Fail 19.

           System Fail 19, the latest from SubMedia now available. As usual it covers a range of topics. This episode looks at the pandemic, riots in China and Elon Musk's take-over of twitter. System Fail is a window on our world, always worth a viewing.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Not Your Friends.

 

        I feel strongly that we should all be trying to break free from the enticing web of Facebook-twitter, etc. you can take it that they are not on your side if you are trying to change the way society is run, they like it the way it is. However I'm not a techy guy so when I throw something along those lines out, I hope that you bright individuals out their can keep me right. There must be alternative ways to communicate without the consent and blessing of the big corporate beasts that we wish to decapitate. This article is about "Telegram", a messaging service that to my simple mind has lots of the answers we should be looking for in communicating with each other.

       Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed that the internet isn't what it used to be these days. Social media platforms that used to provide for the free exchange of information and the means of organizing resistance, have anointed themselves arbiters of truth, on a mission to protect our fragile minds from any ideas and opinions that they happen to disagree with. Controversial posts are now 'fact checked', restricted or flat out removed. Those who dare speak outside the lines are subject to temporary or permanent banishment.
       Unfortunately this trend isn't likely to reverse any time soon. In fact it's going to get worse. Calling them out or petitioning for change isn't going to work. These people feel validated and justified. And they are supported by a highly vocal contingent of the population that believes that dangerous ideas should be silenced, and that heretics should not be allowed any platform whatsoever to speak their minds. As such it is imperative that we develop new strategies for exchanging ideas and organizing that do not depend on their technology.
       In this video I'm going to describe a media strategy to bypass Facebook, Twitter and Youtube that makes use of Telegram, however the same principles can be applied to other apps.
       Telegram is an encrypted messaging app which ties to a cellphone number much like Whatsapp. However it has much more features than Whatsapp, including channels and multi-level admin controls for groups. It also has a desktop version for Mac and Windows that make it much easier to work with.
        Working with Telegram as a tool for activism is very different than old school social media because you don't have direct access to open pools of users that can find you in a search. However the fact that Telegram distributes all messages directly to your channel subscribers or group members without censorship and without limiting distribution algorithmically, makes the potential reach of this platform much more significant.
        Telegram also has secret chats which provide a means of communication for activists that intelligence agencies cannot monitor. Given the level of access that social media companies grant to the NSA and other entities this extremely important. And if you think this is a conspiracy theory, you might want to look into the Edward Snowden revelations.
       Once you have Telegram installed, setting up channels and groups is easy. Click the pen icon in the top right corner and choose new group or new channel. When you create a new channel or group you will be given the chance to set it as public or private and choose a custom URL. It's also worth noting that you can create a custom username for your account so that people can contact you without knowing your phone number.
        Once you've created a channel you'll want to enable comments by connecting a discussion group. This is done by double clicking the channel name and scrolling down to the discussion link. Follow the instructions and a group will be created that allows your followers to comment on posts in the channel and have conversations among themselves.
        Both Telegram groups and channels provide the ability to pin multiple posts. This can be used for setting discussion rules or to list links to resources.
       In addition to text messages you can post photos, videos, or polls by clicking the paperclip icon to the left of the text field. All of these media types can be embedded into web pages to share with a wider public.
       Now you can get your groups and channels jumpstarted by sending invite links to your contacts, or sharing them online. These links can also be converted to QR codes which can then be printed onto posters, business cards or stickers. You can also create location based groups in the phone version of the app by clicking contacts, find people nearby, then create local group. This will make your group visible to anyone who has location services enabled in the area.
       So imagine you are trying to organize resistance to a government policy and Facebook and Twitter have made it clear that speaking out against this policy will not be tolerated on their platforms. Rather than trying sneak past them (which is not likely to work), you create Telegram channel. In that channel you pin your manifesto or information about your event to the top and send an invite link to your contacts. You also make a post to your normal social media profiles sending people to the channel. Next you make posters, business cards and stickers with your message plus a QR code. You also post pdfs for these print outs into the channel, and encourage your subscribers to distribute them.
       You then create a network of local and regional groups moderated by people you trust. This enables people to organize their own events in their respective towns.
       Rinse and repeat and your movement will grow. Social media companies won't be able to stop you. In fact they won't even have information about your activities. They will be completely out of the loop. And that's a good thing, because it also cuts government surveillance out of the loop.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk  

Proactive.

