Anarchy and
Organisation
Talk for the 2004 Irish Social Forum. This talk concentrated on
introducing anarchist ideas. Kieran Allen of the SWP and Dermot
Connelly formerly of the Socialist Party spoke from a
Marxist-Leninist viewpoint.
Republicanism in Crisis
&endash; Is There An anarchist alternative?
Since the beginning of December and the collapse of the latest
attempt at the creation of a power-sharing devolved government in the
North, and more particularly since the Northern Bank robbery, the
political establishment has been striving to outdo each other in the
stridency of their condemnation of the Republican Movement. Text of
talk given to Cork WSM public meeting
Which Way To The Revolution: Anarchism
or Leninism
My talk is simply going to be an introduction to the basics of
anarchism, though it'll be aimed a bit for those coming from a
Marxist view-point. I'll tend to focus on the areas where we
disagree, say the difference over authority and the state, rather
than on why capitalism needs to go.
Review of The Many Headed
Hydra
by Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker
Sailors, slaves, commoners and the hidden history of the Atlantic
Syndicalism
Its basic ideas revolve around organising all workers into the "one
big union", keeping control in the hands of the rank & file, and
opposing all attempts to create a bureaucracy of unaccountable
full-time officials.
The Marxist theory of the
State....an anarchist reply
There is no one Marxist theory of the state, different currents
within Marxism have developed their own variants. However all share
the idea that the State can, and must, be used as a means towards
achieving the classless society
The failure of Marxism
There is much of use within Marxism, I do not propose to throw away
the impressive economic analysis for instance, but as an ideology, as
a tradition and as a guide for the future it has failed; and failed
on a grand scal
Religion and clerical
control
In Ireland organised religion, especially Catholicism (with it's
named constitutional position) has worked to limit the freedoms of
all regardless of their own personal beliefs.
Racism and Irish Travellers
Anti-racist and anti-fascist work has been a major concern of the
left. However there are still very few groups or individuals even on
the left who identify attitudes to Travellers as Racism.
Revolutionary politics and single
issue campaigns
Over the past decades, there has been a tendency for activists to
move away from organisations,and organisation on a class basis, and
concentrate on single-issue campaigns. In its lifetime, the WSM has
been involved in many such campaigns
Leninism and the failure of the
Russian revolution
The Russian revolutions of 1917 demonstrate that a revolution is
possible but they also warn against authoritarian methods of
introducing socialism.
What's the importance of the
French revolution?
We can examine the French revolution as a prototype of how
revolutions occur and progress. Kropotkin defined it as the
"mother of us all ". The ideas and methods of the French
Revolution were and still have relevance to us today
Rosa Luxemburg on socialism and
objective conditions
Rosa Luxembourg argued that socialism didn't just entail a change in
material conditions but also a change in relationships within
society, that freedom was a prerequisite for a socialist society
Critical Mass and Reclaim The
Streets
Car culture becomes a focus for these two types of demonstration: not
because we are all so anti-car, but because cars are only the most
visible and tangible representatives of an inhuman consumer society
Carnsore: Why Ireland never got
nuclear power
A big victory was won here when we stopped their plans to build not
one, but four, nuclear power stations at Carnsore Point in Co.
Wexford in the late 1970s.
Religious sectarianism in
Northern Ireland and how to deal with it
It goes without saying that any political theory is only any good if
it passes the test of real everyday practice, - I want to put forward
these few ideas on tackling religious sectarianism
Organising for anarchism
If we don't get our ideas out there, they will be ignored. And the
only choice on offer will remain the choice that Bakunin spoke of in
1880. Between tyranny and injustice and slavery and brutality.
Audio: Chekov Feeney of the Workers Solidarity Movement speaks about anarchism in Ireland and anarchist organization. at a meeting sponsored by NEFAC in New York City, USA.
Building Links between
movements ( Talk given to the Convergence Conference
2001)
If the question is how do we build links between different groups and
movements, the answer has to be another question. Why do you want to
build links? In each instance, what is your aim. I say in each
instance because it should be recognised that there are many
different levels at which links between groups can operate.
Anarchism in Africa
We traveled in Africa for just over a year and, whenever possible,
tried to meet with anarchists in the countries we visited. In Africa
the organised anarchist movement is quite young
Anarchism in South
America
Notes on the history of anarchism in South America and the recent
re-emergance of the movement there from a WSM member who recently met
some of the groups described.
