please read the following:

Rather than subject myself to more of their lies and misrepresentations, I will recall the last ISO lecture in Chicago about anarchism I had the misfortune to witness. In it, the speaker ranted in a hostile fashion against anarchism and anarchists. The speaker included gems like the claim that Emma Goldman was anti-worker, had no faith in the people, and "like all anarchists" was essentially middle class and elitist. Emma was the famous anarchist feminist and labor agitator who was jailed repeatedly for teaching about birth control. She was deported for her radicalism and agitation on behalf of workers. She assisted Alexander Berkman in his attempt on the life of Henry Clay Frick, the steel baron who ordered his thugs to kill strikers. This "international socialist" speaker had the gall to get up in front of an American audience and denounce Emma as an enemy of the workers! If it weren't for Emma, this scummy politician wouldn't be able to speak in the U.S.A. against capitalism without fear of deportation! Emma Goldman was a poor, passionate, articulate, radical immigrant. Emma always advocated for the oppressed. The only thing that allowed this speaker to forge such astounding lies is the fact that Americans today have an impoverished understanding of history, beaten into them by a government school system: just the kind of propaganda machine these "socialists" would love to run. This ISO speaker railed on and on, with the lies and distortions about anarchism and anarchists piling up on each other so fast that it was difficult to tell where one lie ended and the next distortion began.

After this speech, I saw the speaker outside, alone. I posed the following question: "Since you've obviously done a good deal of research on anarchism and its history, why would you then make up lies and distortions about it, if you care about the people and revolution? Why not just tell the truth, and let people make up their own minds?"

The response: "Because I don't think anarchism will work. Socialism will."

Never mind the fact that bossy, authoritarian, statist, party "socialists" do not have the monopoly of socialism that they would like to have over politics, society, and the economy. Most anarchists and many other anti-authoritarians are also socialists. We just happen to believe that "vanguards" and "socialist governments" are corporations by a different name and reorganized capitalism, respectively.

They're also hosting their workshop on the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) at their summer school. When they held this workshop in Seattle after the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial, they claimed that the IWW was purely historical, that it "ended" during the Red Scares. Well, there just happened to be IWW members at the workshop! They challenged this falsehood. In fact, the IWW had a big presence at the WTO protests, and helped lead a big contingent of militant unionists from the AFL-CIO labor march to the direct actions downtown on November 30. All this while there were no ISO people around. If the IWW is dead (while actively organizing workplaces, rallies, marches, literature, pirate radio, the second longest running union website in the world, and much else), while the ISO only puts on workshops and sells papers full of lies, what does that make the ISO?

Rather than let people base their opinions on the truth, these little bosses prefer to manipulate the people they so despise. They do not think that if the people knew the truth, they would make revolution. So, the bossy socialists and communists believe the people must be tricked into revolution, not approached as equals deserving of the truth.

No wonder the ISO will also host a speech entitled IN DEFENSE OF LENINISM. If this is what Leninism looks like, it needs vigorous defense. The ISO gives the same kind of defense capitalism needs and has displayed at mobilizations for the last few years - lies, distortion, and violence by their media and police. Expect identical behavior from authoritarian "socialists" and "communists," and their media and police.

Maybe they can explain to us how "Liberty," in the view of such authoritarian communist and socialist groups like the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), and International Socialist Organization (ISO), really means only freedom from exploitation by capitalists. If we REALLY understood communism, we would know that exploitation by some nutty "vanguard party," or better yet, "revolutionary government," is infinitely preferable, and is in fact necessary for total freedom and liberation. As is clear today, such Party Dictatorships are, in fact, the worst lie ever perpetrated: that people can be "made free" by a totalitarian regime.

It is pure bunk.

Given that this group is willing to falsify, manufacture, and distort information to suit their manipulative ends, don't attend their conference expecting to learn. If you must go, go to disrupt these lying, phony "revolutionaries," with the truth. Go armed with information, and expect to call them on their rivers of crap. The only reason they are better than the FTAA, WTO, FBI, or the Pinkertons, is that they currently have less power. But they want as much power as they can get.

As for all the great work they have done organizing for mobilizations in the last year, it's also bunk. They've brought people to events to sell papers. At the Republican National Convention, a "cadre" of ISO "vanguards" committed themselves to blockading a strategic point during the day of direct action. As soon as the police asked them to leave, they got up and left, abandoning the people they had agreed to assist in making things difficult for the Republicans. As a former ISO member later confided to me, his time in the ISO prepared him well for the corporate world, with all the same back stabbing, hierarchy, and opportunistic focus on growth and recruiting rather than doing what is right. They see people as "human resources," as do capitalists. They also see the rest of the world as "natural resources." Just like capitalists, they believe resources exist to be exploited.

