Ernesto Che GuevaraSocialism and Man in Cuba

My husband enjoyed the book very much.

First off, let it be said that this is not a critique from the right. People ought to read this work, which is more informative in terms of what we want to do now than, say, the Bolivia Diary, which we don't want to repeat.One can see here something that has plagued the left for many, many, years. Throughout Che's work, there is a very comprehensive idea of the "good" person and all members of society will be molded into such a person. Che says that in socialism, heroism will become a feature of everyday life.This sort of hypermoralistic perfectionism is not what governments should be doing. Heroism should "above the call of duty" and not made a public goal. Governments should expand freedom, which could very well include redistributing wealth or changing workplaces and forms of ownership. But creating the new socialist man should be left up to citizens to figure out.Elections would be nice, too.

Why did Cuba survive the 'collapse of communism' ? Che Guevara explained that without a communist party, a genuine one which means led by the most politically conscious and self-sacrificing workers and farmers, leading a constant battle for workers' control and a higher level of consciousness and solidarity among the whole population, any revolution would slide back toward capitalism. The Cuban Communist Party is such a party: the only one in power anywhere since the 1920s.Thus, he predicted the collapse of Stalinism ( as opposed to communism).Cuba put his ideas into practice in the middle to late 1980s for the first time on a nationwide basis.It was this battle against bureaucracy and for workers' democracy that made Cuba strong enough to survive its severest economic crisis since the revolutionary triumph.Cuba is ready to aid as always any revolutionary movements that develop as a result of the present crisis of capitalism, and to aid the revolutions to come : its internationalism is intact. The basic line of march ,the ideas as a guide to action that make Cuba capable of mobilizing millions for socialism and the revolution in 2002 are outlined in this pamphlet.Workers and farmers everywhere who fight back against capital NEED THIS BOOKLET.

Does socialism deaden individual freedom and creativity? Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolution, answers this question in this 1965 article. He draws on the experience of that revolution. Guevara demonstrates that the individual reaches its highest creativity as part of the struggle against the exploitation and violence of capitalism. It is only through this process that the individual can reach his or her fullest development.

In this small book, originaly a letter, Guevara explains the various steps that individuals have in the revolutionary strugle. He explains the relation between a vanguard party and the masses, and focus on the echo that the party has to have on the masses needs. This is a key point in understanding Cuba and Socialism since in a one party sistem, the only way of having a participative democracie is by forcing the party to follow the peoples needs. More over, it's the view of a very tender and humane man, that differs greatly from the more known Stalinist Socialism.

Interesting to read first-hand the thoughts of Che Guevara on the Cuban revolution and its aftermath

I enjoyed this book, it was recommended to me by a former work colleague from Cuba. Very interesting and easy to read.

If you are a proletariat and are tired of rule by the 1% this is an important read to find your way through the revolution

Amazing re-read.