Che Guevara: Hero or Sh*thead?

I have found the whole Che Guevara as a hero and freedom fighter phenomenon to be somewhat disconcerting. I can understand superficially why one might come to think of him worthy of being idolized. However, it only takes about five minutes of reading about his life to see that the man and the myth are quite distinct from one another. Here are a few points to consider:

• Che's biographers consistently report that he sent thousands to the firing squad in Cuba without benefit of trial or any due process after Fidel Castro's takeover. Che Guevara himself was said to have acknowledged ordering "several thousand" executions.
  
  
• During the Cuban missile crisis Che G. advocated nuclear war believing that a better world could be created from the ashes. He believed this in spite of the estimated costs of human lives in the millions.



• Characteristic of dictators and opponents of civil liberties Che G. believed that the end always justified the means and his written words, speeches and historic record reflect his ruthlessness.

1. "Blind hate against the enemy creates a forceful impulse that cracks the boundaries of natural human limitations, transforming the soldier into an effective, selective and cold killing machine. A people without hate cannot triumph against the adversary."



2. "Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any enemy that falls in my hands! My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood. With the deaths of my enemies I prepare my being for the sacred fight and join the triumphant proletariat with a bestial howl!"