Tuesday, May 10, 2011
International Brigades
International brigades that joined the fight against fascism in 1930s Spain have had a lasting effect as role models. So much so that anarchists and socialists today often adopt their attire and nomenclature as they fight the tyranny of globalization.
While the tactics of this struggle differ from its predecessor, the strategy of solidarity remains. As European and North American activists engage in battles against states and international institutions responsible for the misery of globalized austerity, they simultaneously embrace the defense of indigenous societies leading the resurgence of a socially oriented way of life.
From Gaza to Oaxaca, today's international brigades come unarmed but ready to die for the cause of freedom. As observers, correspondents, and participants in breaking the stranglehold of the IMF, WTO, and World Bank on the Fourth World, these volunteers carry on a tradition born in the battles of a century ago. While state propaganda and media control have evolved to consolidate tyrannical powers, so, too, have the international brigades evolved to counter the terror of state-sponsored violence. With Internet communications, their voices are finally being heard.
While the tactics of this struggle differ from its predecessor, the strategy of solidarity remains. As European and North American activists engage in battles against states and international institutions responsible for the misery of globalized austerity, they simultaneously embrace the defense of indigenous societies leading the resurgence of a socially oriented way of life.
From Gaza to Oaxaca, today's international brigades come unarmed but ready to die for the cause of freedom. As observers, correspondents, and participants in breaking the stranglehold of the IMF, WTO, and World Bank on the Fourth World, these volunteers carry on a tradition born in the battles of a century ago. While state propaganda and media control have evolved to consolidate tyrannical powers, so, too, have the international brigades evolved to counter the terror of state-sponsored violence. With Internet communications, their voices are finally being heard.
