Are there no better icons for Leftists than Che Guevara?

Oct. 9 will mark 56⁣ years since⁤ the death of Cuban guerrilla Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Apparently, it does not matter⁣ that he helped the Castros create an authoritarian regime that now supports ⁣the​ oppression ​of hundreds of millions of people around the world, because clueless ​college students at Syracuse University in New ⁣York still elevate Che⁢ as a representative of liberation and “free” thinking.

But this ignorant reverence is much more pervasive than a mural ‌on display at a particular university — Che remains a popular ​and venerated figure ‌despite his ‌rightfully infamous ‍reputation. College students⁣ all over the Americas (often from wealthy families) use his⁤ image⁢ to LARP as communist⁣ revolutionaries.​ They‍ have ‍worn their Che ‌T-shirts⁢ proudly, fancying themselves⁤ the saviors‌ of the poor and‍ oppressed, despite the fact that most of these T-shirts are made in sweatshops in Central America.

Graffiti commemorating ​Che is plastered all over towns and universities in Latin America, Mexico, Colombia, and​ Bolivia, where⁢ Che was killed by ⁣Bolivian special forces with ​the help of the United‍ States. Prominent left-wing newspapers and outlets ⁢like Jacobin, Current ‌Affairs, and ​ Democracy Now! have written and produced fawning fluff pieces about Che’s legacy in the developing world. In 2004, NPR commemorated the 30th anniversary of⁢ Che’s‌ death⁤ by ⁣reporting on his legacy as an “icon.”

We have ​even ⁤experienced this idol-like treatment of Che⁤ Guevara⁤ firsthand‍ in our own college and university settings. In one Spanish-language class at the University ‌of British Columbia, people read Che’s books and articles with great​ fervor, some even​ citing him as a role⁢ model. Someone showed up to class in full Che cosplay once,‍ touting his famous quote, “Better to die standing than to live​ on your knees.” In another Spanish-language class at the ‍ESEADE Instituto Universitario in Buenos Aires, a large portrait of Che welcomed all students⁣ to class every morning.

The anniversary of Che’s death will‌ likely usher in​ another wave of left-wing puff pieces ⁤depicting him as noble or misunderstood. Or, at⁢ the very least, crowds of⁣ students and self-proclaimed intellectuals celebrating his legacy. ‍The truth, however, is that Che Guevara was a‍ ruthless tyrant. ​His true legacy consists of the millions who have suffered under his regime.

The Cuban government Guevara helped cultivate harvested political dissidents’ blood before their executions, ⁣ tortured ⁣and murdered ⁤civilian noncombatants, and confiscated properties and businesses for​ the sake of “agrarian reform.”

Che also helped execute and set up firing squads for members of the political opposition in Cuba, ⁤including⁣ those ​with ties to the previous government. Cuban ⁣writer David Mitrani, one of ⁤Che’s friends from​ youth, said Che ⁣became an‍ “effective, violent, selective, and cold killing machine” when​ in power. He did indeed ⁢become a ⁤“killing machine.” ⁢When in charge of the​ Sierra Maestra ⁢prison, Che also said, “At the Sierra Maestra, we executed many people by firing squad without knowing if they ​were fully guilty.”

In the early 1960s, Che urged ‍ the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba. While ⁣Soviet strategists​ and some in the Castro regime saw this as a defensive mechanism ⁣to slow U.S. weapon development and prevent a ​potential U.S.⁤ nuclear​ first strike, Che saw this​ as an opportunity to start a nuclear war with the United⁤ States.

When the Soviets removed the missiles, Che “urged Khrushchev to launch a nuclear strike, now, ⁢against US cities.” His targets? Los Angeles, ‍New York, or Washington. He spent the​ rest of his life claiming he ‍would have ⁤pressed the nuclear button if ⁤he had been in charge. Truly‌ a man of peace.

Moreover, Che was no democrat, but an authoritarian ideologue. When his army seized ⁣power in Havana, he declared, ⁤“All⁢ right, it is dictatorship.” Che⁣ viciously armed and trained violent groups around the world, hoping to turn them into far-left dictatorships. These countries included Bolivia, Angola,⁤ Congo, and, of⁢ course, Cuba.

Che also helped inspire ​terrorist groups with a leftist bent, including the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland, the Zapatista ‍Army‌ of⁤ National Liberation in ‍Southern Mexico, and ⁤the Revolutionary Armed ⁣Forces of Colombia, all of which have added to their respective countries’‍ instability, conflict, and polarization. The Irish government even has a Che stamp in ⁢commemoration of his death.

Successful government revolutionaries, including Mao Zedong ​ in China, ​the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Kim Il Sung ‍ in North Korea, and Ho Chi Minh ‌in Vietnam, commended Che. The respect was mutual, as Che ‍quoted Mao in his writings and praised Kim Il ​Sung in interviews and speeches. Their regimes killed ​millions and built systems of oppression that last to this ​day.

Some revolutionaries who fought alongside Che wanted a ⁤European-style social-democratic ‌system in Cuba, but‌ Che dismissed them outright. Maybe he would’ve preferred ​to​ put them in state-sponsored labor camps, which were​ reminiscent of Soviet gulags.

Che Guevara⁤ was not a hero, a freedom fighter, or a tortured ‌soul who “did what he had​ to do” when faced ‍with​ back-breaking poverty or American imperialism. He was evil; it’s as simple as that. No self-respecting freeman ⁢should wear a T-shirt with Che’s likeness plastered all over ‍it.

Nothing he did is worth celebrating, and no anniversary related ⁢to him⁤ is ⁤worth honoring.