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Malatesta’s Revolutionary Anarchism in British Exile 2 comments An Anarchist View of Trotsky’s "Transitional Program" 3 comments The Joy of Alex Comfort 2 comments Recent Articles about International Anarchist movementAnarchists in Rojava: Revolution is a struggle in itself Oct 04 23 An Attempted Marxist-Anarchist Dialogue Oct 03 23 A Guide to Anarcho-Syndicalism and Libertarian Socialism Aug 03 23 "The Coming Insurrection"?
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Monday November 15, 2010 06:06 by Wayne Price drwdprice at aol dot com
Insurrectional Anarchism vs. Class-Struggle Anarchism The pamphlet, “The Coming Insurrection” has been attracting attention. A discussion of some of its key points is useful in considering the differences between “insurrectional anarchism” and “class-struggle anarchism.” "The Coming Insurrection"?Insurrectional Anarchism vs. Class-Struggle AnarchismThere has been a spurt of interest in a small radical book titled "The Coming Insurrection" ("TCI"), with authorship attributed to the "Invisible Committee" (IC). It was originally published in France in 2007. That country's police cited it as evidence in a trial of "the Tarnaq 9," radicals who were accused of planning sabotage. The French Interior Minister called it a "manual for terrorism" (quoted on p. 5). A U.S. edition got an unlikely boost by the far-right tv talk show clown Glen Beck. He has repeatedly identified it as a manual for a take-over of the U.S. by the left, by which he means everyone from the mildest liberal Democrats leftward. "This [is a] dangerous leftist book....You should read it to know what is coming and be ready when it does" (Beck, 2009). The interest of many on the left has been piqued; Michael Moore is reported to have read it. From the perspective of revolutionary-libertarian socialism (class-struggle anarchism), I believe that many things are wrong with this pamphlet. But it is right on some very big things. That is a major part of its attraction, despite its opague style (the authors have studied French radical philosophy and it shows). The IC members say that, on a world scale, our society is morally rotten and structurally in the deepest of crises. They denounce this society in every way and oppose all reformist programs for trying to improve it at the margins. They say that a total change is necessary and that this can only be achieved through some sort of revolution. Their goals are the right goals: a classless, stateless, ecologically-balanced, decentralized, and self-managed world. These views are well outside the usual range of acceptable political conversation. Unfortunately, I believe that the tactics and strategy which they propose are mistaken and unlikely to achieve their correct goals. In "Black Flame," Michael Schmidt and Lucien van der Walt review the history of the mainstream of the anarchist movement-of what is often referred to as anarchist-communism. They describe two main strategies within the broad anarchist tradition. "The first strategy, insurrectionist anarchism, argues that reforms are illusory and organized mass movements are incompatible with anarchism, and emphasizes armed action-propaganda by the deed-against the ruling class and its institutions as the primary means of evoking a spontaneous revolutionary upsurge" (2009; p. 123). Historically a minority trend in anarchism, this is probably what most people think of as "anarchism." "The second strategy-what we refer to, for lack of a better term, as mass anarchism...stresses the view that only mass movement can create a revolutionary change in society, that such movements are typically built through struggles around immediate issues and reforms (...) and that anarchists must participate in such movements to radicalize and transform them into levers of revolutionary change" (same; p. 134). I prefer to call this second strategy by the more widely used term, "class-struggle anarchism." (This is a discussion of broad political trends. Individual anarchists are not so sharply divided into "insurrectionists" or "class-struggle" types. Whatever their labels, their activities are likely to overlap with each other.) Terms may be confusing. By "insurrection," most people mean a revolutionary uprising by the mass of people to overturn the ruling class and smash its state. By this definition, it is the class-struggle anarchists who are working for an insurrection. On the other hand, the so-called insurrectionists are not clearly for an inurrection--a popular uprising--but are mainly interested in rebellious activities beinc carried out by themselves, a revolutionary minority. As we shall see, "TCI" is especially ambiguous about wanting a popular insurrection. However, I will stick with the usual political labels. Actually the unnamed authors of this book do not explicitly identify with "anarchism," which they mention negatively. They prefer the label of "communism." Very likely they have been influenced by autonomous trends derived from Marxism, although they do not identify with "Marxism" either. I think that is safe to include them in the tradition of "insurrectionist anarchism." Their advocacy of decentralization is typically anarchist rather than Marxist. In any case, by now there has been so much overlap and interaction between anarchism and libertarian trends in Marxism, that it is not possible (or relevant) to draw a sharp line between them.
