Why is Che Guevarra more famous than Fidel Castro?

[hemybel]

The Face of Che Guevarra is a fashion icon...
even those kids who don't care about the world... even those teenagers who do nothing but play basketball... they know che but not fidel castro...

Why?

[Rage Against the Right]

i'd say partly he's easier to idolize since he's dead, and because he was a good lookin' fellow. its that one damn siloutte that caught on ya know.

[ilovestalin]

After his role as a rebbel Fidel successfully became a tyrant. In people's view Che died as a struggling visionary....before becoming a tyrant. It's easy to be philosophical when the guy's dead.

[Red Rebel]

Che is famous for being are maytr and dieing for his beliefs.

[Janus]

The Cuban government encourages the reverence of Che who is just as prominent in propaganda. Che is the best example of the revolutionary ideal and Castro has taken full advantage of this to invoke support for the government and policies. Unlike Fidel, Che rejected the comforts of his government positions in order to return to the battlefield and advance the revolutionary cause which led ot his death. This has earned him more international recognition than Fidel.

[Brujo]

Just came back from Guardalavaca, Cuba last week. I've talked to two families living there and I've asked them what they (and people in general) though of Che and Fidel. One joked around a bit about Castro, but in general they were reluctant to say too much. Fell silent and shook their heads. You know...there maybe propaganda books and posters flying around here. Che flags and merchandise are offered by the dozens at the local gift markets for tourists and oblivious vacationers (like myself). But once you see the real Cuban countryside outside, then you get a glimpse of reality. Not the past, not what was dreamed, not what could and should have been, but what is. The silent gestures said it all: Been there done that.

[FULL METAL JACKET]

Am not sure he is more famous than Castro. Whoever has worn a Che t-shirt knows how many people came up to them asking whos that on the t-shirt? However everyone seems to know about Castro, and I do mean everyone.

[!Injustice!]

Am not sure he is more famous than Castro. Whoever has worn a Che t-shirt knows how many people came up to them asking whos that on the t-shirt? However everyone seems to know about Castro, and I do mean everyone.
its so true ive had ppl say if it was bob marley and even malcolm x but i think castro is more known especially in the states because they call him a tyrant and a dictator so it is also where you live if u live in the states castro is more known then che i think

[Dyst]

You can say whatever you want about Castro, but the man has been the leader of the same country for... a long time.

Meaning it's natural to consider him at least undemocratic. Maybe even antidemocratic.

[chebol]

It's only natural to consider that.... if you know nothing about Cuba's democratic system..... and the history of the revolution.

[ReD_ReBeL]

Keiza:heres some articles about Cuba's political system and its participants to show you that it isn't quite the dictatorship which you are told by mainstream media.

Is Cuba Democratic? (http://cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htm)

Is Fidel Castro a Dictator? (http://cuba-solidarity.org/dictator.htm)

[Dyst]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2006, 07:52 AM
Keiza:heres some articles about Cuba's political system and its participants to show you that it isn't quite the dictatorship which you are told by mainstream media.

Is Cuba Democratic? (http://cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htm)

Is Fidel Castro a Dictator? (http://cuba-solidarity.org/dictator.htm)
Interesting. Don't know the viability of the links you posted, but in any case, yes, it does seem different then what we would normally hear.

[norwegian commie]

the capitalistic-democracy is different than the socialistic. it is as easy as that. we get toons of propaganda slapped in our face warning against communism and the left, this will decrease the variety of people in charge. Using propaganda as a tool to gain as much power as possible is not a democratic thing to do.

Fidel is loved by the people, at least the ones i have spoken with on Cuba. Especially the black population that claims Fidal is the reason they own what they own. People that used to be poor can now get an eduCATION AND doctor help.

