{"article":{"id":3622,"heading":"Goodbye Leftism, Hello Revolution!","author":"Jack Wilde","created":"2000-09-02 21:25:00","modified":"2005-08-15 00:28:54","last_modified":"Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:28:54","article":"

Goodbye Leftism, Hello Revolution!

A green anarchist perspective on the Los Angeles DNC experience

by Jack Wilde

Consciously or not, most people would rather die than live a permanently unsatisfying life. Look at the peace marchers: aside from an active minority of radicals, most of them are nothing but penitents trying to exorcise their desire to disappear with all the rest of humanity. They would deny it, of course, but their miserable faces give them away. The only real joy is revolutionary.











































<\/p>\n","contact":"Revolting@anarchist.com","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"A Green anarchist analysis of the Los Angeles Anarchist Conference and DNC. Also an announcement of Mobile Insurrection 2001.","numcomment":14,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2000\/09\/goodbye_le.txt","filesize":"13.4 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2000\/09\/3622.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":3628,"heading":"Morituri Te Salutamus","article":"Don't forget to send the thousands of FBI agents that will infiltrate your \"revolution\" to score your drugs. They always come up with the best stuff.","author":"Miss Black","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-03 02:25:27","modified":"2000-09-03 03:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":3631,"heading":"U have the truth,I'll follow U","article":"Hey, U got it !\r\n\r\nI'm an anarchist too, \r\nYes a lot of activist (anarchist or not) know that some \"professional experts\" had, have and will have the temptation to use (non)arguments of authority and\/or strategy to define the right way and the right words or analyses to use in opposition to the violent and destructive capitalist system.\r\nAnd we also know all sorts of violence can be used against non-authoritarian and non-sectarian people.\r\nBut there's a \"little\" problem: your mail reveals a incredible sectarian attitude, similar to \"avant-gardist\" leninist of the seventies who knew the right way to be \"revolutionary\" (in our case U know what is a good and a bad anarchist).\r\nYour preacher-like narrow-minded speech reveals some similarity with behaviours U denounce and excommuniate as leftism.\r\n\r\nWhen U'll be in your fantasmatic \"spontaneous insurrection\" (maybe it helps U not to see the amount of basic, non-spectacular, long-term work we have to do such as popular education, local struggles, links to build with labour ordinary people...), say hello to all the FBI friends working in your funny group.\r\n\r\nGlobalization of capitalism ? globalization of alternatives !\r\n\r\nHello to all non-sectarian, non-authoritarian people, from an anarchist ;-)\r\n \r\n ","author":"Kropotkin strikes back","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-03 04:43:31","modified":"2000-09-03 05:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":3633,"heading":"Help Me With This...","article":"Jack Wilde,\r\n I am extremely interested in the revolutionary philosophies & liberations of the Anarchist movement as opposed to Liberalism. I have perused some of the WebRings, etc. however and I STILL come away confused with what is left & how people\/everyone functions after the Great DeConstruction:\r\n1) Does everybody act with complete individual autonomy and no social functions\r\n2) or is there a completely decentralized system in which people function\r\n3) or is it a mix of both on local\/regional scales?\r\n Again, I know there are gradations in any philosophy, but please share your idea of how this works--I need to discuss it with someone who knows about it & lives it\r\n\r\nThanks\r\nxyz","author":"xyz","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-03 13:05:18","modified":"2000-09-03 14:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":3638,"heading":"Why is it so hard to find anarchists?","article":" Hello, I was at the Philadelphia protests against the republican convention, and I still find it extremely difficult to find fellow \"leftists, anarchists\". I live in New Jersey (the right-wing capital of america) and I'm desperately searching for fellow \"leftists\" or anarchists, etc. \r\n\r\nI'm more than willing to relocate just to be with, or even live with activists. Please get in touch. I'm sick of doing this alone. \r\n\r\nIn Solidarity, \r\nTim","author":"Tim","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-03 19:37:47","modified":"2000-09-03 20:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":3642,"heading":"ATTN: xyz","article":"To learn more about anarchism, visit the Anarchist FAQ at http:\/\/www.infoshop.org\/faq\/index.html. It's organized in sections, each being a general question about anarchism. These sections are subdivided into further series of questions. You can search for just the answers you're looking for, or read the whole thing. There's even a section on the environment and anarchism.