The "Battle of Seattle," which began November 30th, 1999, was a major event in the history of US radical struggle, and one of the high-points of the "non-violent direct action movement." Exactly 20 years later, Robin J. Cartwright analyzes the the rise, fall, and inner contradictions of the non-violent direct action movement, as well as the lessons we can learn from it today. ... read full story / add a comment

There has been an increase in anti-Jewish actions in the U.S. Why is this? Why have Jews been focused on by fascists and haters? There are traditional reasons for anti-semitism. The establishment of the state of Israel has created an interaction between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism. Where anti-semitism is irrational and reactionary, anti-Zionism is a just response to the oppression of Palestinian Arabs and Israel's alliance with U.S. imperialism. ... read full story / add a comment

As a tribute to one of the most remarkable agitators in labour history, we publish on May Day the autobiography of Albert Parsons. He was one of the five Chicago Anarchists who were tried in 1886-1887 and executed in November 1887 for their role as 8-hour working-day agitators and as anarchist militants. This mock-trial in 'the land of liberty' is one of the most shameful events in the history of labour in the whole world, and gave rise to May Day commemorations all over the world -the day was picked, because the repression which ended up in the 'legal lynching' of the Chicago Martyrs started after the general strike for the 8 hours working-day in May 1st 1886. This day is commemorated all over the world in memory of the Chicago Martyrs -unsurprisingly, one of the few countries which does not commemorate May Day is the land where this barbaric crime took place -the United States. They invented their own 'Labour Day' in September, with the purpose of severing the working class in the US from its radical tradition, and to devoid of meaning the conquest of the 8 hour working-day, a product of struggle and enormous sacrifice, not a gift from the capitalists. The life of Albert Parsons is instructive of the trajectory of many working class agitators in the US in the 19th century, a period of remarkable radicalism which was crushed with unspeakable ruthlessness and repression. His life story goes from fighting in the Confederate States Army during the US Civil War as a 13 year old, to republican and civil rights' agitator, advocate of the emancipation of the slaves, then trade unionist, socialist and anarchist. He was married to Lucy Parsons, a mixed race woman herself born a slave, who would become a prominent socialist and anarchist, and who was a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World, IWW, in 1905. A remarkable organiser and orator, he was the soul of the most progressive and active workers' movement in the USA at the time: in Chicago. Parsons was the only US citizen of 'pure stock' among the Chicago Martyrs (his ancestry going back all the way to one of the pilgrims in the Mayflower in 1632) -all his comrades being German. The immigrant nature of these anarchists was the cause for a racist and xenophobic uproar that no doubt was crucial to justify their barbaric execution -these racist, xenophobic tendencies are still alive and healthy in the USA, as we can see from the current state of affairs in the country. This is why, being not only a remarkable speaker, but also a well-self-educated man (at a time when the workers' movement still placed much emphasis on the self-education of the workers), he chose to strike a chord with public opinion and counter arguments that socialism and anarchism were 'foreign' and 'alien' ideas, by appealing to texts such as the US Declaration of Independence and opinions of Thomas Jefferson, while also appealing to the conservative and religious frame of mind prevalent, ended up by quoting the Bible. Of course, nothing would save him from the fury of the capitalists' class hatred, but this autobiography is a masterpiece of engaging with the prevalent environment at the time from a radical perspective, of showing in a sober manner his process of radicalisation and the logic behind it, and also, a staunch defence of the anarchist principles by which he lived and which he did not betrayed when confronted to the gallows. Our best tribute to this titanic figure is to resist the current onslaught of the global capitalists against hard-won workers' rights, while to keep faithful to the cause of a free and just world. José Antonio Gutiérrez D.
1st May, 2019 ... read full story / add a comment

Οι Αναρχικοί ηγέτες του οκταώρου κινήματος κρεμάστηκαν την Παρασκευή 11 Νοεμβρίου. Εκείνη τη μέρα οι πλούσιοι του Σικάγου είχαν ρίγη και πυρετό. Το σχοινί τεντώνεται προς όλες τις κατευθύνσεις από τη φυλακή. Αστυνομικοί άνδρες σταθμεύουν κατά μήκος των σχοινιών οπλισμένοι με τουφέκια. Ειδικές περιπολίες παρακολουθούσαν όλες τις προσεγγίσεις στη φυλακή. Οι στέγες γύρω από το βαρύ πέτρινο κτίριο ήταν γεμάτε με αστυνομικούς. Οι εφημερίδες έγειραν τη δημόσια φαντασία με ιστορίες εξεγέρσεων στις φυλακές. ... read full story / add a comment

