The World's First Postmodern Revolution

Yesterday I watched A Place Called Chiapas. The indigenous uprising in Chiapas has been called "the first postmodern revolution," and the picture on the front emphasized that aspect: Subcommandante Marcos, with a cellphone earpiece over his mask, shotgun shells in a bandolier over his shoulder like Pancho Villa.

The Zapatistas could be described as: Mayan culture meets marxist revolution meets the worldwide web and the emerging participatory panopticon. (Emerging what? More on that later.)

The internet, and a worldwide community of supporters, have been as vital to the Zapatistas as guerilla prowess, maybe more so. It's fascinating in its own right, and perhaps enlightening to those watching al Qaeda and the Palestinian movement as they conduct much of their struggle via satellite news and the internet.

Last year I watched No Maps for These Territories,
(buy it here) a documentary about William Gibson. Much of Gibson's writing has been inspired by the question of what the postmodern, post NAFTA world will look like.

A place Called Chiapas is a good place to start researching that question.

Tags:

• future