In this depressing age of obsessive, oppressive right wing media, it never ceases to give me pleasure that the most famous photograph in the world (and the most widely reproduced) is the masterpiece "Guerrillero Heroico". Taken on March 6th, 1960, in Havana, by Alberto Korda, the image captured a 31 year old Ernesto "Che" Guevara, attending a funeral service for victims of the La Coubre explosion. In one click, Korda would iconize Guevara's stare; his "absolute implacability"; his anger and pain.
That image must surely be detested by capitalists and fascists, the world over. Oh, they'll say they don't care, they'll be in denial, but trust me, they'll hate it, while we socialists draw comfort and courage from it more than 50 years on. Nelson Mandela called Guevara, "an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom; Jean-Paul Sartre described him as, "not only an intellectual, but also the most complete human being of our age."
For sure, it was the most foolish, ill thought out decision, to send the 500 - 600 command ordering Guevara's murder, without trial, the CIA having been aided, it is often said, by Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, and still the world mourns, I think. In recent years, I have often wondered how things might have changed if Guevara had lived, he'd be 85 years old now, and I have a feeling his mind would have been as sharp as Tony Benn's and his spirit as vibrant as ever.
There are those who say, Guevara's legacy is tarnished by his readiness to engage in armed combat, but it's naïve in the extreme to think those on the thrones of power would ever relinquish their control and their obscene levels of wealth without a bitter and bloody battle, for it's in their nature to cling to power regardless of human cost, regardless even of harm to themselves. It is as if it's in their very genes to take as much as they can, for as long as they can, they come from families with a long history of exploitation - that's how they came to have their wealth in the first place. You could never appeal to their conscience, and the bizarre idea that a social and political revolution could be brought about by love is farcical.
Unlike Guevara though, I don't suggest people take up arms, but there are things we can do to voice our protest and spread the word that a movement is growing now, across the country. A movement led by many people, all playing our part, in demonstrations on the ground and in the constant stream of material coming through on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - videos, blogs, poster campaigns and anything else we can think of.
More and more of us are starting to realise, no-one is coming to save us... the next Guevara is yet to be revealed to us, we're going to have to do this ourselves, for our children and our children's children. If you care, if you're concerned, then commit today, sign up to join the People's Assembly demonstration at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester, on 29th September. This government has become shameless now, totally out of control in attacking our basic needs in life, food, shelter, jobs, healthcare, education and they seek to take even our hope and our dignity. We have to voice our objection, they have given us no choice.
Information on the planned People's Assembly demonstration can be found here
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