Posted on 09/17/2012 6:54:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
The stern photo of revolutionary Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda in 1960 is one of the most reproduced images on the planet, appearing on posters, flags, postcards, T-shirts, and even bikinis. Sadly, the ubiquitous appearances of Che — hailed today usually by his first name only — demonstrate the near-total failure to educate people about the blood-soaked cruelty he really represented.
But there are, thankfully, some limits to the use of Che’s famous image — if people complain. A recent e-mail sent by the Environmental Protection Agency to mark Hispanic Heritage Month included Korda’s image of Che along with the slogan “Hasta la victoria siempre,” or “On to victory, always.” After facing criticism, the EPA said the e-mail had been “drafted and sent by an individual employee, and without official clearance.”
Nonetheless, it’s unsettling to see Che’s image appropriated by a government agency that has a notorious reputation for violating property rights and imposing arbitrary controls on growth. Just last March, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that an Idaho couple seeking to build on their land had their rights violated when the EPA imposed fines of $75,000 a day without giving the couple the ability to challenge its rulings.
Also this year, the EPA regional administrator Al Armendariz was forced to resign after he described his enforcement philosophy in a public speech: “Find people who are not complying with the law and you hit them as hard as you can and make examples of them.” He compared the tactic to that used by ancient Roman soldiers: “The Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw, and they would crucify them. And then you know that town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”
That sounds a lot like how Che operated. After Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, Che was instrumental in setting up forced-labor camps for dissidents, gays, and devout Catholics. He was put in charge of La Cabaña Fortress prison for five months. There are varying accounts of how many people were executed under his command during that time, and how many deaths are attributed directly to Che as opposed to the regime overall, but some sources say that more than 100 journalists, businessmen, and followers of the previous regime faced death by firing squad at La Cabaña, under Che’s jurisdiction.
Violence was at the core of Che’s philosophy. Shortly before his death at the hands of Bolivian troops in 1967, he wrote “Message to the Tricontinental.” In this essay he advocated the effective use of violent hatred:
Hatred as an element of the struggle; a relentless hatred of the enemy, impelling us over and beyond the natural limitations that man is heir to and transforming him into an effective, violent, selective, and cold killing machine. Our soldiers must be thus; a people without hatred cannot vanquish a brutal enemy.
A decade earlier, when he murdered Eutimio Guerra, he recorded in his diary: “I ended the problem with a .32 caliber pistol, in the right side of his brain. . . . His belongings were now mine.”
Nor was Che’s violence directed only against Cubans. Author Humberto Fontova points to evidence that Guevara, the chief instigator of Castro’s revolutionary efforts overseas, was involved in a November 1962 terrorist plot to use 1,200 pounds of TNT to blow up Macy’s, Gimbels, Bloomingdale’s, and Grand Central Station on the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year. Such an act could have rivaled 9/11 in its destruction. This is hardly a man who deserves to be honored as a hero on T-shirts.
The Obama administration deserves credit for distancing itself from the EPA’s flirtation with Che. But Obama acolytes haven’t always been so sensible. During the 2008 campaign, a Houston TV station taped the inside of an Obama get-out-the-vote office that featured a large Cuban flag on the wall, with the image of Che stamped onto it.
The spokeswoman for the Obama office who sat down with the TV station for an interview repeatedly called questions about the Cuban flag “a distraction” and a “waste of time” and said, “I don’t have time to talk about the Cuban flag.” Or Che, for that matter.
But it’s time we start to talk about Che. He may have died 45 years ago, but his pernicious philosophy is still very much under debate in Latin America. On the one hand, even liberals such as Rory Carroll, the Latin American correspondent for the Guardian in Britain, acknowledge that the Cuban model would have been a “debacle” if exported to other countries. “To challenge the U.S. empire, Che dreamed of creating ‘many Vietnams,’ not least in his Argentine homeland,” Carroll wrote. “Who today can seriously wish he had succeeded? . . . Who needs Che?”
