This time, i am protesting large demos organized by authoritarian groups who hide their party affiliations. i am protesting disempowering mass distractions where people actually believe they are doing something to challenge state power and Bush. I am protesting the illusion that those in power give a damn about these mass protests.

Why participate in a spectacle that only gives legitimacy to the process of stealing elections? Do you think you'll actually change something? For those that still believe in the voting process in America, do you think that even if you got your paper trail, that Bush Inc. would not have found another way to steal the election? You are crazy if you believe that.

Unlike Nixon during the Vietnam era, who was privately concerned about the governability of the country due to mass protests given the governments limited legal law enforcement powers, Bush Inc. not only has legitimate COINTELPRO type counter measures in the form of the Patriot Act et al, mass protests tend to 1) help release the steam built up into anger against Bush Inc., and 2) become immediately irrelevant due to the fact that the corporate media will ensure the irrelevance of the message people are tyring to send. This was not the case 30 years ago to the extent it is today.

I recognize the importance of "network" building and developing relationships, but at what expense to a real strategy? I favor getting together, but if that further perpetuates the illusion of impact on a ideologically driven administration, who will stop at nothing to institute their agenda in the coming years, then i must ask what is this top down type mass demo going to accomplish towards our goals. Granted, our goals vary, but one thing we might agree on is that we need to directly challenge and resist the impact of their policies on the most vulnerable. And the key word is "directly."

Further, the "opposition message" is diluted to the point of meaninglessness. The lack of serious political analysis in this country when it comes to organizing those outside of the anti-war movement is a disease. Why aren't we trying to understand why local communities in DC, for example, will not join the throngs of mostly white folks who are coming to their town to protest. Not to mention that these locals are being forced to pay for their "protection" and the enhancement of the local police state already in existence.

No. Something much more profound needs to happen. I do not proclaim to know what it is, but I would start by doing a real assessment of the effects of our actions on this administration. How has ANSWER/NION organizing actually affected policy? What are their goals? What are their successes? How has the rhetoric of anti-war politics worked to reach people?

I for one am sick and tired of ANSWER/NION and their top down style of organizing. I am sick of creating the illusion in peoples minds that walking down the street and throwing dollars into their buckets will actually change anything.

Should we challenge Bush? Of course. Should we keep our mouths shut and stay indoors? Of course not. But we should challenge traditional approaches so that we can expose the deeper flaws in this system. We need to make connections with "normal" people who might be willing to take all forms of non-violent direct action to challenge the legitimacy of this administrations policies if they understood how it directly affects their lives. We need to speak to people's hearts and experiences, not bombard them with sloganeering.

And for the individualistic anarchists, as opposed to the syndicalists and socialist varitey, whom i am very sympathetic, they have become a bizarre fashion cult unto themselves whose rhetoric and style is more consistent with narcissism than with politics. Their "black bloc" is a catwalk of individualism, where if you peeled off the black clothing you would primarily see white.

It is time to move beyond symbolic mass protest and towards community based organizing. It is time to move towards issues that *include* a sound economic analysis that speaks to people's
daily lives, and i am not talking about robot like leninist/stalinist/maoist/marxist "scientific" economic analysis. These people do not know the meaning of the word science or the scientific method, which if they did, they would have known that their various hypotheses of "scientific socialism" failed every experiment put to the test. That others either failed miserably within their ranks, or created totalitarian dungeons, doesn't seem to have sunk in. Or they simply don't care or make excuses as to why history will have Stalin "come down on the people's side" in the future as one RCP hack recently stated on a Pacifica radio station. Well, I suppose that's true if we let the RCP and Bob Avakian write the history books!

Here comes Argentina. We can learn something from these people. We can learn from the solidarity that exists between groups that come from a variety of backgrounds. We can learn that we don't need party bosses to take back factories, or city councils to institute rent control. These people take matters directly into their own hands and, often times, don't even recognize the authority of the state. I fear that many Americans aren't truly prepared for what could happen during an economic collapse, and would be ripe for a frightening form of authoritarianism and fascism to grow here as a result. We need to prepare for that, and we have to have relationships with folks before this happens. Ranting about marxist rhetoric or wearing stylistic black bandanas won't accomplish this. Get over yourselves and start thinking about why those locals in DC aren't participating in your righteous marches.

from the southwest United States in the land of neon and burgers.

