Sliding Scale of Spaces and Dilemmas of Internationalism

Internationalism of the subaltern classes has a long and tortuous history anddifferent patterns of space and scale management. To think of contemporary socialmovements, internationalism involves analyzing how different spatial-geographical levelsof resistance are interrelated. Globalization has led to a mutation in the spatial and tempo-ral conditions of political activity and collective protest and thus for internationalist activity.The concept used by Bensaïd of“sliding scale of spaces”seems particularly adequate todeal with the changing and complex geographies of capitalist globalization. Though allscales are not equivalent, internationalism requires the capacity to act in all of them andtaking into account this plurality of spaces and their mutual influence. Managing thesliding scale of spaces is then a key strategic element of contemporary internationalis.