But while overt Communism isn’t on the march in Latin America, Che-style thinking is ascendant in the anti-American authoritarians who today rule Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. Che is much more than an image on a T-shirt to leaders in those countries: He is an inspiration on how to seize and maintain power. It’s for that reason that we should push back whenever and wherever Che’s image surfaces. If people wore T-shirts with images of Nazi butchers, most of us wouldn’t let them pass by without comment. The same should be the case with Che, whether his image shows up on college campuses or in EPA e-mails.
......But while overt Communism isn’t on the march in Latin America, Che-style thinking is ascendant in the anti-American authoritarians who today rule Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. Che is much more than an image on a T-shirt to leaders in those countries: He is an inspiration on how to seize and maintain power........
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff ("former" terrorist guerrilla).
Texas is a primary target for this abuse of power - electric coal fired plants, marsh plants, endangered spiders, salamanders, voter redistricting, voter ID, oil and gas production.........
Sorry, John, you are being way to forgiving and your normal suspicion of government is missing. You, of all people, should know that nothing happens by accident or coincidence with communists.
216 DOCUMENTED VICTIMS
OF CHÉ GUEVARA IN CUBA:
1957 TO 1959
From Armando M. Lago, Ph.D.´s
Cuba: The Human Cost of
Social Revolution
Manuscript Pending Publication
The exact number of Che’s victims in Cuba is
unknown. Guevara is said to have acknowledged
ordering many executions -all carried out without
affording the victims due process of law. Combat
deaths caused by Che in Cuba or other countries
where he led guerrilla operations have yet to be
tallied.
The following list is not exhaustive and includes only
cases for which historic reference is known -those he
personally executed as well as those killed under his
orders. Names are cited as reported. Additional
details, including bibliographic information, are
available for most cases.
Executed by Che in the Sierra Maestra during the
anti-Batista guerrilla struggle (1957-1958)
1. ARISTIDIO - 10-57
2. MANUEL CAPITÁN - 1957
3. JUAN CHANG - 9-57
4. “BISCO” ECHEVARRÍA MARTÍNEZ - 8-57
5. EUTIMIO GUERRA - 2-18-57
6. DIONISIO LEBRIGIO - 9-57
7. JUAN LEBRIGIO - 9-57
8. “EL NEGRO” NÁPOLES - 2-18-57
9. “CHICHO” OSORIO - 1-17-57
10. UNIDENTIFIED TEACHER (“EL MAESTRO”) - 9-57
11-12. 2 BROTHERS, SPIES FROM THE MASFERRER
GROUP - 9-57
13-14. 2 UNIDENTIFIED PEASANTS - 4-57
Executed or sent for execution by Che during his
brief command in Santa Clara (Jan. 1-3, 1959)
