MEXICO: the zapatistas started the "Other Campaign"!

by Truthsayer Tue Jan 03, 2006 17:39

Yes the Zapatistas want to build a political counterweight to the ruling class, based on struggle from below but it is simply untrue to characterise this as an 'anarchist network'. Anyone who has read the proceedings of the 'consulta' which preceeded this launch, where a huge cross-section of 'the other Mexico' attended and debated, will know that this process involves a very broad range of individuals and groups including social movements, trade unions, left political organisations (though not the reformist PRD), indigenous organisations from the north and centre, womens groups etc etc.

This new initiative is a huge challenge to the Mexican ruling class, and undoubtedly anarchists will play a role, but to characterise the whole thing as 'anarchist' is just a childish effort at verbal co-option. The Zapatista experience has posed a real challenge to traditional elitist politics associated with Leninist parties but also to the elitism/purism of some anarchist groups as well. If you agree with their political and practical aproach is it really necessary to attach your favourite label to them?

by german guy surfing on IMC ireland Tue Jan 03, 2006 19:12

obviously the text is written by a non-english-as-motherlanguage-speaker...

I´m sure with anarchist network she means the structurs of the network itself are non-hierarchic - which does not necessarilly mean that all the groups inside are truely anarchist.

by john Tue Jan 03, 2006 19:14

impressing movement, impressing pics...

by iosaf Tue Jan 03, 2006 20:18

We've been going through hoops on terminology for a long time, and what is understood in spanish by the word "anarkist@" has not yet properly been appreciated in Ireland. The "@" at the end means the word may end in male or female form, is above gender, and communicates through emergent media "@" internet for example.

For those in Ireland who are unaware of the historic process which led to this campaign here's what happened, last year the support groups of the zapatistas were shocked to see their bank accounts held in BBVA (a spanish bank) seized and closed. This was the same week that the Bolivian crises hit. I remember it was the exact same day ( i was at both protests). Whereupon facing very serious and later retracted accusations of invovlement in narcotraffic, the "good government" was suspended, both zapatistas in and out of Mexico went on "red alert" amidst rumours of a return to war which were unjustified, many of us had to decide "were we going to support that".
In Barcelona they went up the facade of the bank and hung out on ropes. I recall the cops came along had a look and said "oh its the zapatistas they'll come down when they're ready".

and so everyone went off to have a moot, or the most significant _anarchist_ discussion on both local and international level since the calling of the 1st international :-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70416
And this is how it went (check comments for updates on how the accusations of "drug money" were dropped)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70351
& here's how the ending of the alert was reported, I recall that was funny coz it was "off of red alert to orange alert" just in time for "orange day":
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70864
Then the first photo of Marcus on the campaign trail was published for the elections in both Germany and Afghanistan (which the government won)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72055

Needless to say, we never got the bank accounts back. In fact BBVA the largest spanish commercial bank with presence in Peru, Bolivia, Mexico and Chile (the main states of interest down there) has become a "nasty entity" for us and a definite player for "capitalist status quo", I can tell you BBVA have featured high on the meetings between presient elect Morales and Castro a few days ago and Chavez today. But they are socialists. Zapatism is much more than socialism.

You are all zapatistas if you can get your head around sustainability, non heirachy,
not being so special, and DIY. You also need a good sense of humour to properly appreciate the character who he is that very special writer and pipe smoker you know ...
the "sub commandante" :-) & someday many of you might read those words and appreciate their beauty & simplicity & power to inspire in the original spanish. I hope so.

by truthsayer Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:02

Ive no gripe with any of the above, Im not an anarchist but I have a lot of time for platform anarchists and have found them much better to work with in campaigns than leninists or social democrats.

The point I was making is that the original post implies that the Zapatista campaign is an 'anarchist' one, in the usual sense of the use of that word in English, whereas it is very broad and inculdes many individuals and movements who would not accept that label as it is commonly used.

by redjade Wed Jan 04, 2006 20:26

looks like the Zapatistas are podcasting now...
http://www.radioinsurgente.org/