Che shirts

[BuyOurEverything]

OK, today I was talking to this guy and he said "why the hell are wearing that shirt?" (I was wearing a Che shirt.) I said because among other things he overthrew Batista and tried to free alot of other countries and he was actually surprised and said alright good answer. So many people wear Che shirts and have no fucking clue what he stood for. I can understand maybe buying one when you don't know who he is but at least make an attempt to find out! I'm sure this has been discussed here before but I'd just like to know what everyone's view is on this.

[Guru]

I agree, I find it disguisting when people wear Che shirts as fashion accesories and not know what they are supporting.

[Al Creed]

One day, I was wearing a Che shirt of mine (which sadly no longer fits), a kickass teacher of mine asks me "What do you think would be Che's reaction, if he knew his face was being printed on T-shirts?"

[Alejandro C]

i think Che would hate it. i know he hated his pseudo celebrity status in the 60's. i remember reading he got very angry when someone asked for his autograph saying he's not a celebrity, he's a revolutionary.

however i still like Che shirts because they almost always spark some conversation. when ever i wear mine i get asked about him at least once
EVERY time i wear it. its a good opportunity to teach people.

[harely]

Yeah that's happened to me too, when i wear my shirts i often get asked about him, the good thing is i know...unfortunetly, i also have friends who wear che shirts and don't know anything about him...i've told them several times that if they don't know what he did they shouldn't wear his shirts...what makes me mad is that they don't care...it's "in" and that's all that matters to them...idiots... :angry:

[BuyOurEverything]

i think Che would hate it. i know he hated his pseudo celebrity status in the 60's. i remember reading he got very angry when someone asked for his autograph saying he's not a celebrity, he's a revolutionary.

however i still like Che shirts because they almost always spark some conversation. when ever i wear mine i get asked about him at least once
EVERY time i wear it. its a good opportunity to teach people.

Che might not like it but like you said, it's a great conversation starter and a good way to teach people so I'll keep wearing mine.

[Al Creed]

Good points! And in this society, it's easier to teach the idiots with visual aids than words, as reading apparently takes too much time and effort

[El Commandante]

It does annoy me when I see people wearing Che t-shirts but unless I question them I cannot be certain that they do not share his principles. But what is more annoying is the exploitation of his image by business groupings who print his face on t-shirts to make some quick profit by using cheap unregulated foreign labour.

[nezvanova]

Most every time i waer my Che shirt, people ask me who he is etc etc. I do find it is a good way to spread knowledge about Che. The Che shirts I wear were made by me (I drew the image and got it silk screened) rather than buying them (though i do have one i bought in a shop in vancouver...) anyway, I doubt Che would be too pleased his image is being put on cups and shirts and key chains, but, it's just a way of perpetuating Che. God knows, i probably wouldn't have known about Che had it not been for a T-shirt i'd seen. but it does piss me off when i see people wearing the shirts as fashion accesories. Generally, whenever i see that, i make sure i educate the person on all i can possibly say about Che.

[EneME]

I usually dont get questions more like different looks. I get some smiles and nods but sometimes i also get disapproving looks and frowns. Fuck em lol My brother wears his shirt that has the priest Romero on it from El Salvador (he was killed supposidly by CIA snipers for leftist sentiments) and he gets asked all the time who it is. At least 3 times in a day.....good conversation starter....

[(*]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2003, 02:47 PM


Che might not like it but like you said, it's a great conversation starter and a good way to teach people so I'll keep wearing mine.
Exactly, the more it is printed on tees, the more people will see it, and the more people will learn about him (hopefully).


*Edit* I don't have a che shirt, but if I wore one, how would the Cuban-Americans feel about it? I'm in florida, so there is a large population here. I've gotten mixed answers when I talk to the Cubans I know.

[Jesus Sanchez]

Down here in Aussie, hardley anyone knows who Che is. So the only way my freind and I can show our suport for Che is by wearing berrets and the occasioal camo green fatigues.

[BuyOurEverything]

though i do have one i bought in a shop in vancouver...

What store? That's where I got mine too.