      With the big social media platforms, all run by billionaires, who, to put it mildly, have no love of anarchists, ever tightening controls on who gets in and who doesn't, should we now be organising to walk away before the kick us all out? Proactive rather than reactive. We know that it is coming, it's just a matter of time.

The following food for thought from Anarchist News:

      Last week, after Crimethinc, IGD, Enough is Enough and others were banned from Fedbook, our friend Ziq gave us food for thought with this post on raddle:

      We can't keep expecting platforms owned by far-right billionaires to stay honest. Anarchists are the biggest threat to any capitalist, so of course they're going to shut us down at every opportunity.
      [There are many important anarchist projects, each serving a different purpose], but they can't continue to exist in a vacuum while the social media behemoths are busy closing ranks to ensure all our efforts are stifled...
      [raddle has] always encouraged anarchists to use our platform to grow their own platforms. But it's not a one-way street. There needs to be a concerted effort between all the aforementioned anarchist venues to amplify each other's voices. Cross promotion is the only thing that will keep us all alive and kicking...

        If you were to promote other anarchist sites/venues/projects/whatever, how would you do it? Would it look like Facebook and Twitter, Cabal and Plemora, banner drop and billboard, or something completely different? What are the pros and cons of each?
       Who would you promote? Who would you not? Let's not just have a list of names; let's hear why you chose this one over that one, why anews was on top of your list, and why you'd never in a thousand years amplify [you name it].
        Does amplifying voices mean banding together, like Ziq suggests, or does it mean going it alone, but louder?
      Who already does promotion the way you'd like it to be done? Who does it in a way that you can't stand?
       Is it as important as Ziq says to cross promote each other's voices? If you think it is, how would you like to see it play out in the days ahead? If not, what are otherways of keeping us all alive and kicking?

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

Opposites.

 

        As the following article states, we can't expect large capitalist organisations to continually allow their platforms to promote anti-capitalist material. I think it only makes sense that if these large corporate beasts see that they are promoting something that will lead to their demise, then they will stifle it as best they can. It would be naive in the extreme to think otherwise. Anarchists depending on large capitalist organisations to promote their ideas seems somewhat odd. If we become dependent on Facebook and Twitter etc. to further our ideas sooner or later they will close that avenue down. 

          The following article is just one line of thought, it's from Raddle:

       We can't keep expecting platforms owned by far-right billionaires to stay honest. Anarchists are the biggest threat to any capitalist, so of course they're going to shut us down at every opportunity.
       Crimethinc / It'sgoingdown / Anarchistnews / sub.media / Unicornriot / Anarchists Worldwide / 325 / A-Infos / AMW English / ROAR Magazine / mastodon.social / littleblackcart / AKPress / theanarchistlibrary and raddle.me are all incredibly important anarchist projects that each serve a different purpose, but they can't continue to exist in a vacuum while the social media behemoths are busy closing ranks to ensure all our efforts are stifled.
       Every one of our projects is wholly dependent on corporate platforms for promotion and growth. The capitalists who own those corporate platforms are making it crystal clear to us that they're no longer going to tolerate us radicalizing their users against them. They'll continue to erase any anarchist, anti-capitalist or anti-fascist project that grows enough on their platforms to pose a threat to the established order.
        Here on raddle, we try to promote and support other anarchist platforms as much as possible. Our sidebar here links to all the anarchist news outlets and we regularly discuss anarchist podcasts, book fairs and events. We've always encouraged anarchists to use our platform to grow their own platforms. But it's not a one-way street. There needs to be a concerted effort between all the aforementioned anarchist venues to amplify each other's voices. Cross promotion is the only thing that will keep us all alive and kicking. If we all work together it will benefit all of us. If raddle thrives, sub.media thrives and if sub.media thrives, theanarchistlibrary thrives.
       We need to lean on each other now that we can no longer rely on individually promoting our platforms on corporate media. Every anarchist site should be prominently linking to and working with every other anarchist site to help the entire anarchist network thrive. We need each other now more than ever.
       If you work with one of the other anarchist platforms, I'd love to hear your suggestions for achieving better integration of the anarchist web.

