A Working Anarchist / Socialist Alliance
A Working Anarchist / Socialist Alliance
Today in Vancouver there is a firm and spontaneous Anarchist / Socialist (Marxist) Alliance active within the renowned Vancouver Anti-Poverty Committee. This alliance has been active for some time now, and foreseeable, without any unfortunate mishaps or deliberate sabotage, it will last through its current struggle and period of growth. All this taken into consideration, a number of unmentionable and contentious points of ideological variance need to put out on the table for discussion, if not only observation and self-reflection. Indeed both ideologies are passionate by nature, and embody the very meaning of the word “resistance�. This is perhaps the place at which the two find themselves arm-in-arm. (Read More)
It will be through such a discussion and planning, if carried out in good faith and with open hearts, that this alliance will in-fact be strengthened and solidified. This is essential to the struggle. This organization is hitting the pavement and growing rapidly in Vancouver. It is taking on new avenues of activism, advocacy, fundraising and organizing. Fortified and solidified unity is necessary in preparing for the inevitable lash-back from Vancouver’s ruling class:
1. Order and Structure: What is the structure of the organization? How can we maintain a “security culture?� How are executive decisions made?
2. Political Objective: What is our dawn? Where are we headed? What is our political antithesis? Who opposes us?
3. Methodology: What will be the medium of our struggle? How will this method be built, maintained and secured for the long run?
Since the First International, founded September 23, 1864, the relationship between classical Marxist socialists, and revolutionary anarchists, has been uncomfortable at the best of times. Yet, since this formal divorce, there have been fortunate and mutually beneficial spontaneous periods of cooperation – points in history when many great gains have been made for the emancipation of the poor and working class. The Vancouver Anti-Poverty Committee presents a great opportunity for these two philosophies to work together for common aims of resistance and revolution.
This political stage presents a critical and ideal working rehearsal run of how future social efforts and radical campaigns can bring together these two fire-brand communities of activists for real, meaningful and lasting change. Ultimately, and at the end of day, a united front between Anarchism and Marxist-Socialism will usher in the utter decimation of ugly capitalism and the class-structured society which feeds it.
“We may affirm that nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.�
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
**sorry if it sounds weird. im not use to write english. lol!**
> First, im not a socialist - im not a communist - and not much of an anarchist.
> Second, i think that socialist and communist ideas are utopic because they cant be applied. (what about Russia 1917-1990 while it was under a communist government - well... much more of a dictatorship?)
"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." - George Orwell's Animal Farm
> Third, we cannot destroy the past. we cant live without history. we have to learn from our mistakes. destroy history might say we dont want to learn anything from it.
im not against anyone. im only against certain ideas.... or more against the way we apply them. ;)
talk to you later. take care.
peace.
-xxx-
Well a fellow traveller ViolentBeauty *bow*...
I too, look at history and say that no governing style has ever been perfect or in most cases even very good.
I look and see that some have simply allowed more freedom than others. And some have been more useful in terms of 'peace between nations' than others. Some have held stronger economies in the face of adversity.
And all too often--the positives in one area create negatives in another.
What *has* become clear to me is that violent revolution has not worked *anywhere*. It is invariably replaced with dictatorship and 'wars of liberation' are invariably followed by civil war. The majority does not win the revolution--the best armed do.
I believe the REAL questions are:
1) What style of governments have lived in peace the longest? Why?
2) What countries have a high standard of living? What is their governing system and economic policies and how do they apply them?
3) What countries encourage dissension and freedom of thought? What is the result?
If we look honestly at history, very often a monarchy that has slowly, over time become more democratic socialist seem to have high tolerance for dissension, increased social programs and rarely embroil themselves in foreign warfare. [Sweden, England, France, Holland] Limited democratic "council" process worked in North America for many Native nations including peace treaties that lasted thousands of years--however with no standing armies it could not withstand foreign invasion.
I am moved to wonder whether that is because these countries "grew" into the democratic process--their populations growing with parents [monarchy], then rebellious teens [dissension process, moving away from monarchial power to parliamentary democracy] then into democracy where the monarchy is only a figurehead or non-existent.
Communism and anarchy have not worked anywhere for any extended period of time.
As you say VB it means that we need to look honestly at what happens when *humans* are at the helm of leadership and the many ways they succeed and fail. And what systems keep exigency, cruelty and powermongering in check.