Che Guevara serves as false example

Che Guevara serves as false example
Eric Reed
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: Opinion

The face of Che Guevara has become an icon for the spirit of revolution;
however, his actions prove that he was anything but the stoic, selfless
and idealistic leader that many think he was.

Before you buy a T-shirt with his face printed on the front and stare
boldly into the distance shouting, "Viva la revolucion," let me bring a
few of his less attractive qualities to light.

It's important that you first know Che was aggressively anti-American,
and spoke out violently against capitalism and democracy. He called us
"Yankee imperialists." In fact, Che just about cried when Russia removed
nuclear weapons from Cuba. As quoted in "The Nuclear Deception" by
Servando Gonzalez, he stated: "If the missiles had remained, we would
have used them against the very heart of America including New York. We
must never establish peaceful coexistence. "

For a man touted as an "idealistic ruler," Che had no concept of
justice. In "The Cuban Revolution: Years of Promise" by Teo A. Babun, he
is quoted as saying: "We don't need proof to execute a man. A
revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate."

Che supposedly renounced material possessions and wealth, yet he lived a
pampered lifestyle with privileges incomprehensible to most Cubans. In
fact, upon gaining power in Cuba, Che ran a wealthy family out of their
home under the pretext that they were traitors. Their home, a beachside
mansion in Havana, was among the most luxurious in Cuba.
Che is idolized by those who wish to transcend political partisanship
despite his famous statement: "My friends are friends only so long as
they think as I do politically."

Despite a reputation for being a successful socialist, Che was a failure
as an economist. As Cuba's minister of economy and minister of
industries he transformed what was one of the most prosperous countries
at the time into a third world country. Within the first year of his
administration the Cuban peso, which had historically been comparable to
the U.S. dollar, was worth almost nothing. Cuba's industry was crippled,
and as a result the lower class was left starving.

The bloodiest revolutions in Cuban history weren't led by Che, but
against him. Peasants, disillusioned with Che, staged a revolt against
the government in the Escambray Rebellion, an event similar to the Bay
of Pigs.

The consequences were extreme for everybody who lived in the rural area
where the rebellion was staged. Cuban militia units burned down homes
across the countryside, and imprisoned hundreds of thousands of rural
residents in concentration camps. More than 70 percent of the guerrillas
fighting against Prime Minister Fidel Castro's totalitarian regime were
executed upon capture. The "freedom fighter" is better known throughout
Cuba as "the butcher," a man who suppressed any attempt at revolution
with violence.

Che continued his murderous agenda as the overseer of La Cabana
fortress, a Cuban military prison. In his book "Che Guevara: A
Biography" Daniel James wrote Che willingly admitted to several thousand
executions during the first year of Castro's regime. Che performed many
of these executions personally. When he couldn't fire the shot himself
he watched from his office where he had a wall knocked out to overlook
the execution yard.

Many Americans are blindly devoted to this seemingly heroic character,
but their enthusiasm may unknowingly promote ideas and philosophies that
they themselves find unethical. Che was a terrorist, murderer, socialist
and dictator at heart. Those who proudly wear the face of Che are making
one of two statements. The first is that they support violence,
injustice and tyranny. The second is a blatant announcement of their own
ignorance.

Che Guevara serves as false example - Opinion (2 March 2010)
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