I don't have a che shirt, but if I wore one, how would the Cuban-Americans feel about it? I'm in florida, so there is a large population here. I've gotten mixed answers when I talk to the Cubans I know.

Are you worried about offending them?

[nezvanova]

I got mine at a store called "commando" on commerical drive. It's a cool shop, lotsa Che stuff, and bob marley, plus some army surplus stuff. Oh! and lots of Rock and roll band iron on things. I got a rolling stones patch there. I also got a Che flag from there too.

[BuyOurEverything]

I got mine at a store called "commando" on commerical drive. It's a cool shop, lotsa Che stuff, and bob marley, plus some army surplus stuff. Oh! and lots of Rock and roll band iron on things. I got a rolling stones patch there. I also got a Che flag from there too.

Hmm, I'll make a point to go there next time I'm in Vancouver. I got mine on Granville Street.

[Tevya The Dairyman]

I know, that I wear Che shirts, to show that Che for me is a symbolic creature for the feeling of the revolution (a symbol such as USSR's hammer & sickle). Che's ideology wasn'y that good, and he never understand the true power of the mass working class, yet he always fought back, and stood up for Latin American's right. That's why I wear his shirt, for solidarity with the revolutionary icon he was.

[commieboy]

i have three che shirts....all were purchased from the che store...im not sure where the profits go....but i love wearing them, they're differnt ones with his image, and one of his whole body.

People have begun to call me "The Cuban Kid" because of all the Che & castro paraphania i have...buttons, books, pictures, posters, keychains etc.

But the thing is, i've NEVER EVER! seen someone other than myself wearing a che shirt...but yesterday i saw someone on TRL wearing one! So i am privilaged to educate the kids in my school about che and who he is, i've only actually met three students in my life who knew who che was before meeting me. But i like the shirts, they make me individual, and i'm the kid everyone goes to for history questions.....

there was a good example today in my swimming class we had to tread water for a half hour, and that's just basically swimming in place. the teacher told us to have a conversation with someone and it would go by faster, so then when we jumped in my friend tyler said, "Andrew, tell me che's life story" so i told him and four other kids from his birth in Rosairo in 1928 to his death in Bolivia in 1967"

BTW i passed the test in swimming! and im not a good swimmer!

[FistFullOfSteel]

good for u commieboy!


btw i have 3 che shirts as well...


me and 2 other are wearing che shirts in our school,only.

[Tevya The Dairyman]

I have 5 (Beat you! I'm no. 1!!! :D )
just kidding...
But in my school, not many have Che shirts, but many people attack me for my beliefs, and for wearing this shirt.
Racists, Zionists, Capitalists and many more, are attacking me for my political ideas, but I always have the final word!
My friends always ask me for my opinion on any upcoming subject in Israel and in the world.

Hope I'll stay strong,
support me forum comrades!
;)

[commieboy]

Racsist? Zoinists, and Capitalists....There's very little racsists and zoinists at my school, but the trick is to be friends with the right people...you see i do half the football teams homework for a price...(Che paraphanalia is expensive these days) but because i get them good grades, i get a protection kind of thing, no one will mess with me because they know there'll be two hundred pound linebacker after them.

It pays off to be the smart kid in history and English!

so, if you do have problems with anyone, just make a few friends in the athletic department.....and avoid the trenchcoat mafia

[Tevya The Dairyman]

Actually I hate those kids in my school, but no one of them is actually a phisical threat on me (I play hockey... :D ). Don't worry, I have enouth friends in the school and in the party, so it's not problem. Just from now and than, I need a good word or a streighten up from people who think like me - socialists.

By the way, I live in Israel, that's why I have zionists, racists and so on im my school...

[Soviet power supreme]

The important thing is where you buy it from.I personally bought it from a lenin museo so the money went to a good place.