Building anarchism in
Ireland
A talk for ideas and action, 2001
Local or global trade
A talk for ideas and action, 2001
Racism in Ireland - What it
is and how it can be fought
A talk for ideas and action, 2001
The history of Anarchism
in Ireland
Irish anarchism has no historical tradition. But that is not to say
that we have no history at all. We are beginning to uncover forgotten
events.
The Celtic Tiger
If one was to accept the mainstream view of how our society works
then Ireland of the Celtic Tiger would truly be 'as good as it gets',
booming economy, falling unemployment, soaring profits.
As good as it get's?
While the papers are busy telling us that we've never had it so good
and there's only 220 thousand people unemployed these days, the truth
is harder and harder to find.
The anarchist economic
alternative to globalisation
An immediate question springs to mind: has an alternative society
every existed, and has such a society existed for long enough to be
useful to us as an alternative model to the economic model of
capitalism. The answer to both these questions &endash; and this may
surprise you - is YES
Anarchist globalisation after
Prague S26
From J18 City of London, to N30 Seattle, S11 Melborne, S26 Prague;
these are all dates that signify a growing movement of international
opposition to capitalism. I took part in the S26 demonstrations in
Prague which succeeded in disrupting the IMF congress there.
Anarchism and the
Environmental movement [In
Spainish]
We should not create a false choice between anarchism and
environmentalism but rather ask what sort of environmental theory and
action should anarchists favour on the one hand and on the other
explain why any environmentalist should also be a class struggle
anarchist.
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 move into white collar and
skilled jobs, In short that the revolution although desirable is now
utopian.
Anarchism and the Trade
Unions
The Workers Solidarity Movement has, since its formation eight years
ago, placed special emphasis on the struggles of trade unionists.
Were we right? Why place this special emphasis on trade unions rather
than any other organisation or campaign?
Mujeres Libres
The women who founded Mujeres Libres were all active within the
anarchist movement, in the CNT or in the FIJL, however as women they
were in a minority and found it difficult to incorporate more women
into the activist core, either because of the sexism of the men, or
because of the reluctance of the women or a combination of both
The Russian Revolution
The Russian revolution has been a subject of key importance to
anarchists for two reasons. The first reason is that for the first
time in history a working class revolution succeeded in ousting the
old ruling classes. The second reason is that after the old ruling
class was ousted a new class came to power. Those of us who want to
make a revolution to-day must understand where the successes and
failures of the past came from.
Factory committees in the
Russian Revolution
The factory committees appeared in Petrograd and Moscow around
February/March of 1917, and quickly spread. Elected directly by the
workers in each enterprise, they appear initially to have formed in a
response to theatened closures, and to press for the 8-hour day,
though the scope of their demands would son extend.
Four October Myths
Here I am going to look at four myths, widly accepted by the left and
right alike on the October revolutiuon and its aftermath
The Cheka during the Russian
revolution
Was the Cheka integral to Lenin's doctrine or did it arrive by
chance?
The Paris Commune [In
Spanish]
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
Emma Goldman
What initially drew Goldman to anarchism was the outcry that followed
the Haymarket Square tragedy in 1886 in Chicago. Emma Goldman had
followed the event intensely and on the day of the hanging she
decided to become a revolutionary.
SIPTU Fight-back and
National Partnership
For over a decade the unions have been in a
partnership with the bosses and
state. This partnership means promising not to strike on a wide range
of issues while accepting low pay rises. The problems with
partnership are obvious and at least 1/3 of the unionised workforce
has voted against previous deals. However partnership has severely
eroded 'shopfloor' organisation as little is left to local meetings
except individual cases. Despite the apparent widespread opposition
as evidenced by Carol Ann Duggan's 42% vote in the
SIPTU elections it has proved extremely
difficult to bring together any number of activists to campaign
against 'Partnership'. Are there untried possibilities or are we in
effect waiting for new waves of struggle creating a new layer of
activists?
The tasks facing anarchists in
Ireland
The Workers Solidarity Movement was formed in 1984. Our starting
point was that the working class has the power to overthrow
capitalism and create an anarchist society. Our role is to convince
our class that this is possible; to win the battle of ideas against
the authoritarian solutions of social democracy, nationalism and
leninism; and to popularise anarchist ideas and methods.
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.
The future for the left
What does the collapse of Stalinism mean for us. Why do we always
emphasise the Working Class ? IF it does exist and we wish to relate
to it how should we do so ? How do we get from our present situation
of marginalisiation to now where our ideas have widespread currency ?
Is a socialist revolution possible ?
Why the working class?
