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1265 lines
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P r a c t i c a l @ n a r c h y
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O N L I N E
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Issue 2.1 January 1993
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An electronic zine concerning anarchy from a practical point of view, to
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help you put some anarchy in your everyday life. The anarchy scene is
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covered through reviews and reports from people in the living anarchy.
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Editors:
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Chuck Munson
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Internet cmunson@macc.wisc.edu
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Bitnet cmunson@wiscmacc.bitnet
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Postal address Practical Anarchy
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PO Box 173
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Madison, WI 53701-0173
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USA
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Mikael Cardell
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Internet cardell@lysator.liu.se
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Fidonet Mikael Cardell, 2:205/223
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Postal address Practical Anarchy
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c/o Mikael Cardell
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Gustav Adolfsgatan 3
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S-582 20 LINKOPING
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SWEDEN
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Subscription of PA Online is free in it's electronic format and each
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issue is anti-copyright and may be distributed freely as long as the
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source is credited. Please direct subscription matters to cardell at
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the above address.
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We encourage our readers to submit articles and to send in bits of news
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from everywhere. Local or worldwide doesn't matter -- we publish it.
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Send mail to the editors.
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E D I T O R I A L S
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EDIB^HTORIAL
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by mikael cardell
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Another editorial from the closet? Yes, but this one will be rather
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short and my only contribution to this issue. I'll be back in coming
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issues, but this particular one collides with a lot of things in Real
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Life. Perhaps the birth of our child will be within deadline? If so,
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you'll be seeing a little announcement shouting out that I'm a proud
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father!
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So, besides increasing the population of this crowded planet, what's
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mikael up to? I hope you'll notice with the publication of the spunk
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press manifesto in this issue. This is what my friend and co-editor
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Chuck, myself, Ian Heavens of UK and the holder of anarchy-list, Jack
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Jansen will be doing; publishing and distributing alternative
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literature in electronic form.
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My personal wish is that spunk press will establish a relation with
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the Free Access Foundation (FAF) so we can give the blessings of the
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net to even more potential readers by establishing free access sites
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all over the world. I hope I'll be able to do just this myself as soon
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as I get my *grumble, grumble* computers working allright.
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I'm also trying to establish contacts with sysops of public access
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BBS's to encourage them to carry spunk press material as well as
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e-literature from Project Gutenberg and the Online Book Initative. I
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would like to see these BBS's as the new (electronic) libraries that,
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instead of lending you a book, gives it to you. Get in touch if
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you're a sysop.
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Well, get in touch anyway -- we do like feedback, sometimes. I'm out
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of here. See you around...
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closet% logout
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@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
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Editorial from the U.S.
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State of Anarchy 1993
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by Chuck
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Another year has passed, a year that saw the international anarchist movement
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continue to grow. I'm very optimistic about the coming year and the prospects
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for more anarchy for the rest of this millenium. Last year saw the growth and
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appearance of many new zine and anarchist projects. It also included many
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changes and probably the natural demise of several projects. A successful
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gathering was held in the Fall in Bloomington, Indiana and I heard that
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another was held in southern California. One anarchist activist was harassed
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by the Feds when he made anti-Bush remarks on the Internet. Anti-convention
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demos were held in New York and Houston. Anarchy continued to blossom on the
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Internet, the worldwide electronic networks of networks. One of the projects
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that was created on and will be available on the Internet is announced
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elsewhere in this issue.
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While some envious critics, who obviously wear blinders, continue to herald
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the death of the anarchist movement, the facts consistently belie their
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observations. As the anarchist movement enters 1993, it's probably as strong
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as it was in the early part of this century. There are thousands of anarchist
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activists around the world who are organizing, publishing, building and doing
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all kinds of things. I certainly find it hard to keep up with all the
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anarchist literature that I get in the mail. Interest in anarchy is higher
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than it's been in a long time. I talk to folks in other cities and they tell
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me about all the people who show up at their local meetings. They're having
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to beat them off with a stick! Locally in Madison, attempts at building a
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local group and scene have been moderately successful. The number of
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consistent attendees at our local meetings haven't been high, but there
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obviously are many self-identified anarchists and anti-authoritarians around.
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The problem is, of course, getting them motivated and organized.
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So, what is on this anarchist's mind as we enter 1993? Unity. I'd like to
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see the North American anarchist movement cooperate more. I'm not asking for
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or looking for one big continental anarchist network or organization. Calls
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for such things are foolish. A big network already exists, only it doesn't
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have a name and doesn't need one. I'd like to see more tolerance and
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cooperation among the diverse anarchist groups, networks, and projects. I'd
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like too see fewer nasty put downs of other anarchists for not being
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"anarchist" enough. Sure, criticism is still needed and useful, but the
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rumors and name-calling need to stop. All anarchists should not be alike--
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that is the strength of diversity and diversity is part of the anarchist
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vision. We need to tolerate our differences better. Some of us are going to
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do more "violent" direct action than others. Some of us choose to be
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nonviolent. And we don't have to choose one way or another. Tactics and
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lifestyles and approaches and tendencies can be part of a spectrum and they
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can be complementary.
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We need to get beyond thinking in terms of "correct" anarchist options. If we
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expect an anarchist society to be open-minded, let's be open-minded ourselves.
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Who do I support? I support Anarchy magazine in Columbia and its wonderful
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obtuseness at times. I support the Wind Chill project in Chicago and their
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militant attitude. I support the folks at Social Anarchism and their
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scholarly approach. I support the Love & Rage network and its growing pains
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(looks like they are starting to decentralize more). I support Dreamtime
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Village. I support the Anarchist Youth Federation. I support Bob Black and
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his wonderful rants. I support John Zerzan and his writings, even if they
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give me artist's block. I support the punk attitude of the folks at Second
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Guess zine in Nevaduh. Hooray for the Emma Center and the great attitude of
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Profane Existence. Life without the folks in Bloomington would be like life
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without pizza. I support Large Larry in San Francisco. Three cheers for the
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folks at Autonomedia and their great books. I support the Meander Whatever-
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Its-Name-Is-Now and those who espouse nonviolent anarchy. Go Fifth Estate Go-
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-Beat State! I support...many others which space limits who I can include.
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Let's keep those activists on their toes who might become complacent now "that
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Clinton is in office." One activist friend has talked to me about the drop-
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off in participation in her progressive group since November. Hey folks,
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Clinton isn't going to change the things that need to be changed, but hey,
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maybe I'm preaching to the converted. Anarchists need to be vocal in their
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criticisms of Clinton and his new cronies. We also should point out to those
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fascists who'd want to join us in this that their system is no better. It's
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business as usual for the American empire and this will become all too clear
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for more and more people over the next couple of years.
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In 1993, let's fight those who would keep us marginalized, whether they be the
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state, the CEOs, the Left, or those within our own movement. Hey kids, I want
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to see anarchy everywhere. It's more than just some alternative hobby or
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clothing option. I want to see it gain mainstream acceptance. I don't want
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to have to explain what it is anymore. I want to see a time when there is no
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need anymore for anarchist activists. I want anarchy and I want it--now!
