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Another Apple, Another Politics

"Adam ate the apple
of the virgin Eve.
Newton was a second Adam
of Science.
The first knew
beauty.
The second a Pegasus
weighed down with chains.

And they were not to blame.

The two apples were
rosy
and new,
but bitter according to legend.

Both the embarrassed breasts
of the child innocence!"

Frederico Garcia Lorca

Scientists, political scientists, opinion leaders, chiefs
of great and small political sects, all have gathered
around Newton's fallen apple. All of them analyze,
discuss, corroborate. Hours, days, weeks, months, entire
years they take up. Finally they come to the
irrefutable conclusion: the apple has fallen because
the law of gravity so orders it. It is irremediable,
the apple must fall, and, by doing so, it has done
nothing other than to subject itself to the law of
gravity. The political scientists congratulate each
other and then begin great essays in order to show
Newton's apple as an example of 'real-politik.' The
chiefs of state talk of erecting a multiple monument
in all the palaces of Power.

But, among the persons gathered around the future
monument to modern politics, there is a strange person.
He seems to be a shadow, without face and without
name. If they ask him who he is, the shadow would
respond "zapatista," but no one asks him anything.
Everyone is very busy with their calculations, plans
and programs.

But, while the scientists are making complicated
calculations concerning velocity, trajectory, much
weight, acceleration, wind resistance, impact
and similar etceteras, and while the political
scientists are re-writing Machiavelli and
discussing prices with the modern princes,
the zapatista approaches the apple, he looks
at it, he smells it, he touches it, he
listens to it...

The zapatista understands what the apple
is whispering in his ear. He understands
the challenge demanded by its cry. The
apple says that fate does not order it to
fall to the ground, and, since it is a transgressor of
the law who is listening to it, it is about
breaking the law of gravity.

The apple is an apple, but it is, above all,
a lady. The zapatista is without face or name,
but he is, above all, a gentleman. And the
paper and pencil come out again, and the
apple explains and the zapatista feels and
agrees.

This apple that Newton has chained to the
ground has another destiny. The moon is an
apple. The scales of history need two apples
in order to be able to look out at the morning
clearly.

While managing to to work out the reverse
flight of Newton's apple, the zapatista looks
at the apple again, smells it, touches it, and,
what else, gives it a tender bite.

The political scientists continue repeating and
repeating to each other the 'real-politik,' and
the etceteras that already fill the magazines and
newspapers and the radio and television air time.

The zapatista continues making calculations.

To fall upwards, that is the mystery whose solution
has been proposed...

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast

Subcomandante insurgente Marcos

Mexico, May of 1999.AASA

 http://www.ezln.org

ZAPATA VIVE!!
EDT

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