Vive Le Commune!!

       Overthrown, but not conquered, the Commune in our days is born again. It is no longer a dream of the vanquished, caressing in imagination the lovely mirage of hope. No! the ‘commune’ of today is becoming the visible and definite aim of the revolution rumbling beneath our feet.” Kropotkin on the Paris Commune.

       Another interesting article by Jerome Roos from Roar Mag. Well worth reading the full article. 

What Is the Commune?

----------- Historically speaking, communal ways of organizing social life long precede the development of the modern state, and humanity on the whole has spent far more time living communally than it has under capitalism.

        To an extent, historical experience therefore lends credence to the proposition that, in the long run, the commune-form might secure a far more stable social order than the state-form, whose contradictory unity with crisis-prone finance capital renders it increasingly vulnerable to social conflict and systemic chaos, not to mention ecological catastrophe. On this point, indigenous communities and peasant communes may hold some important clues for the identification of alternative developmental pathways—which helps explain why theorists like Marx and Kropotkin spent many years studying such pre-capitalist societies.

         Nevertheless, there are clearly important differences between these ancient communal forms and the type of revolutionary commune of which we are speaking here, not least in terms of the latter’s emancipatory, future-oriented and internationalist horizon. Crucially, the modern commune fully embraces the expansiveness and universality of the socialist ideal. To paraphrase Subcomandante Marcos, whose Zapatista movement has formed its own indigenous communes in southern Mexico, the revolutionary commune is “not a dream from the past [or] something that came from our ancestors. It comes to us from the future; it is the next step that we have to take.”-------

       We count on the present generation to bring about the social revolution within the commune, to put an end to the ignoble system of bourgeois exploitation, to rid the people of the tutelage of the state, to inaugurate a new era of liberty, equality, solidarity in the evolution of the human race.”

Read the full article HERE:

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Revolutions Are Not Made By Laws.

       Not the sort of thing that you would find in that babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, an interesting article from ROAR:

        Have you heard about Venezuela’s communes? Have you heard that there are hundreds of thousands of people in nearly 1,500 communes struggling to take control of their territories, their labor, and their lives? If you haven’t heard, you’re not the only one. As the mainstream media howls about economic crisis and authoritarianism, there is little mention of the grassroots revolutionaries who have always been the backbone of the Bolivarian process.

        This blindspot is reproduced by an international left whose dogmas and pieties creak and groan when confronted with a political process that doesn’t fit, in which the state, oil, and a uniformed soldier have all played key roles. It’s a sad testament to the state of the left that when we think of communes we are more likely to think of nine arrests in rural France than the ongoing efforts of these hundreds of thousands. But nowhere is communism pure, and the challenges Venezuela’s comuneros confront today are ones that we neglect at our own peril.

“Revolutions Are Not Made by Laws”

        What is a commune? Concretely speaking, Venezuela’s communes bring together communal councils—local units of direct democratic self-government—with productive units known as social production enterprises. The latter can be either state-owned or, more commonly, directly owned by the communes themselves. Direct ownership means that it is the communal parliament itself—composed of delegates from each council—that debates and decides what is produced, how much the workers are paid, how to distribute the product, and how best to reinvest any surplus into the commune itself.

      Just as the late Hugo Chávez did not create the Bolivarian Revolution, the Venezuelan state did not create the communes or the communal councils that they comprise. Instead, the revolutionary movements that “created Chávez” did not simply stop there and stand back to admire their creation—they have continued their formative work in and on the world by building radically democratic and participatory self-government from the bottom-up.

Read the full article HERE:

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Israel's Cull Of The Palestinian People.

         Is there anybody out there with two or more brain cells who can't see the Israel state's brutal genocide of the Palestinian people and savage illegal land grab of the Palestinian lands? For generations Palestinians have been viciously culled by the Zionist military machine, funded by their friends the American imperialists. For generations the Palestinian people have seen their land stolen, their country diminish in size, and their homes and farms destroyed, turned to rubble or occupied. Yet the world's states ignore this brutal genocide of a people, Why? If we want this situation to change, and I'm sure every caring human on the planet does, then it will be up to the solidarity of the people of the world, change will not come from the power brokers of the imperialist states. Like all terrible injustices, it is the people that forces the change, the plight of the Palestinian people is no different, it is up to us, the states have played their game, and the horror continues.

