New Zapatista Statement

Subcomandante Marcos has announced the formation of a broad group of peasants, workers and social movements to create a mass movement with a common program. Rather than having this movement run candidates in the forthcoming election in Mexico it will work from outside to press for change. This is very wise, as it will allow the movement to keep its nose clean and thus minimize the danger of selling out. We have seen the various left wing parties come and go. They are founded with the best intentions and after some years in the parliamentary arena they sell out. We have seen the same with the Green Party. This is inevitable with electoral politics which, by its very nature, is based on lowest common denomenatorism, representation, not delegation and of course endless compromise. (Except when right wingers are in power. THEY don’t compromise.) Furthermore, when a left wing party takes power, they tend to demobilize their supporters, at a time when I think they ought to be out in the street as never before to keep the bastards honest. The only hope is for a non-electoral mass movement to hold their feet to the fire, thus forcing them to act. Let’s hope this libertarian populist concept of the Zapatistas spreads across the world.
See Subcomandante Marcos