      To help you keep in touch and spread the word, here are some Anarchist links.
        This is by no means an exhaustive list, please take it, use it, add to it, link up and spread the word.

https://325.nostate.net/ [multilingual, news, directory, distro]
https://actforfree.nostate.net/ [en, prison, news, distro]
https://www.ainfos.ca/ [multilingual, news]
https://www.akpress.org/ [en, publisher, store]
https://www.amwenglish.com/ [en, revolutionary, news]
https://www.anarchistlibraries.net/ [multilingual, library, directory]
https://anarchistnews.org/ [en, news, social, media, distro]
https://anarchistsworldwide.noblogs.org/ [en, news]
https://anarchy101.org/ [en, learning]
https://anarchyplanet.org/ [en, chat]
https://anarquia.info/ [es, blog]
http://www.anticarcelaria.org/ [es, south-america, podcast, zines, news]
https://armthespiritforrevolutionaryresistance.wordpress.com/ [en, revolutionary, archive, library, distro]
https://asranarshism.com/ [fa, afghanistan, iran, news]
https://attaque.noblogs.org/ [multilingual, news]
https://autonomynews.org/category/news/ [en, autonomy, news]
https://autonomynews.org/ [en, england, revolutionary, news]
https://barrikade.info/ [de, switzerland, news]
https://bcblackout.wordpress.com/ [en, canada, news]
https://blackautonomynetwork.noblogs.org/ [en, blackness, zines]
https://contrainfo.espiv.net/ [multilingual, news/blog, directory]
https://contramadriz.espivblogs.net/ [es, news/blog, distro]
https://crimethinc.com/ [multilingual, news/blog, media, distro, store]
https://czarnateoria.noblogs.org/ [pl, news]
https://darknessoutside.home.blog/ [en, prison, anti-racism, australia, zines, blog]
https://enoughisenough14.org/ [en/de, news/blog, store]
https://itsgoingdown.org/ [en, activism, news]
https://kolektiva.media/ [multilingual, media]
https://littleblackcart.com/ [en, publisher, store]
https://malacoda.noblogs.org/ [it, zines, news]
https://mtlcounterinfo.org/ [en/fr, canada, news/blog, zines]
https://ni.hil.ist/ [multilingual, nihilism, social]
https://www.non-fides.fr/ [multilingual, blog, directory]
https://north-shore.info/ [en, canada, news]
https://postromanticqueerwave.noblogs.org/ [en, queer, distro, art]
https://publicacionrefractario.wordpress.com/ [es, prison, news]
https://pugetsoundanarchists.org/ [en, us, news/blog, zines]
https://raddle.me/ [multilingual, social, news]
https://ragnarok.squat.gr/ [gr, insurrection, news/blog]
https://sansattendre.noblogs.org/ [fr, insurrection, news, directory]
https://www.sproutdistro.com/ [en, distro]
https://sub.media/ [multilingual, media]
https://theanarchistcinema.org/ [en, media]
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/ [en, library, directory]
https://unicornriot.ninja/ [en, us, news]
https://urbanguerilla.org/ [en, history, archive]
https://warriorpublications.wordpress.com/ [en, canada, indigenous, news]
https://warzonedistro.noblogs.org/ [en, green-anarchy, distro]

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk  

Solidarity Is A Weapon.

