Comments | john_b_cannon: Third force

john_b_cannon

Third force

Jul 03, 2008 18:34

Does anyone who happens to be reading this have an understanding of "third force" as a political term, especially compared with "fifth column?" I think I know what a fifth column is, but "third force" seems like it can mean several different things: a mediating force between two hostile camps and a paramilitary rightist force seem to be the two ( Read more... )

philosophy of praxis

Comments 15

loudestyeller July 4 2008, 02:06:23 UTC

I'm sitting here in Suds with Rebecca and Chris, and none of us can help. So we'd like you to do more research. And we're sending you love love love.

john_b_cannon July 4 2008, 04:01:03 UTC

Sending love back your way! It's nice to think of the three of you reuning up there.

The Fifth Column socialisthobo July 4 2008, 02:36:34 UTC

I don't know if I've ver even heard of a third "force", but I can tell you for sure that the fifth column comes from the Spanish Civil War. A journalist was interviewing a fascist general who had four columns marching on a Republican area. When asked which column was going to take it, he replied the fifth, of course meaning fascists behind the lines.

It's evolved since then, and I knew someone who was in the New Left who said him and his comrades used to brag about being in the fifth column here, in the belly of the beast, but he wasn't fimiliar with the term's roots, until decades later when I told him in about 2004.

Re: The Fifth Column john_b_cannon July 4 2008, 04:06:25 UTC

I believe the CTWO use was something like that of the person you knew in the New Left - I think I remember Lunchmaker telling me something about a debate about whether the internal Third World constituted a fifth column or a third force. They decided it was a third force, but I forget the significance of that.

Re: The Fifth Column socialisthobo July 4 2008, 17:43:15 UTC

I've thought that internal Third World was an oppressed a nation and colony since I've been familiar with the RCP's stance... I never heard of the CTWO either.

BTW, I printed out your bunny cannon icon for a letter to an ex-girlfriend as the letter head, and made it saying, "I'm rough! I'm a communist and totally recognize the necesity of armerd struggle!" becuase her pet name for me was "Rabbit Cup" because I always used a coffee mug with bunnies all over it at her place. I thought you might find that amusing!

Re: The Fifth Column john_b_cannon July 4 2008, 20:12:12 UTC

Hehe. Glad to hear the bunny icon is traveling....

Thread 11

The term comes from Starbucks anonymous July 8 2008, 05:51:53 UTC

"I must say that if there really is room for a “third force” in our lives, Starbucks is it."

Duh.

[Wrongshore. Hey man!]

Re: The term comes from Starbucks john_b_cannon July 8 2008, 06:36:17 UTC

Nice. Definitely a more likely possibility than church, synagogue, mosque, or union hall, I'm sad to say....