Help me out....pls

[downstream]

Hi everyone,
I got a problem...my dad thinks Che was a terrorist just like Bin Laden right now...my dad is very stuborn..:(
How can I convince him that Che wasn't someone like Osama Bin Laden?
I don't know too much about it all, in my opninion Che was a good person, I've got to admit that I'm against all violence, but Che had an aim with it.

My dad says that because of that Che was a terrorist, just like Bin Laden, he uses violence to force his ideology upon others and in his eyes Che did the same.

The strange thing is, that when my dad was young (that's a long time ago;)) he thought Che did good things, so I don't understand him....
I ask again.
Who can help me out, to convince my dad?
What do I have to say to make him understand that Che was different?
......
GRtZ,
Downstream

[Guardia Bolivariano]

Give him a book on Che or ask him about anyone he vieuws as a hero and show him that he's no diferent from Che.

[Kapitan Andrey]

1) Where are you from?
2) What is your nation?
3)What is your native language?

Answer this and I could do something...

[Charred Phoenix]

Violence in the face of grave injustice is not wrong, violence before thinking is wrong, but when life leaves you know alternative, well, that's slef explanitary.

[downstream]

I'm from Holland,
so, I'm dutch
and my native language is dutch, but english is a good enough....

[downstream]

Hi Charred Phoenix,

in my opinion violence should be the last thing to be used in a conflict, even if it is about injustice, on the other hand...probably there wasn't another option in the time when this all happened...but I totally agree with you that violence before thinking is wrong........

[Larissa]

Che opposed terrorism and so he explained it in one of his videos, I'll try to search for it for you so you can show your parents what exactly he thoght about terrorism.

[Kapitan Andrey]

Yes! If you want - print or copy it!!!

He was a revolutionee and not a terrorist! Of course he didn't knew that Fidel will make himself a new dictator of Cuba...Ernesto would be very-very disapointed of him!!!
So...He didn't kill ALOT of men, NO!!! He killed only several traitors and cowards! I SAID SEVERAL, about 3-5...no more! All he wanted is to make all South American countries FREE!!! He only used honest ways of war, not terrorists methods!!! He didn't kill any innocent civilian and his comrades too! No bombs in public places, no hostages!!!

!!!HE WAS A GREATEST MAN OF OUR CENTURY!!!

HASTA SIEMPRE COMANDANTE!!!

[suffianr]

These things take time.

My dad is an ex-serviceman. For 5 years or so, his job was to hunt communists in the Malaysian jungle, during the early Seventies. From Sarawak to Pahang, he probed, tracked, captured and killed insurgents from Malaysian Communist Party (MCP) cells.

And about 15 years later, he finds out his son turned into a commie! Imagine his shock when he stumbled into my room one day and found my cache of books, flags, pictures and stickers!

We had issues.

But now we're even. I told him (to his relief) that I disagreed with the Maoist MCP guerrillas' doctrine on revolution, although I expressed fascination about their labour organization and agent network, I felt strongly against their tactics, which included the random harassment and execution of Chinese villagers, the sabotage of rubber plantations (many workers were left without jobs, starved and died) and the overall misdirection of Chin Peng, the party leader.

He told me all about the nightmares, the landmines and the amputees.

We settled it. I'm free to profess my own ideology, he's free to try and stop me. But things cooled down a while ago, and although from time to time there are arguments about my political stance on current issues, we live and let live.

After all, we're family. Don't hate your old folks, learn to live with them. :)

[RadicalRage]

Most people who say that Che was a terrorist have not read his history and do not know the history behind his ideology or struggle. As latino i have seen what he refers as the selling of latinamerica to the all mighty dollar. He did not kill innocent people he struggled with the masses. Did you know before he became a revolutionary he was a doctor. He traveled around latin america visiting various leper colonies and donating his services not "selling them". He saw the decrepid conditions in which these people lived and felt a need to help them. For starters you should let your parents read a book "The Motorcycle Diaries". He wrote this book on his pre-revolutionaries days". In this book you will read of his days leading to his victories in Sierra Maestra in Cuba. He did not push his ideologies on people in Cuba either, rather he educated them and help them lift themselves up against the brutal Batista Goverment. He is no Bin Laden he believed in attacking the system not ramming planes into buildings killing innocent people. I experienced first hand the sept 11 attacks cause i was there witnessing everything unfold before my eyes and was very disgusted with it. I thought to myself these would definetly not be something El Che would do or condone. Che's face has always and will always be the icon of the struggle against oppression.

[Larissa]

Welcome to the Forum, Radical Rage.

[Arkham]

Revolutionary and terrorist are the same thing, the only difference is whether they won or not.

Boston Tea Party? Terrorists.

[Larissa]

Quote: from Arkham on 8:57 pm on Feb. 28, 2003
Revolutionary and terrorist are the same thing, the only difference is whether they won or not.

Boston Tea Party? Terrorists. So, Marcos and Osama are the same?

[RadicalRage]

REVOLUTIONARY: one who takes part in a revolution or who advocates revolutionary doctrines

TERRORISM:the systematic use of terror as a mean of coercion

These are both the meaning of each word according to the Webster dictionary. With all due respect Arkham i think you have your definitions wrong.
Lumumba was a revolutionary, El Che was a revolutionary hell George Washington was a revolutionary as well as Lincoln and Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. All of these men that i mentioned all fought for a just cause, against slavery, against totalitarian rule, for equality, for independence. You cannot put these men in the same category as Bin Laden. These people raised up the masses to fight for injustice. While Bin Laden uses scare (terror) tactics to make his point across whether its his own people or his enemys. Do the research before you make such a comparison.

Thanks Larissa :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Man truly reaches his full human condition when he produces without being compelled by physical necessity to sell himself as a commodity."
Ernesto Che Guevara
Socialism and Man in Cuba
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[YerbaMateJ]

I hope this sets your father straight. This is from chapter one of the book "Guerilla Warfare" written by Che Guevara himself:

[b]"It is necessary to distinguish clearly between sabotage, a revolutionary and highly effective method of warfare, and terrorism, a measure that is generaly ineffective and indiscriminate in it's results, since it often makes victims of innocent people and destroys a large number of lives that would be valuable to the revolution. Terrorism should be considered a valuable tactic when it is used to put to death some noted leader of the oppressing forces well known for his cruelty, his efficiency in repression, or other quality that makes his elimination useful. But the killing of persons of small importance is never advisable, since it brings on an increase of reprisals, including deaths."[b]

[downstream]

Hi everybody,

I want to thank everyone that tried to help me out... all the information I got was very useful....I will let you all know in time, how this story has continued...
THnx!

GRtZ,

DsT

[Pete]

http://www.che-lives.com/cgi/community/upload/CheDarkGlowtt.jpg

(I stole this from the upload archives incase you where wondering).

Look at the Jesus of Socialism.

[mentalbunny]

Good luck, downstream, where in Holland do you live? I was born in Den Haag.

I think the extract from Guerrilla warfare wil work the best, but just keep going. Che was definitely not a terrorist, make your dad read the Bolivian Diaries.