These people are a cult. The party bosses meddle in the personal and sexual lives of the rank and file members. There is a vast amount of lying, manipulation, falsification, and deception within the group - about revolutionary history, about current disputes with other groups, other movements, and other philosophies, about contemporary politics (they supported NAFTA!), and about virtually everything else they can think of. Do not expect a "summer school" any more honest from them than you would expect from the government or a corporation like Shell or Exxon.

No single ideology or philosophy has directed the recent surge of activism. However, anarchism has been an enormous force within it, and continues to be. At the "big win" that energized a lot of this movement, the WTO in Seattle, there were no leftists in sight during the main events. The labor march was organized by AFL-CIO liberals (although many of the rank and file are quite militant and revolutionary, they are still typically not members of these authoritarian groups like the ISO). The direct actions (blockades, street parties, squatting, and corporation-smashing) were virtually all organized by anarchist activists. Days after the city exploded in insurrection, the authoritarian left showed up on the streets, at marches, handing out hastily xeroxed leaflets at the prisoner solidarity marches.

As usual since the fall of the Iron Curtain, authoritarian communists and socialists have been trying to claim credit for the work of and discredit anarchists, just as they did in the 1930's to the anarchist industries, farms, hospitals, and militias in Spain that fought the fascist Franco. Rather than fight fascists, the socialists and communists used their guns to round up anarchist and libertarian-marxist political prisoners far behind the front lines. Because of their betrayal, Spain was lost to fascism until 1975. Franco's victory emboldened Hitler and Mussolini to begin WWII.

Please don't let it happen again. Do not walk naively into this ISO event. Either boycott, or go prepared to challenge some very slick lies, the way you would approach any earth raping, worker crushing corporation.

I would like to see Kenneth Riley, one of the persecuted South Carolina dockworkers, Ronald Jones, exonerated death row inmate, and several other events listed. In fact, I would love to debate the issues of power and domination in leftist organizations, during the Leninism and Anarchism workshops, but there is no way I will hand these professional liars -150. Besides, having seen similar ISO events, I know it will be a tightly controlled lecture format with a strictly limited question/answer period, not real debate. However, to register and attend would be giving direct material support for a scummy corporation in the guise of a revolutionary organization. Instead, please make your donation directly to a strike support fund, anti-death penalty group, an ongoing environmental struggle, or some other legitimate cause. Talk to the better guest speakers outside this conference. Get in free, if you can.

I think that you have some great beliefs and i do not at all question your commitment to the struggle, although isn't it a bit deconstructive to be a part of a social movement saying fuck this group and that? Fuck aAmerica, burn the US flag and not these cards to different organizations. Its bad enough that in the movement, some of the intellectual jargon is focused on certain groups of people, primarily colledge educated folks. I live in a poor community and I know that the work force of america aint too hip too all that lingo. I know a great percentage of the lower/ working class doesnt even have a high school diploma. I ask who are we focusing on organizing. Some youngsters get inspired to join in this struggle, and they might get on this site and see, Fuck This Group and that. man, they're learning as it is and its kind of confusing to them and me, all this imobilizing bullshit that creates divisions. I aint backing up the ISO or the RCP etc... but we must(in my opinion keep some of this shit aside ang get productive and focuse on the first step in any struggle, UNITY...we need to stop dissing eachother.....I belive the people aren't ready for a socialist, communist, anarchist revolution.... people still think that they can get their sweets from this capitalilst system, it's up to us to educate and see what the people really want, and we should be in solidarity.......

that has to be the most beautiful picture that I have seen in an extremly long time. thank you for sharing

oh its that is the most beautiful picture that I have seen. Fuck politicians and fuck the bosses. Lets get rid of them all in one full swoop

Please all ISO members, think about it and stop being a member of such a sectarian and oppurtunistic organization that is manipulating the movement! The ISO is heading to be a replica of the SWP in England they split from: a group that tries to take over popular movements, argues against direct action and insead of organizing they push a focus on narrow electoral battles within mainstream electoral politics and the Labour party (or the Democrats in USA).

THere are many other organizations out there, and many organizations that do not claim to be such and such so-called vangaurd of the movement that are doing amazing things. THink again about ISO membership!

I think the point of Libertarian Socialist's article is that the ISO is actually not engaged in struggle against domination. The ISO simply wants to replace the current dominating system with their own, and that's a bad thing. It's better that they be exposed, because this is not a "small" issue, like whether or not it's okay to destroy property as a form of protest. If the article is accurate, an ISO member told outright lies to fellow anti-capitalists to further his purpose. If the ISO behaves this way, it clearly doesn't trust us with the truth, and is therefore arrogant, and therefore cannot be said to seek unity with us. An organization that lies to us and holds itself as superior to us is not seeking unity. It only seeks to exploit. It cannot be considered a part of our struggle.

I don't trust anyone who promises "pie in the sky, when you die" to keep my eye off my bowl with no rice.

And, I also can't have faith that we'll all be equal, after the revolution, to keep people from rebelling against their authority.

