Anarchism and human
nature
It is a very sincerely held belief by many people, that we are
"naturally" greedy, rotten feckers and, in the absence of government,
some mad form of capitalism would be inevitable
Liberty
It is often said that there are two types of liberty, positive
liberty and negative liberty, or, roughly, 'freedom to...' and
'freedom from...' This, I believe, is a false and meaningless
dichotomy
Communist anarchism
Anarchists have a rounded conception of freedom; it is not merely the
absence of tyranny, but the meaningful opportunity to shape one's own
life. As well as being free from, one ought to be free to do.
Join a Union, Why Bother?
It is not surprising that many people no longer see the relevance of
joining a trade union, and that a lot of workers see those 'leading'
the trade union movement as part of the problem rather than the
solution
Crime
Whatever nice theories about crime anarchists might come up with we
can be sure that any community subjected to a murder or a rape will
want something done about it.
State Terrorism
If we examine history and look at current events in the world we are
confronted by a multitude of examples of state terrorism.
Anarcha-Feminism
An important principle of anarchism and one that more than any other
differentiates it from other types of socialism is its emphasis on
freedom and non-hierarchical social relations. Central to anarchism
is the rejection of any power hierarchy between men and women.
If you want to create Socialism
- it must be based on Freedom by James O'Brien
Anarchists also seek to create communism. But for us freedom plays a
central role, not only in the future society, but in how we try to
get there. That is why, when we talk of communism, we talk of
libertarian communism
Unequal power, unequal
pay
During the year a spate of reports have 'discovered' what a lot of
workers already know - that equal pay for equal work just doesn't
exist.
Mutual Aid
Mutual Aid is the fuel an anarchist society will run on. It is also
what keeps capitalist society going in spite of all the hardship,
greed, and exploitation that exists.
Anarchism, elections and
power
Anarchists have always opposed participation in the sham of
parliamentary elections (choosing rulers rather than ending the
division into rulers and ruled) and this time around it will be no
different.
Referendums
Irish anarchists voted NO in the anti-abortion referendum.But, I hear
somebody say, don't anarchists have an objection to voting?
Anarchists have no problem voting.
Anarchism and the struggle
for Freedom
We're told we live in a free society. We have freedom of speech, we
can work where we like, travel where we like, and can vote in
elections. But how free are we?
Anarchism and
nationalism
Almost all of our present nations, and the very idea of the modern
nation itself, are relatively modern inventions. With the rise of the
bourgeois state in the nineteenth century, ruling classes needed an
ideology to make their subjects identify with the state in which they
lived
Direct Action
Every time somebody puts a brick through a window or organises a
minor protest there will almost inevitably be someone else who
describes it as direct action.
Why can't you all get
together?
Last November about 70 or 80 people, from a number of left wing
groupings, attended a conference in Dublin calling for 'Left Unity'.
The organisers of the meeting wanted to set up an alliance like the
Socialist Alliances in Britain, or even a new party like the Scottish
Socialist Party. This would be an alliance, based on Leninist groups,
coming together primarily to contest the next general election.
Workers have the
power
In the WSM we're often asked why we spend so much time talking about
the working class. Even the title of our paper, Workers Solidarity,
seems a bit odd to some - why are we talking so much about workers?
Isn't anarchism for everybody? And aren't we all middle class now?
Democracy
In Our Unions?
Trade unions were set up to defend and advance the interests of
workers, but over the years have become more and more dominated by a
largely unaccountable bureaucracy.
Democracy, majority rule,
and autonomy
An element of real democracy is that decisions should be made by
those who are effected by them. For a lot of issues, only certain
people will really be effected by a decision, and so they should be
the only ones to make it.
Class
WHY IS THE concept of class so important to anarchists? Why are we
constantly talking about classes and class struggle? Some of our
opponents accuse us of living in the past, they claim the working
class is dying out.
Revolution
A revolution essentially is a sudden upheaval in society which
fundamentally alters the way that society operates or who that
society is run by. It occurs when the mass of the people desire
change that their rulers are unwilling or unable to grant.
What about human nature?
We are constantly being told that there will always be leaders and
led, rulers and ruled. These ideas are powerful because they seem to
make sense. We do live in a nasty, competitive society.
Anarchist
Organisation
One of the greatest myths that has been fostered about anarchists is
that they are disorganised. Since the anarchist movement first
emerged in the International Working Mens' Association in the 1870's
it has developed many trends.
