Why do so many of the younger "anti-government" types wear Che Guevara shirts?

Question

I often wonder how much they actually know about this man. Did you know he was known for summarily murdering anyone that stood up against Castro directly following his rise to power in Cuba. During this time Che was the supreme prosecutor for Castro. This fact and many others have led many Cuban exiles to refer to him as "The Butcher of la Cabaña". Why do so many people idolyze this murderous man? I understand that when he started with Castro he may have had good intentions, however, this does not justify the senseless murders he committed.

Answer 1

I actually agree with you. Many younger people that wear those shirts (unfortunately usually fellow liberals) have no clue who he is, or what a horrible person he was. His political ideas were just insane - and he was willing to kill anyone that opposed him. He was not a good person.

Unfortunately his image has been perverted into basically meaning "I'm not a capitalist" or "I don't support the US government" -- which is fine with me, but using a murderer as your symbol just makes you look stupid. Not only that - but his image has been so commercialized that these shirts are completely antithetical to the cause they are supposedly supporting.

Unless you support violent rebelion against capitalist governments you should not wear a Che shirt... Since most of the people wearing these shirts are peace loving hippies, they obviously don't know what the hell they're doing. Even though our political views are probably fairly similar I have very little respect for people that wear the Che shirts.

Still there are violent anarchist punks that wear those shirts that actually know who he was, and what he stood for -- and they believe in it too. Which I can respect... but they aren't really people I enjoy being around either.

Answer 2

i think of a large type of folk do no longer understand the information approximately Che. they simply think of this is lovable or cool or "gutsy and artsy" to be anti-American. they haven't any theory what they actually stand for. In different words, idiots. on the different hand, the extra knowledgeable ones are conspirators who actual hate this u . s . and its conservative values. Like Ann Coulter suggested, leftists are the two idiots or traitors.

Answer 3

Yes, this is all true, but the fact is...noone knew all that in the '70s, which is when the shirts became popular. He was something of an attractive counterculture man, who people KNEW stood in opposition to the unpopular American government. Since then, the shirts have become something of a meme, and remain popular today simply because they became iconic back then. Besides, the layperson thinks he was just the "Anti-Fuzz/Man/Big Brother" type.

Answer 4

Because they think they are being cool. They have no idea who he was, know nothing about Castros revolution, the history of Cuba. Most of them would be unable to actually read the history if they wanted to....I don't think they could even spell his name if it wasn't printed on a tshirt.....

Answer 5

They are soicialist/communist fledglings being taught by our wonderful 1960/1970's graduating class that had their heads warped by marijuana. Come on college professors lets answer this question! Tell us your not socialisticly/communisticly driven, as a group, in a convincing answer. If any have the guts to answer ladies and gentlemen, study their answer carefully and compare it to captalism which has made this country great. Think about how the politically correct individuals are pulling this country right down the drain!

Answer 6

well Che is more of a symbol of rebelion....however yes he did murder people in name of communism, you can't justify that......But let's look a things from another perspective also......how can you justify all the murders that all the US presidents have ordered through the CIA sponsored programs during the cold war era in the name of "democracy".... one man dresses up in army fatigues and another man dresses up in business suits and both carried out the same type of murders........how can you justify that?

Answer 7

Because they believe it looks hip. They believe it's anti-extablishment. I saw a video where a guy went to Paris and explained what Che did and most of them removed their t shirts after they found out..

Answer 8

Considering the fact that our teachers worry more about what color ink they use to correct papers than on actually TEACHING, I would be surprised if these kids have a clue who Che was.

Of course, giving the anti-Americanism that is rampant in our schools, they might very well believe that he was a wonderful guy and is someone they should look up to.

Answer 9

Che was a murderer,but you must admit he was also the greatest t-shirt salesman in the world.

Answer 10

Che Guavara has become more of a cultural symbol and less of a political symbol. I find it hilarious that Che, a commie through and through, has had his image appropriated as a tool of "capitalist explotation."