[nezvanova]

lol all the kids who give me a hard time about my beleifs are skinny right-wing nerds! And, like you commie boy, I do all the hockey players homework, so they've got my back, plus my best friend (the only other kid i know at school has te slightest idea who Che is) is trained in judo and ju-jistu so i'm covered from all angles....plus i've been known to be able to take care of myself in scuffles.... ;) :D strangly enough, the people who give me the hardest time over my Che shirts and books are teachers, my mechanics teacher in particular...that old grease monkey seems to think he's a politics major...

[Le Libérer]

Well there aint nuttin' wrong with wearing your beleifs on your sleeve! I live in a small redneck southern town. A Friend and I was dining out and the older couple at the next table, reconized Che on the tshirt a friend bought for me in New York. First they asked (as we were leaving) "who is that on your shirt", I said, "Che Guevera!" The woman said, Hummm thats what I thought" At first I thought she was maybe being smug about it. Then the older man said " Ahhh, the rebels, rebel."

Made my day!

[guevara-marley]

you are right!i don't like these people!they're only wearing it, because they say oh, this looks cool! they don't know who he was and what he did.. if i see somebody wearing a che t-shirt i ask him if he knows who he is. some of them know his "name" they spell it like shaggy vara..some of them think that he didn't exist and that this picture was printed by someone. i hate them!

teté

[nezvanova]

yeah, wearing the shirt does express a strong political opinion, and these stupiod psuedo retro kids who wear them to be cool are pretty stupid if they don't even know who it is who's on their shirt. Thus far, i've never met anyone who wears one without knowing who he is...in fact...i don't know anyone in my town other than myself and my closest friend who wears a Che shirt, but the thought of people wearing it strictly as a fashion accesory does bug me.

[Discontinuity]

Oy, the reactions...

I've been called a communist (although that's expected), a terrorist, an idiot (also expected... I guess), a 'good man' (damn straight :P ), a crazy kid, and a 'goddamn psycho'.

So yeah, wear the shirts. The ones that don't know him are good to teach, the ones that know him and hate him are good to laugh at, the ones that know him and love him are good to make friends with.

So speaks... me.

[Marxist in Nebraska]

I have a Che shirt, and I once wore it to an anti-war demonstration. A man asked me why I was wearing a Che shirt. And I told him that I wear Che because he represents opposition to US imperialism and capitalism. He told me that was a good reason to wear a Che shirt. He must have been suspicious of me at first, whether I was wearing it unthinkingly as a symbol of rebellion. I do not blame him, since we all know here about all of the teens who wear Che for exactly that reason. I got to talking with the guy, and he was really cool. We both read The Militant, etc. Since most of the people attending anti-war demonstrations here in Lincoln, Nebraska are just ex-hippie liberals, I did not get to have many incisive conversations. My shirt was a good conversation piece to start a chat with a guy who did not appear to be your typical radical.

[nezvanova]

i've found that wearing the shirts is a good way to meet other people who share an admiration for Che. i've met many people who recignised him and started interesting conversations on the subject with me. then there's always my mech teacher who calls me a "socialist" and tries to tell me what a failure communism was....

[Zorio]

I've been asked if "the guy on my shirt" was a member of Rage Against the Machine, I explained to the girl asking that he was a Cuban revolutionary who was one of the people responsible for overthrowing Batista and thus American control on Cuba. She looked confused, so I said that he helped free Cuba from a "bad guy", she said cool and went on with her business.

[Zafiro]

Great explanation,Zorio,...

btw~are we related,lol =D

[Tiki Man]

I'm not answering for myself, but VictorCommie belongs in his Che shirt.

Hell, that's where I learned of who he was. And about Che caring about us wearing shirts with him on it, we'll love him whether he would like it or not. Plus, he's not here right now, so it's not like he's being a sellout.

[Jesus Sanchez]

but the trick is to be friends with the right people...you see i do half the football teams homework for a price...(Che paraphanalia is expensive these days) but because i get them good grades, i get a protection kind of thing, no one will mess with me because they know there'll be two hundred pound linebacker after them.


That's similar to my situation. Me and my freind where labeled as 'losers' by the general mother fucker group/s, but then I got my now-good-freind off a suspension using blackmail and false witness reports; he liked the cut of my jib. Now we are both commies and proud of it. we recently had SRC elections which we both ran for, if we get in we plan to turn the year level communist. We are likly to win due to the fact the we removed the entry form of our more influencial opponets from the nomination box :D .