Opposition to Working Class Organizations
According to "The Coming Insurection," the unions are the immediate enemy. "The first obstacle every social movement faces, long before the police proper, are the unions..." (p. 121). This view blurs distinctions among (1) the workers, who are misdirected by the unions but who get definite benefits from them; (2) the unions themselves as organizations which are created by the workers; and (3) the union officialdom, which is an agent of the capitalist class within the workers' organizations. In other words, the workers and unions and bureaucrats are seen as one bloc, which is exactly how they are seen by the bureaucrats (and their reformist supporters). |
HauptseiteSupport Sudanese anarchists in exile Joint Statement of European Anarchist Organizations International anarchist call for solidarity: Earthquake in Turkey, Syria and Kurdistan Elements of Anarchist Theory and Strategy 19 de Julio: Cuando el pueblo se levanta, escribe la historia International anarchist solidarity against Turkish state repression Declaración Anarquista Internacional por el Primero de Mayo, 2022 Le vieux monde opprime les femmes et les minorités de genre. Leur force le détruira ! Against Militarism and War: For self-organised struggle and social revolution Declaração anarquista internacional sobre a pandemia da Covid-19 Anarchist Theory and History in Global Perspective Capitalism, Anti-Capitalism and Popular Organisation [Booklet] Reflexiones sobre la situación de Afganistán South Africa: Historic rupture or warring brothers again? Death or Renewal: Is the Climate Crisis the Final Crisis? Gleichheit und Freiheit stehen nicht zur Debatte! Contre la guerre au Kurdistan irakien, contre la traîtrise du PDK Meurtre de Clément Méric : l’enjeu politique du procès en appel International | Anarchist movement | en Fri 29 Mar, 21:16 Solidarity with Alfredo Cospito From Rojava 23:06 Mon 27 Mar 20 comments Solidarity statement with the anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito International Anarchist Statement for the First of May, 2022 22:39 Tue 03 May 15 comments 1st of May, 1886! 136 years ago today, the American working class created a priceless experience for the upcoming struggles of the working classes of the whole world by saying “this fight is our last fight!”. It remains a victory till our time. The demand of “8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for whatever we want” to replace the 16 hours of work and the assaults of capitalism which targeted the lives of the working classes then in the 19th century turned into a general strike in America. General strike has been one of the most significant weapons of the anarchist action as an earning to the history of the class struggle. For anarchists, the struggle for 8 hours has never been seen as a simple request for reform. Anarchists fought to replace it with a social revolution, with the claim that “Regardless of our working time, whether it be 2 hours or 8 hours, it is slavery if we work for bosses”. [Castellano] 65 years of the FAU 17:43 Fri 29 Oct 0 comments We recognise the FAU's contributions to the libertarian movement and the sacrifice of comrades past and present. We send our congratulations on the 65th anniversary of the FAU. In solidarity with the struggle for freedom and socialism, the undersigned Anarchist-Communist groups of Oceania. Recent publications and new editions from Zabalaza Books 00:29 Sat 20 Jun 0 comments Over the past 18 months Zabalaza Books has published over two dozen new publications or new editions of previous publications, all of which can be read online or downloaded in PDF format from the Zabalaza Books website. Read the full list of titles and overviews of their contents, with links to the full texts, below. Launch statement of the Latin American Anarchist Coordination (CALA) 02:28 Tue 17 Dec 0 comments After a series of meetings and instances, anarchist political organizations in Latin America have decided to relaunch the Latin American Anarchist Coordination (CALA), within the framework of this complex political and social context that our continent is living through. We, anarchists and libertarian communists in the class struggle in capitalist Europe 05:38 Mon 11 Dec 1 comments The European organizations which are part of the Anarkismo network met on the 18th and 19th of November in Genoa. We discussed and exchanged, thought and reflected together, attempting as a network to plan a strategy for forward movement.
