<br /><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Che, Part 1: The Argentine</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a 2008 film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, which covers the entire Cuban Revolution while focusing on the exploits of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The film showed Che complete his transformation from asthmatic physician to the most recognizable revolutionary of the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The film sets Che up as a Christ-like savior of the poor, with lofty ideas on how to free the poor workers of the world. However, his ideas of bringing that about did not really work with his view of revolution and the use of guerilla warfare to complete a successful revolution.</span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Che believed that the most important thing for the people was to rebel against what he viewed were the imperialist powers of the world, the chief among them being the United States. The Cuban Revolution was meant to be the beginning of a larger offensive that would free all of Latin America, and eventually the world. In his “Message to the Tricontinental”, Che likens the struggle in Vietnam to gladiators in ancient Rome.</span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The solidarity of all progressive forces of the world towards the people of Vietnam today is similar to the bitter irony of the plebeians coaxing on the gladiators in the Roman arena. It is not a matter of wishing success to the victim of aggression, but of sharing his fate; one must accompany him to his death or to </span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">victory.</span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">He says this yet he still insists that the revolution must be global, and even though he is trying to push the UN into action, he has the audacity to call it a “harmless organization”. He also mentions South Africa and its black majority’s need to revolt, to “rise up to rescue their right to a decent life from the hands of the ruling oligarchies.” He ends his message by reemphasizing the Revolutions ultimate goal: “Our every action is a battle cry against imperialism, and a battle hymn for the people's unity against the great enemy of mankind: the United States of America.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Che believed that only a global revolution could destroy imperialism, yet he was a champion of guerrilla warfare. He even wrote on the subject, including the essay “Guerrilla Warfare: A Method.” In it he outlines some steps for guerrilla warfare and specific instances where it would be necessary to use it. He ended the essay with: </span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The outcome of today's struggles does not matter. It does not matter in the final count that one or two movements were temporarily defeated, because what is definite is the decision to struggle which matures every day, the consciousness of the need for revolutionary change, and the certainty that it is possible. This is a prediction. We make it with the conviction that history will prove us right.</span></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadly for Che this did not turn out to be the case, as his failed revolution in Bolivia proves. If only he had followed most of the steps he had laid out for guerrilla warfare.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AP609EmXq6E/TYL1IUkDFyI/AAAAAAAAABM/emasP_nTUAs/s1600/comradejd_sb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AP609EmXq6E/TYL1IUkDFyI/AAAAAAAAABM/emasP_nTUAs/s400/comradejd_sb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comrade Judging Dog is on Spring Break. Will judge you next week.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1378570525637450649-3894092124099256585?l=dcaldwellhistory475.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
