The last couple of years have some encouraging bursts of working
class revolt to show us that all are not complacent with the
capitalist system. Many at these events. such as the W.T.O. and
Democratic and Republican National conventions have had clearly
class conscious motivations while others, not so clear, have
merely proposed reforms within the capitalist system.
We need to form a more clear and definitive anticapitalist
movement which unequivocally has as its aim to abolish capitalism
and the political state and which seeks to replace It with a
classless, moneyless, democratically worker-run society of free
access. In order to build a more clearcut and unified movement, I
propose that a North American Convention of Libertarian Socialists
be called for the purpose of comparing strategies and
methodologies and to rationally discuss ways we can work together
more effectively In order to form a more comprehensive plan of
action. As Ben Franklin said, "We will all hang together or we
will all hang separately." This convention should Include
anarchists of every stripe, council communists, syndIcalists, and
ballot-oriented libertarian socialists. At present there are many
splintered groups In North America who are aiming at similar
goals, i.e. a form of anti-statist non-market socialism. Yet all
have different Ideas about how society should be set up In a
post-capitalist world, and some are not very clear on the subject
at all. This needs to seriously be discussed. but more
Immediately a methodology of getting there requires some
relentless discussion.
Every group, be It the anarcho-syndicalists of the I.W.A.,
Revolutionary Industrial Unionists of the IWW, the Anarchist
Communists, or the World Socialist Party U.S. have different
ideas about how to get there. They are all good Ideas put forth
by good and serious revolutionaries, but unfortunately, to some
degree, some more than others, each group is somewhat
methodologically exclusivist and therefore sectarian. Such
methodological exclusivity is inimical to building a real-
revolutionary movement and says basically, "My method Is the only
tried and true valid method." This amounts to Ideological dogmatic
orthodoxy, stagnant and preclusive to building a more fluid
movement to address contemporary changes in capitalism. I believe
It Is important that we study these barriers rationally and open
mindedly in order that we may divest ourselves of whatever
nonsense stands In the way of attaining our objective.
Two examples that come to mind are anarchists' total refusal to
utilize the ballot, even for a libertarian socialist party such as
the WSP-US and its sister parties. As well, the latter exhibits
an almost total aversion to engaging In direct action protest.
For an effective revolutionary movement to grow, it will be
imperative to knock off some of these method- exclusive barriers
and for people in these different organizations and groups to back
one another up. The only possibility we have of winning is if we
make working class solidarity our lowest common denominator and
work on that basis. As the I.W.W. says, "An Injury to One Is an
Injury to All."
Chain Reaction welcomes debate from all anti-statIst socialists on
the subjects of 1) What would a post capitalist society actually
look like? 2) How can we arrive at a more unified movement which
acts concertedly, agrees on a working methodology, and has the
ability to surmount whatever divisions make us ineffectual?
No one can say for sure how we will achieve revolutionary success.
We can see how revolutions of the past have come about but not how
they will happen. There Is no iron law of revolutionary success
as historical contexts and their variables constantly change. In
this writer's opinion, any chance at revolutionary success will
necessitate a struggle on many fronts and that those
revolutionaries struggling on different fronts must be thoroughly
knowledgeable about and solid with those an all other fronts. To
effectively minimize violence will require a majoritarian movement
which will entail lots of struggle to get more people to
understand how the class system works so they can join in its
abolition.
ORGANIZING IN THE WORKPLACE
One of the most important places we need to focus organizing is at
the point of production. or the workplace, whether it be in the
industries or in the service sector. It Is at the point of
production that the class war is most fundamental because it is at
that point that workers are robbed by the bosses and forced to
participate in and reproduce their own exploitation. It Is also
the place where workers have the most potential power if they only
realize it.
We need to be organizing in the Industrial Workers of the World,
the I.W.W. Joining in class collaborationist unions like the
A.F.L. only leads us down blind alleys. What is needed is to get
the working class organized In to ONE BIG UNION, not just
nationally but internationally. The I.W.W. is a union of class
conscious revolutionary workers intent upon abolishing the wage
system, and we realize that the working class and the capitalist
parasite class have nothing in common. Dues are inexpensive. and
the power of the union resides in the hands of the rank n' file.
The short term aims of the l.W.W. are of course to win workers
better pay and conditions in the present capitalist context, but
the most important aim Is to organize the industrial strength of
the working class to such an extent as to one day be able to lock
the boss class out in one massive general strike. At that point
we begin to run the industries for all, and not just for the
profit of a few. By building the I.W.W. we will be 'building the
new society in the shell of the old.'
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
This also falls somewhat under the heading of building a new
society within the shell of the old, and can cover a wide range of
activities.
Many working class families can barely afford to pay their rents.