I really liked this rant/op-ed.

It's right on.

What you all need to be doing is embracing globalization. You all need to get with the program and stop your whining and sniveling. The global economy has incredible potential and if we were to all work together, we could increase the wealth and wellbeing of everyone on the planet tenfold. Everybody would get a little piece of the action. Imagine a world without poverty, a place with the infrastructure a facilites to support a global culture. A world of peace, where the rules are clear and there are penalties for breaking them. A place where you can worship your God in peace, or not.

Like it or not, we're all in this together. In a thousand years, your little pitiable moaning isn't going to amount to squat. Do something.

Yes, I know, another permitted march following that stupid truck and surrounded on both sides by cops. And then a rally in front of a building where the FBI has its offices. Sounds petty dumb.

So, are the organizers a CIA operation or what?

My advice to those non-aligned dissidents is to go any way, ignore the rally and the speeches, march outside the route and try to meet up with like minded folks and form your own authentic protest along side this staged event. Watch out for the undercovers, they will be everywhere. Some of the undercovers will even be having friendly conversation with the organizers of this parade.

Yes, a parade that’s what it will be, unless people decide to actually engage in protest. Of course those people will be risking arrest, even if they are not violating any law. Because real authentic protest is not condoned by the state.

To neon, I feel your frustration with what appears to be the inertia of both the current government, mass media, and political parties in the face of mass protest and discontent. I agree that ANSWER, NION, and the other organizations with their somewhat one-dimensional conception of socialism and limited perspective on other plausible alternatives to the current situation seem limited and "unscientific." But you seem to forget that these are the only national organizations with the resources to organize these marches and protests on the left, other than the environmental groups and the women's organization, who often collaborate with them anyways. I am not completely in agreement with the heirarchical white liberal structure of ANSWER, which tends to sidestep issues of race and problems facing immigrants and Native People. But inasmuch as I would criticize their lack of sensitivity to certain dimensions of our society, I would save my harshest criticism and venom for the power structure as it exist, and I will still be in the streets marching behind their banner and supporting the young anarchists who are doing alot more in terms of actually confronting the system than the reformist youth who still believe that the democractic party is the way to go. The communists may seem out of touch in terms of their science, but the RCP are one of the few alternative parties in our society who actually focus on raising people's consciousness as to the problems in our capitalist-driven economy and they welcome people of color, feminists, and gays and lesbians with open arms. I have yet to see a democract or a green who can say the same.

You also seem to discount what the anti-war movement has accomplished despite the inertia of the state, media, and establishment parties. According to the recent polls, 52% of the American public now believes that the war is wrong, and 39% are leaning toward an immediate withdrawal. Sure, the mass protests from 2003 didn't stop the war, and it is a sign of immaturity to believe that mass demonstrations could change the consciousness of men in power who care for nothing other than the bottom line, but they did begin an evolution in the American people's consciousness with respect to how they look at the war, just as the protests in Seattle of 1999 began to change the way Americans look at globalization. If it were not for the demonstrations, do you really think that the current election would have nearly been cut 50/50, aside from the number of African Americans and others who were disenfranchised in Ohio and other states?

True, voting doesn't work anymore it seems. John Kerry was positioned as a virtual Machurian candidate, intended to skew the election in a certain direction. But we must also consider how the spineless democractic party had to do this to avoid the influence of anti-war candidates like Dean and Kucinich. The anti-war movement and mass protests can and should take credit for this.

I agree that we need to find other avenues of protest IN ADDITION to mass protest. You mention Argentina, and I hope you remember that in Latin America, people come out in droves to protest IN ADDITION to forming other collective strategies. I recently visited El Salvador where the impoverished people in the cities and outside of them have formed community-based organizations with an emphasis on popular education to help each other understand how their country has become a colony of U.S. transnational capitalism, and how they can channel and organize their limited resources for their own subsistence and survival in the face of this beast. These are efforts that I recognize that you, Neon, want to emulate and develop, and this would be a significant alternative to simply marching, but this should not mean that we abandon or criticize those that take the direct approach.

