A Myth Dies In Colombia Jungle

IBD Editorials ^ | July 7, 2008

[Kaslin]

Culture: One of the most positive side effects of Colombia's rescue of 15 hostages from FARC communist terrorists was in dispelling the myth of revolutionary Che Guevara as a romantic hero.

---

Che, after all, was with the bad guys last week. The Colombian soldiers who freed the hostages wore Che T-shirts to convince the FARC they were fellow terrorists, and it actually worked. Within minutes, the hostages were handed over.

"They were wearing Che Guevara shirts, and I thought: It's the FARC!" said former hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Her disappointment turned to joy when the disguised men announced, "We are the Colombian army. You are free!"

Colombia's flawless rescue was one of the most awe-inspiring victories over terror in history, one that will be studied, celebrated and immortalized in books and films. All that will be forthcoming.

What's important now is that Betancourt may have taken down all the haloed glory of Che by telling the world about the T-shirts, making Che a detail too important to leave out of any Hollywood reenactment.

[Travis McGee]

[yldstrk]

obama had that campaign office with che flag

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Ist est Schadenfreude, yah?

[PGalt]

GRRRREAT article! Thanks for posting.

BUMP for the “I joined this revolution and got fooled by this lousy t-shirt...boy am I stupid”...crowd.

Perhaps they can replace Che’s picture with change agent Barack. /sarcasm

[READINABLUESTATE]

“obama had that campaign office with che flag”

(Worth repeating)

[null and void]

Jawohl!!!

Und es ist sehr gut!

[Travis McGee]

[Army Air Corps]

Give Che his due; the man knew how to market T-Shirts to stupid trust fund kids.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Why they idolize Che I will never understand. The guy was a rank failure at every revolutionary activity he tried.

Ok he was pretty good at shooting the people that other people had captured and tied up for him in the back of the head but that was it.

[Disambiguator]

obama had that campaign office with che flag

[fortunecookie]

Che, after all, was with the bad guys last week. The Colombian soldiers who freed the hostages wore Che T-shirts to convince the FARC they were fellow terrorists, and it actually worked. Within minutes, the hostages were handed over.

Just love this part. And the long held hostages were safely freed. A great idea, the t-shirts. I don't know if it'll work more than the one time, but... And the idea that Che is publicly shown for what he was, and his followers are, is icing on the cake. I don't know if it'll change many Che t-shirt fans ideas (not the clueless ones I know) but at least the 'modern', romanticized notion of Che is challenged.

[fortunecookie]

I won’t hold my breath for Obama’s thoughts on the matter. Hopefully, he’ll have his staff quietly take it down. But I doubt that too...

[tflabo]

Hey Libs....Beware the power of this Che'.

[Cacique]

btt

[Onelifetogive]

What's important now is that Betancourt may have taken down all the haloed glory of Che by telling the world about the T-shirts, making Che a detail too important to leave out of any Hollywood reenactment.

In the Hollywood version, the evil Columbian Army will have kidnapped them from the peaceful FARC reformers where they were living in utopia...

[tflabo]

Betancourt's comments, coming from a politician on the left, about Che's association with terrorists at a pivotal point in the rescue are too damning. She made it clear that Che's image belongs with terrorists, not heroes.

Mindless liberals can't be bothered with real truth. They have a revolution to attend with Che Guevara immortalized!

[Rembrandt]

To me, the real story line in all of this is that the little weenie with lots of bravado, Hugo Chavez, received his comeuppance.

The guy who underwrote much of FARC’s activities financially but was too chicken to support them publicly has lost his most choice chess pieces.

The guy who was too spineless to personally go out into the jungle and do the terrorist bit has now lost his prime calling card.

Hey Hugolito Chavez, go back to your goat pen!

[Ditto]

In the Hollywood version, the evil Columbian Army will have kidnapped them from the peaceful FARC reformers where they were living in utopia...

No doubt. There is nothing that Hollywood can't twist 180 degrees.

[Army Air Corps]

Memo to lefties:

[tflabo]

Hey Hugolito Chavez, go back to your goat pen!

No No No..get your animal pens correct, The goat pen is for Ahmedinejad....the pig pen is for Chavez. Let law and order on the farm be restored!.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[MHGinTN]

Unmoglich

[hellbender]

A great idea, the t-shirts. I don't know if it'll work more than the one time

I worry about that too. Somehow I don't think Kim Jong Il T-shirts, or Michael Moore ones, would work as well.

[fortunecookie]

I worry about that too. Somehow I don't think Kim Jong Il T-shirts, or Michael Moore ones, would work as well.

Luckily, these rescue tactical people are creative. And - well, give it time for Kim and Moore. I fear it could be like with Che, lefties 30-40 years from now (ugh! - we'll still have lefties!) will buy the 'romanticized', fictionalized versions of the 'good' supposedly done for the workers by Kim Jong Il and MM. Guaranteeing more crappy t-shirts. Sigh. *insert painful eyerolling here*

It was a great ploy to rescue the hostages, hopefully they will come to appreciate over time just how great.

[abigailsmybaby]

Wow! That says a mouthful.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a graphic of Che and at the bottom it had the “word” Chenge. Very clever and I wish I could find it again.

Chenge....that’s what Obama’s all about.

[alecqss]

Now Obama will have to worry about all these guys and gals in Che t-shirts coming to his kookouts... So sad.

[VeniVidiVici]

Che, after all, was with the bad guys last week. The Colombian soldiers who freed the hostages wore Che T-shirts to convince the FARC they were fellow terrorists, and it actually worked. Within minutes, the hostages were handed over.

"They were wearing Che Guevara shirts, and I thought: It's the FARC!" said former hostage Ingrid Betancourt.

Yes. Even Barack Hussein supports Che. The view inside his Houston headquarters.

[NoLibZone]

What they faced, for the length and numbers involved- makes Abu Gahraib look like sunday school.

[hosepipe]

LoL...

[Enchante]

"A great idea, the t-shirts. I don't know if it'll work more than the one time"

The good thing now is that forever after, anytime anyone in FARC encounters any stranger(s) in Che t-shirts, they will actually be a lot MORE suspicious than ever before. Lots of leftist wankers may now find themselves in danger if they wear any Che t-shirt near FARC types......

[fortunecookie]

Now Obama will have to worry about all these guys and gals in Che t-shirts coming to his kookouts... So sad.

Good point. ;-)

[fortunecookie]

The good thing now is that forever after, anytime anyone in FARC encounters any stranger(s) in Che t-shirts, they will actually be a lot MORE suspicious than ever before. Lots of leftist wankers may now find themselves in danger if they wear any Che t-shirt near FARC types......

Gee, you mean Farc might shoot first and then sort it out? How mean! /sarc ;-)

Haha, it will be the gift that keeps on giving. And then hopefully the leftie wanker wannabe-rebels will see what the Farc is and has been about. I don't expect miracles, but maybe word will start to leak out.