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Let's see more anarchist cooperation in 1993. We are, after all, supposed to
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be cooperative!
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N E W S & S C E N E R E P O R T S
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subject: Black Panther's parole date set
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posted by: autonome forum
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--
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Sundiata Acoli's Coming Up For Parole
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After 20 long, hard years, Sundiata Acoli, ex-Black Panther,
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is coming up for parole in early 1993. Because of his outstanding
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achievements, New Jersey Department of Corrections recently
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restored all of the "good time" they had taken from him during the
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early 70's; which made him immediately eligble for parole. Yet the
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parole board plans to give him a 10 year "hit", meaning, "Do 10
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more years!" We are asking all people concerned about justice to
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write the parole board today, demanding that Sundiata be released
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when he comes up for parole. Send personal and form letters and
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signature petitions to:
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The New Jersey State Parole Board
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CN-862
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Trenton, NJ
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08625 USA
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(609) 292 4257
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Also send a copy of your letter or petition to:
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Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign
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P.O. Box 5538, Manhattanville Station
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Harlem, NY
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10027 USA
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(203) 966 9048
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This will help his attorney, Jill Soffiyah Elijah, (718) 575 4460
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(Work); (718) 575 4478 (FAX); (718) 282 3576 (Home), verify to the
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parole board that the letters and petitions were sent.
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A Bit Of History About Sundiata
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In 1973, Sundiata and Assata Shakur were captured after a
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shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike during which their companion
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Zayd Shakur and a state trooper, Werner Foerster, were killed.
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Following a highly publicized trial, Sundiata was convicted
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and sentenced to life at Trenton State Prison. There he was
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confined for 5 years in a MCU isolation cell which was smaller then
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the SPCA's space requirement for a 90 lb. German Shepherd dog. He
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was then secretly transferred over 1,000 miles to the infamous
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Federal Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois, although he had no
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federal charges or convictions. An entrance physical exam showed
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that Sundiata had been heavily exposed to tuberculosis while he was
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at Trenton Prison. Even so, for the next 8 years at Marion, he was
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confined 23 hours per day in an isolation cell containing only a
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stone bed, toilet bowl and sink. Finally in 1987, Sundiata was
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transferred to general population at Leavenworth Federal
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Penitentiary, Kansas.
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Sundiata has had only one minor disciplinary infraction in the
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last 10 years. At Leavenworth he has maintained a straight "A"
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average in all his college courses while earning diplomas in both
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Desktop Computers and Paralegal Real Estate Law. He has also
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received "above average" job-performance ratings and he has worked
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7 days per week for the last 5 years as a cellblock janitor.
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Because of his outstanding record, the New Jersey Department
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of Corrections recently restored the 2.5 years of "good time" he
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had lost while confined in Trenton's MCU Unit; which made him
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immediately eligible for parole. Yet the New Jersey Parole Board
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plans to "hit" him with 10 more years when he comes up for parole.
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For Sundiata, already 56 years old and infected with tuberculosis,
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that will amount to a death sentence. Write the parole board today,
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and demand that Sundiata be released at his parole hearing.
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Books/Pamphlets By Sundiata
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Sunviews (Book) $5.00
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Bits 'N' Pieces (Pamphlet) $2.50
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The Liveright Interview (Pamphlet) $2.50
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Brief History Of The New Afrikan Prison Struggle (Pamphlet) $3.00
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Prisoner Prices (Payable by cheque, cash or stamps): Sunviews -
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$1.00, Any pamphlet - $.60
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Add $1.00 to the total amount for postage and handling. Order from
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the National Office or the nearest Regional Coordinator.
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Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (SAFC)
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Co-counsels: Jill Soffiyah Elijah and Nkecki Taifa
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National Coordinators: Susan Burnett and Ali Bey Hassan
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Operations: Sunni Acoli
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Spokesperson: Shiriki Unganisha
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National Office
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SAFC
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P.O. Box 5538, Manhattanville Station
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Harlem, NY
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10027 USA
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(203) 966 9048
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Regional Coordinators
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New Jersey
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Bonnie Kerness
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(201) 643 3192
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SAFC
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972 Broad St., 6th Floor
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Newark, NJ
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07102 USA
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Midwest
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Hondo T'chikwa
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(312) 737 8679
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SAFC
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P.O. Box 579154
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Chicago, IL
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60657-9154 USA
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Central
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Shiriki Unganisha
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(816) 333 9814
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SAFC
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P.O. Box 5161
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Kansas City, MO
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64132 USA
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West Coast
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SAFC
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c/o Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
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5356 S. Crenshaw Blvd.
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Los Angeles, CA
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90043 USA
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Write to Sundiata!
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Sundiata Acoli #39794-066
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P.O. Box 1000
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Leavenworth, KS
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66048 USA
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--
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autonome forum: aforum@moose.uvm.edu
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"solidarity is a weapon!"
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--
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C U L T U R E S C E N E
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Zine Reviews
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by Chuck
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Support your favorite zine by sending them some bucks!
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MSRRT Newsletterv.5, no.9 / November 1992
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Chris Dodge / Jan DeSirey * 4645 Columbus Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407
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Excellent newsletter put out by some radical librarians who happen to live in
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Minnesota. Features short news updates on things of interest to progressive
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librarians, including a tidbit on the Emma Center in Minneapolis. Periodical
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and zine reviews are also included. First page article on voting which
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includes a great quote from Jello Biafra: " I cannot in good conscience vote
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for George Wallace disguised as a yuppie."
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World Domination Review#5 / Winter 1992/93
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Larry & Sandra Taylor * 5825 Balsam Rd. #4, Madison, WI 53711
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This zine has some pretty hip political humor. Feature "article" is titled
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"Hitler's brain found alive by Clinton team in the White House." Short, but
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shows the potential of DIY humor zines. [Quarterly. $1]
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Blue Ryder#27 / December 1992
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Box 587 * Olean, NY 14760
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Reviews other zines and reprints stuff from othe publications. [Tabloid /
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Monthly / $8/12 issues / 12pp]
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Harmful Matter#2
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PO Box 3642, Terre Haute, IN 47803
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This funny anarchist zine is a gas! I haven't laughed this hard while reading
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a zine since the old days of Popular Reality. The detourned turkey /
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Thanksgiving graphic on the back cover is worth more than winning the fuckin
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lottery. Features in this issue include pieces on bisexuality, being fat in
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today's society, rewritten punk versions of the pledge of allegiance, album
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cover reviews, and a rport from my friend Joseph on the wonderful anarchist
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revolution in Bloomington, Indiana. Definitely worth checking out. [Trade,
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two stamps, or 50 cents]
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Instead of A Magazinev.11, no.55-56
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PO Box 76 * Shingletown, CA 96088
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This issue's theme is "higher education" and the problems with it. Also read
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about editor Michael Ziesing's impending relocation to SE Asia.
