Quote:
Originally Posted by DanaC
I've always had a soft spot for Che Guavara. I think he was ruthless and violent, but then he was trying to overturn a ruthless and violent enemy. He was a fascinating and charismatic man, very clever. To point at him and say he was extreme is to ignore the extremities that created his mission. Nobody had clean hands. I admire his courage and determination.
In truth, Sundae, I think the Che has a mixed image here. There are plenty of Che t-shirts and he is still something of an icon to the left...but not an uncomplicated one. I think he is admired for what he tried to do, dared to do. But people are rarely pure heroes or out and out villains. I think even for those who admire him, or see in him the symbol of continued struggle, they also see the ruthless killer. He is seen as both a revolutionary and a terrorist. I don't think he's viewed as negatively here as in the States. There's more of an air of tragedy to his image here.
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One man's Freedom Fighter is another man's Terrorist. Same could have been said about any person or group who used violent means to overthrow a sitting government. It just depends on who you choose to support whether or not you choose to ignore or downplay the violent acts and elevate and glorify the "courage and determination". Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, Mugabe, Pancho Villa, Osama Bin Laden, Pervez Musharraf, Ho Chi Minh, the history is endless. But of course you know this as a history major.