Zapatista Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zapatista - Essay Example Similar to that revolution, the Zapatista movement of today (which started in 1994 until the present time) is a hodgepodge or mishmash of several ideologies, a heterogeneous mixture of socialism, libertarianism, anarchism and communism. Its overarching policy goal is to use the power of the word to achieve its aims which are social equity like equal distribution of wealth and protection for the downtrodden poor such as farmer peasants and the working class. In the words of Subcomandante Marcos himself, their revolutionary movement has generally abstained from the use of firepower and instead opted for democratic space by the use of the power of the media, hence the title of this wonderful book. Their advocacy is to be heard, especially in behalf of the very poor indigenous people of Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico. Their original purpose is to bring attention to the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Interestingly, Subcomandante Marcos is not of Mayan ancestry but this has not prevented him from siding with the poor of Chiapas. The Zapatista Movement is called a â€Å"post-modern† revolution that uses words for weapons, including the power of the Internet. Although little is known about the personal background of Subcomandante Marcos, it is generally believed that he is an intellectual of some sort based on his ideological beliefs. He himself had come under severe criticism lately for becoming elitist, contrary to what he had fought against, by becoming a celebrity figure who gladly signs autographs and poses readily for a photo op. The eloquence of Marcos allowed him to bring disparate groups together to fight a common cause – capitalism and neo-liberalism. In particular, the Zapatismo is thought to be a protest against the dangers of unbridled exploitative capitalism that is now advocated through free trade agreements and continuing globalization. Marcos views it