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Ship of FoolsJuly / September 1992
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PO Box 2062, Westmister, MD 21158
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Kif is hopefully free of government shenanigans now and has managed to put out
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this excellent zine. If he keeps putting this one out, it has all the
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potential to become a sort of Utne Reader for anarchists. We all know that
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Utne sucks, but Kif's zine features excerpts from the anarchist press (another
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zine like this is SLAM). Read more about how the feds seized the Davis
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family's computers after delivering a bogus UPS package containing pot. Great
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coverage of radical news. Check out the pro-hemp stuff, news about cops,
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anti-racist organizing, political prisoner updates, zine reviews, and the
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piece on t-shirts for cops which celebrate polic brutality. Highly
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recommended. [$2]
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Imminent Strike #4
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504 W. 24th #81, Austin, TX 78705
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Anarchist zine from Texas. Articles on nomadism, anarcho-tribalism, and
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travelling autonomous zones. [8pp]
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Incite Informationv.3, no.6 / January-February 1993
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1507 E. Franklin St. #530, Chapel hill, NC 27514
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A fine anarcho-libertarian zine from North Carolina. This issue includes
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scads of letters, an essay on the new Clinton administration, a piece on the
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world of investigative journalism, and book reviews. Includes a section on
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news that you don't hear about--sections like these are a true strength of
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today's zines. [$10/six issues]
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West Coast Libertarianv.12, no.6 / Deceember 1992
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Greater Vancouver Libertarian Association * 922 Cloverly St., North Vancouver,
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BC V7L 1N3, Canada
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Libertarian party news and opinion from the canadian Pacific northwest. These
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folks are also apparently active on the Internet.
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Kick It Over#30
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PO Box 5811, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5W 1P2
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This issue's focus is on elections with a Canadian flavor. Readers of
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Practical Anarchy know that the last issue of this zine talked about
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elections. I'm burned out on this issue, but this issue of KIO offers some
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more views. Anarchists should protest all elections, not just the ones where
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national leaders are chosen. Several great anti-election graphics here. Be
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sure to check out the articles on the SDS, the college peace movement, and the
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news brief sections and resource reviews. KIO is looking better all the time.
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The new collective deserves your support. [Canada: $9/4 issues. U.S.: $9/4
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issues]
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Second Guess#5 / Winter '92-93
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PO Box 9382, Reno, NV 89507
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Nevada's zine of music, zines, and scams. Find out here what punks should be
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wearing this year. Feature story covers local shows that the editors have
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seen recently. A fine example of today's anarcho-punk zines. Music, zine,
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and even TV commercial reviews. [$2]
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The Infinite Onion7
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PO Box 263, Colorado Springs, CO 80901
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Anarcho-punk zine featuring a free form layout with loads of graphics,
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articles, and several punk-style practical anarchy suggestions. Zine reviews,
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an article on Alexander Berkman and one on beating piss tests. These folks
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also do distro of zines, t-shirts, patches and music. [$1.50]
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Wind Chill Factor#8 / November - December 1992
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PO Box 81961, Chicago, IL 60681
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Chick-full of articles on everything of interest to anarchists. One of the
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most exciting projects in the U.S. today. [Trades, $1.50 / 1 issue, $8 / 6
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issues
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Rolling StoneFebruary 4, 1993
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Oh, brother. This glossy waste of paper discovers the DIY music scene and
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Riots Grrrls in this issue. Of course, they do a very half-assed job of it
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too. The article on the 7 inch scene mostly covers what big labels are doing
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to capture this "market segment." The author concludes with a reassurance
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that the 7" phenomenon is only a temporary one and that soon it will be U2 as
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usual. RS also reviews two Riot Grrls bands and one male reviewer dismisses
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Bikini Kill as more "Sabbath-like" noise. Oh yes, check out the special
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Marlboro catalog pull-out and the slick Calvin Klein, Guess, Ford and Polo
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ads. Give me MRR any day of the week.
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Vomit Blood#3
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PO Box 65072, St. Paul, MN 55165-0072
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Anarcho-punk zine which celebrates the DIY attitude. Poetry, punx and
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recycling, and a tribute to Lard gore zine. [2 stamps or trade]
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EIDOS: Sexual Freedom & Erotic Entertainment For Women, Men & Couples.vol.6,
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no.4
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PO Box 96, Boston, MA 02137
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This newspaper for those interested in erotic entertainment is an outpoken
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advocate of sexual freedom. Each issue includes articles, updates on the
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editor's work on behalf of sexual freedom, letters, book reviews, and pages of
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uncensored personal ads. [Quarterly. $10 / issue. Tabloid. 72pp]
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Venus Envy#1
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PO Box 3642, Terre Haute, IN 47803
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An illustrated look on what it is like to be a "fat" woman in today's Cindy
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Crawford society. Personal account is very moving. Highly recommended. [2
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stamps or trade]
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A N N O U N C E M E N T S
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SPUNK PRESS MANIFESTO
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@
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S P U N K P R E S S
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|
The excuse for the existence of SPUNK PRESS is the desire of some
|
|
individuals to see alternative literature continue to flourish, but
|
|
this time online!
|
|
|
|
The policy of SPUNK PRESS is to act as an independent publisher of
|
|
works converted to, or produced in, electronic format and to spread
|
|
them as far as possible on the Internet and in the BBS society free of
|
|
charge. The work may not necessarily originate from someone with net
|
|
access. The major interest of SPUNK PRESS is alternative literature
|
|
and anarchist material, both old, converted, and newly produced.
|
|
|
|
We want to help zine editors, flypost authors and others who desire a
|
|
wider audience to convert or to produce their works in an electronic
|
|
format and give them the opportunity to use our distribution channels,
|
|
FTP sites, mailing lists and whatever other means we might have within
|
|
our powers.
|
|
|
|
We welcome fanzines, pamphlets, books and portions of books, articles,
|
|
manifestos, quotations, interviews, bibliographies, reviews, posters,
|
|
and other material, both in-print and out-of-print.
|
|
|
|
You can snarf what we have published so far from:
|
|
red.css.itd.umich.edu (IP Number: 141.211.182.91)
|
|
/poli/Spunk/texts
|
|
|
|
This manifesto and other internal Spunk Press documents can be found in
|
|
/poli/Spunk/info; in particular, there is an introduction to the archive
|
|
in /poli/Spunk/info/Introduction. To submit material, get the file
|
|
/poli/Spunk/info/How.To.Submit from the FTP site mentioned above or contact
|
|
the editorial collective.
|
|
|
|
If you do not have ftp access, you can get documents by sending electronic
|
|
mail requests to a mail server (such as ftpserv@lysator.liu.se). Type "help"
|
|
in the body of the message for instructions to change and list directories,
|
|
and retrieve files from the archive.
|
|
|
|
To get on our mailing list send a note to
|
|
|
|
spunk-list-request@lysator.liu.se
|
|
|
|
so you can be a part of the coordination of actions taken.
