The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: Ideology, Action, and Terrorism in the 1970s
Feb 24, 2026
Jason Burke, Guardian journalist and author of The Revolutionists, traces how 1960s–70s revolutionary currents birthed transnational militant networks. He highlights iconic attacks and figures, the crossover between leftist and Islamist vocabularies, state responses and evolving counterterror policies, and why the era still captivates culture and media.
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1960s Global Moment Sparked Diverse Radicalisms
- The 1960s global revolutionary ferment linked leftist, nationalist, and emerging Islamist movements into a shared transnational milieu.
- Jason Burke traces moments like Qutb's execution and Che Guevara's death to show simultaneous radicalization across regions.
Shared Language United Leftists And Islamists
- Islamists and leftist revolutionaries shared vocabulary, enemies, and the idea of violence as a transformative tool despite stark social differences.
- Burke shows Islamists borrowed anti-imperial, anti-Zionist rhetoric and revolutionary models from leftist movements in the 1970s.
Focoism Explained Why Small Violent Cells Appealed
- Focoist tactics promised small violent vanguards could spark mass revolution, attracting impatient militants who rejected orthodox Marxist timelines.
- Burke links this to groups like Germany's Red Army Faction and Iran's Fedayeen trying and failing to operationalize focoism.