1. RAMÓN ALBA - 1-3-59**
2. JOSÉ BARROSO- 1-59
3. JOAQUÍN CASILLAS LUMPUY - 1-2-59**
4. FÉLIX CRUZ - 1-1-59
5. ALEJANDRO GARCÍA OLAYÓN - 1-31-59**
6. HÉCTOR MIRABAL - 1-59
7. J. MIRABAL- 1-59
8. FÉLIX MONTANO - 1-59
9. CORNELIO ROJAS - 1-7-59**
10. VILALLA - 1-59
11. DOMINGO ÁLVAREZ MARTÍNEZ - 1-4-59**
12. CANO DEL PRIETO - 1-7-59**
13. JOSE FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍNEZ-1-2-59
14. JOSÉ GRIZEL SEGURA - 1-7-59** ( Manacas)
15. ARTURO PÉREZ PÉREZ - 1-24-59**
16. RICARDO RODRÍGUEZ PÉREZ - 1-11-59**
17. FRANCISCO ROSELL - 1-11-59
18. IGNACIO ROSELL LEYVA - 1-11-59
19. ANTONIO RUÍZ BELTRÁN -1-11-59
20. RAMÓN SANTOS GARCÍA - 1-12-59
21. PEDRO SOCARRÁS - 1-12-59**
22. MANUEL VALDÉS - 1-59
23. TACE JOSÉ VELÁZQUEZ - 12-59**
**Che signed the death penalty before leaving Santa Clara.
Executions documented for La Cabaña Fortress
prison during Che’s command (January 3 to
November 26, 1959)
1. VILAU ABREU - 7-3-59
2. HUMBERTO AGUIAR - 1959
3. GERMÁN AGUIRRE - 1959
4. PELAYO ALAYÓN - 2-59
5. JOSÉ LUIS ALFARO SIERRA - 7-1-59
6. PEDRO ALFARO - 7-25-59
7. MARIANO ALONSO - 7-1-59
8. JOSÉ ALVARO - 3-1-59
9. ALVARO ANGUIERA SUÁREZ – 1-4-59
10. ANIELLA - 1959
11. MARIO ARES POLO - 1-2-59
12. JOSÉ RAMÓN BACALLAO - 12-23-59**
13. SEVERINO BARRIOS - 12-9-59**
14. EUGENIO BÉCQUER - 9-29-59
15. FRANCISCO BÉCQUER - 7-2-59
16. RAMÓN BISCET - 7-5-59
17. ROBERTO CALZADILLA - 1959
18. EUFEMIO CANO - 4-59
19. JUAN CAPOTE FIALLO - 5-1-59
20. ANTONIO CARRALERO - 2-4-59
21. GERTRUDIS CASTELLANOS - 5-7-59
22. JOSÉ CASTAÑO QUEVEDO - 3-6-59
23. RAÚL CASTAÑO - 5-30-59
24. EUFEMIO CHALA - 12-16-59**
25. JOSÉ CHAMACE - 10-15-59
26. JOSÉ CHAMIZO - 3-59
27. RAÚL CLAUSELL - 1-28-59
28. ÁNGEL CLAUSELL - 1-18-59
29. DEMETRIO CLAUSELL - 1-2-59
30. JOSÉ CLAUSELL – 1-29-59
31. ELOY CONTRERAS 1-18-59
32. ALBERTO CORBO - 12-7-59**
33. EMILIO CRUZ PEREZ - 12-7-59**
34. ORESTES CRUZ – 1959
35. ADALBERTO CUEVAS – 7-2-59**
36. CUNI - 1959
37. ANTONIO DE BECHE - 1-5-59
38. MATEO DELGADO - 12-4-59
39. ARMANDO DELGADO - 1-29-59
40. RAMÓN DESPAIGNE - 1959
41. JOSÉ DÍAZ CABEZAS - 7-30-59
42. FIDEL DÍAZ MARQUINA – 4-9-59
43. ANTONIO DUARTE - 7-2-59
44. RAMÓN FERNÁNDEZ OJEDA - 5-29-59
45. RUDY FERNÁNDEZ - 7-30-59
46. FERRÁN ALFONSO - 1-12-59
47. SALVADOR FERRERO - 6-29-59
48. VICTOR FIGUEREDO - 1-59
49. EDUARDO FORTE - 3-20-59
50. UGARDE GALÁN - 1959
51. RAFAEL GARCÍA MUÑIZ - 1-20-59
52. ADALBERTO GARCÍA - 6-6-59
53. ALBERTO GARCÍA - 6-6-59
54. JACINTO GARCÍA - 9-8-59
55. EVELIO GASPAR - 12-4-59**
56. ARMADA GIL Y DIEZ CABEZAS - 12-4-59**
57. JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ MALAGÓN - 7-2-59
58. EVARISTO BENERIO GONZÁLEZ - 11-14-59
59. EZEQUIEL GONZÁLEZ - 1-59
60. SECUNDINO GONZÁLEZ - 1959
61. RICARDO LUIS GRAO - 2-3-59