[Soviet power supreme]

What does it matter if someone who wear che shirt, isn't a communist.

IT IS JUST A SHIRT.Nothing more.

[Charred_Phoenix]

I also own a Che shirt, but because so many right-of-centre people wear them these days, I usually stick to my Lenin shirt. http://cpa.org.au/pics/lenin_grey.jpg

:D

[commieboy]

I think its disrespectful...to wear che as a fasion statement in stead of a political symbol...how would you feel if thirty years from your death...you've accomplished so much like che, and some punk kid wears a t-shirt of you just to piss off his cappie dad?

These kids are PIECES OF SHIT!

the ones who wear Anarchis As on their shirts just to stand out
or the one who says, "Hey he's a commie so he doesnt get a vote"
These are the kids who deserve a therough beating...preferably with a sawed off pool cue (My new improvised weapon)

[Comrade Ceausescu]

I have a lenin shirt and che shirt and mao.people have only questioned me on che though,but i gave good and thorugh answers.

[Tiki Man]

It would be disrespectful if you could not answer when people question you. The purpose of the shirts are to spread knowledge of Che, correct?

Actually, I just made a new rule of thumb. It's okay to wear a Che shirt if you can answer which country he was born in, because anyone who doesn't really know who he is may say "Cuba" or "I don't know".

[Charred_Phoenix]

Only problem is now someone is going to phrase your question as "What country is he from?" and no one will know whether they want "Argentina" or "Cuba". :huh:

[GrYnEt]

I think it's wrong to wear a che shirt if you have no idea who he was...
There is this guy in my class who wears a sweater with a picture of che on.
I asked him if he knew who che was,and he said "uuhmm.som crazy guy from latin-america i think"

[Indysocialist]

I wore a Che shirt to class the other day and someone asked me if he was in the Black Panthers.

[Miss Guevara]

Last week i wore my che shirt(that i made myself may i add), and someone slapped me! I didnt waste my time hitting them back, but i did set them straight.

[nezvanova]

someone slapped you :o thats fucking outragous! my god, what's wrong with these stupid cappies! I can't beleive someone would do that...

[Marxismliveson]

I found that I got worse looks when wearing my NO WAR t-shirt, it's like every1 round where i live are war mongours and blind obeyers of capitalism and authority, that makes me sick.

Although I got a thumbs up, which was cool. And also the funniest thing was when a load of kids started shouting "We love you Saddam" and crap like that, that didn't piss me off, I just found it hilarious, because they're just dumb kids who don't understand what it all means. Either that or their fascist parents told them that the war was a good thing.

[Comrade Ceausescu]

There is this guy in my class who wears a sweater with a picture of che on.
I asked him if he knew who che was,and he said "uuhmm.som crazy guy from latin-america i think"


Shoot him.

[commieboy]

yeah...lets shoot em' that will make a wonder reputation for the communists...why dont we put them in extermination camps and tatoo numbers on their arms.

[Comrade Ceausescu]

wouldnt wanna taint the great reputation we already have...anyway,you must not be familiar with the term "joke".

[commieboy]

to stop our fued for a second and be a little imature...that was your 420th post!

But anyway, when you say shit like that, thats the material the FBI agents who moniter sites like this use to indite people in Court. Or what gets put in the six O'clock news and how us violent commies are planning a new holocaust.

[Tiki Man]

No, I'd have to agree with shooting him. :P What he did should be a harshly treated crime. Being oblivious.

[nezvanova]

hate to sound parinoid, but commieboy is right. We have to be careful of what we say here...the stupid cappies will use anything and everything they can against us. just be wary...we know you mean it in good humor, but they judicial system may not see it that same way...

[Comrade Ceausescu]

to stop our fued for a second and be a little imature...that was your 420th post!

lol cheers.anyway,concerning your point i do agree.a healthy dose of paranoia is good.actually,i prefer to call it awareness.

