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LESSONS FOR ANARCHISM COMING FROM ARGENTINA

by COMBAT SYNDICALISTE Monday, Oct. 28, 2002 at 4:18 PM

It is remind that if the state and the institutions are denouncing situation for now in Argentina as anarchy, it is not anarchy in the country ! What is happening is a step toward the decay of power. In fact the chaos in argentina is caused by the state and capitalism, not by anarchists ideals.

LESSONS FOR ANARCHISM COMING FROM ARGENTINA

COMBAT SYNDICALISTE # 73 - APRIL/MAY 2002

mardi 10 septembre 2002

Since winter inhabitants of Argentina are attacking the State, holding its accomplices from left and extreme left to ridicule. They challenge capitalism, create general assemblies to a large scale never seen since 1936 Spain ; and all that without any leader coming on the stage. They chose to struggle freely against state and capitalist terrorism. In Buenos Aires the inhabitants are organizing themselves in neighbourhood general assemblies and are trying to control their lives.

Whatever will the result be, this movement has already broken the old ideological moulds trough the praxis of two new assets (that will be now those of the internationalist class struggle) : Direct democracy, the refusal of state institutions. [1]

This new situation of the international revolution should make anarchists happy. But, in France, as elsewhere, anarchist movement is too often trapped in practices showing its vulnerability toward mainstream ideology : participation to antiglobalization spectacle, reformism in the workplace in the name of "efficient syndicalism", pathetic alliances, here with nationalist-regionalist, there with leftists… It's time, if we really want to pro-pose and participate to the building of another society, free and just, to come back to our sources, praxis coherent with our ideas, an horizontal praxis, autonomous and non-spectacular. Events in Argentina are giving to worldwide anarchists a lesson.



Surprising position of some left libertarians [anarchists]

On December 20th 2001 the population is fighting against the state and there's an alliance of the poorest with middle class. This alliance is mainly the result of a failed political scheming.

At the beginning, middle class wanted only to get their investments back and didn't care about

others' misery. At the same time the poorest, starving, were looting for several weeks. The government, to preserve interests of international capitalism, prepared a new coup and was

ready to present itself as the defender of order against "anarchy". The government thought that

the middle class would stay on the right side, accepting that deal : to be ruined but without

insecurity. The cornerstone of the strategy, promulgation of state of emergency, had the

opposite effect : it sealed alliance of all the discontented. The cause is simple : in Argentina, an

incredible number of people understood how the system works and decided to end with it and all

that it represents. That's why, as soon as December 20th, there has been a rejection of political

parties and labour unions. This rejection will bring astonishing declaration by parts of the

anarchist movement. Argentina OSL declared : "But curiously, one of the distinctive attitude of

the demo (of 02/12/20) was the complete refusal of political parties. This attitude, promoted by

medias, was playing in favour of disorganization and fragmentation, favourable to the right". That

position was published, without commentaries, by OSL Switzerland, and by other anarchists'

medias such as "Alternative Libertaire" in France and "Tierra y Libertad" in Spain. It is an

appalling defence of parlementarism. It supports the counter-revolutionary idea that without

politician apparatus and labour unions, the popular movements cannot exist !

What happened on the 20th of December ? The crowd is in the streets, the state is overwhelmed, parties and labour unions are rejected, police kills thirty-one persons, there's a lot of confusion. Should we be afraid of that confusion ? All revolutionary movement is forced to organize with the contradictions of those who are doing revolution. It is the role of each anarchist militant to work hard, to use all its potential to clarify and unify, with communist-libertarian perspective, the oppressed classes fighting against the state and capitalism.

How could parties and the unions play a role in that revolutionary task ? What does it mean to

pose the problem in terms of "right" or "left" when it is clearly in terms of "revolution" or

"counter-revolution" ? On the contrary we thanks argentina insurgents for having accomplished

this first necessary step, this truly revolutionary step.



Clarifications



There is in argentina, some "anarchist militants" who joined the way of thinking of leftists

groups in their will to sabotage all attempt of popular self-organization.

On the other side, argentina anarchist federation, F.O.R.A (argentina section of IWA) and other

militants acknowledged positive aspects of that struggle. As soon as January 2000,

"Organizacion Obrera" (Workers Organization) the paper of F.O.R.A explained the main aspects

of the fight. Labour unions and left and extreme-left politicians were clearly denounced as

enemies of the workers. Their rejection by the population is an encouraging sign. Then

"Organizacion Obrera" insists on the definition of anarchists' concepts and their methods. It is

remind that if the state and the institutions are denouncing situation for now in Argentina as

anarchy, it is not anarchy in the country ! What is happening is a step toward the decay of

power. In fact the chaos in argentina is caused by the state and capitalism, not by anarchists

ideals.

