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The road to revolution
A complete transformation of society, revolution, is the goal of
anarchism. Ray Cunningham looks at what is meant when
anarchists talk about revolution, and what can be done to bring it
closer.
Organising against
Capitalism
Many revolutionaries in recent years have been engrossed in analysing
the mistakes of the past and the changing nature of capitalism.
Andrew Flood a participant in the "Intercontinental Gathering for
Humanity and against neo-liberalism" argues it is time to start
moving on to the constructive work of building a new movement.
Modern revolutions or is revolution
still possable
With the fracture of the working class into smaller workplaces,
mostly due to automation, the division of the old communities into
suburbs, the advent of mass transport which meant even those in the
suburbs no longer worked together, the m ove into white collar and
skilled jobs, In short that the revolution although desirable is now
utopian
Prospects for revolution
We are living in a time of great change for the left. For this
century the left has been identified with social-democracy (Labour,
WP etc.) who saw socialism as being introduced through a few good men
taking getting elected through parliament. Or by Leninists who saw
socialism as a few good men being put into power by a revolution.
Platformism in action
The Workers Solidarity Movement was formed in 1984. Prior to this the
late 1970s and early 1980s had seen the first episodes of public
anarchist activity with the emergence of local anarchist groups, many
of them short-lived, in Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk and Limerick.
Can you have an anarchist
army?
AS ANARCHISTS believe the bosses will resist a revolution, it follows
that we accept the need for armed force to defend the revolution. But
anarchists also oppose militarism
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?
Bakunin's ideas on
revolutionary organisation
The Russian revolutionary Micheal Bakunin is often presented as the
'founding father' of anarchism. He was a larger than life figure
whose disputes with Marx in the 1st international form an essential
role in the clarification of the role of the vanguard and of the
state in the revolutionary process. Yet his concrete ideas on
anarchist organisation are not so well known.
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In June of 1795 several Irish Protestants gathered on top of Cave Hill, overlooking Belfast. They swore " never to desist in our efforts until we had subverted the authority of England over our country and asserted our independence". Three years later 100,000 rose against Britain in the first Irish republican insurrection. Andrew Flood examines what they were fighting for and how they influenced modern Irish nationalism. [In Spanish]
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Robert Emmet and the rising of
1803
A review of the book by Ruan O' Donnell on the 1803 rising
When the
Red Flag flew in Munster
FARM LABOURERS STRIKES, occupations of creameries, red flags
flying and 'soviets' being declared. Not usually the sort of thing
associated with the years 1919-1923, the years of the War of
Independence and the Civil War. This article covers the events of
these years they 'forgot' to tell you about in school.
The 1798 Rebellion
In June of 1795 several Irish Protestants gathered on top of Cave
Hill, overlooking Belfast. They swore " never to desist in our
efforts until we had subverted the authority of England over our
country and asserted our independence". Three years later 100,000
rose against Britain in the first Irish republican insurrection.
Andrew Flood examines what they were fighting for and how they
influenced modern Irish nationalism.
Elsewhere
A revolution they never told you
about in school
25th anniversary of Portugal's revolution. It is estimated that about
380 factories self-managed and 500 co-ops were in operation by the
summer of 1975
25 years ago : When France
rebelled
People think of revolutions as buried deep in history. Yet, as little
as 25 years ago France was on the verge of a total revolt with 12
million workers on strike, 122 factories occupied, and students
fighting against the old moribund system in which they found
themselves.
The Paris Commune
The commune was formally installed in the Hotel de Ville two days
later in the glorious spring sunshine of Tuesday, 28 March. The
national Guard battalions assembled, the names of the newly elected
members were read out , as, wearing red, they lined up on the steps
of the Hotel de Ville under a canopy surmounted by a bust to the
republic. On high the red flag was flying as it had done ever since
18 March and guns saluted the proclamation of the Paris Commune
A new world in their Hearts: Spain
1936
In the short space of a few years the small peasants and agricultural
labourers demonstrated that, far from chaos, anarchism was an
efficient, desirable and realisable method of running things. There
were unprecedented levels of voluntary collectivisation throughout
the land on the anti-fascist side.
Review: The Spanish Civil War by
Antony Beevan
It is a very welcome break from the normal pattern of mainstream
military histories of the Spanish Revolution. For the most part these
fail to discuss the revolution within the civil war
For more information on the Spanish Revolution read The Spanish Civil War: Anarchism in Action and have a look at the Spanish Revolution Webpage
The Russian Revolution
Does the end justify the means? Many on the left belive so. Aileen
O'Carroll argues that the means used play a part in creating the
end that is achieved. The best example of this is the Russian
Revolution of 1917.
For many more articles on the Russian Revolution see the Russian Revolution Webpage
The EZLN
On New Years Day of '94 people awoke to the news that four towns in
the south-eastern state of Chiapas had been taken over by a group
calling itself the Zapatista National Liberation Army. Dermot
Sreenan, who recently presented a talk on the EZLN and organised
a picket of the Mexican embassy in January '94, looks at the politics
and history of the EZLN.
The Mexican Zapatistas and
direct democracy
Little has been written about day-to-day life in the rebel area, here
we help to right this balance
For Humanity and against
neoliberalism
In August of 1996 3,000 people from all over the world gathered in
jungle camps as guests of the EZLN to discuss building a global fight
against neo-liberal capitalism
Thousands of
rebels from all over the world meet in Spain
Interview with a WSM member who attended the 2nd encounter for
Humanity and against neoliberalism in Spain this summer
Argentina says
"Enough"
On the 19th and 20th of December 2001, there was a major popular
revolt in Argentina. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the
streets. The demonstrations were sparked by the government's plan to
cut public spending as part of an emergency financial package
demanded by the IMF
Argentina- a living
laboratory of struggle
The popular movement in Argentina has not been defeated. The newly
elected president will go on the offensive with all the powers at his
disposal. However the assemblies, occupied factories and Piquettes
will resist and may even experience a new growth.
Cuba..socialist
paradise or Castro's fiefdom?
Cuba, about 90 miles off the coast of North America, is the
largest of the Caribbean islands. The social services are in a far
better condition than they are in other Latin American countries.
Virtually every Cuban under the age of 30 can read and write. But the
cost of these benefits is high for the working class who have never
been in the saddle of power in Cuba.
Bolivia: debtors armed with
dynamite and molotovs
In La Paz, a group of small debtors armed with dynamite and molotovs
occupied the building of a banking supervisory agency. There they
held hostage 94 of the institution's functionaries
Indonesia : The impossible
revolution?
Revolution is about a large number of people coming together at the
one time. The aims of a revolution are often radical and far
reaching.
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