Morning PATATUN

Wow. Por Nada me da un Patatatun.

The following was written by a student at the University of Texas. Perhaps all is not lost.

Cuba without the Che brand
Claire Harlin

Posted: 1/30/07

He's a teen heartthrob, a rock star icon and a blessing to money-hungry T-shirt company owners worldwide. Millions tout his image in the name of passion, rebellion and leadership. But Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a communist idol who worked alongside Fidel Castro to kill capitalism, has become a classic archetype and a capitalist brand.

And as Castro remains in a serious state of illness, many, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, are comparing the Cuban dictator to Che, saying he "will never die."

Let's just hope we don't see Castro's face pop up on stylish T-shirts 40 years from now.

Along with Castro, Guevara managed to inspire tens of thousands of Latin Americans to quit working or drop out of universities to form guerrilla insurgencies almost 50 years ago. Once a leader of Castro's firing squads, Che's cause was to join the Soviets and crush any and all U.S. capitalism and imperialism.

Many Che loyalists today are liberals who believe in his rebellious attitude and opposition to the ruling class (hasta la victoria!), but it makes little sense that these two-fold peaceful anti-war activists tout his representation. It's a clash of ideals to be against armed war in Iraq, but a fan of someone who once wrote, "hatred is an element of struggle ... which pushes a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him into an effective, violent, selective and cold-blooded killing machine."

the rest Here

Bless her. Her Parents must be SO proud.

Harlin is a Latin American studies and journalism senior. (there's hope)