In the 1980s I participated in a "dialogue" about anarchism and Marxism. Re-reading my writing now, when I am a revolutionary anarchist, I think that much of what I wrote then was wrong--with one exception. I went over certain key issues, such as the strengths and weaknesses of Marxism, the state, the revolutionary party, election participation, and national liberation--topics which are still important for anarchists and other radicals to consider and debate. ... read full story / add a comment

This review looks at the movie about the life of Ex-Vice-President of the USA, Dick Cheney. ... read full story / add a comment

Όχι, δεν υπάρχει λόγος να φοβόμαστε τη ζωή χωρίς κυβέρνηση, την επιδιώκουμε με όλη μας την καρδιά. Θα υπήρχαν, φυσικά, ορισμένα άτομα που επιδόθηκαν στα εγκληματικά ένστικτα. αλλά η πολιτική θα αναλάβει να ασχοληθεί μαζί τους, όσο άρρωστοι κι αν είναι, επειδή αυτοί οι φτωχοί άνθρωποι είναι θύματα του πρωτογονισμού, κληρονομικές ασθένειες που γεννήθηκαν από παρεκκλίσεις όπως ο θυμός για την αδικία και την βιαιότητα του περιβάλλοντος. ... read full story / add a comment

Πρώτος ο Sacco, πριν εκτελεστεί φώναξε «Ζήτω η αναρχία!» και πρόσθεσε πιο ήρεμος «αντίο γυναίκα μου, παιδιά μου και φίλοι μου». Ο Vanzetti στην ηλεκτρική καρέκλα είπε «Επιθυμώ να δηλώσω ότι είμαι αθώος. Ποτέ δεν διέπραξα έγκλημα, κάποιες αμαρτίες ναι, αλλά ποτέ έγκλημα. Σας ευχαριστώ για όσα κάνατε για μένα. Είμαι αθώος για όλα τα εγκλήματα, όχι μόνο γι’ αυτό αλλά για όλα. Είμαι ένας αθώος άνθρωπος. Τώρα επιθυμώ να συγχωρέσω ορισμένους ανθρώπους γι’ αυτό που μου κάνουν». ... read full story / add a comment

But what will it take to win against this Death Star of a corporation? We need a direct action workers movement, directly controlled by its members, willing to spread the struggle beyond the shackles of labor law, and beyond the confines of the contract. ... read full story / add a comment

Μεξικανοί: θυμηθείτε πώς ζούσαν οι αγροτικοί πληθυσμοί του Μεξικού. Ο κομμουνισμός έχει ασκηθεί στις αγροτικές καλύβες. Η εξουσία δεν τους έλειπε. Αντίθετα όταν μαθαίνονταν πως πλησίαζε κάποιος εντεταλμένος της κυριαρχίας, οι άντρες κατέφευγαν στο δάσος για να γλυτώσουν τη στρατολόγηση ή τις φοροεισπράξεις της κυβέρνησης. Και παρόλα αυτά η ζωή ήταν πιο ήρεμη σε εκείνους τους χώρους, όπου δεν ήταν γνωστοί οι κυβερνητικοί νόμοι και η απειλή του χωροφύλακα με το γκλομπ. Η εξουσία δεν χρειάζεται παρά μόνο όταν χρειάζεται ν διατηρείται η κοινωνική ανισότητα. ... read full story / add a comment

Πώς θα έπρεπε οι αναρχικοί των ΗΠΑ να ανταποκριθούν στην αύξηση του ενδιαφέροντος για το σοσιαλισμό; Υπήρξε αύξηση του ενδιαφέροντος των ΗΠΑ για τον «σοσιαλισμό», ιδίως μεταξύ των νέων ενηλίκων. Ποια είναι η σημασία αυτού; Τι σημαίνει "σοσιαλισμός" στους ανθρώπους; Γιατί συμβαίνει αυτό τώρα; Τι εμποδίζει την ανάπτυξη ενός σοσιαλιστικού κινήματος; Ποια θα πρέπει να είναι η αντίδραση των αναρχικών και άλλων αντιεξουσιαστών σοσιαλιστών; ... read full story / add a comment

Trump’s erratic presidency is a manifestation, not the cause, of democratic decay. The unfolding political crisis will outlast him. So must the resistance. ... read full story / add a comment