Capitalism makes us co-operate every day at work. Each person has to
do their bit so that the person at the next stage of production can
do theirs.
The changing nature of the working
class
The nature of the working class to-day is quite different from that
of a hundred years ago. In the late 80's a large part of the left
interpreted this as meaning socialism was no longer possible, that
the best hope was to form alliances with greens and others in a
rainbow coalition which would attempt to limit the worst excesses of
capitalism.
Sectarianism in the north and the
fight against it
Sectarianism is something that has existed to a greater or lesser
extent in Ireland since the plantations and must be overcome if
socialism can be introduced
Loyalist
myths: King Billy revisited
The Orange Parades on and around the twelfth of July have long been a
bone of serious contention and indeed a source of sectarian conflict
in the Six Counties. Members of the Orange Order demand their
unalienable right to march the Queen's highway, in commemoration of
the victory of King William of Orange at the battle of the Boyne - a
victory (as the Orangemen see it) for religious and civil liberty.
Republicanism and
anarchism
While the prospect of an end to political violence would doubtless be
welcomed by the vast majority of people living on this island and
especially by the population of the 6-Counties, it is important for
all of us to realise where the so-called "peace process" is leading
Anarchists and the
Zapatista's
The significance of the Zapatista
rebellion initially lay as much in the fact that they dared to
rebel after the 'end of history'. While the rebellion and the
autonomous communities it has
created are certainly worth defending a real question remains as to
how relevant it is as a constructive model. Some point to the village
and regional councils as a real model for those struggling elsewhere.
Others see the continued isolation of the rebellion in Chiapas as a
demonstration that the Zapatistas lack any real alternative relevant
to the mass of the world's population.
The Zapatista contribution to
the new opposition
The challenges we have explored in recent weeks thrown up by
neoliberalism and indeed the greater challenge of the failure of the
left in the 20th Century require not only a new theoretical
understanding of how struggle can be conduced but also real world
examples of this actually happening.
What is the EZLN
The reason we are so concerned with the politics of the EZLN is not
academic. Rather it is because we understand that real and permanent
liberation can only be achieved by an international anarchist
revolution. There have been many revolts by guerrilla movements in
third world countries, some more successful than others but none have
led to a fundamental change in the way society operates.
The Korean anarchist Movement
[In Spanish]
In the 2,000 years of Korean history there arose movements fighting
for peasants rights and for national independence. Within these
movements there were tendencies that may be seen as forerunners of
modern anarchism, in the same way as we might view the Diggers in the
English revolution The Korean Anarchist Federation in China was
formed in April 1924. and published the "Korean Revolution
Manifesto".
The Life and Times of
Malatesta
}For nearly sixty years, Malatesta was active in the anarchist
movement as an agitator and as a propagandist. He was one of the
movements most respected members as well as remaining to the end one
of its most controversial. He was active in many parts of the world,
as well as the editor of a number of Italian anarchist journals
including the daily Umanita Nova (1920-22)
Feminism & Anarchism
Basically we view feminism as a progressive movement but one which is
capable of taking up confused and sometimes reactionary demands
because it fails to locate the cause of womens oppression in the
class nature of capitalist society.
Feminism & Anarchism
again
I am going to look at the different traditions of political thought
that have developed to critique this vision of women's role in
society. There are broadly speaking, four theories; Liberal Feminism,
Traditional Marxism, Radical Feminism and Socialist Feminism.
Why women are not yet
liberated?
A lot of the institutionalised oppression that women such as my
mother would have argued against in the 1960's has disappeared. Yet
it is also obvious that women are still far from equal. For the
majority of us, our right to choose the way of life we wish to lead
is as limited as it has always been.
The Left and the Fight for
Women's Liberation
The struggle for women's liberation has generally been bound up with
other, wider social and economic changes. The first written evidence
of equality with men being put seriously on the agenda was during the
reformation starting in the sixteenth century.
Abortion in Ireland - Historical
Perspective and current campaigning
Abortion was totally illegal in Ireland under all circumstances until
the Supreme Court judgement in the "X" case earlier this year, which
seems to permit abortion in the extremely limited case of threatened
suicide by the mother. The 1861 Offences against the Persons Act
states that any person "performing, attempting and or assisting in an
abortion is liable to penal servitude for life".
International backlash against
abortion
In America the supreme court recently voted by 5 judges to 4 to
enforce a restrictive Pennsylavania law which requires a mandatory
waiting period foe women seeking abortions and forces teenagers to
inform their parents of their intentions to have an abortion. The
ruling was greeted with the headline in Village Voice "Court to women
: Drop Dead".