[commieboy]

sorry, i've never been the same since i saw conspiracy theory....i always look over my shoulder...

[Pingu]

i wear a che shirt. I think you should wear a shirt of him, when you know something about him. And dont buy that fashion (puma-like) che shirt... (dont buy puma at all, although i think you already dont buy it :P )
When i wear a che shirt, i get often reactions from people and sometimes we start a discussion.




just something to add to the discussion :unsure:

[commieboy]

me too, infact, i wore mine today and i got to explain who che was seven times! and that's nothing compared to my free sherman pin...im blowin away my rual michigan highschool

[BuyOurEverything]

I wore mine today and my history teacher said that we should cover him in our class, so I think we're going to soon.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

i haven't worn mine in a long time now, i got a lot of stupid junk for it before, like "why are you wearing that french guy on your shirt?" and stupid comments like that, once i had someone pretend to be shooting at my shirt as if it was a target, i get some positive comments but i've just been blending in for the last couple of monthes now

[nezvanova]

there was some silly grade 8 or 9&#39;er who was wearing a shirt with a Che patch on it. I said "hey you have a Che Guevara patch on your shirt&#33;" and she didn&#39;t know what i was talking about. Then I said "so you don&#39;t know who he is and are wearing him merely as a fashion accessorie?" and her friend butted in and answered for her, and told me to go away....Che and I get no respect at that school.... <_<

[Intifada]

i was wearing my che shirt a couple of weeks ago. some fucking dumbass goes to me and says cool shirt i have one too. i asked him how much he knew about che, and he said he liked him because he was a good footballer.

another guy at my school has a che patch on his bag, but doesnt know jack about him. he is also a racist fucker, showing some more of his ignorance.

[commieboy]

wore my other che shirt today.....and while walking down the hall a teacher stopped me and said, "Do you know who that is on your shirt?"
so i replied, "Che"
"Do you know who he is?"
so as fast as i could so i wouldn&#39;t be late for class i said, "Yes, Ernesto Guevara, born in agintina, fought in cuba, congo, bolivia, Fidels friend and died in 1967 in Bolivia" and he just smiled and said,
"Just checking"

[Comrade Ceausescu]

This crack dealer at my school always wears a che shirt.He is a hypocritical poser.I want to beat him up,but he is like 2 years older,and in the past he used to beat the shit out of me,so I do not want to make it his habit again.

[At the Drive In]

how about wearing a che shirt to represent fighting for what you&#39;re believing in, fighting for those who can&#39;t fight for themselves, somewhat rebellious, to show that you&#39;re one of those people who gets filled with anger when someone makes fun of another. I just don&#39;t believe in communism that much or anything like that. So how does that sound?

[nezvanova]

Sounds good to me. You don&#39;t have to be marxist to beleive in what Che fought for. He was fighting opression. My father was raised in communsim slovakia, and found it very opressive, and greatly disliked the communist government...he even went as far as to risk his life to escape from the iron curtain, but when Che died, it hurt him. Him, and all his friends were greatly saddened to hear of Che death. They hated the communists, but they loved Che. IT had little to do with political ideology, but what he fought for, and fought against.

[ratmbola]

2 shirts.
1 i got from a state fair which was mexican made ( looks as if someone made it, not some company ).
so far in my life, i havent seen anyone else wearing a che shirt besides once on tv ( that 70&#39;s show ).
heck, i havent met a individual in life that knew who he was.

[Bolshevika]

I have a Che shirt (made in Cuba), usually the kids I know say "WAOH dats liek A KOOL SHERT", but then if a wear a shirt with Mao or Lenin/Stalin on it they don&#39;t like it. I try to use "fashion" as a recruiting tool and am sucessful at times.

Just shows you, Che is a fashion accessory in this disgusting capitalist society. In fact, I feel embarrassed wearing a Che shirt at times, not because of anything comrade Che did, but because of how all of these teenage deadweight pieces of shit wear his image to look "cool". Usually when I wear a shirt with a communist on it it&#39;s either at a demonstration or occasionaly in public.