No one should have to pay for a place to hang their hat and keep
the rain and cold off. The organizing of rent strikes and
collective reduction of rents would be an empowering project for
communities to engage in, freeing up funds for more useful
pursuits. As well, direct actions against the gentrification of
old neighborhoods is needed. At present in many cities big firms
are buying up houses in poor neighborhoods, bulldozing them (as
well as their trees) and building drab concrete condos to rent to
rich folk, marginalizing poor people in the process. Support
should also be given to squatter's movements which seek to
renovate abandoned buildings and their grounds creating rent-free
communities.
The libertarian socialist/anarchist movement needs to become
involved In the struggles communities of color face, and extend a
hand to them. We should support and create organizations such as
COP WATCH in order to keep an eye on and combat police brutality
by those sworn to "protect and serve." Perhaps we could even one
day create cop-free zones. At the same time, people in
communities can learn and practice ethical communication and
dispute resolution, as well as non-authoritarian ways to stop
working class on working class crime-- alternatives to utilizing
the state's police forces. We could also work to create some
economic empowerment within communities by creating coops, growing
community gardens, and helping one another in myriad ways. Groups
like FOOD NOT BOMBS who feed homeless people stuck out on the
streets could also work at helping to get them organized in the
I.W.W. so that whenever they go in for jobs at temporary labor
pools, they are organized to get a better wage.
And finally. people can create in their communities autonomous
zones in which to come together for community events, whether It
be to discuss revolution or to put on community theater--far
preferable to sitting at home watching the idiot box like our
masters wish.
ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS PRISON SUPPORT
Prisons and the police forces are part of the state social control
mechanism. As we build a more effective movement, no member of
whatever revolutionary organization will be exempt from police
repression and imprisonment. This is why it is important that all
revolutionary organizations realize the importance of supporting a
strong A.B.C. network. It will be, as it already is, an
important integral part of a revolutionary program to support
class war prisoners. The A.B.C. should also work to support
social prisoners with the intent of helping them gain political
consciousness and be assets to the revolutionary movement. At
present the A.B.C.s and P.P.W.C. are barely able to keep afloat.
Get involved! The A.B.C.s should also be about prison abolition.
As we organize industrially and in our communities, we will be
policing ourselves, making prisons and police superfluous and
useless. Since we won't have or need them in post-capitalist
society, why not work toward their abolition now!
POLITICAL PARTY
Of course no anarchist considers voting for a capitalist party an
option. The "lesser of two evils" argument doesn't wash with
anarchists, and both major parties in the U.S. are puppets of
capital. In fact, anarchists, for various reasons, most of them
good, shun electoral politics altogether. Historically the
argument goes back to the split between Bakunin and the anarchists
and Marx in the First International in 1870 over the issue of
capturing state power first (Marx, utilizing the ballot) or
smashing the state outright (Bakunin, using strikes and mass
insurrections). Bakunin's argument was basically that people who
gain positions of power tend to maximize that power, thus becoming
despotic and tyrannical. In short, power corrupts, not excepting
socialists. Unfortunately Marx was somewhat nebulous in his
writings about how long it was to take the state "to wither away"
once the political state was captured by the working class. Later
Marxist-Leninist programs certainly tend to confirm Bakunin's
criticism, although it is also certain that Marx never intended
for anything approaching a Leninist type state capitalist
dictatorship to come to pass.
Anarchists have a long history of clashes with state socialists of
different varieties, even though they have also at times worked in
solidarity with them. State socialists come basically in two
varieties, one of which advocates reforming capitalism (the
piecemeal reform of capitalism towards a progressive, gradualist
evolutionary arrival at socialism) including nationalization of
industries and social welfare programs. This type of socialism
(social democracy) and its politicians only end up being co-opted
by capitalism. Although a more benign form of capitalism, social
democracy actually ends up becoming a brake on real working class
revolutionary activity, as it will use the police and the military
in order to quell strikes and direct action protests. Although
these parties may have at one time been revolutionary, they only
end up running capitalism for the bosses now. Some examples are
the Green Party, and social democratic governments in Germany,
Sweden, and the Netherlands. Other state socialists derlve from
the Marxist-Leninist variety, including Trotskyists, Maoists, and
all manner of Stalinists. They are all authoritarian. and seek
state power for the purpose of setting up state capitalist
dictatorships in which a centralized party and bureaucracy plan
and run the state and the economy from the apex of the state
hierarchy. At the bottom all the workers are forced to carry out
their dictates. Needless to say, civil liberties are severely
repressed In these governments, which are, to say the least,
totally repugnant to anarchists.
Anarchists are right to shun these types of parties, but does all
of this suffice as reason for a total abstinence from electoral
politics on the part of anarchists? No! In order to construct a
real working class effective and comprehensive revolutionary
movement, a libertarian socialist party will be a great asset.
