Farc

[flaming bolshevik]

I've heard a lot about the FARC being terrorists and shit but I'm not sure if it's just propaganda, so what do you guys think of the FARC and is there any good literature on them?

[Tim Cornelis]

my personal opinion They are a Stalinist armed group whose conception of social revolution is alien to Marxism. A social revolution does not come about through small armed cadres operating as vanguard and then seizing power, to then put 'socialism' into practice through various reforms. Initially, they were self-defence groups that protected peasant communities from attacks by the government, which I would've supported. However, the protracted nature of the armed struggle has required a steady stream of income which they could not attain legally so they started taxing businesses (which is okay I suppose but not a revolutionary measure if you control a territory), kidnapping people for ransom moneh, and killed workers and peasants for various reasons as well. They lost all revolutionary potential they might have had initially.

[KurtFF8]

Well my opinion is quite different from the poster above. I'm quite convinced that their concept of social revolution is based directly on Marxism, and we can see that by examining their history and structure.

Information on them isn't easy to come by, especially from various main stream articles that repeat claims about them being drug traffickers without any sort of source or critical insight. So I highly recommend checking out James J Brittain's work on the subject.

Here's an article he wrote for Monthly Review titled The FARC-EP in Colombia: A Revolutionary Exception in an Age of Imperialist Expansion (http://monthlyreview.org/2005/09/01/the-farc-ep-in-colombia-a-revolutionary-exception-in-an-age-of-imperialist-expansion/)

He of course also wrote a book (http://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Social-Change-Colombia-Direction/dp/074532875X) about the organization that is quite detailed that I highly recommend.

[exeexe]

Well it says here by crimethinc that

We were also surprised to learn that Chavez and the FARC are seen as sharing similar ideological positions(2007, crimethinc is anarchist) http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/recentfeatures/colombia.php

The ideology of H. Chavez:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavismo

Of course they are terrorist. Everyone who fights against the system are terrorist. However that doesnt mean its a bad thing.

[--Navarro--]

Information on them isn't easy to come by, especially from various main stream articles that repeat claims about them being drug traffickers without any sort of source or critical insight.


they ARE indeed big drug traffickers. Also, ironically, they have drug trafficking aliances with former paramilitary groups.

this is well known for any person who has lived in or visited Colombia. If you ever visit the country you'll know it from direct sources. But I don't think nor you or any people here actually care about the country. Either way, how could you know James J Brittain sources aren't counterfeit?, it's second half info, after all.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

I don't see anything wrong with smuggling narcotics. Further, truth be told, I like the FARC.