che guevara??

[xenite232]

hey everyone,i have been reading a lot about che guevara and i have found some cool things and some questionable things.i was wanting to get some opinions and thoughts from other leftist minded people to see what your take is on him and some of the accusations made about him such as he was racist,homophobic,xenophobic,antisemitic,killed a lot of innocent people aaaand the list goes on and on from right wing nut balls,even though i cant find very solid evidence suggesting such.

if you like him tell me why and if you dont explain

[Tommy4ever]

He was homophobic. The accusations of racism come from some of the things he said after his failed attempts to bring revolution to the Congo (complaining about the tribalism, culture etc) - but the very fact he went to the Congo to try to provoke a revolution means we can discount this claim. As for xenophobic, well he was clearly very internationalist (going to 3 countries that were not his own to fight for the revolution) so that claim is pretty invalid. I don't know about the claims of anti-semitism, whats the basis for them? Finally, he was involved in some purges after the Cuban Revolution and obviously took part in 3 guerilla wars, so he did kill some people.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

There is a sub-forum you might be interested in checking out...

http://www.revleft.com/vb/ernesto-che-guevara-f13/index.html

[Ostrinski]

John Lee Anderson, who has written the most comprehensive and well sourced biography of Che, states that he could not find one single source that validates the claim that he murdered an innocent person during the La Cabana trials.

[EvoMorales]

John Lee Anderson, who has written the most comprehensive and well sourced biography of Che, states that he could not find one single source that validates the claim that he murdered an innocent person during the La Cabana trials.

Great book. Just reaffirming this post. By far the best book on Che to date. It should be noted that this author, unlike so many others, gained access to numerous documents and sources (such as his wife) that others hadn't. A must read for anyone interested in Che.

[daft punk]

Yes I can say that is a recommended book. Anderson had access to Che's unpublished diaries.

Also see these links

http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/Cuba/00.html

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Che_Guevara

http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/00.html

the last one is a free online book about Che. The first is a book about the revolution. The middle one is some articles. If you want to know about Che, I suggest starting with the last link. Here are the contents (clickable links):

http://www.socialistworld.net/pics2/p248_01.jpg

Che Guevara

Tony Saunois

introduction (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/introduction.html)
bohemia (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/one.html)
bolivia (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/two.html)
what do I join? (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/three.html)
guerillaism (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/four.html)
july 26 movement (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/five.html)
in power (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/six.html)
a new cuba (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/seven.html)
congo to bolivia (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/eight.html)
epilogue (http://www.socialistworld.net/pubs/che/nine.html)

"So why has the CWI produced another pamphlet on Che and Cuba when so much has already been written on them internationally? Apart from the cynical articles and on occasion flippant articles in some magazines and papers some serious books and biographies have already been produced. Che Guevara - A Revolutionary Life, by the US journalist and writer, Jon Lee Anderson, is a well researched and an enjoyable biography. So is Ernesto Guevara tambien conocido como El Che (Ernesto Guevara also know as El Che) by the Mexican writer, Paco Ignacio Taibo (available only in Spanish).
Despite the extensive research and investigation such authors have undertaken, their work inevitably lacks one thing. They do not draw a political balance sheet of the lessons of Che's contribution to the revolutionary movement which can assist the struggle against capitalism and imperialism today. Such authors, although making a valuable contribution in recording history, cannot achieve this task. The reason is simple enough. They are not active participants in the struggle to overthrow capitalism and begin the task of building socialism.
The CWI has produced this pamphlet on Che and the 1959 Cuban Revolution in order to assist in the task of building an international revolutionary socialist organisation which will be able to defeat capitalism and imperialism. History never repeats itself in exactly the same way. However, there are important lessons from previous struggles and revolutions which must be drawn by those fighting for socialism today if we are to be successful.
It is for this reason that this pamphlet has been published at this time. The Cuban revolution, in particular the contribution to it made by Che Guevara, has many lessons for the struggle against exploitation which is taking place today, especially in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East."

[ellipsis]

Revleft meme 4376: this thread.

[Mr. Natural]

The John Lee Anderson book is excellent. I read it in company with Companero, author's name forgotten, which was also worthwhile.

It seems fashionable for some leftists to trash Che nowadays, perhaps because he was an active revolutionary. Then there is the counter position of Che idolatry. As Che Guevara was a guerrilla revolutionary in several countries, both lovers and haters of him will find support for their positions.

As for myself, I'm an overall admirer of Che Guevara. He had to fight a lifelong battle against severe asthma: each day began as a war against asthma. Che Guevara was one hell of a warrior.

As for his homophobia, I'm queer, and am not aware of any "active" homophobia. Che Guevara was very macho and held typical macho attitudes toward homosexuals, I'm sure, and his "feminism" needed serious upgrading, too, but he was never an active bigot.

Che Guevara was a warrior and not much of a theorist, and his Bolivian adventure was doomed to failure. By then, though, Che had seen Cuba's growing conservatism and indebtedness to the Soviet Union, had been thrown out of China by Che and ignored by his idol, Nehru, at a dinner in India, and came to understand there was little left for a revolutionary warrior to do. Hence the Congo and then Bolivia.

[xenite232]

John Lee Anderson, who has written the most comprehensive and well sourced biography of Che, states that he could not find one single source that validates the claim that he murdered an innocent person during the La Cabana trials.

yeah ive been told to get that book by several different people and then i finally found it in town and i read quite a bit of it while i was in the hospital and i found it VERY informative as well as the motorcycle diaries

[xenite232]

The John Lee Anderson book is excellent. I read it in company with Companero, author's name forgotten, which was also worthwhile.

It seems fashionable for some leftists to trash Che nowadays, perhaps because he was an active revolutionary. Then there is the counter position of Che idolatry. As Che Guevara was a guerrilla revolutionary in several countries, both lovers and haters of him will find support for their positions.

As for myself, I'm an overall admirer of Che Guevara. He had to fight a lifelong battle against severe asthma: each day began as a war against asthma. Che Guevara was one hell of a warrior.

As for his homophobia, I'm queer, and am not aware of any "active" homophobia. Che Guevara was very macho and held typical macho attitudes toward homosexuals, I'm sure, and his "feminism" needed serious upgrading, too, but he was never an active bigot.

Che Guevara was a warrior and not much of a theorist, and his Bolivian adventure was doomed to failure. By then, though, Che had seen Cuba's growing conservatism and indebtedness to the Soviet Union, had been thrown out of China by Che and ignored by his idol, Nehru, at a dinner in India, and came to understand there was little left for a revolutionary warrior to do. Hence the Congo and then Bolivia.


yeah after reading a lot on him ive found to hold a very similar opinion like yours,most people with these accusations dont take into account that homophobia,some racial tendencies and things of that nature were social and cultural norms back in those days so they really shouldnt hold that against him (or anyone else for that matter)