\r\n\r\n","author":"Thomas Anderson","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-03 22:54:37","modified":"2000-09-03 23:43:16","fileurl":""},{"id":3644,"heading":"Anarchists in Philadelphia","article":"This is for the perosn from New Jersey looking for anarchists in their area. If you go to Philadelphia, drop by Wooden Shoe Books, which is located at: 508 South 5th Street\r\n\r\nFor other information on Philadelphia anarchism see:\r\nhttp:\/\/www.infoshop.org\/hood\/philly.html\r\n\r\nChuck0","author":"Chuck0","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-04 01:03:32","modified":"2000-09-04 02:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":3658,"heading":"i sympathize, but neither approach works","article":"although action is important, half of accomplishing any of this stuff is getting your ideas heard. that's where every post-seattle protest has fallen short. plenty of windows were broken and plenty of puppets were made, but the mass media didn't pick up on any of the issues being pushed. the brunt of the blame has to fall on the media, but the passive nature of everyone on the streets had something to do with this. what worked in seatlle? not breaking windows as much as stopping commerce. activists outnumbered pigs in l.a. by a whole lot. if everyone just planned to block a single commercial area for a few days i bet the media would have picked up on some issues. we need persistance because it's free and big bussiness has no patience. but if our activities last and hour or two and don't cause any inconvience, no one is gonna listen.\r\n","author":"elina","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-05 02:37:15","modified":"2000-09-05 03:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":3663,"heading":"Anarchist Insurrection Not An Option","article":"We're all in this struggle together. This article suggests than the way to achieve a change in our nation would be to distance oneself from pacifism. It highlights a physical attack on police.\r\n\r\nAttacking the police and suggesting a physical insurrection will in no way achieve a change. If you suggest people take physical action against police or property then you must also come to terms with that is not protest, it is war. If you get physical the police and the MILITARY will get more physical. It won't be long before the non-lethal rounds end up being lethal, whether by accident or not. \r\n\r\nAn true insurrection is an act of war. There is no chance the anarchists could beat the Police, National Guard, Army, etc. \r\n\r\nSuch action would only inflict greater harm to the cause. The people taking this action will be locked up -- FOR REAL THIS TIME. As in going to jail for a period of years... not days. Did you know treason is punishable by death? \r\n\r\nThe only way this action could take place without grave danger would be to cause it during major protests, such as at the DNC. Most protesters don't aim to physically attack the state. Doing this at such protests is a crime against the fellow protestors, because like at the RATM concert, all the protestors are criminalized.\r\n\r\nEven if such attacks are successful, the overall impact will not be. What change would throwing rocks at police or breaking a window at McDonald's inspire? None. The corporate media and therefore population at large will only be turned off by such actions. You would be heroes only to yourselves.\r\n\r\nThe only way you can fight the system of money and power is to use the things they hold close. Non-violent protest is the only way to achieve massive movements that can effectively cause a change. And only large numbers of people can hurt the targets financially.\r\n\r\nA broken window is nothing for a giant corporation. But when you are putting your lives on the lines for such a small victory then you are stopping the revolution before it gets started.","author":"Vac","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-05 06:24:18","modified":"2000-09-06 01:44:20","fileurl":""},{"id":3678,"heading":"Distorted vies of Anarchism","article":"The most effective means of bringing about change is and always has been peaceful non compliance.\r\nCould you immagine what would have happened if Ghandi and King had promoted violence to combat injustice ?\r\n Study history. \r\nIt was Leo Tolstoy's concept of peaceful non-compliance.