From Roar Mag:

       Over three months have passed since the killing of his son Bahaa, but Muhammad Alayan has not been able to experience any of them. The 60-year-old lawyer has been too immersed in the struggle to recover the body of his slain son to actually contemplate his loss.
      “More than a hundred days have gone and I couldn’t sit with my wife and three (remaining) children at one table together and realize that there is an empty chair no longer occupied by Bahaa,” Muhammad Alayan told me. “We have had no time to discuss his absence because our entire lives have revolved around getting him back.”
     Parents whose children’s bodies or remains are detained by Israel, either in morgues or in the infamous “cemeteries of numbers” (where the remains of at least 268 Palestinian combatants have been buried for decades in closed military zones) wait to receive their bodies as if they were waiting to welcome living people after their release from their prisons.------

Read the full article HERE: 

The plight of the Palestinian people explained in six minute video:

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Towards An Anti-capitalist Politics.

       Sometimes you read an article that draws together some of your thoughts in to a clearer understanding, it says some things better than you could yourself. Though I don't embrace every word in this particle article, I certainly think it is well worth reading in full.

    Three excerpts from Jerome Roos's article, Towards an Anti-capitalist Politics, in ROAR MAG:

     Faced with the overwhelming power of capital and the escalating violence of the state, stuck between the institutional inertia of the old left and the ephemeral spontaneity of the new, the opposition remains impotent and confused. Evidently, it is not the “historical inevitability” of the capitalist law of value, but the left’s own lack of internal coherence and the conspicuous absence of visionary post-capitalist perspectives that keeps it stuck in an endlessly repeating present.

    As the future collapses in on itself and the left’s revolutionary aspirations wither on the vine, it is the weakness of our clenched fist and the paucity of our collective imagination, far more than the “natural laws” of their invisible hand, that now makes the end of the world appear more likely than the end of capitalism. It has become painfully clear that, if the left is to truly to chart a way out of capitalist barbarity, it will have to first reinvent itself.

Let the dead bury their dead

    What could such a “reinvented left” look like? Clearly, it will not come falling out of the sky, nor can it be conceived on paper by the high priests of radical theory. Rather, its political imaginary, organizational forms and strategic orientations will all have to be constructed through collective processes of political agitation and firmly rooted in the structural contradictions and periodic crises of contemporary capitalism; in the material conditions and lived experience of ordinary working people, oppressed minorities and marginalized communities; and in the concrete materiality and revolutionary potential of actually existing struggles.

A little further on, on the rise of Corbynism:

      Democratic socialism, by contrast, appears to have been staging a cautious comeback in recent years, especially in its various left-populist forms. Buoyed by the collapse of social democracy and the constituent impulse of recent mobilizations against neoliberalism and austerity, a raft of leftist forces has been on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic—ranging from the progressive governments of the Latin American Pink Tide to the radical left parties in Greece and Spain, on to the self-declared “socialist” candidacies of Bernie Sanders in the United States and Jeremy Corbyn in the United Kingdom.

    But while the emergence of electoral alternatives to neoliberal cynicism certainly marks an advance compared to the shallow theatrics of electoral politics prior to the crisis, the defeat (and subsequent cooptation) of the radical left in Greece and the gradual receding of the Pink Tide in Latin America clearly reveal the limits of the once-vaunted model of “21st century socialism”, whose dependence on global capital and international financial institutions remains woefully undiminished.

Closing with a wee look to the future:

        Yet it often seems that the future remains trapped between the internecine squabbles of two seemingly irreconcilable “lefts”: an old one centered narrowly on taking power, and a new one still struggling to come to terms with its own potential. Beyond the haughty impotence of the former and the apparent perplexity of the latter, the theory and practice of building power offers fertile and expanding political ground for a new anti-capitalist politics. We must now explode the tensions between them into a common project that can begin to give a concrete and democratic organizational form to the restive constituent potential that is craving to assert itself from below.

       As we gather force and move along the process of construction, we will gradually notice the horizons of possibility expanding: the higher we rise, the farther we see; until, one day, all that meets the eye is the glorious sight of rebel cities everywhere rising up against the common enemy, humanity resolving at last to “throw its revolutionary broadsword into the scales.” Until then, you will find us in the streets: preparing the ground, laying the foundations—building power.

      Rather than exploding the tensions between the "old left" and the "new left", I believe the "old left" has to abandon its tried and failed ideology, and throw its lot in with the anti-parliamentarian  left of the streets, there's where success for the people starts and eventually culminates in success.  

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Buying Your Own Cage.

      Reading a piece from ROAR Mag, on the Greek debt situation, I was fascinated by the image displayed at the head of the article. Though the article was interesting and informative, all I could think of when looking at the image, was that phrase that we hear constantly form our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, "Getting on the property ladder".

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The Brutality Of The Financial Mafia.