Social change will not occur in the U.S. until Americans truly feel the negative impact of the state's war machine and dehumanizing economic policies. Its already starting to happen and the people in the streets should be commended for playing a role in this. Perhaps it is time to form offshoot organizations that focus more directly on impacting the social condition of the people in this country. Many of these exist, and they will have representatives in the streets today...

peace

I like what neon and Apache are talking about here. I agree with some of what both say and disagree with some of what both say. I think the parties are crap--RCP, PLP, etc. I think marches can be disempowering for the reasons neon outlines. BUT--I have to say, big mass political demonstrations were key to my own WAKING UP process--seeing what happened in Seattle and at the 2000 Dem convention made me start thinking about everything, and soon I found myself participating in demonstrations. It wasn't long before I began to sort through all the rhetoric and discern differences in what everyone was saying and learn to THINK FOR MYSELF. It all became a part of the process of my political awareness. At this point, I agree with neon that marches in this particular political situation are basically parades to let off steam, and political parties are basically big cults out to recruit people to their way of thinking, not to help people learn to think for themselves. So I mostly stay away from the marches, definitely stay away from parties, and I search for other modes of resistance in how I live my life, how I network, and who I network with. But given my aversion to the demonstrations, I still recognize that they can play an important role in people's political development. And while I detest the parties and how they approach things, I have faith in people that they will find their own way and learn to think for themselves. Some of course will not and will get sucked in. But I have faith that people are intelligent enough to figure shit out for themselves, as long as they are willing to WORK and not be lazy about thinking, and I actively seek to further my own understanding of resistance and my position in the world by communicating with others who are seeking the same. Let the parties bang people over the head with their ideologies--the rest of us, communicate, disseminate information, work together to figure out new modes of resistance and living.

My corny answer: I think the key is CREATIVITY. BE CREATIVE in EVERYTHING you do. Learn to think not only CRITICALLY, but CREATIVELY as well. Learn to BE creative. What this means exactly, I don't know. What it means to you, only you can answer.

after reading my rant, i really want to add that i am not opposed to people going out on the streets and empowering themselves. what i am really concerned about is perpetuating the illusion that these marches may have an impact on policy.

i wrote elsewhere that Seattle was so effective because it's goal was to SHUT DOWN the meeting of the WTO, and i worked. But, the police have now developed new strategies to prevent this. Seattle type actions are no longer feasible.

And more importantly, i am really concerned about "protest cultures" that alienate those communities that would really participate if organizers understood how to develop mutual relationships with the disaffected.

All i really want to say is that we need new ideas that cut to the core of the problems. Self-management, community based mutual aid, economic strategies, and good propaganda will be essential.

peace.
respect to all

neon

Right out of the KOBE manual. Ignore it.

> what i am really concerned about is perpetuating the illusion that these marches may have an impact on policy.

Protests DO work. they worked in Vietnam and they are working now. The majority now opposes the war. Just short years ago, they were barely paying attention to the antiwar movement. Now they've joined it.

The amazing organization in Venezuala is due at least in part to having a president who supports it, a luxury we don't have.

Noxon won in '72 in a landslide, 2 years later he was toast. It can and will happen again. But ony if we keep organizing.

I'm not sure if neon's post was specifically a surveillence tactic to see who would respond and how, but then you never know amid the anonymous wackos (i.e. jack meoff, fresca, more rational, et. al.) who post repeatedly on this site.

The skinny is that protests do work irrespective of the pig presence and "permitting," last night re-galvanized the anti-war and social justice movement, ANSWER and NION have integrated more people of color and gays into their ranks it seems, the commies and anarchists are chillin' and doin' their own thing. A change is gonna come...

US OUT OF IRAQ
BUSH OUT NOW

PEACE!

This is a great discussion, chock full of real discontent.

Last night's protest was good for its participants, but, to be affected, you had to be a participant. That meant you had to find parking and cross the police lines to get to the demo.

Some of the best protests I've been to have been in smaller cities around LA, where a few hundred people show up, and the march happens mainly on the sidewalk. They cross residential areas, and it becomes a community event, where some people join in. Maybe they obstruct some traffic, but not much.

