Obviously it would be better if they could succeed, but it's also important to recognize that what we're seeing was entirely predictable. It's important to look at both the positive and the negative aspects of the approach critically in order to learn to avoid the same pitfalls in the future.

And while it's true that there is no direct lineage between Zapatistas and western Anarchists, it's clear that a lot of the ideas and methods are compatible. Hence, the problems that Zapatistas ran into will also be encountered by other movements founded on similar principles.

My main point was that long term liberation cannot be achieved by carving out autonomous regions within a capitalist state. The workers must take charge of the state itself. So far, ML approach has been the only reliable way to achieve that.