|
|
|
|
The mailing list is the forum for decision making at SPUNK PRESS, but
|
|
if there is no clear consensus, or the consensus is at variance with
|
|
anarchist ideas, the collective decides.
|
|
|
|
The collective is composed of people with a reasonable commitment to
|
|
doing some aspect of the work at SPUNK PRESS, and will be extended to
|
|
those who are like-minded.
|
|
|
|
If you would like to reach the editorial collective of SPUNK PRESS,
|
|
write to:
|
|
|
|
Mikael Cardell <cardell@lysator.liu.se>
|
|
Linkoping
|
|
SWEDEN
|
|
|
|
Chuck Munson <ctmunson@macc.wisc.edu>
|
|
c/o Practical Anarchy
|
|
PO Box 173
|
|
Madison, WI 53701-0173
|
|
U.S.A
|
|
|
|
Jack Jansen <jack.jansen@cwi.nl>
|
|
Amsterdam
|
|
HOLLAND
|
|
|
|
Spunk Press Manifesto Version 1.023rd December 1992
|
|
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
CO-EDITOR OF P@O BECOMES FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
Mikael Cardell became the father of a baby boy (name yet to be determined)
|
|
this last Sunday, January 17th, 1993. Congratulations!
|
|
|
|
|
|
P R A C T I C A L A N A R C H Y
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Boycott & Buycott
|
|
by Chuck0
|
|
The next issue of PA will have more on why anarchists should actively oppose
|
|
capitalism.
|
|
|
|
Boycott:
|
|
Colorado: Last November, the majority of voters in this state approved a
|
|
Constitutional Amendment which "overturned all of their state's Gay and
|
|
Lesbian rights ordinances and banned the passage of any more such ordinances."
|
|
Several groups have called for boycotts of the state until this amendment is
|
|
thrown out. Some steps you can take to support the boycott:
|
|
|
|
* Urge any organizations or professional associations that you belong to to
|
|
not schedule any meetings, events, or conventions there. As a member of the
|
|
American Library Association I will lobby it to not have any conventions there
|
|
in the future (the ALA will probably do this anyway). If you are a SF fan, or
|
|
professional or member of a special interest organization, you should do the
|
|
same.
|
|
|
|
Other suggestions from the Wisconsin Light:
|
|
* Do not vacation in Colorado. Do not be part of any convention or group
|
|
meeting in the state.
|
|
* Do not buy any product made in or distributed from Colorado. This, of
|
|
course, includes Coors beer (a notorius backer of right-wing causes), but
|
|
there are numerous other products as well. When you're shopping, look at the
|
|
labels on cans and packages. They will say where they come from. If it's
|
|
Colorado, choose some other brand.
|
|
* Write a letter to the mayor of Colorado Springs [the home base of CFV, the
|
|
group that sponsored the amendment]. The address: Mayor Robert Isaac, City
|
|
Administration Building, P.O. Box 1575, Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Write a
|
|
letter to the governor. Gov. Ray Roemer, State Capitol Bldg. Rm. 136, Denver,
|
|
CO 80203.
|
|
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
ZENDIK FARM
|
|
From: wixer!cactus.org!hogbbs.scol.pa.us!wce@cs.utexas.edu (Bill Eichman)
|
|
|
|
To the autopia list--
|
|
|
|
This is a post that I wrote for another "cyber community" oriented list--
|
|
I repost it here, without corrections or improvements, to add to Paco's
|
|
writing about the Zendiks.
|
|
|
|
Starting with landbased communities, perhaps located at the ocean's edge,
|
|
seems a logical step towards a seacolony effort....
|
|
|
|
==========================================================================
|
|
|
|
Hello, Folks, April 28, 1992
|
|
|
|
This past weekend I spent some time talking with Arol Wulf and three
|
|
other members of the Zendik Farm, a community that has been mentioned in
|
|
other letters here in this mailist.
|
|
|
|
I first heard about Zendik farm some 4-5 years ago, when one of the
|
|
people on my network passed on to me a package of Zendik literature and
|
|
a copy of a videotape, "Arol Wulf Raps", distributed by this community.
|
|
|
|
Some month's ago my beloved gave the videotape of Arol Wulf to some of the
|
|
women who were organizing the Earth Day celebration at Penn State
|
|
University-- and these women decided to spend some university funds
|
|
earmarked for Earth Day to bring Arol Wulf here and have her speak.
|
|
I guess because I am a person of some prestige in the ecology activism
|
|
groups here at PSU, when the time came it seemed to fall naturally on
|
|
my shoulders to take Arol and her friends out for dinner afterwards, and
|
|
I ended up being able to "interview" the visiting Zendiks for quite a
|
|
few hours, over a period of two days.
|
|
|
|
So, I'm going to try to encapsulate some of my impressions here, and
|
|
bounce them around to folks. Maybe it will stimulate some
|
|
possiblilities.
|
|
|
|
*********************************************************************
|
|
>From their somewhat less funky flyer:
|
|
|
|
---------------------------------
|
|
ZENDIK FARM ECOLIBRIUM FOUNDATION
|
|
---------------------------------
|
|
|
|
What is Zendik Farm and the Zendick Farm Ecolibrium Foundation?
|
|
|
|
Zendik farm is a 21-year old intentional community of artists,
|
|
craftspeople, and organic farmers. We offer apprenticeship programs to
|
|
youth from all over the world. These young people live at this drug-free
|
|
community and can learn any art or craft, organic farming techniques,
|
|
as well as learning how to build alternative living structures and work
|
|
with appropriate technology. They also learn the art of cooperation
|
|
within a working alternative social structure.
|
|
|
|
Recently Zendik Farm has begun to work on amending the constitution
|
|
with an ecological Bill of Rights. We've contacted scientists,
|
|
activists, and artists throughout the United States to help us draft
|
|
this amendment. We feel the validity of this proposal is undeniable and
|
|
have found support from many of these people.
|
|
|
|
The Zendik Farm Ecoloibrium Foundation is dedicated to the
|
|
sustainability of the human species through the promotion,
|
|
demonstration, and practice of the socio/political philosophy known as
|
|
ecolibrium. Ecolibrium's central premise is taking responsibility on a
|
|
holistic level, i.e., socially, ecologically, and politically. The
|
|
foundation works from this open-ended philosophy as the viable
|
|
alternative to the oncoming extinction of the human species. Therefore,
|
|
Zrendik farm's primary function is to teach and help others practice
|
|
this democratic, ecology-based, and cooperative social structure.
|
|
|
|
The Zendik Farm Ecolibrium Foundation is committed to the survival and
|
|
well-being of all species and to the purity of the elements that sustain
|
|
life. A fundamental truth of our time is, that without a dramatic
|
|
change from the competitive consumer society to an ecological and
|
|
cooperative society, humanity will cease to exist. The technical
|
|
knowledge exists right now to heal our earth. Zendik Farm's work is to
|
|
pursue and live out the cultural philosophy that can implement this
|
|
knowledge. We communicate through numerous artforms such as literature,
|
|
music, theatre, dance, and video; and we work to make life Art itself.