\r\nIt worked in India in the 1940s\r\nIt worked in the deep south in the 1960s\r\n","author":"Tolstoy1","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-06 21:43:50","modified":"2000-09-06 21:58:57","fileurl":""},{"id":3695,"heading":"Wake up","article":"Peacefull protest? What a bunch of boot-licking crap. Never let the \"Bosses\" tell you how to fight back. Just the thought of roasting popcorn on the flames of some burning supermall warms my heart. Know this: many, many people were inspired and moved to act by the smashing in Seattle. Bulding community is key, but not with out the teeth to match the talk. Passing out fliers, bulding puppets, and chanting are all good, but CAN NOT be the only wepons we have to fight with. I think it's easy for some to try and limit the struggle living in richest, fattest contry ever. American bombs fall on a whim, new land is stolen daily, Millions starve, KKKops beating and killing urban poor, and all you have to say is \"Be peacefull\"? Ok so we're not in a full scale revolution at the moment it's more like monkey warfare; This can build into critical mass if we push it. Rip the buttons off their machines, pop its tires, smash its windows, and anything eles to rid the land of domination and oppession... FIGHT ON!!!","author":"Zuse","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-07 00:08:15","modified":"2000-09-07 01:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":3716,"heading":"smash the state","article":"Eveloution is the basic driving force in our universe. Everything must succome to it sooner or later; stars, planets, orginizms, civilizations, and yes institutions. Currently we are wittnessing a rate of eveloution so rapid, its only happened twice in our collective history. The first was our transitoin from hunter-gatherers to agriculture and the second happoned about 200 years ago with the industrial revolution. Now we find ourselves in \"THE INFORMATION AGE\" and we also find ourselves faced with the task of dealing with the changes we are about to undergo. Are job as a movement is to direct these changes to benefit the many, not the few. In order to achive this goal, we must use any means at our disposal. A window or two may have to be smashed in order to smash the state.\r\nliberate\r\n\r\nmarco\r\n\r\np.s.\r\nsorry my english spelling is not so well...","author":"marco","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-08 01:14:13","modified":"2000-09-08 01:40:38","fileurl":""},{"id":3877,"heading":"Centralization","article":"\r\nJust some thoughts... \r\n\r\nCentralization of tactical decisions is probably going to be necessary in certain geographic locations. I believe that these should\r\nbe limited to an as needed basis for military, intelligence & distributive purposes. Once power is attained, it should be\r\ndisbanded. \r\n\r\nThe idea of a centralized democracy or vanguard, or central committee, or any of that... Seems out of date & a recipe for\r\ndogma & counter-revolution. We need centralized communications, a great big switchboard or something, so we can help each\r\nother out in our own autonomous struggles, knowing in our hearts that we are all struggling for one cause. Our \"end goals\"\r\npeace, love, equality, fairness & eco-balance. \r\n\r\nAs conditions ripen, the need for more focused tactics and end goals is apparent. The question is whether this can be\r\naccomplished without centralization. I too was indoctrinated by the \"neo classical\" Marxist dogma. I say dogma because I didn't\r\ndo much studying, just a lot of listening & spouting. Also the rhetoric never bends to the new conditions. As far as I can see\r\nthere are some valid constructs, but a shitload of stuff lacking about the human spirit. The need to feel loved and safe and useful.\r\n\r\nWe can always define the competitive nature of present day capitalism as evil & in need of tearing down. I agree! But it is the\r\nemotional constructs of alienation, competition & fear that truly rule our world. Those feelings of inadequacy and aloneness beat\r\nus all down, disable us, divide us & kill our faith in building ourselves, our communities & our world up into that place almost all\r\nhumans want it to be. \r\n\r\nIt is not an issue of economics, it is deeper than that. It is not our political processes, it is deeper than that. It is our sense of\r\noneness with each other that must be attained to end all injustice and violence. It is our sense of oneness with our earth that will\r\nend its plunder. We must strive to spread these connections every moment of our lives if we are to have the kind of world we\r\ndesire. \r\n\r\nToday we face a system of tyranny that uses our economics to empower itself. We can injure it if we destroy its