Zapatista Social Netwar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Zapatista Social Netwar - Research Paper Example II. Introduction – background   The insurgency that was initiated in Chiapas, Mexico can be said to different from its old Sandinista-Castroite-Marxist-Leninist rebellion due to the transformation of its engagement from the traditional arm confrontation to the information-technology driven perspective of bringing societal change. It can also be said that this marked the era of post communism revolution that was also used as a revolutionary template in the recent uprisings in the Middle East (Armond, _____). This recent phenomena of using technology, media and NGOs in insurgency can be traced back to the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) in Mexico in the early 1990s. Chiapas, once an isolated backwater on Mexico’s southern border became the birthplace of the new template in insurgency due to the political and economic factors that made the new type of insurgency ripe. The disparity between the rich and the poor was pervasive which is typical of a feudal state, coupled with the presence of transnational NGOs and discontented indigenas (local indigenous people) who wanted better economic condition and cultural recognition set the stage for the rise of Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN). III. ... This proved to be tactically disastrous for EZLN who was less than capable to engage in conflict than the Mexican government. This â€Å"war of the fleas† model of warfare was transformed when the transnational NGOs came and changed the methods of the insurgency from the traditional armed conflict engagement to an informational warfare which is dubbed as Netwar. Should NTS "watch, fear, or be leery" of social movement networks? Its impact on NTS business. Based on the nature, characteristic and manifested action of the players of the insurgency, NTS should be leery of the social movement network. The appropriate behavior would be to be careful but not to be fearful to disengage in business. Being fearful of the social movement network or adopting the plain watch and see attitude will not benefit NTS in the immediate or in the long-term. This assessment is grounded on several reasons. First, the nature, leadership and manifested action of EZLN’s both as an organization a nd a political body is not the Marxist-Lenninist type that disdains business and foreign company. Its leadership was also composed of intellectuals and educated middle class and not the Jihadist type that has penchant to extremism. In short, EZLN’s leadership is reasonable for a business such as NTS to operate and thrive. Second, there is a strong presence of transnational NGOs composed of Mexicans, Americans and Canadian players that provide the Zapatista movement an information age perspective and reassuringly pro-business. Basically, this second component reinforces the political assessment that EZTN is reasonable for it readily shifted its engagement from