Why the British public don´t get anarchism.
Sinbad | 21.05.2009 12:41
The divide between the anarchist-liberationist mindset and the average person is vast. Put plainly, the average person cannot understand why anarchists and their cohorts are silent on matters of major general importance but are incredibly committed and vocal regarding speciality concerns such as anti arms factory campaigns.
This first paragraph may seem a bit polemic and i would urge anyone that has immediately gone on the defensive to hold their horses. If i said my bit and an anarchst of a different opinion said theirs we would not need to come to blows or anything like that.
Put simply i believe that there was a time quite recently when the best we could really hope for was to target campaigns against particular multinationals or issues with a narrow target audience. Moreover, in times of prosperity it was maybe right to focus our efforts on protests against the injustices suffered abroad and there is no need for anyone to forget about these concerns.
But right now, right here in the UK the chickens have come home to roost. The profound economic crisis has been followed by a profound political crisis. And as with the former a response from anarchists and the broader left has been absent. We would seem to be in a state of shock unable to respond to these dynamics.
This is where we get to the bit where the average person does not get it. They see some of us running rampant in the streets of Brighton as a result of the activities of an obscure arms company whilst we stand more or less silent and motionless at this point where the political fabric of the Britain is unravelling fast.
And before people hit back at me with the cliched response -don´t just moan do something. I can´t as i am just one person and i don´t know what to do. I and many others need to be told what to do.
However, i do seem to remember a certain Sack Parliament event. Surely a repeat of that would now be appropriate along with a simultaneous Sack the Square Mile event.
Put simply i believe that there was a time quite recently when the best we could really hope for was to target campaigns against particular multinationals or issues with a narrow target audience. Moreover, in times of prosperity it was maybe right to focus our efforts on protests against the injustices suffered abroad and there is no need for anyone to forget about these concerns.
But right now, right here in the UK the chickens have come home to roost. The profound economic crisis has been followed by a profound political crisis. And as with the former a response from anarchists and the broader left has been absent. We would seem to be in a state of shock unable to respond to these dynamics.
This is where we get to the bit where the average person does not get it. They see some of us running rampant in the streets of Brighton as a result of the activities of an obscure arms company whilst we stand more or less silent and motionless at this point where the political fabric of the Britain is unravelling fast.
And before people hit back at me with the cliched response -don´t just moan do something. I can´t as i am just one person and i don´t know what to do. I and many others need to be told what to do.
However, i do seem to remember a certain Sack Parliament event. Surely a repeat of that would now be appropriate along with a simultaneous Sack the Square Mile event.
Sinbad
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"I and many others need to be told what to do"
21.05.2009 16:13
A possible awnser to this is the national Anarchist movement confrence being held in London on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of June. I'm sure that the topic of how to present the Anarchist movement to the British public as a viable solution to the state we curently live in will be disscused at length. I know that it is like saying do something about it yourself but rather than wait to be told what to do attend, here what others have to say and contribute yourself... Just food for thought!
(w)
sack parliment/sack capitalism
21.05.2009 16:46
How about sack the square mile (or the new stock exchange, or some simaler symbol of uk capitalism) followed by a march on the commons. Maybe a 'welcome back' from the MPs (rather long) summer holidays, failing that roll on 05/11!
anon
relevance
21.05.2009 17:16
For alot of people you only need to live in this system to know that it is fucked, they dont need converting.
Maybe we should take some advice from Crimethinc and actually try to make politics relevant to people's everyday life.
Just a suggestion.
A
good
21.05.2009 19:03
though I did think it is the fault of anarchists that there hasn't been a massive response. If you look at just three examples of working class and students taking action (Visteon in Enfield/Belfast, Schools in Glasgow and London Met Uni Occupations) there were anarchists involved in all of these. The question is not 'why anarchists aren't doing more' its why aren't the majority of working class people not doing anything more?!! I mean 40,000 people lost their jobs at walworths with no fucking response. At the end of the day we are just ordinary and powerless people we can do so much.
I would however plug the conference on june6/7 - it is for anarchists serious about learning from mistakes to come together a create new ways of develop our movement.
a
Homepage:
http://www.conference09.org.uk
The vast majority of the British public don't get anarchism because
21.05.2009 19:11
One Noddy Holder
e-mail:
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For what it's worth
21.05.2009 22:36
If you are an anarchist then act on it, but never, ever have any contact with any open UK anarchist group or you'll be fucked.
Danny
A reasponse.
22.05.2009 00:20
In my expirence most anarchist i come across, whilst being lovely people, have a abstentionaist take on working class life, so for example a disproportionate amount of anarchists will pursue "alternative lifestyles", this is fine.