By libertarian socialist party. I do not mean one which is
reformist, nor one which seeks state power In order to maintain
state power as In Marxist-Leninism. Both are inimical to the
libertarian communist/ socialist vision of a stateless, moneyless,
society of free access.
By libertarian socialist is meant, a party which is leaderless.
unhierarchical, totally democratically structured, one which has
as its sole objective to gain a majoritarian vote at the polls so
that once elected it may set about the immediate dismantling of
the state and the capitalist system. Working In conjunction with
revolutionaries on other fronts, it may then help to usher in a
production-for-human-use society. As mentioned above, no one can
predict which revolutionary method will work the surest, but even
If the electoral method does not turn out to be the unequivocal
deciding factor in dealing with state power, it will work well In
combination with other Initiatives. By no mans though should
party organlzing be seen as a passive substitute for other forms
of organizing.
In order to build a majoritarian movement, It will be necessary to
get our Ideas more effectively transmitted into the mainstream
consciousness of everyday people. Having competent socialists
publically debate with capitalist politicos, putting forth the
irrefutable logic of the socialist position will work well towards
this end. In fact, working in concert with other initiatives. it
may help to build the revolutionary momentum that makes socialism
truly an idea whose time has come.
At present there exist some parties which come close to the ideal
I advocate. They have good class consclous solid members, yet
they fall short of the mark in some respects, mostly theoretical
and methodological inflexibility. The U.S.P.-U.S. basically
theorizes that the ballot Is all that is necessary to achieve
socialism, shuns direct action, and doesn't quite grasp the notion
of a totalist revolution on all fronts. This is a chimera because
any serious revolutionary party will require backing both
industrially and in the streets. The New Unionist Party somewhat
fetishizes nonviolence, and by implication legalism. Nonviolence
Is a fairly nebulous turn that could include all manner of
activity, including direct action or even self defense. Such a
stance Is reminiscent of the old reformist S.P.U.S.'s expulsion of
I.W.W.s for advocating sabotage and direct action. No party, no
matter how such it clings to legalism will be exempt from police
repression once It becomes a palpable threat to the capitalist
hegemony. Such a bent precludes struggle which will gain working
class respect. Any revolutionary party worth its salt will have
to get its feet wet once in a while.
It remains to be seen whether or not these parties will be able to
transcend their ideological straight jackets and get solid with
other groups moving along the same path. Either way. a
libertarian socialist party will be Important. Such a party
ideally would struggle right along side direct actionists, work in
close solidarity with revolutionary unionists and community
organizers. Whether It be dIrect action against police brutality,
clear-cutting, or toxic racism, libertarian socialists can help to
stave off these immediate encroachments of capitalism while
helping to bring the victims to a clear revolutionary perspective.
At present, unfortunately, Marxist-Leninist parties fill to a
great extent this void misleading people Into believing that the
totalitarian state, complete with secret police, gulags, and BIG
BROTHER equals socialism. Anarchists also have their ideological
stralght jackets, though, if they refuse to rationally consider
the idea of a libertarian socialist party simply because of
dogmatic anarchist orthodoxy. That type of conformity should be
questioned rationally by anarchists, not to be too heretical or
anything.
DEMOS, DIRECT ACTION IN THE STREET
The working class needs to take to the streets whenever possible.
It needs to flex its collective might and make a showing. Its in
empowering experience for its members to become cognizant of its
mass power in the streets. "Whose streets? Our streets! Our
streets!" Protests and direct action are statements and deeds
which send a clear message that people are standing for their
Ideals against the injustices of the system. Direct actions
expose injustice, get people to ask what all the fuss is about,
and expose people to new ideas. The ruling class likes to keep us
all in our own little square box hovels. watching television
drivel --stupid, passive, and out of touch with what is really
going on and with one another. And on top of that stew pot is the
lid of the police forces, aIways a tacit threat in the back of our
minds when, we walk the streets. The stew pot needs to boil over
more often, and it has been more frequent recently, I'm glad to
say. The ruling class and their monopoly on the media and ideas
try their best to make sure it is only their words and deeds which
are the last heard. When we take to the streets. we ensure that
theirs is not the only voice or action heard. If we keep going
out into our streets en masse, it may be that one fine day we'll
find that there will be a whole lot more of us than there are of
them. Then we will drown out the voice of capitalist tyranny
foreverl
Consider these ideas! Work to build the solidarity needed to build a real
revolutionary
movement and jettison the baggage that prevents this!
OUR DAY WILL COME!!!
(From Chain Reaction No.6, c/o South Chicago ABC Zine Distro, PO
Box 721, Homewood, IL 60430)
