[TiberiusAD]

Originally Posted by elstatec

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara

Killer link man, +1.

I personally had never even heard of the guy nor seen his picture until a year or two ago, and exploring the internet. The guy's also a popular sig topic, btw, lol.

Political motivations and US policy towards world economics aside, I feel the guy is, as most view it, a misguided idol. But this is part of the wonders of American, and world pop culture.
Dispite the "crimes" and motivations of Che himself, he can still be idolized as a revolutionist. Similar pop culture ideals:

Charles Manson: Envisioned and promoted as a living idealist and symbol of both revolution and Anti-Commercialism. (Actually a mad-man who convinced people he was jesus.)
The Cross: Used the world over as a symbol of faith and holiness. (Actually a horrible method of Roman torture and death reserved for the most vial of criminals.)
The Swaztika: Seen the world over as a symbol of Nazism and severe racism. (Actually a ancient symbol. It was used in China, India, and ancient greece to mean everything from the number 10,000 to Buddhism.)

Personally,
So long as there is an understanding of the historical reality, I see no real harm in sybolizing a person, place, or thing to represent a single persons opinions on a subject, perticularly in teen-agers and young adults.