Delegations from Wales, France, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland - with a warm solidarity statement from our Catalan comrades of Embat - expressed the need to clarify and deepen our common work. Considerations of the Anarkismo network about the accusations against Michael Schmidt 19:31 Sat 30 Jan 23 comments The Anarkismo network has already published a statement that it would wait until all parts of the accusations by Reid Ross and Stephens were published, as well as the answers of M. Schmidt, before making any judgements on the case. Now that this has been forthcoming, as well as two more responses by Reid Ross, we are issuing a second statement to make public our intentions regarding the present situation. Statement For Rojava 16:44 Sun 30 Aug 0 comments This is a solidarity Statement For Rojava from an old group that is reviving itself somewhat: Neither East Nor West-NYC Anarkismo message of support to 1st Congress of Columna Libertaria Joaquín Penina 18:47 Wed 22 Apr 0 comments We are very pleased to be able to congratulate you on the realisation of your First Congress as a specific anarchist political organisation. In light of the disbanding of the Federación Anarco-Comunista Argentina we believe that this is a very important step both for our shared especifista tendency as well as for the development of anarchism in general, both in Argentina and the region. Anarchist Women: "Long Live Freedom, Long Live Anarchism!" 01:08 Thu 01 Jan 0 comments Anarchist Women attending to the Young Women Conference, in a small village Amara which is in Urfa (Kurdistan), made a speech on the resistance in Kobane, the effect of women on this resistance and women's freedom struggle. more >>Thoughts on Revolution Mar 22 11 comments In response to a paper by the anarchist Ron Tabor in which he re-thinks revolutionary politics. Bakunin, Malatesta and the Platform Debate Jun 01 15 comments The present text —the core of which was taken from the introduction that we wrote for the French edition of Social Anarchism and Organization, by the Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro (FARJ)[1]— aims to discuss the question of the specific anarchist political organization, based on the contributions of Mikhail Bakunin, Errico Malatesta and the Organizational Platform for a General Union of Anarchists, written by militants organized around the magazine Dielo Trudá, among whom were Nestor Makhno and Piotr Archinov. We are going to take up the contributions of Bakunin and Malatesta to establish a dialogue between them and the Platform, trace the similarities and differences between the proposals of anarchists who advocate an organizational dualism and those of the Bolsheviks, and we will see the proximity of Malatesta with the Synthesis, as well as the historical impact of the Platform, which will make it possible to elucidate the positions that have been disseminated about this debate. Organizational Issues Within Anarchism May 03 5 comments The present text aims to discuss, from a theoretical-historical perspective, some organizational issues related to anarchism. It responds to the assertion, constantly repeated, that anarchist ideology or doctrine is essentially spontaneous and contrary to organization. Returning to the debate among anarchists about organization, this article maintains that there are three fundamental positions on the matter: those who are against organization and / or defend informal formations in small groups (anti-organizationism); supporters of organization only at the mass level (syndicalism and communitarianism), and those who point out the need for organization on two levels, the political-ideological and the mass (organizational dualism). This text delves into the positions of the third current, bringing theoretical elements from Mikhail Bakunin and then presenting a historical case in which the anarchists held, in theory and in practice, that position: the activity of the Federation of Anarchist Communists of Bulgaria (FAKB) between the twenties and forties of the twentieth century. [Português] [Castellano] Create a Strong People Apr 25 3 comments To begin the discussion on popular power it is important to return to the idea of a strategy of social transformation, since our political practice, as anarchists, is what could point toward this transformation. Anarchism, Power, Class and Social Change Feb 17 0 comments The theoretical elements and historical experiences discussed undergird the theses developed throughout this article. Anarchists have a conception of power and a general project around it that forms their conception of class, understood in relation to a certain type of power (domination), and constitutes the foundation of their notion of social change, which is characterized by: their belief in the capacity for action of the subjects that are part of the distinct oppressed classes, their implication in the transformation of that capacity into social force, their commitment to permanent growth of this force, and their defense of a revolutionary process that allows for overcoming enemy forces and replacing the power of domination over society by a self-managing power. more >>International Anarchist Statement for the First of May, 2022 May 03 15 comments 1st of May, 1886! 136 years ago today, the American working class created a priceless experience for the upcoming struggles of the working classes of the whole world by saying “this fight is our last fight!”. It remains a victory till our time. The demand of “8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for whatever we want” to replace the 16 hours of work and the assaults of capitalism which targeted the lives of the working classes then in the 19th century turned into a general strike in America. General strike has been one of the most significant weapons of the anarchist action as an earning to the history of the class struggle. For anarchists, the struggle for 8 hours has never been seen as a simple request for reform. Anarchists fought to replace it with a social revolution, with the claim that “Regardless of our working time, whether it be 2 hours or 8 hours, it is slavery if we work for bosses”. [Castellano] 65 years of the FAU Oct 29 0 comments We recognise the FAU's contributions to the libertarian movement and the sacrifice of comrades past and present. We send our congratulations on the 65th anniversary of the FAU. In solidarity with the struggle for freedom and socialism, the undersigned Anarchist-Communist groups of Oceania. Recent publications and new editions from Zabalaza Books Jun 20 0 comments Over the past 18 months Zabalaza Books has published over two dozen new publications or new editions of previous publications, all of which can be read online or downloaded in PDF format from the Zabalaza Books website. Read the full list of titles and overviews of their contents, with links to the full texts, below. Launch statement of the Latin American Anarchist Coordination (CALA) Dec 17 CALA 0 comments After a series of meetings and instances, anarchist political organizations in Latin America have decided to relaunch the Latin American Anarchist Coordination (CALA), within the framework of this complex political and social context that our continent is living through. We, anarchists and libertarian communists in the class struggle in capitalist Europe Dec 11 AL/FdCA-AL-CGA-LSF-OSL-WSM 1 comments The European organizations which are part of the Anarkismo network met on the 18th and 19th of November in Genoa. We discussed and exchanged, thought and reflected together, attempting as a network to plan a strategy for forward movement.
Delegations from Wales, France, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland - with a warm solidarity statement from our Catalan comrades of Embat - expressed the need to clarify and deepen our common work. |
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