|
|
|
|
We wish to work with as many individuals and groups as our time and
|
|
energy allows. We believe in cooperation, not competition. We believe
|
|
humans everywhere can get together and create a benevolent, pleasurable
|
|
culture.
|
|
|
|
ZENDIK FARM, Star Route 16C-3, Bastrop, Tx, 78602, (512)321-0604 or 0845
|
|
|
|
|
|
*********************************************************************
|
|
>From their funky flyer:
|
|
|
|
WHAT IS ZENDIK FARM?
|
|
|
|
Zendik Farm is a cooperative community of artists, activists, and
|
|
organic farmers started 22 years ago by Arol and Wulf Zendik as a refuge
|
|
for artists and musicians to work out of the city and free of
|
|
conventional resraints. Over the years and through many changes, Zendik
|
|
farm has evolved into a radical movement for social and ecological
|
|
change. Through opur techniques and way of life we are building a strong
|
|
new culture based on honesty, cooperation, creativity, and universal
|
|
responsibility. Since our founding in 1969 we have drawn people from
|
|
aroundf the world. The group is constantly being infused with new blood,
|
|
mostly youth from the ages of 15-25, who are fed up with the way the
|
|
world is being ripped off and ruined.
|
|
|
|
Zendik Farm is a 300-acre certified organic farm outside of Austin,
|
|
Texas where we build and design our own housing, do our own mechanics,
|
|
and grow our own food without pesticides. We also raise animals, dairy
|
|
goats, horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, geese, and a few dairy cows.
|
|
The community is intensely artistic; we do theatre, tattooing,
|
|
publishing, pottery, metalwork, music, video, fashion, amd dance, just
|
|
to name a few.
|
|
|
|
The Zendik farm zeen is the largest and most widely distributed
|
|
underground mag in the world. It covers the Zendik philosophical and
|
|
political stance on everything from ecology and sexuality to
|
|
literature, art, and science, and the occult. We distribute it around
|
|
the country ourselves at 'select' street corners, college campuses,
|
|
health food stores, and supermarkets. We survive financially from
|
|
donations brought in by our mag-zeen, music tapes and donations from our
|
|
apprenticeship program. Our TV shows are run in series on Access cable
|
|
stations in cities around the world, such as Austin, San Francisco,
|
|
Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Boulder, and in England.
|
|
|
|
At this point in history, as humanity continues it's devastation of
|
|
nature, we realize it is our responsibility to change. Change ourselves
|
|
and everything before it is to late for us as well as all other life on
|
|
this planet. We believe that ecology is our only true religion, Truth
|
|
the only valid pursuit, and cooperation the only workable social ideal.
|
|
It's too late for everything else.
|
|
|
|
Zendik farm offers short and long term apprenticeships to people who are
|
|
looking for a responsible, funky alternative to the drudgery of life in
|
|
the DeathKultur. Apprenticeship tuition is on a sliding scale based on
|
|
individual situations and length of stay; we can also arrange for school
|
|
credit.
|
|
|
|
Call us for details: 512-321-0845 or 512-321-0712. Ask for Shey, Jinn,
|
|
Ix, Nom, or Nez.
|
|
|
|
************************************************************************
|
|
|
|
For all intents and purposes, Zendik Farm is a classic counterculture
|
|
commune. It has 45 members on a 300 acre farm in texas-- though, two
|
|
years ago, they were just making the move from their third farm, a 75
|
|
acre place in southern california. The members live in a relatively
|
|
intense communal style, six to a room in a rambling old farmhouse,
|
|
awaiting the construction of more living cabins which are being
|
|
constructed now, and several of which will be comnpleted by the fall.
|
|
For all their crowding, the people I talked to-- Arol Wulf, a 53-year
|
|
old woman and one of the defacto leaders of the community, Shey, a 23
|
|
year old woman, Zoe, a 20 year old man, and Geb, a 19 year old man,
|
|
seemed very happy with what was happening at the farm. They all
|
|
handled themselves very well, extremely well considering their 30 hour
|
|
drive and the nervewracking nature of coming to a strange town to give a
|
|
speech and distribute t-shirts and publications.
|
|
|
|
The Zendiks promote a distinct "Back-to-the-land" and local reliance
|
|
approach to communities, but they include computers and information
|
|
technology in their concept of community. Their magazine is
|
|
dtp'd/produced with a fairly hefty donated Macintosh system, and the
|
|
magazine (also called "Zendik Farm") is the primary income source for
|
|
the community. They claim to print 50,000 issues every quarter, and
|
|
that theirs is the largest-circulation alternative magazine published
|
|
in the world.
|
|
|
|
Apparently they're relative newcomers to the net. They've recently
|
|
gotten an Econet account, but while they vaguely knew that lower cost and
|
|
broadly based nets like internet and usenet, etc, etc, existed, and that
|
|
they should know more about them, not much had been done to get
|
|
connected. (Of course, they've only been in texas a short while, less
|
|
than two years, and are 35 miles out in the boondocks of Austin, and
|
|
probably had to worry about getting their farm going far more than about
|
|
being gabby on the networks...;-}. ) They didn't have their new Econet
|
|
address available when they talked with me-- maybe I'll be able to get
|
|
it sooner or later.
|
|
|
|
They're also pretty concentrated on farming the land, which is
|
|
supposedly certified organic ( The only way I can figure that is if the
|
|
Texas organic certification system is more lenient than the Cal or Pa
|
|
certfication, though maybe the fact that the farm was unoccupied for
|
|
seven years was factored in...). They're raising animals, many of which
|
|
they brought from Ca., and seem to have the classic grain and bean diet
|
|
with vegetables, eggs, milk from goats and newly-bartered-for cows, and
|
|
occasional meat from their fowl and purchases from neighboring farmers.
|
|
(When asked about aquaculture, they claimed to be planning to set up
|
|
systems after housing is built.) At least some of their income is
|
|
obtained through selling organic grain and nuts (from trees already on
|
|
the property) to natural foods stores in California.
|
|
|
|
They print and dye T-shirts, some of which are pretty fine if you're
|
|
into the tie-dye look. They've definitely got some fairly handy black
|
|
and white line-drawing artists doing designs for shirts, magazine illos,
|
|
and book and tape covers. They publish six or eight small press books,
|
|
none of which I got the chance to read. (some seemed to be poetry, some
|
|
philosophy.) They have enough of a recording studio to produce a
|
|
half-dozen tapes (none of which I listened to...), and maintain a band
|
|
which, through playing clubs and events and making tapes, is another
|
|
major source of Zendik income. They produce occasional videos of the
|
|
talking head or recorded speech sort, and Arol Wulf appears on a public
|
|
access cable show that Zendik produces.
|
|
|
|
This makes for a pretty complete media blitz, all things considered;-).
|
|
|
|
Well, I'm getting tired here-- I'll mail this and maybe write some more
|
|
in a few days....