       The extent to which the financial institutions of the world have usurped the sovereignty of national governments is nowhere more apparent than in Greece. The extent to which this financial Mafia controls the shape and direction of any government becomes clearer and clearer with each "financial crisis". In Greece today, the people are being crushed into deprivation, the fact that they have voted in a "left" government does not mean that this situation will change. The minute that this government sat down at the table of the financial Mafia, they have accepted to play the game according to the rules of that Mafia, and that game ensures that all public assets will be handed over to to fill the coffers of the said financial Mafia. The only sovereignty they have is not to play the game at all, and this could be devastating for the people of Greece, but it could also be their opportunity for the people to take control and shape their country to their own desires. The power which the financial Mafia exert over the direction of a country is supreme, freedom will only come when we the people walk away from their gambling table and take control of our own affairs.

       In this article by Jerome Roos, gives an excellent and detailed explanation of the workings of the financial Mafia and the battle that faces not only the people of Greece, but all of us engulfed in this financial quagmire of greed.

     These three changes have been foundational to the generalized move away from widespread default, as was the norm prior to World War II, and towards the incredible track record of debtor compliance that has been established under the neoliberal regime of financialization. Ever since the Mexican debt crisis of 1982 — and the Latin American and Third World debt crises that followed in its wake — governments have generally tried to avoid a suspension of payments at all costs. As Harvey has put it:

    “What the Mexico case demonstrated was one key difference between liberalism and neoliberalism: under the former lenders take the losses that arise from bad investment decisions while under the latter the borrowers are forced by state and international powers to take on board the cost of debt repayment no matter what the consequences for the livelihood and well-being of the local population.”

Read the full article HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

I'm A Better Anarchist Than You!!!!

    I'm a better anarchist than you!!!! But who is the purest anarchist of all??

    Positions as the one taken by Green Anarchy are neither an exception nor a thing of the past. Certain elements in the “anarchist” milieu still like to criticize in a similarly short-sighted, poorly informed, dogmatic and sectarian manner the struggles of the peoples in the Global South, wittingly or unwittingly reproducing the logic of colonialism in the process.

    I am writing this piece in response to a recent article by Gilles Dauvé, who slanders the Kurdish movement in Rojava in much the same way. A similar piece, based on equally dubious ethical and logical grounds, was published by the Anarchist Federation in London. It is important to emphasize that, although I will be responding specifically to the poorly informed critiques of the aforementioned articles, the issues I am raising here are far more important for the anarchist movement in the West than for the Kurdish or Zapatista movements themselves, which do not need any judgment or approval from some privileged ideological purists elsewhere.

Read the full article HERE:

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Democracy Doesn't Come In a Ballot Box.

     The people of Greece go to the polls on the 25th. January to elect a new governing party, and it looks likely, but not a certainty, that Syriza, a collection of left leaning groups, will win. There seems to be some considerable support from anarchists outside Greece, who are cheering on Syriza, should they be doing so? Is Syriza different, or is it just another contender in the monumental “Crooks and Liars” competition? The same competition that takes place at frequent intervals across the globe, our own home grown one takes place this coming May. If they don't get a majority, who will they go into coalition with? The Greek Communist Party has ruled itself out of any co-operation with Syriza, who else will step forward?

----Given the fact that the only other left-wing parliamentary party, the Greek Communist Party (KKE), has explicitly stated they would never support a “government of the left,” all the other potential allies for a coalition government are flanking SYRIZA from the right. There is no need to mention how a moderate governmental fraction could weaken Tsipras’ position inside the country, as well as during the crucial negotiations with the troika of creditors (EU, IMF and ECB), due to start the day after the elections.----

      Nor does Syriza represent a revolutionary stance, it will be trying to do a deal with the Troika, (EU, European Union, ECB, European Central Bank, IMF, International Mankind Fuckers) to get a more palatable arrangement for the people of Greece, a more moderate and compassionate capitalism, some crusts instead of crumbs. And so the system is perpetuated with a few moderate adjustments here and there.

----- A point that needs to be clarified is that, despite its name, SYRIZA’s program is not radical at all, at least in terms of economic issues. Proposals such as the incentives for “green development,” the relaxation of property taxation, increased public investment and food stamps for the extreme poor might have been dismissed by the European social democratic parties of the 1970s as “too moderate.” In the current European context, though, which is monopolized by the obsession of austerity, even SYRIZA’s neo-Keynesianism seems to represent some sort of radical rupture.------

 

The Obama of Greece??

 

      What the babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media keep pumping out is that this is a major revolutionary event in representative democracy, when in fact it is all about a bit of disruption in the financial Mafia's policy of grinding the people down to a sweatshop economy, an irritant, a nuisance factor, that might upset some profit margins in their bubble of finance. Don't expect the collapse of capitalism in Greece any time soon, when that happens, it will not be through the ballot box in the great “Crooks and Liars” competition.

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There Is No Going Back.