62. RICARDO JOSÉ GRAU - -7-59
63. OSCAR GUERRA - 3-9-59
64. JULIÁN HERNÁNDEZ - 2-9-59
65. FRANCISCO HERNÁNDEZ LEYVA - 4-15-59
66. ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ - 2-14-59
67. GERARDO HERNÁNDEZ - 7-26-59
68. OLEGARIO HERNÁNDEZ - 4-23-59
69. SECUNDINO HERNÁNDEZ - 1-59
70. RODOLFO HERNÁNDEZ FALCÓN - 1.9.59
71. RAÚL HERRERA – 2-18-59
72. JESÚS INSUA - 7-30-59
73. ENRIQUE IZQUIERDO- 7-3-59
74. SILVINO JUNCO - 11-15-59
75. ENRIQUE LA ROSA - 1959
76. BONIFACIO LASAPARLA - 1959
77. JESÚS LAZO OTAÑO - 1959
78. ARIEL LIMA LAGO - 8-1-59 ( Minor)
79. RENE LÓPEZ VIDAL - 7-3-59
80. ARMANDO MAS - 2-17-59
81. ONERLIO MATA – 1-30-59
82. EVELIO MATA RODRIGUEZ - 2-8-59
83. ELPIDIO MEDEROS - 1-9-59
84. JOSÉ MEDINA - 5-17-59
85. JOSÉ MESA - 7-23-59
86. FIDEL MESQUÍA DIAZ - 7-11-59
87. JUAN MANUEL MILIÁN - 1959
88. JOSÉ MILIAN PÉREZ - 4-3-59
89. FRANCISCO MIRABAL - 5-29-59
90. LUIS MIRABAL - 1959
91. ERNESTO MORALES - 1959
92. PEDRO MOREJÓN - 3-59
93. DR. CARLOS MUIÑO, M.D. - 1959
94. CÉSAR NECOLARDES ROJAS - 1-7-59
95. VICTOR NECOLARDES ROJAS - 1-7-59
96. JOSÉ NUÑEZ - 3-59
97. VITERBO O’REILLY - 2-27-59
98. FÉLIX OVIEDO - 7-21-59
99. MANUEL PANEQUE - 8-16-59
100. PEDRO PEDROSO - 12-1-59**
101. DIEGO PÉREZ CUESTA - 1959
102. JUAN PÉREZ HERNANDEZ-5-29-59
103. DIEGO PÉREZ CRELA - 04-03-59
104. JOSÉ POZO - 1959
105. EMILIO PUEBLA - 4-30-59
106. ALFREDO PUPO - 5-29-59
107. SECUNDINO RAMÍREZ - 4-2-59
108. RAMÓN RAMOS - 4-23-59
109. PABLO RAVELO JR. 9-15-59
110. RUBÉN REY ALBEROLA- 2-27-59
111. MARIO RISQUELME - 1-29-59
112. FERNANDO RIVERA - 10-8-59
113. PABLO RIVERO - 5-59
114. MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ - 3-1-59
115. MARCOS RODRÍGUEZ - 7-31-59
116. NEMESIO RODRÍGUEZ - 7-30-59
117. PABLO RODRÍGUEZ - 10-1-59
118. RICARDO RODRÍGUEZ - 5-29-59
119. OLEGARIO RODRÍGUEZ FERNÁNDEZ - 4.23.59
120. JOSÉ SALDARA - 11-9-59
121. PEDRO SANTANA - 2-59
122. SERGIO SIERRA - 1-9-59
123. JUAN SILVA - 8-59
124. FAUSTO SILVA – 1-29-59
125. ELPIDIO SOLER - 11-8-59
126. JESÚS SOSA BLANCO - 2-8-59
127. RENATO SOSA - 6-28-59
128. SERGIO SOSA - 8-20-59
129. PEDRO SOTO - 3-20-59
130. OSCAR SUÁREZ - 4-30-59
131. RAFAEL TARRAGO - 2-18-59
132. TEODORO TELLEZ CISNEROS - 1-3-59
133. FRANCISCO TELLEZ - 1-3-59
134. JOSÉ TIN - 1-12-59
135. FRANCISCO TRAVIESO - 1959
136. LEONARDO TRUJILLO - 2-27-59
137. TRUJILLO - 1959
138. LUPE VALDÉS BARBOSA - 3-22-59
139. MARCELINO VALDÉS - 7-21-59
140. ANTONIO VALENTÍN - 3-22-59
141. MANUEL VÁZQUEZ - 3-22-59
142. SERGIO VÁZQUEZ - 5-29-59
143. VERDECIA - 1959
144. DÁMASO ZAYAS - 7-23-59
145. JOSÉ ALVARADO - 4-22-59
146. LEONARDO BARÓ - 1-12-59
147. RAÚL CONCEPCIÓN LIMA - 1959
148. ElADIO CARO - 1-4-59
149. CARPINTOR - 1959
150. CARLOS CORVO MARTÍNEZ - 1959
151. JUAN GUILLERMO COSSÍO - 1959
152. CORPORAL ORTEGA - 7-11-59