|
|
|
|
Later, Bill
|
|
|
|
ps Rural texas has no building codes, they say. The IRS has never bothered
|
|
them, and by living at below poverty line incomes they pretty much don't
|
|
pay taxes (I wonder about social security?).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N E T W O R K I N G
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
alt.amateur-comp Charter
|
|
|
|
Alt.amateur-comp is a conference where readers
|
|
and writers can discuss the articles and subjects that appear in
|
|
the electronic and printed newsletter "The Amateur Computerist".
|
|
The Amateur Computerist was born out of the battle to continue
|
|
computer programming classes for workers at the Ford Rouge
|
|
Factory in Dearborn, MI after Ford and UAW officials ended the
|
|
classes in February 1987. In our first issue we wrote: "There
|
|
was an effort by administrators of the UAW-Ford program at the
|
|
Dearborn Engine Plant to kill interest in computers and computer
|
|
programming. We want to keep interest alive because computers are
|
|
the future." ("Introduction", vol I, no. 1)
|
|
|
|
The first issue of the newsletter was published February 11,
|
|
1988 and dedicated to the Flint sitdown pioneers who began the
|
|
UAW. Articles have appeared in the newsletter from some of those
|
|
pioneers who welcomed the newsletter and the computer, saying,
|
|
"From the Great Wall to the Great Pyramid, from the hieroglypics
|
|
to the screen of the computer, mankind is still
|
|
progressing." ("Dawn of a New Era", vol I, no. 1)
|
|
The sitdowner pioneers who built the UAW believed that the
|
|
problems of automation had still to be solved by the upcoming
|
|
generation.
|
|
|
|
The newsletter is dedicated to support for grassroots
|
|
efforts and movements like the "computers for the people
|
|
movement" that gave birth to the personal computer in the
|
|
1970's and 1980's. Hard efforts of many people over hundreds
|
|
of years led to the production of a working computer in the
|
|
1940's and then a personal computer that people could afford in
|
|
the 1970's. This history has been serialized in several issues of
|
|
the newsletter.
|
|
|
|
Most recently the newsletter has begun an online edition that is
|
|
available free. We are beginning to document the progressive
|
|
impact of democratic developments like usenet news and the
|
|
internet and we plan to have a supplement dedicated to these
|
|
developments.
|
|
|
|
The Amateur Computerist was described by Andrew Ross and
|
|
Constance Pawley in their recent book "Technoculture" (Univ of
|
|
Minnesota Press, 1991, p. 125) as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
"When worker education classes in computer programming were
|
|
discontinued by management at the Ford Rouge Plant in
|
|
Dearborn, Michigan, United Auto Workers members began to
|
|
publish a newsletter called the 'Amateur Computerist' to
|
|
fill the gap. Among the columnists and correspondents in
|
|
the magazine have been veterans of the Flint sit-down strikes
|
|
who see a clear historical continuity between the problem of
|
|
labor organization in the thirties and the problem of
|
|
automation and deskilling today. Workers' computer literacy
|
|
is seen as essential not only to the demystification of the
|
|
computer and the reskilling of workers, but also to labor's
|
|
capacity to intervene in decisions about new technologies
|
|
that might result in shorter hours and thus in `work
|
|
efficiency' rather than worker efficiency."
|
|
|
|
The newsgroup will also make available the electronic
|
|
version of the Amateur Computerist when a new issue is published.
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
One of the reasons for proposing this group is that there is
|
|
currently no place on usenet that we know of where issues involving
|
|
computers and workers are dealt with.
|
|
|
|
If you wish to directly contact the editors write to either
|
|
Ronda Hauben at ae547@yfn.ysu.edu or ronda@umcc.ais.org
|
|
or
|
|
Michael Hauben at hauben@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu
|
|
or am893@cleveland.freenet.edu
|
|
|
|
|
|
A R T I C L E S
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
INTRODUCTION TO THE WOBBLIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD (I.W.W.)
|
|
|
|
Every worker is an industrial worker, whether that industry be
|
|
steel, health care, tourism or education. If you earn your living
|
|
by working with you hands or mind, then you're welcome to join
|
|
the I.W.W.
|
|
|
|
The Wobblies (as members of the I.W.W. are known) have historically
|
|
organized those workers that the A.F.L. had shunned. In the early
|
|
days that meant blacks, immigrants, women and unskilled laborers.
|
|
Today we find the I.W.W. organizing office workers, environmental
|
|
canvassers, housewives and prisoners, as well as the homeless and
|
|
unemployed.
|
|
|
|
Can the I.W.W. help me improve the working conditions or wages at
|
|
my current job?
|
|
|
|
That depends on you. The I.W.W. does not provide an all-knowing
|
|
leadership or hefty treasury to fight your battles for you. But
|
|
if you're willing to organize on the job-site by talking with
|
|
your co-workers about the issues that matter to them, then you
|
|
can count on your fellow workers in the I.W.W. to lend their full
|
|
support to your struggle.
|
|
|
|
In 1909, when Wobblies in Spokane were being thrown in jail for
|
|
speaking on street corners, hundreds more came west on boxcars
|
|
to help them. In the first of a series of "Free Speech Fights",
|
|
Wobblies took turns speaking and being arrested, packing the
|
|
jails and courts, until they won the right to speak in public. It's
|
|
their fierce commitment to social justice that makes "worker
|
|
solidarity" in the I.W.W. a force to be reckoned with.
|
|
|
|
What is the relationship of the I.W.W. and mainstream labor unions?
|
|
|
|
For many decades, the leadership of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. has worked
|
|
hand in hand with the capitalists to squelch rank and file
|
|
militancy. Their overriding concern has been "industrial harmony,"
|
|
not social justice, and so they fail to question the most basic
|
|
assumptions of capitalist production.
|
|
|
|
While regular trade unions split workers up into their respective
|
|
skills, allowing one craft union to cross the picketline of another,
|
|
the I.W.W. believes in one big union, organized along industrial
|
|
lines. If, for instance, the nurses go on strike, they should
|
|
be able to count on the support of the doctors, janitors,
|
|
pharmacists, and clerical workers in their hospital.
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|
|
|
Many Wobblies also belong to trade unions where they work. Here
|
|
they often agitate for more rank and file democracy. The I.W.W.
|
|
does not believe in signing away the right to strike, nor does
|
|
it recognize the authority of the courts to impose injunctions
|
|
against labor. While the I.W.W. is happy to do strike support
|
|
for other unions when necessary, we also try to keep our sights
|
|
on the bigger prize ahead.
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|
|
|
But didn't the I.W.W. die out? Are its ideas still relevant?
