Ceuta, Greenland, and the Left's Border Quandary
The Left defends Ceuta while the EU ignores Greenland: the clash between Marxist internationalism and national sovereignty reignites the controversy.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Why the Left defends Ceuta but not Greenland
Can one simultaneously demand sovereignty for Ceuta and remain indifferent to Greenland? This question frames the latest clash of positions among those who claim the left. Some argue that the European Union has done nothing for Greenland —a territory with mineral and energy resources at stake— while preparing to defend the Spanish enclave in North Africa. The response from the other side is that each country does what suits it, and Spain knows what the far left wants for itself.
The Double Standard No One Acknowledges
The mutual accusation is always the same: two scales to measure things. One side reproaches the left for celebrating the resistance of some peoples while remaining silent on others. The other throws back the criticism, pointing out that it is a trap used to perpetuate the usual cliché. Amidst this emerges a more economic analysis: in a capitalist system, national sovereignty is negotiable, and if a power places an offer on the table, lands, resources, and people enter into the equation.
Is it Marxist Internationalism or Border Defense?
This is where everything gets confused. The classical doctrine is internationalist: class consciousness unites the exploited worker on one side and the other more than it unites him with the factory owner next door. Applying a nationalist criterion to that framework, according to this reading, drives it mad. The sarcastic response comes from the other shore: the flag with sickles and hammers should have a balance sheet of the planning committee printed on it, because the real project ended up being control, not equality.
There is also the detail of tonalidad: no one has yet heard Willy Toledo speak on Ceuta. A silence that, considering who he is, some consider the most eloquent fact of the entire discussion.
It remains to be seen whether this is an ideological matter or an identity crisis. Those watching from outside are clear: it takes less effort to change your mind than it does to change sides.
Can one simultaneously demand sovereignty for Ceuta and remain indifferent to Greenland? This question frames the latest clash of positions among those who claim the left. Some argue that the European Union has done nothing for Greenland —a territory with mineral and energy resources at stake— while preparing to defend the Spanish enclave in North Africa. The response from the other side is that each country does what suits it, and Spain knows what the far left wants for itself.
The Double Standard No One Acknowledges
The mutual accusation is always the same: two scales to measure things. One side reproaches the left for celebrating the resistance of some peoples while remaining silent on others. The other throws back the criticism, pointing out that it is a trap used to perpetuate the usual cliché. Amidst this emerges a more economic analysis: in a capitalist system, national sovereignty is negotiable, and if a power places an offer on the table, lands, resources, and people enter into the equation.
Is it Marxist Internationalism or Border Defense?
This is where everything gets confused. The classical doctrine is internationalist: class consciousness unites the exploited worker on one side and the other more than it unites him with the factory owner next door. Applying a nationalist criterion to that framework, according to this reading, drives it mad. The sarcastic response comes from the other shore: the flag with sickles and hammers should have a balance sheet of the planning committee printed on it, because the real project ended up being control, not equality.
There is also the detail of tonalidad: no one has yet heard Willy Toledo speak on Ceuta. A silence that, considering who he is, some consider the most eloquent fact of the entire discussion.
It remains to be seen whether this is an ideological matter or an identity crisis. Those watching from outside are clear: it takes less effort to change your mind than it does to change sides.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (44 replies).
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