Quick Question re: motocycle diaries

[kjt1981]

On page79 when Che says "they say thats what its like over there, where the red blaze that now lights up the world comes from" - am i right in thinking that the "red blaze" he refers to means the soviet union/eastern bloc/communists countries in Europe/Asia that existed at the time?

[which doctor]

I wasn't able to find that passage in the Motorcycle diaries. I searched for it on Google Books, but couldn't find it.

[kjt1981]

On their way into Chuquicamata....its just after the bit where they have shared a meal with the chilean communist who says "Come, Comrades, lets eat together. I, too, am a tramp" - the diaries say "we will see whether one day, some miner will take up his pick in pleasure and go and poison his lungs with a conscious joy. They say thats whta its like over there, where the rad blaze that now lights up the world comes from. So they say. I dont know."

Think its a little ambiguous - on first reading i thought it referred to USA, and its domination of southern america. Then i thought, as communism was in full force at the time in Eastern Europe, asia etc but was still outlawed in parts Southern America, that the "red blaze" refers to The Soviet Union etc....

Just wondering how other people read it....

[Andypunkarelli]

Yeah i thought it was either a reference to communism, or perhaps maybe he was alluding to the glow from the russian ironwork furnaces etc...

more probably its his own personal metaphor of the communist way of life :)