Maoism is retro, but so is Nepal's political, economic, and social structures. What would you do if you were stuck in a country ruled by a goddamn KING who exercised absolute power (a quintessentially retro institution, retrofitted by Washington, New Delhi, Beijing, and Pakistan)? "The rebels' main rallying cry has been an abolition of monarchy in Nepal. Their main political demand, in exchange for giving up the gun and joining the political mainstream, is the vote on the constitution" (Somini Sengupta, "Protests Mount as Nepal Parties Reject King's Bid," 23 April 2006, <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/world/asia/23nepal.html>).
Maoists based in the countryside and urban-based political parties have come to a rapprochement, together defying the King. The King's so unpopular now that he had to make an offer of concession -- too late.
While Nepal is an extreme case, many rural parts of the world -- in Asia, Africa, the Middle East -- are still stuck in conditions reminiscent of feudalism or rather conditions that combine the worst of feudalistic hierarchical powers and the worst of capitalistic technology in the hands of the elite.
The New York Times says that Maoists are widening their reach in the Indian countryside also: <http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/12/news/maoist.php>.
-- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>