[~*HastaLaVictoriaSiempre*~]

che is more well known due to the fact that he lead many revolutions and died for his beliefs. But im not really sure why he is such a faishon icon :huh:
It does kinda piss me off when people wear his face and dont even no who he was or what he did <_<

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

Because he died. Death puts you into an untouched, legendary category. Think 2pac, Bob Marley etc....all much more legendary after they passed vs. when they were alive.

If Castro died and Che led the country, Castro would be posterized...because he died for his beliefs, etc etc.

[rouchambeau]

They were both revolutionaries, but Che was less of an asshat than Fidel.

[Xanthus]

Another big reason for Che&#39;s popularity in the north: Rage Against the Machine.

[poetofrageX]

I will give Rage Against the Machine some credit for this: a couple people in my school had some idea who Subcommandante Marcos is when i started talking about him.

[TC]

I would dispute that he actually is more famous than fidel castro in the sense that, while most non-political people have heard of both fidel and che, more of them probably know something of substance abotu fidel (he&#39;s the president of cuba, cuban communist revolutionary, missle crisis, cold war leader, whatever) whereas fewer non-political people actually know anything about che other than that he was a revolutionary of some sort.

Like Carols the Jackle...the name is famous but how many people know what his ideology was, can name something of note that he did, even what his nationality is or percisely when he lived.


In any case i think the principle reason for Che&#39;s fame actually comes from that iconic photograph. Its probably among he single most frequently reproduced photograph, which is why he is frankly famous-beyond-his-deeds so to speak (what other cabinet-level political leader from a small state has anyone not very interested in politics ever heard of?..people might know the names of the most famous heads of state of other small communist countries, but i frankly wouldn&#39;t be able to name a single minister in communist albania or romania or nicaragua or mongolia...i guess cause none of them had really good widely published photos lol).

[pandora]

Because he was against some of the features of the later Cuban state which caused discrimination against minority groups, and the complete reliance on the Soviets.

Castro wed himself too much to the USSR where Che would have diversified trade negotitations with other nations such as African nations, China, and creating greater liberalism Latin America to create a web of support.

After the Cuban Missle Crisis, Castro felt the need to isolate Cuba. Leading to a politically dark period of unrest and instability in Cuba where there were many persecutions. These persecutions did not follow Marxist doctrine, and were more a part of following the Soviet system.

For these reasons Castro came seen as a mixed bag, he has always been pretty honest about his not having the moral compass of Che, which is why the Cuban motto for school children is, "Be like Che."

THere has been some historical questioning if Che was not too hard on himself leading to his downfall in trying to move to soon. I don&#39;t know, but he tried to live by the words he wrote, and his words have an eloquence which Castro&#39;s lack.

[Godfather]

If Che lived, I assure you that he would NOT be the huge icon he is today. It&#39;s the fact that he lived and died for a cause. It&#39;s that simple. If Fidel had died during he beginning of the revolution, he too would be an icon.

[hassan monwar al-moudjahid]

why is che more popular than fidel castro? easy, he is dead.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

It&#39;s only natural to consider that.... if you know nothing about Cuba&#39;s democratic system.....

In Cuba, candidates that goes too far against the status quo are met by police standing outside their doors, advising the candidate that it would not be very good for them to participate as a candidate.

[Abood]

After his role as a rebbel Fidel successfully became a tyrant. In people&#39;s view Che died as a struggling visionary....before becoming a tyrant. It&#39;s easy to be philosophical when the guy&#39;s dead.
Says the stalinist. :lol:
No, it&#39;s not that. Theoretically, Che would&#39;ve never been corrupt - even if he still lives - because he was an orthodox marxist, whereas fidel is a marxist-leninist - which is authoritarian.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I thought Che was marxist-leninist..?

[Fistful of Steel]

A) Martyrdom
B) Zeitgeist
C) Che&#39;s hot

That about sums up my view of why Che became more famous. I probably could&#39;ve explained my reasoning more eloquently but I can&#39;t be arsed.

[RedAnarchist]

It is probably also because Che died young, and people seem to always have a positive view of those who die young.