On Che Guevara - Air and Steel

If you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.

At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.

Never forget that technology is a weapon. If you feel the world is not as perfect as it should be, then you must struggle to put the weapon of technology at the service of society. You must rescue society before that can be accomplished, so that technology benefits the greatest number of human beings possible, so that we can build the society of tomorrow-whatever name you choose to give it-the society we dream of and that we call - as it was called by the founder of scientific socialism - communism.

(see: On Technology)

Che Guevara

I've spoken about Che already in On Technology and On Latin America. In those, I discuss Che's Speech "Technology is a Weapon" and give a general run-down of Cuba, respectively.

In this article, I'm going to get into more of my specific notes from some of his texts and speeches.

In "Something new in the Americas", Che discusses the tasks and responsibilities he saw that would fall to the coming generations.

In "Never forget, technology is a weapon", Che discusses the role of technology within society and the corrolary role of technology-builders. This was a speech directed to architecture students, rather than the politically-driven crowds that Che often spoke to. As an engineer, as someone who works to build technology for society, the ideas resonated with me very heavily. The ideas conveyed in this speech have been fundamental towards my growth as an engineer and organizer.

And in Guerilla Warfare, Che goes over his golden rules for combat and outlines the logistics undertaken in order to fight and overthrow the Batista regime. He aims to show that with the support of the people, with inspired troops who serve as faithful compañeros, great success is possible against a powerful enemy. And he outlines the day-to-day details necessary to consider for fighters who wanted to be successful in that fight. In Che's words:

This is not a model but a description of one reality, of how the organization worked in one country where it proved possible to achieve triumph over an army that was fairly well organized and armed.

TODO: also I want to talk more about Che generally, discuss how inspiring he's been worldwide and to me personally. He's December 1st, after all! The first of the specifics.

Something new in the Americas

Speech

Civilization never made an analysis with the necessary depth, from a scientific viewpoint, of the role of moral and spiritual values over the course of history. That is the most important intellectual challenge that the twentieth century has left to youth.
Che realized the futility of working alone to achieve something great for humanity (childhood dream of being a revered medical researcher) - revolution requires an entire people who are mobilized, who know how to use arms and practice unity in combat.
Young people must retain their freshness and enthusiasm and learn to lead those who are older and have lost those. They must stay political, to be apolitical is to turn their back on the movements of the world.
"To the powerful masters we represent all that is absurd, negative, irreverent, and disruptive in this America that they so despise and scorn," Guevara told the students at the University of Havana in March 1960. But to the great mass of the people of the Americas, "we represent everything noble, sincere and combative."
"Sin cuota pero sin bota" - without a quota but without the boot
"Although it may seem paradoxical, I would also like to greet today the delegation representing the purest of the North American people. [Ovation] I would like to salute them not only because the North American people are not to blame for the barbarity and injustice of their rulers, but also because they are innocent victims of the rage of all the peoples of the world, who sometimes confuse a social system with a people."

Never forget, technology is a weapon

Speech

"Every true man must feel on his own cheek the blow to the cheek of another." ~José Martí
Behind technology there is always someone controlling it; and that someone is society. You can either be for or against that society. There are those in the world who think that exploitation is good and there are those who think it is bad and must be ended. And even when there is no discussion of politics, a political being cannot renounce this inherent aspect of the human condition.
Never forget that technology is a weapon. If you feel the world is not as perfect as it should be, then you must struggle to put the weapon of technology at the service of society. You must rescue society before that can be accomplished, so that technology benefits the greatest number of human beings possible, so that we can build the society of tomorrow-whatever name you choose to give it-the society we dream of and that we call - as it was called by the founder of scientific socialism - communism.

Guerilla Warfare

Seven Golden Rules:

Do not engage in a fight that cannot be won.
Move continuously, hit and run.
Use the enemy as the main supplier of weapons.
Hide your movements.
Make use of the element of surprise in military actions.
Form new columns once some power has been won.
In general, proceed through three phases: strategic defense, balance between the possibilities of enemy action and guerrilla action, and finally the total annihilation of the adversary.

Notes:

Guerillas need land they're thoroughly familiar with (including good maneuverability, hiding, and with the support of the people in semi-populated areas) -> this leads them to agrarian revolution, since the main reform in those types of locations is changing the form of land ownership.
pulls examples of Mao in China, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Algeria, Puerto Rico
continuous blows to the enemy to create the illusion they're always surrounded
Heavy flexibility, heavy consideration of resources are required. Attrition is the method of attack until the fields are more equal.
Important guerilla tactics: perfect knowledge of the area; surveillance and foresight as to the lines of escape; vigilance over all the secondary roads that might bring in reinforcements to the point of attack; intimacy with people in the zone so as to ensure their help in regard to supplies, transport, and temporary or permanent hiding places if it becomes necessary to leave wounded compañeros behind; numerical superiority at a chosen point of action; total mobility; and the possibility of counting on reserves
Need to acquire arms and ammunition a via the enemy
The conditions for a good social living environment are antithetical to favorable guerilla warfare environments
Urban warfare must be extremely discreet and must not operate with the same large-scale goals as warfare under favorable conditions - urban attacks must focus on specific tactical goals in order to effectively drive the movement forward
But the guerrilla fighter, as the conscious element of the vanguard of the people, must display the moral conduct of a true priest of the desired reform. To the stoicism forced by the difficult conditions of warfare should be added an austerity born of rigid self-control that prevents a single excess, a single slip, whatever the circumstances. The guerrilla soldier should be an ascetic.
Guerillas as social reformers: must explain the necessity of change and demonstrate the necessity of armed revolution. They must work towards progressive radicalization.
Guerilla as a combatant: physical, mental, and moral qualities required. Should ideally be familiar with the environment. They should be vigilant and audacious; ready to risk their lives but unwilling to risk unnecessarily; cautiously optimistic for the best after analyzing and understanding the dangers/possibilities. They must be close-lipped even among comrades due to infiltration attempts.
The guerrilla fighter must never for any reason leave a wounded compañero at the mercy of the enemy troops, because this means abandoning him or her to an almost certain death. At whatever cost, the wounded must be removed from the combat zone to a secure place. The greatest exertions and the greatest risks must be taken in this task. The guerrilla soldier must be an extraordinary compañero.
Guerillas must be indefatigable even when exhaustion seems unbearable. They must be able to endure a lack of food, water, clothing, and shelter. They must also be able to cure sickness and wounds by nature alone within the guerilla zone. They must have an iron constitution in order to become part of the landscape in which they fight. Generally between 25-35 (old enough to consciously make the decision) but 16-65 can be useful and accepted in certain cases. They must carry their homes and armaments on their back, which they should do efficiently and meticulously. To do this, they must have an ideal driving them. They should be able to survive on their own if separated
The normal routine is the long hike. Let us take the example of a mountain guerrilla fighter located in wooded regions under constant enemy harassment. In these conditions the guerrilla band moves during daylight hours, without eating, in order to alter its position; when night arrives, camp is set up in a clearing near a water supply according to a routine, each group assembling in order to eat together; at dusk the fires are lighted with whatever is around.
Promotions based on courage, ability, and spirit of sacrifice.
If encircled, guerillas must hold off the enemy until nightfall, find the best path out, and escape in silence under the cover of darkness. It is extremely difficult to prevent this type of escape.
The man in the attacking vanguard must always fall into ambush - this creates a growing fear of death without escape for the leader of enemy attack to the point that nobody wants to be the vanguard. Without a vanguard, the enemy can no longer move forward.
In setting up supply lines, guerillas must pay for the things they receive; in times of extreme economic downturn, they must give bonds or promissory notes ("bonds of hope"). Once food can be centralized/organized, the guerilla forced can act as the dotp of a small planned economy in order to help the constituency of the area.
Essential foods: meat, salt, vegetables, starches, or grains
Mules are great for transport under night. Waypoint houses are a necessity to prevent daytime visibility of supply movements.
Maintaining great relationships with the peasants and being smart about sourcing food and other necessities will allow for a lasting supply for the entire troop.
The council — or central department of justice, revolutionary laws, and administration — is one of the vital features of a guerrilla army fully constituted and with its own territory.
Use stereotypes to your advantage, eg. women as couriers to avoid interference and evade harsher punishment
Relied heavily on breaking immediate communications of the enemy -> how is removing competitive advantage possible within modern technology and communications infrastructure?
Sabotage can target national scale determined objectives (eg. taking out communications/railroads) or local lines of combat.
Leather work (shoes, knapsacks, cartridge belts) and armories (weapon repair, explosives) are important industries in guerilla warfare. Iron and tin products are useful for construction. Communications are an important internal industry and lives depend on quick comms. Tobacco, salt, and leather are important ingredients to get. Storing beef in the form of dried jerky is great in uncertain circumstances.
Propaganda comes in two types: propaganda originating outside free territory (from the national civil organization) and propaganda originating within. The functions of both are related and should be organized simultaneously. It is generally preferable to go with truth in the long term and the most captivating methods of disseminating propaganda should be utilized. Propaganda should promote the ideals and truths of the struggle to gain and keep support from the masses.
Need good intelligence. Get people (especially women) to infiltrate. Correct information is extremely important. Infiltrated groups have infrastructure laid to sow doubt and fear which can be snowballed/controlled into favorable circumstances.
When there is a large liberated area and recruits do not have to go through the guerilla struggle, schools are necessary to train and prepare soldiers. These should teach combat and recoup supplies and indoctrinate to establish a great ideological foundation within its members.
"This is not a model but a description of one reality, of how the organization worked in one country where it proved possible to achieve triumph over an army that was fairly well organized and armed."
The participation of the people in politics, that is to say, in the expression of their own desires made into laws, decrees, and resolutions, should be constant. Need to foster community and mutual aid, public support and popular participation.

index tags: Reading Notes, Che Guevara, Never Forget: Technology is a Weapon, Something New in the Americas, Guerilla Warfare, Cuba, Seven Golden Rules, Logistics, José Martí