      2014 was a year of rising unrest, across the globe, neo-liberal/corporatism ran wild, sparking wars, spawning devastation and creating poverty for millions. People lost faith with the usual channels of governance, and took to the streets, in many areas the establishment felt threatened and fanned the rise of fascism. States lurched violently to the right in an act of self preservation. What is becoming ever more obvious is that there can be no return to the "old ways", people have lost their fear, and are no longer demanding change, but creating that change. It will not be an easy road, as the avenues of the left grow in strength and confidence, so the establishment with fear at its heart will strengthen the forces of the right. Repression will be more open, the gloves will be off, the control structure of the existing system will not relinquish its power willingly.

     The choice is limited, we either buckle under and allow the power of the financial Mafia to control all aspects of our lives, or we strengthen our resolve to finally smash  this corrupt, repressive system that is a weaver of illusions, a cancer on humanity, and a destroyer of freedom and justice.

This extract from Roar Mag:

    In many respects, 2014 was a very dark year. Between Israel’s monstrous war on Gaza to the shooting down of a civilian aircraft over the Ukraine, and from the world’s appalling inaction in the face of the ebola outbreak in West Africa on to the thousands of migrants who drowned off the Mediterranean coast this year, there seemed to be little to be hopeful or excited about. Some of the most spectacular mobilizations, from the Euromaidan revolt in Ukraine and the royalist rebellion and military coup in Thailand to the middle class protests that rocked Venezuela, originated not from the left but from the right.
But 2014 also witnessed the steady rise of new progressive forces. In Greece, the conservative-led government just collapsed over its failure to appoint a new president, triggering snap elections to be held on January 25, with the radical left party Syriza slated to win. In Spain, meanwhile, the new leftist party Podemos was founded in January to compete in the European elections, and now, less than a year later, already finds itself catapulted into first position in the polls. Spanish activists hopefully observe that “the fear is changing sides.” In 2015, the European austerity doctrine will face its most serious challenge to date.

Read the full article HERE:

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We Are An Image From The Future.

       I can't help but feel for the people of Greece, what has been inflicted on them by the Troika, (EC, European Commission, ECB, European Central Bank, IMF, International Mankind Fuckers), more accurately described as the financial Mafia, is a crime against humanity. Their health service has been trashed, suicides, mental health problems, and substance abuse, have shot up to the stratosphere. Their education system is in a state of collapse, poverty and deprivation is endemic, and homelessness is in epidemic proportions. All this presided over by a cabal of rich, self-centred and corrupt politicians, who always dance to the tune of the financial Mafia.

 Alexis Grigoropoulos.

       Of course it is not all being taken meekly and subserviently by the people of Greece, they continue to fight for the right to dignity and a decent life. This despite being constantly attacked by, what is probably the most brutal police force in Europe. The case of Nikos Romanos epitomises the state brutality under which the people of Greece struggle for dignity. This young man of 21 years at the age of 15, cradled his best friend of the same age, Alexis Grigoropoulos, as he lay dying on the street from a bullet in the chest, from the gun of a member of that brutal police force. Nikos's early youth must have been shaped by this callous act of brutality.

Nikos Romanos after arrest.

      Exactly six years on from that brutal, murderous event on December 6, 2008, Nikos finds himself in prison and on hunger strike, close to death. Acts of solidarity for Nikos take place across Greece, and cities across the world, on a constant bases. If the young Nikos Romanos dies in prison, and with recent reports of his condition pointing to that, it will have been an unnecessary, brutal, callous, vindictive murder, by a brutal callous, vindictive state, that puts its homage to the financial Mafia, above that of the people of Greece. But what will his death mean to the people of Greece, will it finally raise their righteous anger to that point of no return? Their suffering and that of Nikos Romanos, gives them the right to enjoy the ecstasy of their righteous anger.

This from Roar Mag:

      That dystopian future is now. On Saturday, it will be exactly six years since Alexis’ murder — and Alexis’ best friend Nikos Romanos, if he is lucky, will be spending it in hospital. Nikos stopped eating on November 10 in protest against the authorities’ refusal to grant him his legal right to educational furlough. His doctors warn that he is in critical condition and could succumb from heart or kidney failure anytime. The government has given hospital staff the order to force-feed him, but the doctors have refused. As Nikos’ health steadily deteriorates, the streets are becoming ever more combustible — especially in anticipation of the annual commemoration march for Alexis on Saturday.

       On Tuesday night, fierce riots broke out in downtown Athens after more than 10.000 people marched through the city in solidarity with Nikos and four anarchist comrades who recently joined him on his hunger strike. The images of burning cars in Exarchia led many to wonder if a replay of 2008 might be in the cards if the state does not give in to Nikos’ demands soon. Riot police responded with the usual teargas and baton rounds, but what was truly worrisome were later reports that at least 10 detainees had been hospitalized with heavy injuries, including broken limbs and ribs. Two Syriza MPs who rushed to the police headquarters found the sixth floor of the building “covered in blood.”

Read the full article HERE:

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