I hate people who think Che is some sort of liberal Jesus type person. He was definetly heroic, but not like the capitalists paint him out (Ironic eh? The capitalists painting their enemy like a pacifist liberal utopian), he was a hardline Stalinist with pan-Latin Americanist ideas. I wish more people would know this, so we communists can be seen for what we really are, fighters for justice. Che is not the only communist who fought/died for his ideas and the emancipation of the proletariat, he is simply another young Bolshevik in Latin America looking to change the world. Like all of us.

Che&#39;s martyr death had everything to do with political ideology.

[Red Louisiana]

Che was a Marxist who saw the internationalist struggle, rather than a national one. That&#39;s what makes him special.

He was definitely NOT a "hardline stalinist" by any streach of the imagination - the fact that he criticized the USSR on many occasions for their veiled imperialism doesn&#39;t seem much like stalinistic behavior.

A Stalinist is not a revolutionary, he is a bureaucrat; the stalinist is not capable of revolution, only organization, and bureacratic maneuvering in his own interest - Che was definitely NOT a stalinist.

[Soviet power supreme]

He was definitely NOT a "hardline stalinist"

Yes he was.


the fact that he criticized the USSR on many occasions for their veiled imperialism doesn&#39;t seem much like stalinistic behavior.


What occasions?All I remember he criticized Hrusthovs revisionistic imperialistic line.

He always thought that Mao, who was a stalinistic, was on right track.He always prefered China over Ussr.


bureacratic maneuvering in his own interest - Che was definitely NOT a stalinist.

Yet he always wanted to create a sosialistic Argentina.

[Red Louisiana]

Read Che&#39;s speech at the Afro-Asian Conference - he openly criticized the USSR&#39;s paternalistic and overbearing nature towards proletarian revolutionists.

And Yes, Che was very influenced by Mao, and the Asian revolutionaries, who, as you must know, disliked Soviet socialism...


Che wanted a socialist WORLD :)

[Soviet power supreme]

Yet I don&#39;t see any critic about stalinism.
Are you saying that Hrutshov was a stalinist?Because he wasn&#39;t.


Che wanted a socialist WORLD

No I think that he always wanted third world countries unleash themselves from the chain of imperialism and capitalism.

[Comrade Ceausescu]

Guys,he criticised the REVISIONIST ussr.Not Stalin&#39;s ussr

[Soviet power supreme]

Guys,he criticised the REVISIONIST ussr.Not Stalin&#39;s ussr

That&#39;s what I have been saying here.

[Bolshevika]

A Stalinist is not a revolutionary, he is a bureaucrat; the stalinist is not capable of revolution, only organization, and bureacratic maneuvering in his own interest - Che was definitely NOT a stalinist.

Che&#39;s guerrilla was certainly run in a semi-authoritarian democratic centralist fashion. Man, even if Che was a Trot I would still admire his bravery.

You really hate Stalin do you not? I mean, if you lie to yourself just to think he wasn&#39;t a supporter of Stalin. Che outlawed the Trotskyist party in Cuba and did not allow them membership to the Cuban Communist Party.

And yes, Che&#39;s anti-imperialist criticisms of the USSR were during Khruschevs days of phony socialism and appeasement to imperialism. Khrushchev stopped supporting revolution. Chairman Mao, who was a "Stalinist", criticized Khruschev in the same way.

In a way, Che was a Pan-Americanist/Africanist/Asianist. He wanted Latin America, Africa, and Asia to unite against imperialism.

[Saint-Just]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 28 2003, 03:58 PM
A Stalinist is not a revolutionary, he is a bureaucrat; the stalinist is not capable of revolution, only organization, and bureacratic maneuvering in his own interest - Che was definitely NOT a stalinist.
Interesting, because all the Chinese &#39;Stalinists&#39; were certainly able to create a revolution.


And Yes, Che was very influenced by Mao, and the Asian revolutionaries, who, as you must know, disliked Soviet socialism...

Mao liked Stalin and Lenin&#39;s Soviet socialism but disliked the revisionist socialism of the post-Stalin USSR.