And They Wonder Why No One Takes Them Seriously

PETA promoting "revolutionary veganism" with Guevara's granddaughter

When an organization is as cozy with domestic terrorists as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been, one shouldn't be shocked when they cozy up to the grand daughter of one of history's most infamous terrorists.

In one of the most recent examples of how radical an organization it really is, PETA has tapped Lydia Guevara, the granddaughter of Che Guevara -- of T-shirt fame -- to pose semi-nude in an ad campaign promoting a "vegetarian revolution".

One may be tempted to suspect that PETA is just another bunch of hucksters seeking to profit Guevara's revolutionary legacy without really knowing anything about it.

But considering the organization's past, the likelihood is that they know exactly what Che Guevara was about, and simply doesn't care.

The innumerous atrocities perpetrated by Guevara are well known by those who haven't been seduced by a romanticized version of the man. When Guevara died in 1967 he died with the blood of hundreds of people on his hands. He summarily executed 156 Cuban officials upon the overthow of the Batista regime. He was known for jailing and murdering homosexuals. He ordered rock music banned in Cuba, and opposed free elections under any circumstances whatsoever.

(He, like Fidel Castro, knew he and his ideological cohorts would lose.)

A historical record like that would dissuade almost any self-respecting organization from appealing to his image.

PETA, however, has never been an organization that respects itself. Nor have they ever shied way from supporting terrorists themselves.

Anyone who has ever seen the PETA episode Bullshit! knows all about the story of Rodney Coronado, an individual who has been involved in many incidents of violent protest. PETA donated nearly $50,000 to Coronado's defense fund, an amount that amounts to nothing less than complete condonation of his activities.

PETA either tacitly approves of the tactics that Guevara used to help establish communism in Cuba, or is simply naive enough to buy into his image.

One expects that kind of naivete from Lydia Guevara. She certainly didn't fail to deliver.

“I talked about it with my family before hand," Guevara says. "The name of my grandfather means I can fight for worthwhile causes which I believe in.”

Which apparently includes appearing in a PETA ad wearing nothing but camouflage fatigues, a red beret and a bandolier of carrots. She's attractive enough to pull off the look, but one would wonder how Guevara would feel about her raised fist in the ad if she stopped to think about the intimidation tactics Guevara used against those amongst his own relatives who didn't share his revolutionary fervour.

Oops.

Not that one would expect PETA to have retained any capacity for shame at this point, but the tragedy of 24 years of Lydia Guevara's brainwashing is absolutely palpable.