Argentina's anarchosyndicalists know that the period is important but that the people has a lot

to do to organize a society with social and libertarian bases. That's why they insist to make

their project real. "We F.O.R.A activists are a worker organization who has for social finality

anarchist communism and that do not mean that we spend all day breaking windows. This is

what the liars are saying to protect their economic well-being and their political power.

Anarchism, on the contrary, means a new society with horizontal structure, without benefices for

ones against others, where everyone can decide in free assemblies of economic and daily

orientations. That society is only possible in a framework of social and economic equality for all

persons in the society…" In the same paper, an article proposes the creation of general local

assemblies, one assembly of neighbourhood delegates, mandated and removable, some local,

regional and international delegates, always removable, and the control of production and

consumption by these assemblies.



Lessons for the future



These contributions are not only coherent with our ideas, they reflect reality. Here is the proof. At the very time when resources of F.O.R.A allow only a confidential diffusion of its ideas, argentina population, rediscover, invent practices similar to the propositions of FOR A. As soon as mid February, an article in Le Monde (02/02/20) notes that "In Buenos Aires the residents are organizing in neighbourhood assemblies (…) "they must all go !" This slogan designates politicians, judges, bankers or labour unionists (…) Every Sunday the different neighbourhood delegations have general meetings where the speakers are informing of the work in each neighbourhood and

propose new struggles instructions…All decisions are taken with a vote by show of hands, no speaker can speak in the name of a political party, there's a systematic turnover of delegates positions…" Other testimonies shows the difficult position for politicians and unionists leaders, who are forced to disguise themselves to be able to go in the street, Of course we can imagine all the pain it inflicts on wanna be leaders !

Argentina population is having an amazing struggle. But one should temper its optimism. For many reasons. The main one is that those who are strong enough to usually present themselves as the supporter of the oppressed, but who are only the pimps, are already trying to penetrate, infiltrate, corrupt the bases structures by stressing the many contradictions and difficulties they have to deal with daily. Because praxis of direct democracy is not easy. Above all when the social conditions, such as collective re-appropriation of the means of production, are not carried out. Scoundrels of

bourgeoisie, politics and unionism are having hard times.

They're waiting. If the struggle weakened, if those who have to work to live are getting tired, if they go back to earn their daily food, then the scoundrels will be able to seize power and restart capitalism. Until the day when all world proletarians, inspired by the events in argentina,

will take necessary measures in order to abolish economic slavery.

Yvon



[1] These events reminds those in Algeria in April 2001 following the assassination of a young man by the police " The most outstanding aspect of the Algerian insurrection is its self-organisation. The hostility toward political parties and "any proximity with power", the distrust with any uncontrolled representation, the refusal to be, once more, rank and file for political schemes ; all that resulted in the spreading and coordination of villages and neighbourhood assemblies, rapidly recognized by everybody as the only authentic expression of the movement." Jaime Semprun, "Plaidoyer pour l'insurrection algerienne", Encyclopedie des nuisances.

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CANADA LAND OF THE FREE

by Calvin Cumberland Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002 at 12:22 AM
cumber_1@hotmail.com

Not Left! Canada Is Free. Check it out, click on link.

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........

by ...... Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002 at 1:53 AM

Yeah - it's becoming quite a dictatorship. That's because it is influenced by the USA.

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comments

by argentino Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002 at 6:21 AM

Having just read Carlos Alfonsos comments he posted I can say what he's saying is absolutely true.

How are we going to make the revolution triumphant being unarmed???? You think the military will just step aside??? Dont be so politically naive! That's the problem with so called "radicals" and armchair "revolutionaries" in the first world!

Viva la revolucion!

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In the '30s...

by Sheepdog Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002 at 7:44 AM

There were many who joined the fight against

the Fascists in Spain with what I remember the

history of, from here in the U. S., but I guess

the american people can stand to not care about

righteous struggles elsewhere in the world nowadays.

What ever happened to Yankee belligerence of the

common working people against evil? I know most

of the time the press has served its corporate masters

but in these days its reached sickening levels.

What does it take to kick our ass hard enough to

realize the raping going on. The death, the stink

and grief and horror that is being carried out in

our name with our labor and common heritage?


All for the benefit of some useless roach droppings

who are so evil and blasé' about the misery and

desperation they cause, they can discuss the slaughter

of thousands over golf.


We as a society must view the action of excessive waste and wealth as the mental illness it is. A very dangerous one at that.

I'd give some of my rifles & ammo if I could.

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