To their credit, some of these things were put together by or with people from ANSWER and NION. Many more other demos were organized without ANSWER and NION. They're all good.

It's pretty tough to organize locally, and requires a lot of effort. I think it's harder than organzing the big groups, because you have to convince non-activists to become activists, and put in work to make change. There's little or no glory in it, especially for leftists who end up smeared by the patriotic types. People like the changes, but hate the changer.

Seriously, though. One last message for the big organizations: down with the Ego-cracy.

Why Anti-Capitalism?

By Joaquin Cienfuefos

(An Excerpt from Anarcho-Communism: A Revoluionary Position For Theory and Practice in the Imperialist U.S.)

Building Anti-Capitalist Organization and an Anti-Capitalist Front

As we build a movement for radical change the question is always posed, what should be the "dividing line" or what should people unite under. Generally the idea for mass organizations or organizations as a whole is to have the largest numbers out there in a rally or protest. The argument is made that in order to build the Anti-War Movement or the Anti-Globalization movement we can't and we shouldn't call out Capitalism as the root cause or we shouldn't be upfront about the economic infrastructure of power. The idea is put foward that we should be first anti-war or anti-corporate and then anti-capitalist, meaning first win people to resistance of what the ruling class is carying out, and then take on the power structure which carries out the injustices in the first place.

I want to put these questions out there not to be sectarian, but to increase unity on a correct basis in building a revolutionary movement, which is much needed today. We need a broad, diverse revolutionary movement made up of autonomous organizations and cohesive networks to not only challenge the power structure but to once and for all get rid of it and reallign society from below.

This point brings to mind the Old Left of the 1920's to the 50's, and what Staughton Lynd wrote about in Prospects for the New Left. In this writing Staughton Lynd talks of the 60's generation and how there was break with the Old Left type politics in particular the old left Communist Party, and some of their labor unions. He makes a good point that we should draw from some of the good aspects of the old left, to build something new, in terms of the New Left of the 60's generation. Some of these new ideas included the rejection of dogma, the celebration of action, the struggle against centralization and union bureaucracy, the vision of a movement as a band of comrades acting out the future as if it were already here (which is in many ways what anarchists talk about) . The principal criticism of the old left was the whole idea of the popular front, "the assumption was that enemy was fascism rather than capitalism, hence that the so-called liberal wing of the ruling class might be an ally." This period was during World War II, where basically the Old Left CP sold out, and called for the support of the troops and the war against fascism, and ended up supporting the U.S and their imperialist interests. "[The Communists] declared that Communists would defend their country in time of war, that Communism would come to the United States by parliamentary means, and so on."

I would agree with Lynds approach, I don't think it is linear, nothing is. There is a multi-dimensional aspect to everything. There was a lot to learn from the old left, and there is even much more to learn from the new left (also from past struggles around the world and people), but nothing is static either. We need a whole new approach, and a revolutionary left. We need to synthesize the experiences but be critical of the mistakes, in order to advance in our goals of a new egalitarian society. The 60's generation challenged the order in society, and the groups that developed from that era are inspirational, but things must be taken even further.

Struggles have to be linked to the root cause of the problems facing humanity and the planet, which is the economic, political and social system of Capitalism-Imperialism. Capitalism should be the dividing line in which people unite, debate, and fight under.
There wouldn't be war if it wasn't for the capitalist system, in its imperialist stage, where it seeks to accumulate empire and power, through its millitary. Capitalism seeks to expand its markets by globalization, where it dominates entire "third-world" countries, exploits people more brutally, and destroys the enviroment while doing it. This is the honest truth. Fascism is a system where Capitalist openly rule under different social relations but similar mode of production and imperialist methodology. They should all be challenged. It should be a popular front against capitalism, imperialism, and fascism.