What follows is an excerpt from the new book On Anarchism: Dispatches From The People’s Republic of Vermont. Dispatches contains works written by David Van Deusen, and in some cases with the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective. Jeff Jones of the Weather Underground wrote the forward. This excerpt is from Neither Washington Nor Stowe: A Libertarian Socialist Manifesto. the excerpt is the full table of contents for Dispatches. ... read full story / add a comment

There has been an increase of U.S. interest in "socialism," especially among young adults. What is the significance of this? What does "socialism" mean to people? Why is this happening now? What is holding back the development of a socialist movement? What should be the reaction of anarchists and other anti-authoritarian socialists? ... read full story / add a comment

There has recently been controversy on the Left over "free speech" for right-wingers (not necessarily fascists). Should it be supported or physically opposed? Some leftists have revived interest in the ideas of Herbert Marcuse on "repressive tolerance" and why it should be opposed. Marcuse's theory is reviewed and arguments are raised against it from a revolutionary anti-authoritarian perspective. ... read full story / add a comment

"The Road Not Taken" is a historic proposal that was provided to the Federation of Revolutionary Anarchist Collectives (FRAC) from the Black Heart Anarchist Collective-Columbus Ohio in 2001. Previous to now this proposal was treated as an internal FRAC document and has never been made available online or to the public. Ultimately the proposal was not adopted by FRAC. It is being provided now as it shows some of the internal debate and discussions that were taking place in the anarchist movement shortly after The Battle of Seattle. The document also highlights one road that aspects of the anarchist movement viewed as open to it, even if this road was never taken. Now that we are struggling against an increasing fascist tendency in the U.S. and beyond [2017], we as a movement need to explore those crossroads that post-Seattle presented us, and re-evaluate the strategic and tactical directions the movement took then in order for us in the present to build a stronger more effective movement today.

This proposal was provided to the still forming Federation of Revolutionary Anarchist Collectives (Great Lakes Region-Midwest) in December, 2001 by the Black Heart Anarchist Collective (Columbus, Ohio). It was not adopted by the federation. It was also sent to the Northeast Federation of Anarcho Communists. David Van Deusen wrote this document with Lady. The proposal was adopted as a position by the Black Heart Anarchist Collective as a whole, whose members also had input into the content. The Black Heart Anarchist Collective was an offshoot of Anti-Racist Action-Columbus. The collective (which included Van Deusen, Lady, Dustin, Noah, and others) formed for the primary purpose of engaging in discussions with other regional anarchist collectives about forming the Federation of Revolutionary Anarchist Collectives. The Black Heart Anarchist Collective were participants in a number of meetings leading up to the creation of the federation. However, prior to the official formation of the federation Van Deusen & Lady moved back to Vermont, the collective disbanded, and was never an official member collective of the federation. Van Deusen (who co-founded The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective) was in Ohio, and a member of Anti-Racist Action, for some time in 2001-2002. The Federation of Revolutionary Anarchist Collectives folded in 2005.
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Δεν χρειάζεται να είμαστε αφελείς (και με αυτό αναφέρομαι στο δεύτερο στοιχείο). Η διαδικασία της εκλογής μέσα από τους παραδοσιακούς τρόπους μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για τις ιδιοτελείς φιλοδοξίες των οργανώσεων ή των αντιπροσώπων. Αλλά πρέπει να υπάρχει μια σταθερή και συνειδητή άσκηση εντός της κοινότητας ώστε να διασφαλήσουν το σύστημά τους από τις φιλοδοξίες για την εξουσία. Ας αποφάσεις να πέρνονται από τη βάση! Αλληλεγγύη με τις κοινότητες των Ayutla de los Libres στην πορεία τους προς την αυτονομία! Guerrero για τους ανθρώπους! ... read full story / add a comment

There seems to be a trend among indigenous communities of increasing vindication of their right to choose their own representatives, rejecting the model of “voting a representative and hoping they deliver what they promised” and instead using their traditional methods to solve the quotidien problems they face. How can they ask a suit-and-tie politician to solve the problems of peasants if their hands are more accustomed to handle paperwork than plowing the ground? ... read full story / add a comment

Es hora de que los pueblos se autogobiernen. ... read full story / add a comment

A basic introduction to anarchism you could give to co-workers, neighbors or comrades looking to know more. #TryAnarchism ... read full story / add a comment