economic\r\nsystem, but we can not kill it until we learn to accept it. For it is us as well. \r\n\r\nI do not say that we face it unarmed, just with open hearts. \r\n\r\nThis new movement must be a movement of our hearts! If we lose that in our politics, in our economics, or in our tactics in any\r\nway, we lose. \r\n\r\nThe idea of autonomy & decentralization isn't new to me. I came across it when reading Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia. \r\n\r\nIt isn't easy to think that without a central command that one can combat imperialism given that those presently in power have\r\nformidable intelligence, militarization and the ability to generate public opinion. All of which they have fairly centrally controlled.\r\nBut it is possible. \r\n\r\nThe conditions have to be right to fight & sustain control without using centralization in the form that we have come to know it.\r\nIt relies on a broader based struggle and activity than previously used in past revolutions. Theoretically, if everyone participated\r\nin a revolution, there would be no resistance to the change and thus no combatants. To a certain extent the level of combat\r\ntherefore increases proportionate to the lessor percentage participating in the revolution and thus the need for greater controls\r\nto exact victory against a greater power & organization. \r\n\r\nHowever. The premise is, is that \"the state\" has greater power & organization. \r\n\r\nToday that is so, but it might not remain so if autonomous groups struggle locally and viciously against \"their states\" in a\r\nconsistent & focused manner. \r\n\r\nThere lies two problems. Tactics or \"focus of resistance\" & a defined \"end goal\" realization. \r\n\r\nI am of the mind that our focus should be to use our energies to take over key supply & distribution networks, means of\r\ncommunications & mass media, armories & transportation networks. This is to be done peacefully if possible, engaging the use\r\nof passive non-violent verbal struggle, but with the willingness & understanding to be militaristic. This requires intense\r\norganization, of which I won't go into because I'm not qualified to. But it would be better than breaking Nike's windows. \r\n\r\nDefining an \"end goal\" should be created using general points of agreement such as \"a society that allows peace, love, equality,\r\nfairness & eco-balance, while suppressing violence, alienation, discrimination, injustice & pollution. \r\n\r\nAllowing each area to autonomously create their own more defined end goals after retaining power is what I believe will be\r\nbest. Of course there are going to be disagreements, and huge struggle will ensue about how these smaller \"state's\" rules &\r\nregulations adhere or don't adhere to the more generally adopted \"end goals\". This will be part of the process & might never\r\nend, but all in all it will allow us retain a sense of individuality & autonomy balanced with a sense of connection to everyone else\r\n& our planet. \r\n\r\n--Marlin \r\n","author":"Marlin","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-18 08:03:40","modified":"2000-09-18 09:00:00","fileurl":""},{"id":3901,"heading":"RE: Anarchist Insurrection Not An Option","article":"how can you say that smashing a window doesn't do anything, we all know that its nothign to the corporations, but just the symbolic act of doing...such as puting the flag up on the fence...and the two guys who sat on the fence during the Mon police riot...you say that we as a black bloc criminalized the people at this concert, aren't all of these people criminalized anyway??","author":"---","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-19 03:12:00","modified":"2000-09-19 03:30:25","fileurl":""},{"id":3907,"heading":"Recall Kent State","article":"Recall Kent State in 1970.\r\n\r\nThe Ohio National Guard, frightened by students throwing rocks, opened fire with their rifles, killing 4 students. \r\n\r\nIf an escalating exchange of violence results in cops shooting Black Bloc anarchists to death:\r\n\r\n1. Are you anarchists prepared to return fire, killing cops?\r\n\r\n2. Do you really believe that the masses will rise up, take of arms and destroy the system with guns, bombs and such? I don't think so, remember what happened to the cops after Waco - nothing, no cop was brought to trial, indeed the courts just ruled that it was all David Koresh's fault.\r\n\r\nYou folks in the anti-globalization movement need to consider again how your movement will die, how the whole country will turn against you, if you continue to associate with the Black Bloc.","author":"RC of Philadelphia","parent_id":3622,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-09-20 00:49:16","modified":"2000-09-20 01:21:06","fileurl":""}]}