It seems that the organizations that now exist, the anti-war coalitions and so on, want to have large numbers in their demonstrations which isn't bad in it of itself. There is a need for numbers, in order for change we need millions of people to become politically conscius one way or the other. However, history shows, that people step foward in different times, and then take steps back, history itself is never linear. The number of people in the streets depends on whats going on in the world, and what the power is doing, the more overtly imperialist they are, the more people resist, that is a fundamental truth. The task of organizations are to expose the power structure mainly, and to create a consciousness in people to be able to act out in the interests of humanity. There is a difference in understanding and consciousness, therefore our role as revolutionaries is not to impose our own particular vision but to develop one collectively with others. Our role is to develop and educate other rebels through building a revolutionary movement that is determined, that will inspire and influence people to take direct action and to be guided by theory. Ultimately, we have to be organized in terms of how we want the future world to be organized, and everything we do even the simplest act, has to prepare us for the future.

There have been and are many people and groups who resist capitalism now is the time to unite. There are people in the U.S. and around the world who are challenging imperialism in many ways now is the time to network. We have to seek to raise the debate amongst ourselves, and link up but at the same time keep the autonomy which makes the groups involved unique.

I see pictures of how the Industrial Workers of the World had Mass Assembly meetings and thousands of workers participated in the decision making process through vote by hand, this is direct democracy, where debate and participation are part of daily life (this can be discussed later, but just to give a glimpse of how we can organize ourselves). As an Anarcho-Communist, but especially as an Anarchist, I think that we should organize in a decentralized way, meaning that there is no small group of people who make the decisions and the rest of us do the ground work for them. The New Left, and mass movements that developed from the time, follow the same model of organization, which in the final analysis is hierarchical (I won't get into the problems of centralism, they will also be discussed later). In our organization today, we have to train ourselves to be self-sufficient, to be self-manageable, and to develop our forms of organizing to be as inclusive as possible while not losing our sense of autonomy and defense from the state.

This Anti-Capitalist Front should be diverse where different struggles, and theoretical positions can enter debate. National liberation struggles will definately be an important aspect of the front, because they are always the first to challenge the power structure in any part of the world. I think even pacifists can enter the front, because I know a lot of them are anti-system, and its an individual process for everybody. We'll influence each other, and debate over the means and the strategy. In terms of today, in particular in imperialist U.S., we are not yet in a military stage, meaning we are not yet there to getting rid of the system. This does not mean we should be in the political defensive, we should be calling out the system, and in our practice preparing and fighting for better ground politically and tactically against the right wing. This brings to mind George Jackson of the Black Panther Party, he said that to simply engage in military activity without a political component it would lead to being isolated and smashed. This happens to much in the left today, where we isolate ourselves, a lot of us anarchists do it. This makes it easier for the state to come down on us and attack us. We're so small in numbers that we have to seek to link up with each other on the correct basis.

The Black Panthers develop an approach of "survival pending revolution" meaning they would be self sufficient and serve the people while they awaited for revolution. George Jackson saw that in these programs they should combine the military aspect, in defensive way, where they would defend the programs when it came under attack by the police. While this is true and it speaks to reality, you can't have complete autonomy under capitalism, because if whatever you build becomes a threat to the status quo, the state will seek to destroy whatever you create. I don't think we should just patiently wait for revolution though. I think the actions we take today have to prepare and lead up to the end of capitalism. This is why we need a revolutionary movement, all struggles have to be linked up to the economic infrastructure. Its a process of theory-practice-theory, where we develop our strategy, our methods, and our approach. Our organization cannot wither away when individuals are attacked or when the state attacks the nucleus because there wouldn't be one. This type of organization is necessary and possible. All the groups and individuals involved would have a say so in the decisions and planning that is done.

Respect goes out to the old left, the new left, and the rebels and revolutionaries of the past, but we need a higher synthesis and we need something revolutionary, in the interest of humanity and to finally end the rotten system of capitalism.

i agree with neon that we need community organizing, and labor oranizing, we need working class people to support anti war stuff, as well as their kids and teenagers who probably go to underfunded schools.
i think we should definitely read more about american labor history, read about the beautiful community organizing that the black panthers and the move org. did, and come together and have solidarity and it is our generation who will carry on the resistance in the united states. i think strategy is vital, neon is definitely right about that. and in order to come up with the best strategy, we need a movement based on equality, on education, on empowerment, on justice, liberty, freedom, freedom of speech, real dialogue be tween everyone on the left. maybe our groups can't come together on every issue as neon stated, but it is vital that we strategize together, in communion and solidarity and remember americans and other peoples, indigenous, immigrants, who resisted and follow in their footsteps, but at the same time make new gains and transcend the mistakes of yesterday.
as well as take what we can from global struggles around the world, including the zapatistas. my friends and i did attend some nion meetings but were turned off my the lack of communalness, the lack of sincerity i think. i mean every organization needs to be critical of itself, and improve....i support the anti war movement ofcourse and think honest dialouges like this can only help us to grow and to attain more liberation....