Are anarchists
violent?
There is a lot of nonsense turning up on TV, radio and in the
newspapers, which tries to make anarchism little more than another
word for violence. In reality anarchists are no more violent than
anyone else
Beyond the 'Days of action
against global capital'
For decades, the organisations that manage capitalism have met to
divvy up the world among themselves. For the first time, their role
as dealers of poverty and misery has been exposed by thousands of
angry protesters.
Chaos
The media constantly tell us that anarchy is just another
word for disorder and disorganisation. Whether it be the Star or the
'educated' Irish Times, the same misuse of the word occurs with
monotonous regularity. Not all of this can be put down to lazy and
careless journalism.
Organising &
Agitating
'Don't mourn, Organise', Joe Hill said before he was executed by the
US state. It's nothing more than common sense to say that two heads
are better than one. The more people working together, the more that
can be achieved. But organisation is more than the coming together of
kindred spirits.
Anarchism, socialism and
freedom
Anarchism views society on the basis of two fundamental pillars.
These are the economic nature of society and the manner in which
political power is organised. We believe that the economic system
under which we presently live must be abolished. We also say that the
political institutions of capitalism, which are hierarchical and
authoritarian, must go too.
Follow the leader?
Organisation based on a small leadership telling everyone else what
to do is always opposed by anarchists. We have no desire to be ruled,
ordered round or dictated to. But is this not an unrealistic position
that takes no account of the real world?
Anarchism and Marxism
A lot of people who call themselves anarchists will probably be
extremely annoyed when I say that the most striking thing is how much
we have in common with Marxism. Both anarchists and Marxists are
materialists. Both believe that the ideas in peoples' heads are
shaped by the social and economic conditions in which we live.
Religion &
belief
We believe that people should be empowered to be in
control of their own destinies. That means opposing the power of the
churches.
The Myth of the Student
Radical
There is a commonly held idea that universities are some sort of "red
nucleus", a hotbed of activism and socialism. The fact is that
students come from many different backgrounds and classes, although
mainly 'middle' and upper class. There is no underlying political or
economic interest that unites or could unite all students.
Smash the state
One of the best known catch phrases of Anarchism has got to be "Smash
the State". It's also one that's easily open to misunderstanding.
Evolution and
revolution
There can be no islands in the stream of capitalism. Any such group
has to enter into economic relations with the modern capitalist
economy eventually.
Revolutionaries
Capitalism now operates globally. If you are serious about fighting
them then there is a glaring need to organise and co-ordinate. It is
in answer to this need that revolutionary organisations spring.
The need for an anarchist
organisation
Why is it that so many anarchists don't see the need to join
anarchist organisations?
Anarchism and Religion
The popular stereotype of anarchists' relationship to religion is
that we are all priest-killers and church-burners. This is, as is
usually the case with mainstream representations of anarchism, almost
completely false.
Neither Orange nor
Green
Sinn Féin's politics offer little more to Northern workers, as
a class, than the politics of the fringe loyalist groups. Both aspire
to getting a better deal for the poor and oppressed in their
communities but neither are capable of delivering, as they are
limited to rhetorical appeals to the workers of the other side to
"see sense"
Against Private Property?
When anarchists say "property is theft" does this mean they are after
your tooth brush?
What is Direct Action
Anarchists talk a lot about Direct Action, what does it mean
Anarchism & Democracy
ANARCHISM is about individual freedom. But it is also about building
a society that has a fair system of wealth distribution. For this
reason, anarchists consider themselves to be democrats.
Training or Education
Our schools are just glorified production lines - children go in one
end, workers come out the other. There is little room for the idea
that knowledge might be a good thing in itself, that there is more to
education than making round pegs for round holes.
Getting organised
locally
One local struggle, no matter how determined or daring, won't
overthrow the system. On the other hand, a network of struggles,
supporting and encouraging each other, can spread and grow to be
capable of just that.
Irish nationalism is not for
us
Anarchists are for the defeat of British imperialism. But we want
more, we stand for the creation of a new society in the interests of
the working class. This is very different from the politics of
nationalism, of Sinn Fein
Dare to lead... with
ideas
Leaders get into positions of power where they tend to make decisions
that don't represent the views of the people who put them there
&endash; and then they spend their time convincing people that it's
the only option &endash; or you might call it selling the deal to
them
|
|
|
