189 lines
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189 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
*** Welcome to issue two of Red & Black Revolution. ***
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The idea of revolution is central to anarchism. In this
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issue we look at just what a successful revolution requires
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and in what conditions it is likely to occur. We bring
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news of work being done now to build a new anarchist
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movement in Russia and of the links being forged between
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anarchist organisations in Europe.
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Anarchism however does not sit and wait for the revolution.
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It fights today against all aspects of capitalist
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oppression. This means working alongside people who do not
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share our world view but who do wish to tackle some of the
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worst aspects of capitalism. We look at the way broad
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based projects, aimed at combating the worst elements of
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capitalism can become part of the mechanism ensuring social
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stability.
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Unions, community groups and unemployment centres all
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represent at least in part peoples' desire to fight back.
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Capitalism in recognising this has adopted two strategies.
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The earlier one was of direct attack, attempts to smash
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these organisations. As capitalist control mechanisms have
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developed and the need for stability increased new methods
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have been devised, ones that aim to incorporate activists
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into the control mechanisms of capitalism itself.
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So we have unions that argue for competitiveness,
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unemployed groups that argue for funding cuts and community
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groups in partnerships with the same companies that are
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devastating their communities. Anarchists involved in
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fighting alongside fellow workers today have to be aware of
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where these problems arise and how we can start to tackle
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them.
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********** Contents ***********
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Incorporation
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Why is it that many single issue campaigns and community
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groups which start out with a radical program soon end up
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as little more than service groups? Conor Mc Loughlin, an
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activist of the now defunct Portobello Unemployed Action
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Group investigates.
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The road to revolution
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A complete transformation of society, revolution, is the goal of anarchism.
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Ray Cunningham looks at what is meant when anarchists talk about
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revolution, and what can be done to bring it closer.
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Rebels at Ruesta
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In August 1995 an international gathering of libertarian
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communists took place in Ruesta, Spain. A week of
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discussions took place and at the end a declaration was
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drawn up. We present here extracts from the WSM
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delegates' report on the week and the agreed declaration.
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Russian Anarchism: After the fal
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Although many classical anarchist theorists and figures
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came from Russia, the advent of the Soviet State
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effectively crushed the movement. Now anarchism is reborn
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in Russia. Laure Akai and Mikhail Tsovma write from Moscow
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to tell us a little about the trials and tribulations of
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the new Russian anarchist movement.
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Travellers fighting back
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Patricia McCarthy examines the history of Irish Travellers'
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struggle for civil rights and ethnic recognition. Their
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struggles have much in common with those of Indigenous
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people worldwide and with the struggles of Native Americans
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and Australian Aboriginals and also with the struggles of
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Gypsies, Travellers and nomads against racism and
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oppression.
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Chomsky on Anarchism
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Noam Chomsky is widely known for his critique of U.S.
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foreign policy, and for his work as a linguist. In a
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special interview with Red and Black Revolution, Chomsky
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gives his views on anarchism and marxism, and the prospects
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for socialism now.
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The two souls of the trade unions
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Union activists are facing new management attacks but the
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trade union leadership speaks only of partnership with the
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bosses. Des Derwin, member of the Executive of the Dublin
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Council of Trade Unions and of the Dublin Private Sector
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Regional Executive Committee of SIPTU gives his personal
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view on the two souls of the unions.
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The IRA cease-fire and republican politics.
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The 'Irish peace process' is now well into its second year.
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It has brought respectability for Sinn F<>in but little of
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consequence for the Irish working class - North or South.
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Gregor Kerr, a member of the National Committee of the
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Irish Anti Extradition Committee in the late 1980s, looks
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at events leading up to the cease-fire and Sinn F<>in's pan-
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nationalist strategy.
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*********** About the WSM ***********
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The Workers Solidarity Movement was founded in Dublin,
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Ireland in 1984 following discussions by a number of local
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anarchist groups on the need for a national anarchist
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organisation. At that time with unemployment and
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inequality on the rise, there seemed every reason to argue
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for anarchism and for a revolutionary change in Irish
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society. This has not changed.
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Like most socialists we share a fundamental belief that
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capitalism is the problem. We believe that as a system it
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must be ended, that the wealth of society should be
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commonly owned and that its resources should be used to
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serve the needs of humanity as a whole and not those of a
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small greedy minority. But, just as importantly, we see
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this struggle against capitalism as also being a struggle
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for freedom. We believe that socialism and freedom must go
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together, that we cannot have one without the other. As
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Mikhail Bakunin, the Russian anarchist said, "Socialism
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without freedom is tyranny and brutality".
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Anarchism has always stood for individual freedom. But it
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also stands for democracy. We believe in democratising the
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workplace and in workers taking control of all industry.
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We believe that this is the only real alternative to
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capitalism with its on going reliance on hierarchy and
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oppression and its depletion of the world's resources.
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In the years since our formation, we've been involved in a
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wide range of struggles - our members are involved in their
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trade unions; we've fought for abortion rights and against
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the presence of the British state in Northern Ireland;
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we've also been involved in campaigns in support of workers
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from countries as far apart as Nepal, Peru and South
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Africa. Alongside this, we have produced nearly fifty
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issues of our paper Workers Solidarity, and a wide range of
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pamphlets. In 1986, we organised a speaking tour of
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Ireland by an anarchist veteran of the Spanish Civil War,
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Ernesto Nadal, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
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revolution there.
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As anarchists we see ourselves as part of a long tradition
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that has fought against all forms of authoritarianism and
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exploitation, a tradition that strongly influenced one of
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the most successful and far reaching revolutions in this
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century - in Spain in 1936 - 37. The value of this
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tradition cannot be underestimated today. With the fall of
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the Soviet Union there is renewed interest in our ideas and
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in the tradition of libertarian socialism generally. We
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hope to encourage this interest with Red & Black
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Revolution. We believe that anarchists and libertarian
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socialists should debate and discuss their ideas, that they
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should popularise their history and struggle, and help
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point to a new way forward. If you are interested in
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finding out more about anarchism or the WSM, contact us at
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PO Box 1528, Dublin 8, Ireland.
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*********** Re-printing **********
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Permission is given for revolutionary publications to
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reprint any of the articles contained in this issue. But
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please do two things
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-> Tell us you are re-printing and send us a copy of the
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publication it appears in.
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-> If you are also translating an article please send us a
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copy of the translation on computer disk so we can add it
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to our electronic archive.A complete transformation of
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society, revolution, is the goal of anarchism. Ray
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Cunningham looks at what is meant when anarchists talk
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about revolution, and what can be done to bring it closer.
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*********** Submissions ***********
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Red & Black Revolution is published by the Workers
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Solidarity Movement. The deadline for the next issue is
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June, 1996. Submissions are welcome and should be sent
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either as 'text only' files on Mac or PC format computer
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disks or typed on plain white paper. Disks are preferred.
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Letters are also welcome. All correspondence should be
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sent to Red & Black Revolution, PO Box 1528, Dublin 8,
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Ireland.
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