Che Guevara

I was watching the Book Channel on C-Span on Labor Day Weekend in 2007, and noted a new book out on Che Guevara. From what I see it points out what a murderous thug and incompetent warrior that he actually was. He was great to command firing squads, but when the other side got to shoot back, he came up a cropper!

Yes, he made mistakes in Cuba, for example the trials and executions after the revolution that were unnecessary. He didn't know much about economy. But: He laid the foundation for some developments (eduational system and health care) in Cube that  are still admired in many third-world countries. I respect him very much for his spirit to help the underprivileged and poor. He gave his life for his beliefs. He gave away the privileges of being a member of a government for spreading his ideals. Show me one politician in our days who would do the same.

The commercialism associated with his image annoys the Hell out of me, but he is Leung Kwok-hung's main inspiration, and there is no global politician better than Cheung Mo (Longhair).

Leader? Of what may I ask?

Intelligent? Absolutely. Courageous? To the point of foolhardiness and beyond. A Leader? Considering his evident charisma, apparently. True to his beliefs? The evidence suggests such. So why do I give only 2 stars? Let me try to explain. He was the idealogue behind Castro's revolution and early rule, and responsible for the policies of collectivization and nationalization that, while initially popular, and apparently successful, were ultimately disasterous. Like many idealogues before and after him, he had a huge blind spot, in that he regarded politics and governance as a science, able to be influenced by the perfection of an imposed formula, rather than an art, requiring fluidity, agility and compromise. He utterly misread the interest the Bolivian poor had in revolution, and his romanticized death there has inspired idealistic college students ever since.

I can't believe the crap I'm reading. Che betrayed any sense of decency by helping Castro (a murderous pig). A 2-dimensional, uber-leftist hero respected by disaffected college students who have never worked a day in their lives. Che had blood on his hands. You can't be for freedom in one place and kill people in another. Absolute leftist hypocrisy.

Some say he's a saint, other's say he's a mass-murdering villian: he was neither. But he was the greatest Guerilla leader of all-time (in his last battle, he fought off a CIA-trained Bolivian army of over a 1000 men with only 5 guerilla soldiers. Until eventually, after sustaining many loses, the sheer numbers of the Bolivian army overtook Che and his men). And any man who would elect to give up a life of comfort and prestige (something most other world leaders would never do) to do what he feels is right, is a great man in my book. And the fact that the USSR, the USA, Cuba and Bolivia all feared Che enough to conspire against him speaks for itself. World leaders and conservatives everywhere still fear this man's influence on the people. As well they should.

Great man, very smart too. It's a shame he was shot to death! We definite need more guys like Che, too bad there aren't many around.

Che Guevara was an Argentinian left-wing agitator most known for his association with Fidel Castro's Revolutionary movement. He wasn't really an administrator or even a leader per se. Rather, he was a professional rabble rouser who espoused an extreme left wing ideology. Che was the ideological and intellectual force behind the Cuban Revolution, Castro went along only for convienence sake. After all, Che was the one who was responsible for nationalizing all of Cuba's assets after Fidel took over. He was an intellectual and a revolutionary, not an administrator. Most ideologues aren't good at governing at any rate. He left Cuba in 1965 to ferment Communist revolutions in post-colonial Africa and South America. He was a very dangerous man, very charismatic and popular. It has been said that he and Castro were competitors and had a falling out before he left. Castro has a big ego so it wouldn't come as a big surprise. He was killed by the government of Bolivia in 1968.

Che was a typical communist a non-worker from a middleclass family who helped enslave common people. He makes a great target at the rifle range.I say lets invade Cuba and restore that Island to a vacation playground.

When you actually look into his life, you see that he cared far more for the down-trodden than any other modern political leader (though he never actually was a leader). We could do with more leaders who cared for the unfortunate, rather than those who care only for the corporate!

Fine military leader and an international symbol of revolution.

A truely brilliant man, leader and guerilla fighter. A logo? That's all you see Che Guevara for? Well, it shows how much people will try to discredit revolutionaries opposed to the "almighty USA". Terrorist thug and war monger? I'd take a look at the regimes in place today, and say that I'd rather have Che Guevara at the helm than a true war mongering terrorist (George w. Bush). Not a true leader? He defeated the Americans while they were supporting a brutal Dictatorship in Cuba (as they always do) so you could say he was a great leader. Brilliant leader and revolutionary.

Terrorist thug & war monger. Che is push as a hero amoung the youth in my ignorat country (Australia not Cuba).

A very intelligent man who spent all of his all to brief life trying to help the poor and victimized in Africa and South America. I do not believe that revolution is always the answer to ousting tyranny and that diplomacy should always be first considered, but revolution was the only option that CHE could visualize. I do not agree with this, but I do admire his goals. He may not have been a leader of country, but he was a leader of men and women and interest in him has risen greatly since his death. "CHE VIVE"!

Stupid Leftist thug and professional bullet catcher.

Best thing about Che Guevara is that he became a logo embraced by the hate-America left. So when you see someone who digs Che Guevara or sees some "chic" aesthetic there someplace, you know you're in the presence of ignorance or lefty radicalism (redundant?).