Released last year by Atlantic Monthly Press to glowing reviews, Loving Che was selected as a New York Times notable book of the year.
Che onstage:
The strains of Don't Cry for Me Argentina might soon be heard on Broadway again. The musical of the life of Eva Peron, narrated by Che Guevara, is being talked up for a major revival in 2005. According to Playbill, the musical's composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, has met with producer Cameron Mackintosh to plan a revival of the show, whose original production closed in 1983. Evita won a Tony Award for Mandy Patinkin, who played Che in the original production.
I personally don't see where this idolization and hero worship can come so easy from so many people for a man who helped instill communism in Cuba. I've talked to many Cuban immigrants here in town (this was when I used to work at several different warehouses and factories), and to hear them describe living conditions in Cuba, under Castro, whom Che worked with in ousting Batista, it would shock and repulse you.
Anybody agree or disagree?
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Half of the people who are sporting these pictures of Guevara likely don't know who he was, what he did or what he stood for which I find is really bizarre. It just seems a fad, but I suppose its the world we live in.
Personally I don't know what I think about. I have never spoken to any Cubans like Lou but my impression was that Castro did lots of good for the Cuban people. Perhaps these movies and things are another ill-effect of our uber-politically correct society, perhaps the movies companies are going out of their way to represent 'the other side'. Like I said, it's a wierd trend.
I don't think communism is the devil, although I accept it will never work in practice and so I dunno why people try.
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Did they tell you what the conditions were under the Batista's regime..? Ask them what the conditions are like in the whole of Latin America right now..or in Asia perhaps..or in the Midle East..or closer to your own home. Anybody that is prepared to put their balls on the table and die for their own ideals deserve a pat in the back.Perhaps the cubans living in USA should start a campaing about WMD's in Cuba and Governor Bush will comply.
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I cant believe I am making a political statement here of all places, so I will keep it short. Che Guevara is NOT a hero nor someone to be idolized. As is typical of many people, its fashionable to support a "rebel", bash the administration of this country, etc. Many of the same people who are supposedly supporters of Guevara are also supporting regimes such as Chavez in Venezuela! No time to have a full-length discussion of history/politics, but communism and/or extremist forms of Socialism DO NOT WORK. People are better off in Cuba, huh? If so, why have thousands defected to the USA? Have you ever lived w/o freedom? Do you know that Cubans cannot access sites such as this? Do you know that you cannot practice your religion of choice in public? Do you have any idea how POOR Cuba is? Contrary to the opinions of many, the standard of living in Cuba is horrendous! The healthcare system is abysmal...I have directly spoken to 2 physicians that came from Cuba within the past 5 yrs. What about the supposed investment by Fidel in education...nonsense. Such an "educated and enlightened" society would not have such a particularly sub-par GNP and income level/citizen. Next time you see someone sporting a Che t-shirt, challenge them. Ask them who he was, what he stood for and why they are SO proud of his accomplishments, and even better, how he has improved their lives. You will most likely get a shrug if you even get a response at all. Anyhow, back to feet...
quote: Next time you see someone sporting a Che t-shirt, challenge them. Ask them who he was, what he stood for and why they are SO proud of his accomplishments, and even better, how he has improved their lives. You will most likely get a shrug if you even get a response at all.
Out of the people I've been able to approach over their idolization of Che, the one response that usually rings out is: "He's a revolutionary!" and that'd be about it.
Out of the different ends of the town that I live in, the only side that supports Che and Communistic ideas (at least openly) is the East End. Take a trip out to Bardstown road or the Highlands if you're ever in Louisville, and you can spot the Commie star flags and the Che banners, usually in record stores or waved or worn by some rebel without a clue teenager. The East End, coincidentally, has a reputation of being populated by a lot of upper crust and rich people here in town. Picture the scenario: Daddy owns a business, Mommy is a high ranking executive at her job, so Kiddy decides that Communism is the answer for society, and yet Kiddy doesn't have a fucking clue what it's like to have to live without, or worry about where their next meal is coming from, or even how to survive from paycheck to paycheck. They have all the bells and whistles of life layed out for them, don't have a clue about what the blue collar class and the middle to lower class have to deal with, don't know what it's like to bust your ass 40+ hours a week and see little to no money from it after bills, and yet they supposedly "know" that giving up what freedoms we have will make society better.
I'm sorry if some of this sounds sweeping and judgemental, and I'll leave a door open to be proven wrong. I may very well meet somebody who has lived a rough life and still, for whatever reason, thinks Communism is the answer for society's ills. But out of the people I've talked with in real life and online who like Che, this is what I've come away with. I'm not saying you're like this bigtoesfan, because we haven't discussed this in depth, and I'm not sure what your personal stance is on Che and Communism other than it sounds a tad different than my views and that of MindChatter's and southernfeet's.
Southernfeet, your thoughts pretty much mirror my own. As far as talking about this on Wu's forum, don't sweat it. That's what this Off Topic section's for Bro!
Now, back to female feet...
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Qoute: "Anybody that is prepared to put their balls on the table and die for their own ideals deserve a pat in the back." Bigtoes, That is beautiful! Without people like that, the aggressors would have free reign in this world. Southernfeet, Great facts and well said. Che is now a fashion statement just as being gay seems to be nowadays. Hehe.
quote:Originally posted by Lou Gojira: I personally don't see where this idolization and hero worship can come so easy from so many people for a man who helped instill communism in Cuba.
It's what the people wanted. In fact needed with the U.S on their high horse after turning it into their little playground for sin and being booted out, they demanded no one trade with Cuba like a big fucking kid. To this day it is nigh on impossible to get a Cuban cigar here in England.
It's a shame some people/countries are so petty :/
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and so I dunno why people try.
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