You had to have these peasant leaders quickly in this sort of war and a real peasant leader might be a little too much like Pablo. You couldn't wait for the real Peasant Leader to arrive and he might have too many peasant characteristics when he did. So you had to manifacture one. At that, from what he had seen of Campesino, with his black beard, his thick negroid lips, and his feverish, staring eyes, he thought he might give almost as much trouble as a real peasant leader. The last time he had seen him he seemed to have gotten to believe his own publicity and think he was a peasant.

Summary

This quote suggests that in times of war, it is important to have leaders who can connect with and represent the common people. However, the context implies that these leaders need to be quickly manufactured and controlled, rather than allowing a genuine peasant leader to emerge naturally. The description of the character Campesino implies that he possesses characteristics typically associated with peasants, such as physical appearance and a radical mindset. Despite being manufactured, Campesino seems to have started believing his own propaganda and identifying himself as a true peasant leader.

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