Things really have already changed since Barack Obama became President-elect. For example, way back in pre-Change October, James Yamada’s sculpture “Our Starry Night” graced the Doris C. Freedman Plaza in New York City’s Central Park:
But that was then. And this is now! Passing by the Doris C. Freedman Plaza today, I spotted this sculpture, “El Che” (pictured below in another city), by the German artist Christian Jankowski:
Why is the most vibrant capitalist hub in the world playing host to a statue of a murderous communist thug? Bailout mania? The Castroesque extension of Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s reign? The base of the sculpture is inscribed with a Che quote that my ignorance of Spanish prohibited me from deciphering. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an apology for committing acts of terror and helping to derail a country for nearly half a century.
UPDATE: Apparently, the sculpture is not intended to depict Che Guevara, but rather a street performer dressed as Che Guevara. Which I’m sure makes all the difference in the world to the families of Che’s victims.