Much respect to the people in the infoshops and food not bombs kitches, who help create the basis for change.

To confused- When lies are told, especially when they told by leftists about other leftists, it is essential that they be exposed. Better to "deconstruct" current coalitions than to continue on with a social revolution based on false or denied history. I applaud this former ISO member for publishing this story. As an anarchist who frequently works in coalition with ISO folks in my city I am appalled that a member of their organization would stoop to such bald-faced lies. I had thought that the ISO was less sectarian than other vanguardist parties. I've even defended them to older anarchist friends. Perhaps I should feel foolish now.

It is good for leftist of different persuasions to debate ideas. And criticism, when it is open and fair, is essential for real social revolution. Any anarchist knows this, many state socialists have proven they don't. However, to simply lie about history or another group because you don't think their ideas will work- that IS bunk and it is dangerous. If we who want to change this world for the better turn a blind eye to history- especially our own history- how can we learn from those who have come before us- from both their mistakes and victories- how could we make progress? Moreover, there are people who are new in the movement, who still have not learned the real history that lies behind the text book whitewash. If we do not challenge and refute speakers like the one mentioned those people might never know the truth.

Emma Goldman was certainly a tireless advocate for the poor, and working class- the class she was from. Luckily, as she is one of the most famous anarchists, there is plenty of information available to counter the ridiculous lies of the speaker. And yes the IWW is smaller these days but its still very much alive, active in the anti-globalization movement, and struggling to organize the so-called "unorganizable" workers that the AFL-CIO writes off. It was wrong for the ISO speaker to say otherwise- when he obviously knew the truth. Just as it would be wrong for me as an anarchist to deny the value of the work done by a great american socialist such as Eugene Debbs.

We need to move beyond the sectarianism that clouds our vision and hinders our revolution but not by overlooking lies and distortion. Perhaps, if all of us who work with the ISO and those within the ISO that find this account troubling were to further challenge those in the organization responsible real progress would be made.

Amen, and amen. If you read a few on-the-ground accounts of social revolutions of the past 175-200 years, you see again and again that they fail not because of a lack of "unity." They fail because a small group jumps in front of the parade and then declares themselves the "leaders."

Later, this "vanguard" works to reign in and undercut the people's power at crucial moments when action is needed. Because their own primacy within the revolution is more important to them than the success of the revolution itself.

Paris 1871, Berlin 1919, Kronstadt 1921, Barcelona 1937, . . . over and over – it's almost boring in its predictability. So, let's get it right this time and cut the legs out from under the vanguardists before they get into a position to sabotage the revolution. I would show no more "unity" with them than I would with my own executioner (because that's what they will become).

I participated in the direct action that shut down the WTO on N30. I was thrown in jail the next day. And what "Libertarian Socialist" says is true: Most of us were anarchists, and even those who weren't organized themselves in a classically anarchist way.

I am convinced that one of the reasons that we were successful was that the meetings were in the Northwest, where there are very few authoritarian groups. The nearest ISO branch is in San Francisco, and as "Libertarian Socialist" noted, the influence of the IWW is still strong here. If the WTO had met in New York or Chicago the vanguardists would have "led" us into impotence.

I could go on, but I'll just say, salud brothers and sisters.

Thje International Socialist Organization (ISO) is a nutball cult which actually believes that the Soviet Union was a capitalist country. The "theoretical" analysis of this Trotskyist grouplet goes downhill from there....

It is a measure of the weakness of the antiwar movement that it is susceptible to the ISO infection. What is necessary is a STRONG antibiotic to rid the movement of this virus-like intruder -- before it takes over and kills the patient.

I agree with the trots that the USSR was state-capitalist, such that there were still class devides and that the party became the new capitalist class. What is fundementally wrong with their views is that they believe that Stalin destroyed the revolution, not that leninism itself is flawed. They are a cult of lenin basically and still believe that "vanguardism" is nessessary and that party dictatorship is nessessary. Even Stalinists/Maoists are critical of lenin, but they actually believe that the USSR was a workers state until 1956, and even believe that Stalin's legacy has been twisted by the trotskyist factions... basically ignoring historic fact.

help me out with understanding the RCP, what are their similarities with the ISO.....I personally think they're whacked out

they are all crazy cults. the RCP(Revolutionary communist party) the PLP (Progressive Labor Party) the SWP (Socialist Worker Party) the IAC (International Action Center) the WW(Workers World) and A.N.S.W.E.R and also Sparts. Im sure there are plent to add to the list.

The ISO seems to be the biggest fuck up all during these times. They control the lives of their members. Personal and sexual. They are control freaks, and the scary part is a lot of them are teachers who want to mold and infest younger High School Children because they are fresh meat to them.

They are sick twistys on an ego trip. Be a communist, be a socialist or an anarchist. but run far away when you see any of these crazy sectarian or vanguard groups coming. They are a lost cause and they have been totally brainwashed.