So what did Che Guevara actually do???

[WaNt_TO_kNow_MOrE_]

Please forgive my ignorance. I have just watched “The Motorcycle Diaries” in an attempt to gather knowledge on Che Guevara. It was an amazing film but only gave me a slight insight into the man. I have read numerous posts on this forum but it seems to be people arguing over communalism, tshirts and so forth.


So… I was hoping someone could tell me what he did – not his life story but just what he fought for and opposed. Why is he an icon of our world today? I kinda gathered he fought for the people etc… but there seem to be a lot of violence and talk of communism and Stalinism which I have been led to believe are bad things. Is this just an anti-usa thing?

Please shed some light on the subject for me.



Thank you, Steve.

p.s my knowegde of politics is very bad (something i am trying to improve) so if someone could help with the basics being, capitalism, communism and socialism + any other I need to know about – would be great, thanks

[Urban Rubble]

First off, go read through the New To it All forum for basic questions concerning what is Capitalism, Communism, all that. Basically, Capitalism is the system we live under, it is a system which allows private businessmen to own and monopolize the means of production (factories, businesses, everything humans need). Socialism is when the government owns the means of production, this has been seen in the Soviet Union, Cuba, Vietnam, China among other places. Communism is where the state ceases to exist and the workers themselves own the means of production. No bosses, no government, total deomcracy. Communism has never existed. (Sorry, those are some really shitty half assed answers)

Che Guevara aided Fidel Castro in overthrowing the Batista regime in Cuba in the late 50s/early 60s. They gathered a small group of 40 men in Mexico and sailed a ship to Cuba with the intent of launching a guerilla insurgency and overthrowing the corrupt Capitalist regime of Fulgencio Batista. 20 or so of them were killed when they landed and the remaining 18 fled into the country a began a guerilla war that eventually succeeded in overthrowing the government and installing a Socialist government headed by Castro. Che was killed in Bolivia years later trying to do the same thing.

[WaNt_TO_kNow_MOrE_]

Thanks.

[sanne]

He fought for his principles until the day he died.
if you´ve got principles you´ve to fight for them, otherwise you don´t have a chance to win. that´s why he´s an icon for the leftists, because they think (mailny) the same and che was tho one who accomplished it.

[Oldergod]

i've had this discussion with members with my family who some dont believe he did much...you have to understand that he died for a belief...if you dont have that basic mentality then theres no reason to follow his lead...because most people nowadays dont do such things...you cant even get NBA superstars into another country without them *****es about safety...


Che Guevara died because he believed that the masses will eventually prevail against organized armies and ultimately capitalism and oppressors...we understand that his mission wasnt accomplished...but that doesnt mean it died...his mission continues to be fought today...and as long as there are poor africans dying for no reason and there are millions of my people and your people that continue to suffer because of classism...this mission will continue to be fought...the mission now is refered to as the Revolution..so Che basically planted the seeds for a powerful flower

[sanne]

yeah, that´s good. because of the his (or actually castros [and ches]) revolution in cuba "worked" (sorry, i did´nt find another way to say it, don´t know wether you can say it like this...) nobody can say "a revolution isn´t practicable" and many people think at least about making a revolution - better than nothing. perhaps we´ll manage it some time... ;-) (would be really great [but i hate violence-could be a problem- except we´d follow mahatma gandhi...])

[Subversive Pessimist]

Feel free to correct me if there is anything that is wrong.

The started the revolution with 81 men, if I am not mistaken. About twelve of them survived, and lived in the mountains for years, where they were taken lived with the peasents. They won their hearts, and after two years (?) they took over the country. Some 300 people died on the guerilla's side.