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| THE LEGACY OF CHE GUEVARA November 20, 1997 |
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Why should Che be the subject of so much attention now? Is it possible that Che represents something more than the era in which he died? Considering the manner in which he died, how will history treat Che relative to other guerrilla leaders? Will the mass iconization of Che fuel even more anti-American sentiments abroad, as well as anti-government sentiments among America's "lost generation X-ers"? What role did the CIA play in the death of Che? Denice Marie of Silver Spring, MD, asks: I am a bit concerned with all of the mass iconization of Che. He was a Marxist Revolutionary, with many members of the former KGB as his comrades. Do you see this fueling even more anti-American sentiments abroad, as well as anti-government sentiments among America's "lost generation X-ers" who do not have hope in the "machine" as it is?
Mr. Jon Lee Anderson, author of "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life," responds:
I don't think the "return of Che" will fuel any more anti-American sentiments than already exist around the world today. It is useful to comprehend why such sentiments exist. In general, they are caused by the widespread international perception that the United States is a militaristic country which traditionally looks after its own interests at the expense of the national dignity of others. In Latin America, which Americans have always regarded as their "backyard," there is a sufficiently long historical record of American intervention to have created long-standing resentments in the region.
It is easy to demonize the Soviet KGB – an especially distasteful agency – but it seems valid to put the "Red Bogeyman" and Che's affiliation with them into historical context. It occurred during the Cold War, when two opposing political philosophies competed for international dominance, and in their own role in that competition, the American CIA thought nothing of violently overthrowing foreign regimes, supporting Latin American death squads and allying itself with the Mafia to assassinate Fidel Castro – all in the name of 'anti-communism'. Indeed, it is important to remember that Che Guevara's own political radicalization (and "anti-Yankee" convictions) occurred in Guatemala in 1954 during the American CIA's overthrow of a democratically-elected left-wing government.
With regards the possibility that American Gen-X'ers might become "anti-government" because of Che's example: I think contemporary history is already proving that this is not the case. The most dangerous anti-government sentiments in America today come from the extreme right – eg: the militia movement, white supremacists and assorted true-blue American "Patriots."
If anything, I see Che's appeal to Gen-X'ers as a form of symbolic identification with a rebel figure, someone critical of the status quo. Wearing Che's face on your T-shirt is a way of saying: "I am a rebel in spirit; I don't accept what the Establishment stands for." For most, this essentially aesthetic, non-threatening form of revolt will fade as they graduate from college, get their first jobs, and begin families – along with their nose rings and bleached hair. But for the meantime, it is imperative that society allows them the room to broadcast their inconformity with the way things are, just as it is necessary that society tolerates their hopes of making a future difference.
What role did the CIA play in the death of Che?
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