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|
The I.W.W. was nearly crushed in the early '20's by some of the
|
|
fiercest repression ever unleashed by big business and the U.S.
|
|
government. Because the I.W.W. had strongholds in industries
|
|
that were critical to the First World War effort, and because
|
|
they refused to sign no-strike pledges, the Wobblies were
|
|
branded "pro-Kaiser" and relentlessly persecuted.
|
|
|
|
The world economy has changed a lot since the days when the I.W.W.
|
|
controlled great sections of the logging, mining and agricultural
|
|
industries. Today, while mainstream labor tries desperately
|
|
to hold its ground against the union-busting fostered during the
|
|
Reagan/Bush era, vast new sectors of the economy have opened up
|
|
that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. would never dream of organizing.
|
|
|
|
Whether they be fast-food workers, word processors, or micro-
|
|
chip assemblers, today's non-union wage workers need the I.W.W.
|
|
even more than their predecessors. Winning the eight-hour day
|
|
was not enough. We must redefine the very meaning of work
|
|
itself, and find ways to redistribute society's wealth for
|
|
the benefit of all.
|
|
|
|
Does the I.W.W. support any political party?
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|
|
|
The I.W.W. is a labor union, not a political party. We believe
|
|
that economic justice must be achieved through economic struggle,
|
|
whether it be with our boss or landlord. The institutions of
|
|
government have always proven themselves to be the allies of
|
|
capital, so we do not wait for our freedom from wage-slavery to
|
|
be legislated.
|
|
|
|
The I.W.W. has successfully resisted attempts by various "left"
|
|
parties to make the union a mere adjunct to their political
|
|
ambitions. By refusing to endorse one party or another, the
|
|
I.W.W. has avoided the sectarian feuding that can easily destroy
|
|
a group.
|
|
|
|
Nonetheless, many of the founders of the I.W.W. were also active
|
|
in socialist politics. Eugene Debs and Big Bill Haywood are the
|
|
best-known examples. Some Wobblies consider themselves anarchists
|
|
and shun all electoral activity. Others are simply militant
|
|
unionists who would disavow all labels. Our commitment to
|
|
worker control and the abolition of capitalism makes us a "left"
|
|
organization more by default than intention.
|
|
|
|
What is direct action?
|
|
|
|
The labor movement has been most successful when it relied on the
|
|
direct intervention of the the workers to obtain their demands.
|
|
Rather than allowing professional negotiators to speak for them,
|
|
Wobblies have engaged in those tactics which they could control
|
|
themselves--strikes, slow downs, work to rule--what we call
|
|
sabotage.
|
|
|
|
Sabotage in this context does not mean arson and dynamite. It's
|
|
more properly defined as, "the conscious withdrawal of efficiency."
|
|
Staying at your workstation but reducing your production by half
|
|
will bring the bosses to their knees quicker than a whole team of
|
|
negotiators.
|
|
|
|
The I.W.W. has never advocated violence. By fighting for justice
|
|
with non-violent tactics, the I.W.W. has often won the support of an
|
|
initially mistrustful public.
|
|
|
|
What is a general strike?
|
|
|
|
A general strike is when all workers in all industries go on strike
|
|
at the same time. It may be for a limited time and have limited
|
|
demands, in which case it has the largely symbolic value of
|
|
illustrating the important point that the world doesn't function
|
|
without the workers' cooperation or indeed, their labor.
|
|
|
|
THE GENERAL STRIKE, however, is a mythological, revolutionary moment
|
|
in the future when all the workers of the world seize control of
|
|
their respective industries, and begin reorganizning their
|
|
workplaces to to meet their own needs rather than those of their
|
|
bosses. Needless to say, it will take a well educated and highly
|
|
organized working class to pull this off, and it's toward this end
|
|
that eh I.W.W. dedicates itself.
|
|
|
|
What about feminism and the I.W.W.?
|
|
|
|
Women have been active in the I.W.W. since its inception. Elizabeth
|
|
Gurley Flynn, one of the I.W.W.'s best known early agitators, once
|
|
said that, "The I.W.W. has been accused of pushing the women to the
|
|
front. The is not true. Rather, the women have not been kept in
|
|
back, and so they have naturally moved to the front."
|
|
|
|
Much of the work that has traditionally been done by women was not
|
|
recognized as such by the male-run business unions. The I.W.W.
|
|
supports the right of homemakers, sex-industry workers, and other
|
|
women to organize for better conditions and wages just like other
|
|
male workers.
|
|
|
|
What about the I.W.W. and militarism?
|
|
|
|
Every war has its losers and winners, but countries have nothing to
|
|
do with it. The ruling class inevitably makes a tidy profit from
|
|
war, while the working class loses its flesh and blood on the
|
|
frontlines. Worker solidarity does not recognize national
|
|
boundaries, but instead unites against a common class enemy. The
|
|
surest way to stop a war is by refusing to participate in it, which
|
|
is why the I.W.W. believes it's important to educate workers in the
|
|
armed forces and so-called "defense industries" about where their
|
|
real self-interest lies.
|
|
|
|
How about the environment?
|
|
|
|
Rainforest destruction, chemical spills, and acid rain are just a
|
|
few examples of how dangerous it can be to put profit before people.
|
|
Government regulation and public outcry can at best slow down
|
|
regulation and public outcry can at best slow down the destruction
|
|
of our planet, not reverse it.
|
|
|
|
But if the workers in all polluting industries were to withdraw
|
|
their labor, the poison factories could be shut down in a matter of
|
|
weeks. The workers themselves must decide whether what they produce
|
|
is socially useful and necessary or not.
|
|
|
|
So, why not become a Wobbly?
|
|
|
|
I want to become a Wobbly. I'am a worker and not an employer.
|
|
|
|
Name______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
ADDRESS___________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Dues are $3.00 for incomes of $0-800 a month, $9.00 for $800-$1,700
|
|
per month, and $12.00 for those making more than $1,700 per month.
|
|
Initiation is the equivalent of one month's dues.
|
|
Included with your membership is a subscription to the
|
|
"Industrial Worker", the Wobbly monthly newspaper; the General
|
|
Organizational Bulletin, totally unedited letters, proposals,
|
|
activities you send in, along with your fellow workers. The
|
|
G.O.B., as it's known,comes out in monthly increments. You'll
|
|
also be receiving a copy of the I.W.W. constitution which is, can
|
|
be and will be amended to wishes of the general membership.
|
|
Lastly, you'll receive your red card and union button. There was
|
|
a time in the U.S.A. when it was nigh on to impossible to hitch a
|
|
free ride on a freight train without one.
|
|
For more information:
|
|
|
|
You can phone us in the U.S.A. at (415) 863-9627 or 863-WOBS.
|
|
You can e-mail us at iww@igc.org
|
|
Our snail mail address is:
|
|
I.W.W.
|
|
1095 Market St. Suite 204
|
|
San Francisco
|
|
California 94103
|
|
U.S.A.
|
|
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
Will computers conserve or change the social structure?