Do we need an anarchist
federation?
However, in Ireland, our numbers are very small and most comrades
have little political experience. Few have been through years of
struggling and learning in the trade unions and campaigns. We are a
very weak and inexperienced movement. It must seem worthwhile to
investigate the possibility of uniting in an Irish Anarchist
Federation.
Fragment on
organisation
I want to start by looking at the main alterantive to anarchist
methods of organisation, Democratic Centralism.
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.
Whatever happened to the AWG
Our welcoming of the AWG was mainly based on a number of reasons.
Their experience within DAM had led them to reject Syndicalism They
also accepted the basis of the Platform of the Libertarian
Communists, On Ireland they took a firm anti-imperialist line, and
actually took place in activity around this. Now just over two years
later the AWG no longer exists.
An introduction to the history
and ideas of anarchism
Where better to start a look at anarchism then to look at the state
of the left as a whole. The organised revolutionary left today is at
its weakest for many years. Its not so much a question of the triumph
of capitalism however as the failure of the bulk of the ideologies of
socialism.
Anarchism (Taste the
difference)
The last two speakers have talked about their experiences of
different examples of ordinary people fighting back. Despite the
differences it is the similarities between them that were the
motivation for this meeting. Throughout history ordinary people have
struggled to make their lives better. All over the world right now
ordinary people are engaged in similar struggles, against a world
where injustice seems to rule.
Anarchism
Half the world is starving. The main industrial countries are in
recession. In Ireland, one in five people eligible for work are
unemployed. 4,000 people are waiting for housing yet the government
builds less than 50 houses a year. Capitalism as a system does not
work for the majority of people forced to live under it.
Racism
Any discussion of Racism needs to examine the roots of Racism in
order to understand it and to struggle against it effectively. There
are basically 3 explanations for the existence of racism.
Racism - a permanent
problem?
Although racism already existed in
Ireland towards Travellers the state's racism towards asylum seekers
in the last couple of years shook us all. Good work is being done in
campaigning against this racism by groups such as the
Anti-Racism Campaign and
Immigrant Solidarity. Yet is it the case
that we are now doomed to a perpetual 'holding the line' to prevent
further rises in racism? Or is there a strategy by which we can
defeat racism in the 'here and now'?
Racism and Irish
travellers
Irish travellers are an ethnic minority who are culturally separate
to the rest of Irish society. Because they are white and most of the
are Irish, people reject the idea that the concept of racism applies
to them. However an examination of policies and practises operated by
the state and by non-state bodies clearly shows that it is racism
that defines these policies and practises.
Fascism leading the
racists
Rostock recently became infamous as we all witnessed pictures of the
Neo-Nazi youth hurling petrol bombs at the asylum hostel containing
mostly Bulgarian and Romanian refugees. One local activist in Germany
reported the following. " On Sunday night, a line of riot police
could not prevent a second night of attacks, this time by nazi youths
armed with molotov cocktails"
Tactics to fight fascism
Fighting fascism can not be done just in terms of ideas. Fascists do
not wait until they have convinced a sufficient number of people to
put their ideas into power before they put their ideas into practise.
Even tiny groups of a dozen or less organise and carry out terror
attacks on those they oppose or scapegoat. Only physical
confrontation can deter and prevent these activities
The development of capitalism in
Japan
In 1869 feudalism was abolished and the clans surrendered their fiefs
to the government. All classes were declared equal before the law and
barriers on local movement and internal trade removed. Individuals
were allowed acquire land and all the professions and trades were
thrown open.
Greece: War and Civil War
This talk is based around the Solidarity pamphlet 'The Greek
Tragedy', subtitled 'the failure of the left' published in 1968 as a
response to the coup in Greece the previous year. It states the left
put up little resistance to the coup and places the reason for this
in the lack of a tradition of self-activity in the working class. In
particular the response of the Spanish workers to Franco's coup of
1936 is contrasted with what happened in Greece.
The revolution in
Spain
The extent of the democracy in Spain during the revolution was far
more thorough going than anything ever achieved anywhere else in the
world at any time in know history. This might seem like a grand claim
but I challenge anyone to disprove it.
The Limerick soviet of 1919
[In Spanish]
The first problem facing the strikers was how to feed Limericks
38,000 inhabitants. The committee sat in secession all of monday
organising food distrubution. The committee was divided into two
sections, one to recieve food and one to deliver it. Hundreds of
special permits were issued allowing shops to open