also, i reccomend these two books i just read:

assata shakur's autobiography, as well as "break their haughty powers, joseph murphy in the heyday of the Wobblies" by Eugene Nelson

i agree with neon that we need community organizing, and labor oranizing, we need working class people to support anti war stuff, as well as their kids and teenagers who probably go to underfunded schools.
i think we should definitely read more about american labor history, read about the beautiful community organizing that the black panthers and the move org. did, and come together and have solidarity and it is our generation who will carry on the resistance in the united states. i think strategy is vital, neon is definitely right about that. and in order to come up with the best strategy, we need a movement based on equality, on education, on empowerment, on justice, liberty, freedom, freedom of speech, real dialogue be tween everyone on the left. maybe our groups can't come together on every issue as neon stated, but it is vital that we strategize together, in communion and solidarity and remember americans and other peoples, indigenous, immigrants, who resisted and follow in their footsteps, but at the same time make new gains and transcend the mistakes of yesterday.
as well as take what we can from global struggles around the world, including the zapatistas. my friends and i did attend some nion meetings but were turned off my the lack of communalness, the lack of sincerity i think. i mean every organization needs to be critical of itself, and improve....i support the anti war movement ofcourse and think honest dialouges like this can only help us to grow and to attain more liberation....

also, i reccomend these two books i just read:

assata shakur's autobiography, as well as "break their haughty powers, joseph murphy in the heyday of the Wobblies" by Eugene Nelson

Marxism has always had a hard time with identity politics, particularly race and gender. Just look it up. I think groups like NION and ANSWER, being distanced from their associated groups, have some room to deal with these issues away from the traditional euro-Marxist antipathy toward identity politics.

They assume, correctly, that identity politics can lead to no-politics, where group identity causes groups to collaborate with capitalism. So, yes, identity politics can serve to weaken class politics.

However, you cannot avoid identity politics. People do have group identities that they cannot escape, and more importantly, these identities are used to reinforce class distinctions.

Whenever someone says, after the revolution, there won't be racism, I smile. I think it's a load of shit. What revolutions, communist, socialist, or otherwise, were followed by a time when race, gender, or homosexuality became insignificant? :-)

Some resort to the idea of nationalism, trying to infuse the existing national identity with class consciousness. That works too, but can lead to "ethnic cleansing." You create "socialism for us, nothing for outsiders." How different is that from right-wing anti-immigrant theories of how society should work?

Eliminate class, and race still exists. Gender still exists. Hatred of gay people still exists.

Follow a nationalist project, and the idea of in-group and out-group is developed. It becomes racism.

You can't avoid identity politics.

can you eliminate class with a labor union? i dont think so, but you can definitely politicize people and through labor organizing you can empower them to fight for a better life....

we won't get to the revolution overnight, it is a process. for example, the u.s. has the largest gap between the rich and the poor from all of the industrial nations in the world. is this right, is this fair? no. can we improve this situation in our country? yes.

is eliminating class going to solve all our of our problems, no, but will people have a better life? yes.....
will it lead to equality, education, and greater freedom?

i would like to hope so.

I don't disagree that eliminating, or reducing class would help. The issue is, will it help everyone?

The labor gains of the 1930s bore fruit in the 1950s, as an expanding economy combined with labor power created the middle class. The little secret we often forget is that this was a segregated middle class in many places, where African Americans were excluded from participation. Even in Los Angeles, there were legal restrictive covenenants on real estate.

Socially, I think that the class oriented activists have lagged behind the society at large on the east and west coast cities, with regard to race, religions, glbt, and other identity politics issues.

(I believe this is one of the reasons why anarchism, without any cohesive outreach effort to communities of color, have managed to have around 50% POCs in Los Angeles, for a long time. Anarchism also has many GLBT adherents.)