|
|
by Jesper Hogstrom <jay1@hb.se>
|
|
Boras Radikala Autonoma
|
|
|
|
To examine this deep enough, I would have to define and explain what
|
|
a social structure is in general, and specifically how such a
|
|
structure is applicable on our own society. Time will not permit a too
|
|
long discussion on this, why I can give only my own point of view.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The social structure in a capitalist/liberal society like ours bases
|
|
itself on money. The more money controlled by an object, the higher
|
|
rank the object gets. This is valid for a lot of different objects
|
|
such as persons, groups of persons/families, companies and even
|
|
countries. Money comes from money but also from information, or
|
|
controll of information. Without going too far into this definition as
|
|
it would take me away from and beyond the scope of the question I'll
|
|
just tell you what you already know:
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Computers can gather information.
|
|
* Computers can evaluate massive amounts of information very rapidly.
|
|
* The more powerful a computer is, the fastar can it work and the
|
|
higher is the price.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This seems to reserve the power a computer can give to but a chosen
|
|
few. This group ought to be a rich group as computer power is
|
|
expensive. As money and power often comes in pair, this group is not
|
|
only a rich group, but also a powerful group. What they have gained by
|
|
the computers is more power giving the result they are now more
|
|
powerful than before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power is always something binare, i.e. it is operated by something on
|
|
something else. Using this definition on the earlier mentioned scene
|
|
we find an increased polarization. The already powerful groups gains
|
|
more power on behalf of the weak groups.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Now, let's stop for a moment to see who made what mistake.
|
|
|
|
* Developers of technology:
|
|
They might have acted in beleif they made what was best for
|
|
mankind. Naive, but not morally wrong in either consequentialism
|
|
nor deontology.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The people who cannot afford the new technology:
|
|
As they didn't do anything, it might at a first glance seem as if
|
|
they are innocent, and maybe they are, if in-action/inactivity is
|
|
right. But is it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
All week long they work and they strive
|
|
and when the weekend comes, they are more dead than alive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
For what purpose? To maximize happiness on the planet? Probably not
|
|
- they have helped maintain a system that createws unhappiness, so
|
|
in a utilitarian point of view they are acting wrongly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A deontologist might say they worked because of duty, or a sense of
|
|
duty. Duty yes, but mainly to save themselves from thinking, and
|
|
duty to an immoral system. Sounds wrong to me. There is never an
|
|
excuse not to make a revolution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The capitalists/capital owners:
|
|
As they benefit personally from all this, one might think they are
|
|
wrong. And they are. They have not helped increase the overall
|
|
happiness, but maintained an evil system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Have they worked in self-interest? Yes. The conclusion must be they
|
|
are wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The consequenses of all this will lead to a quantity change in power
|
|
distribution. The rich will get richer, the poor poorer. As time
|
|
passes the weak groups (of persons, countries et cetera) will feel
|
|
more and more out of touch with society. The society ruled by the rich
|
|
and powerful will no longer concern them. Adding a few other factors
|
|
this might eventually lead to a quality change in the social
|
|
structure. This is the real computer revolution. This will overthor
|
|
what is here today and hopefully, but unfortunately not necessary lead
|
|
to a new and better society.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This creates another interesting problem - who was acting morally
|
|
right if the earlier mentioned conclusions were correct? Well, as
|
|
deontologists don't care about the consequenses of actions, the
|
|
judgements based on that theory remains the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The utilitarians, however, must judge from the results or
|
|
consequenses of the actions. If the post-revolution society is better
|
|
for all and gives a net increase of happiness, the actions that lead
|
|
to the revolution were good. They were bad before the revolution and
|
|
turned good after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This makes at least me sceptic to whether or not the utilitarian
|
|
theory is any good in practice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Before going into trends of today, I'll just sum up the discussion so
|
|
far:
|
|
* The technical development increases the polarization in society
|
|
regarding power-not power, rich poor et cetera.
|
|
|
|
* The technical development is conserving the social structure until
|
|
the tensions become over-whelming (and overthrowing).
|
|
|
|
* The exploited will still be exploited until the revolution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The trends of today.
|
|
In the macro perspective the scenario described is already happening.
|
|
The rich and powerful organisations buy themselves more power and more
|
|
information through computers. Power used to oppress the poor and weak
|
|
organisations keeping them from developing a higher standard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the micro perspective, computers are available to more people,
|
|
giving a distribution of potential power. Mind you, however, that
|
|
owning a computer is still reserved for those who already belong to
|
|
the rich 20 per cent of the world. When starving, you don't wastre
|
|
money buying a computer. Having no access to electricity you don't buy
|
|
a computer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also, a computer without sufficient information is as powerful as any
|
|
other tool, let's say a screwdriver... Not very powerful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The problem as I see it is that any given society, with extremely few
|
|
exceptions, is trying to maintain and conserve itself. The system of
|
|
today is based on exploitation and a gap between rich and poor. The
|
|
technical evolution will be directed by those who have power, and they
|
|
will direct it in their preferred direction. Inevitably this will
|
|
worsen the situiation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
As last words, I would like to quote the famous singer Bob Marley:
|
|
It takes a revolution to find a solution.
|
|
|
|
LETTERS
|
|
---------------
|
|
dear editor,
|
|
I was very impressed with my first issue of "practical anarchy on-line",
|
|
which i received on dec 15. i can see that the e-mail format has a lot
|
|
of potential. I'd like to introduce myself, and share a few thoughts with
|
|
your other readers. my name is ed stamm, i'm a thirty-two year old moderate
|
|
anarchist, employed at the university of kansas as a payroll clerk. I'm
|
|
married and have a two year old daughter. I belong to a tiny green group
|
|
here in lawrence, and am active in a traditional and very weak labor union
|
|
where i work.
|
|
|
|
i would like to see anarchists concentrate on creating the new society among
|
|
themselves instead of expending our energy trying to convert society as a
|
|
whole. i think practical projects will attract more converts than words
|
|
alone.
|
|
|
|
next, i would argue that we should avoid antagonizing the rest of society when
|
|
we are building our new community or communities. squatting, violent protest,
|
|
and anti-social acts like graffitti and postering will not only give people
|
|
a false impression of anarchism, but it will also attract unwanted attention
|
|
from the authorities. maybe i am getting old, but it really seems to me that
|
|
building a community is the best long-term strategy. If fascists come to
|
|
power, at least we will be organized.
|
|
|
|
the biggest problem i have with recruiting new anarchists is the association
|
|
many people have of anarchism with violence, and their idea that anarchism
|
|
is the same thing as chaos. i have to know someone pretty well before i
|
|
will even mention to them that i am an anarchist. once we do something
|
|
positive though, i would be proud to admit my political opinions to
|
|
anyone. I could say, yes i belong to a housing cooperative. it's an
|
|
anarchist project where we cut our housing expenses by taking the
|
|
profit out housing costs. Yes there is a computer cooperative i belong
|
|
to that is sponsored by anarchists who want to cut costs by sharing
|
|
equipment and who want to make the net accessible to more people. there
|
|
are so many possibilities! tools, books, babysitting, food, gardens!
|
|
|
|
Ed (bitnet: stamm@ukanvm)
|
|
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
That's all folks! Your editor this time was Chuck Munson.
|
|
|
|
This issue published using 100% recycled electrons.
|