153. JUAN MANUEL PRIETO - 1959
154. ANTONIO VALDÉS MENA - 5-11-59
155. ESTEBAN LASTRA - 1-59
156. JUAN FELIPE CRUZ SERAFIN - 6-59**
157. BONIFACIO GRASSO - 7-59
158. FELICIANO ALMENARES - 12-8-59
159. ANTONIO BLANCO NAVARRO - 12-10-59**
160. ALBERTO CAROLA - 6-5-59
161. EVARISTO GUERRA - 2-8-59
162. CRISTÓBAL MARTÍNEZ – 1-16-59
163. PEDRO RODRÍGUEZ – 1-10-59
164. FRANCISCO TRUJILLO – 2-18-59
**The death sentence was signed by Che, but the
execution was carried out after he left his command.
15 additional executions were reported by The New
York Times, but names are unknown.
And the rest of his article struck you how?
Bump!
Nice selection of anti-Che shirts at:
http://www.thoseshirts.com/ror.html
or just do a search: ‘anti-Che’ shirts
Even Castro grew tired of Che’s shtick.
try che-mart.com for some real good anti-che shirts...
Obama preaches socialism/communism, acts like a communist, selected socialists and commmunists for his cabinet and "czars", staffed the administration with with communists and has a wife who runs around the world preaching socialistic and totalitarian values.
It is not an accident that one of the communists they hired is acting like a communist.
To me the only real surprise is that they got called on it at all.
From MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews (transcript)
March. 21, 2006:
KRISTINN, FREEREPUBLIC.COM: We have kids that wear Che Guevara shirts here in the United States.
MATTHEWS: Yes, but they're kind of cute at this point, aren't they? They're not about somebody out to get us now. I think there's a difference. I mean, that's kind of camp almost, isn't it?...is Che Guevara the symbol of hate in the United States anymore?
KRISTINN: Yes.
MATTHEWS: I don't think so. I mean, a lot of our kids wear them. I see kids wearing them all the time, even my kids wear them. It's like a Robert Marley T-shirt at this point.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11943459/
Nice selection of anti-Che shirts at:
http://www.thoseshirts.com/ror.html
or just do a search: ‘anti-Che’ shirts
Fidel has always said that Che looked stunning in an evening gown.
The problem with shirts and signs like this is, to most people who only have a quick glance, it looks like you’re a supporter of his (Che or whoever). Few will have the opportunity to read and/or ‘get’ the fine print.
Che Chic
Useless idiots have no idea about the true nature of the man they venerate.
Yes! She needs to immediately remove that garment! I volunteer to supervise the removal. :)
The only error is that they slipped and revealed their true intentions: the crushing of American prosperity to Cuban horse and buggy levels, by Fidelista class warfare and repression.
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