          A call for solidarity from that "Land of the Free" the good ol' US of A. A country that locks up more of its citizens than any other country on the planet. In this case protesters at the inauguration of the dysfunctional, homophobic, twitter syndrome Trump are facing 75 years in prison, after a mass arrest at that protest. Solidarity knows no borders and is one of our powerful weapons, let's use it now and often.

This from Crimethinc:

       We are calling for a Week of Solidarity with the J20 defendants from July 20 to 27, 2017. July 20 marks six months from the initial actions and arrests during Donald Trump’s inauguration, and on July 27, a motion to dismiss the charges will be argued in court. The case has finally begun to receive the media attention it warrants; with this court date approaching and the cases underway, this is a crucial time for a second Week of Solidarity. Send reportbacks, photographs, and inquiries to J20solidarity@protonmail.com.
       On January 20, 2017, thousands of people came to Washington, DC to protest the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. In the early morning, blockades shut down security checkpoints and discouraged people from attending the inauguration itself, while impromptu marches and direct actions occurred throughout the day. There was a spirit of defiance in the air.
       Iconic images circulated almost immediately, from the punching of white supremacist Richard Spencer to pictures of a limousine on fire. These were only the most spectacular images, however, of a day that was characterized by generalized disruption.
       Midmorning, an “anticapitalist and antifascist” march of several hundred people made clear its opposition not just to Trump but also the system that made Trump possible. Led by banners reading “MAKE RACISTS AFRAID AGAIN” and “TOTAL LIBERATION FROM DOMINATION,” the disruptive march took the streets of DC to the sound of fireworks and anticapitalist chants. After about half an hour, the march was brutally attacked by police, who used chemical and crowd control weapons along with physical force, then boxed in (“kettled”) and mass-arrested people. Everyone on an entire city block was arrested and given the same charge of felony rioting. Approximately 214 arrestees now face a total of eight felony charges, including conspiracy and destruction of property. All of the J20 defendants are now facing up to 75 years in prison.
       A great deal has happened in the six months since the inauguration. Confrontational protests have taken place across the continent, challenging the political landscape shaped by Trump’s election. Participants have stood up to emboldened white supremacists, disrupted airports in the face of anti-Muslim bans, blockaded proposed pipeline routes, set up sanctuary spaces and rapid response networks against ICE deportations, and much more. In turn, states are passing legislation aimed at further criminalizing protest and limiting resistance.

Read the full article for contact details and further info HERE:

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

CHANGING TO A WOLRD OF POSSIBLE DREAMS.

          Never before in human history have we seen the people of the world rise up simultaneously on the same cause, all of the same mind, the system sinks, it is corrupt from top to bottom, it works against the interests of the majority of the people. Never in human history have people all across the globe wanted to change a world system and stood up to do something about it simultaneously. The mould has been broken, people across the world have seen through the smoke and mirrors of corrupt illusion and they will change it. Change breeds change, once people's minds open to new ideas the world becomes a new and exciting place with the possibility of realising dreams. Our dreams, not their nightmares.

From The Commune:

         In my opinion, it is very likely that the historians of the future will look upon yesterday as the day a truly global anti-capitalist movement was born. Following the example of Occupy Wall Street, Los Angeles, Boston, and hundreds of US towns and cities, a huge number of small and large occupations began on every continent except Antarctica (see Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America).

         All proclaim their opposition to the capitalist status quo – with its obscene riches at one pole and sickening poverty at the other. All of this has been organised online, completely outside the clutches of the decaying trade union bureaucracies, for whom ‘international solidarity’ is just some words they used to say a few decades back. The old organisations of timid protest seek influence on the margins, but they are ignored and seen to be as irrelevant as they actually are. It is highly appropriate that this moment has been crowned by the apparently successful resisting of the attempt by New York’s mayor and second richest man to retake Liberty Park. There is a sense that the powers that be are losing control by the hour, if not the second if you follow it all on Twitter

READ ON.

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