However it does massivley hamper with your abillity to engage with the revolutionary class, and actulaise their revolutionary potentail through agitation. So for example, chossing to abstain from capitlaist society and create an "alternative" detaches you from the one force capable not just of making some cliquy bubble and but actually destroying it, refusing to take regular employment, again im not saying all anrachist do this, or that they have no right to, makes it very difficult to actually relate to the class and lead a workplace struggle. Annoyingly revolutionaries need to work really hard to; one, gain the respect of work mates, and two, defend themsleves from victimisation from buerocrats and bosses.
I understand that alot of what i've critised is essentially the basis of proudhonism, but that is where the proplem lies- well i think so.
Alot of anarchists don't make serious attempt to actually go out and find people and engae with them, so whilst for example many will rip the "trots" for selling papers they don't see how essential this basic activty is to arguing with people, gainig knowlage of what issues the class is facing and falsifying the ruling class ideaology.
finailly some anarchist i've meet, again most are lovely, will be needlessly hostile to others due to their politcal affiliation, or disagreement on a certain issue, this obviously doesn't help the case for a higher social order based on mutual respect and all that jazz.
i wont be a dickhead to an anarchist cous i think their wrong they're still comrades, i'll argue the nesscity of a party and protertrain dictatorship with them not hurle insults at them, i reckon there more likely to be persuaded if im not a dick.
sorry that was quite long, good luck with the anarchist movement an all that.
A.Marxist.
A reasponse.
22.05.2009 00:20
In my expirence most anarchist i come across, whilst being lovely people, have a abstentionaist take on working class life, so for example a disproportionate amount of anarchists will pursue "alternative lifestyles", this is fine.
However it does massivley hamper with your abillity to engage with the revolutionary class, and actulaise their revolutionary potentail through agitation. So for example, chossing to abstain from capitlaist society and create an "alternative" detaches you from the one force capable not just of making some cliquy bubble and but actually destroying it, refusing to take regular employment, again im not saying all anrachist do this, or that they have no right to, makes it very difficult to actually relate to the class and lead a workplace struggle. Annoyingly revolutionaries need to work really hard to; one, gain the respect of work mates, and two, defend themsleves from victimisation from buerocrats and bosses.
I understand that alot of what i've critised is essentially the basis of proudhonism, but that is where the proplem lies- well i think so.
Alot of anarchists don't make serious attempt to actually go out and find people and engae with them, so whilst for example many will rip the "trots" for selling papers they don't see how essential this basic activty is to arguing with people, gainig knowlage of what issues the class is facing and falsifying the ruling class ideaology.
finailly some anarchist i've meet, again most are lovely, will be needlessly hostile to others due to their politcal affiliation, or disagreement on a certain issue, this obviously doesn't help the case for a higher social order based on mutual respect and all that jazz.
i wont be a dickhead to an anarchist cous i think their wrong they're still comrades, i'll argue the nesscity of a party and protertrain dictatorship with them not hurle insults at them, i reckon there more likely to be persuaded if im not a dick.
sorry that was quite long, good luck with the anarchist movement an all that.
A.Marxist.
there is no authority but yourself
22.05.2009 11:08
jfbgdzsf
e-mail:
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Homepage:
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I agree...
22.05.2009 15:09
Rudeboy
unmasking of police abuse & agent provacetuers has helped our image,direct democ
22.05.2009 15:25
Many People loved us for G20,though lets show our cooperative face more than masked ones
Green syndicalist
autonomy?
22.05.2009 15:32
I know some people will say it's just semantics but I've seen how faces switch offf when they hear the word anarchist.
anon
A -
22.05.2009 16:41
@
There will always be chaos...
22.05.2009 16:59
Stroppyoldgit
@
22.05.2009 19:28
A
Problems with our politics...?
23.05.2009 04:13
A damn good start would be getting rid of the link between anarchy/anarchism and fuck-useless punks who think anarchy is synonomous with not washing and drunkenly shouting teenage slogans; mentalist animal rights idiots who think that people who eat meat are 'eeevil'; and eco-angel reformist greenies who think that people that fly on holiday are responsible for climate change.
From a vegan ex-punk green anarchist.
An Anarchist
The gender article was satire...
24.05.2009 00:20
Communique from the Gender Liberation Front
It was clearly a satirical article based on the number of pollutants in our lives that have physical effects on sex and/or gender.
The "action" about the army stopping dog fights in Afghanistan was a bit strange, I admit. Maybe a soldier was involved in it outside of official capacity and emailed someone to tell them about it?
Another vegan anarchist
Lunatic gender
24.05.2009 20:28
I propose 'The Chris Morris test' for IM articles, can controversial but intelligent satire exist on the newswire or will it be hidden for fear of being taken at face value?
Danny
Homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbq3kc29Tmg
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