Black Flag Anarchist Review
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Black Flag Anarchist Review Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) The Kronstadt Uprising 1st March 1921 The Paris Commune 18th March 1871 And much more… Spring 2021 Volume 1 Number 1 Contents In Commemoration of Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)............................... 3 Workers’ Organisation ................................................................................................................................................... 6 The Trade Union Congress .................................................................................................................................... 10 Servitude or Freedom? .............................................................................................................................................. 12 The Conquest of Socialists by Power ........................................................................................................... 14 Economic Action or Parliamentary Politics ............................................................................................. 16 The Bourgeoisie and Parliamentary Socialism ..................................................................................... 19 Natural Selection and Mutual Aid ..................................................................................................................... 20 A Letter from Russia .................................................................................................................................................... 22 Kronstadt: The end of the Bolshevik Myth ................................................ 23 The Kronstadt Uprising and the fate of the Russian Revolution ............................................ 27 Lessons of the Paris Commune ........................................................................ 32 Declaration to the French People ..................................................................................................................... 37 Decree on convening workers trade councils ....................................................................................... 38 Appeal to the Citizenesses of Paris................................................................................................................. 39 To the worker of the countryside ..................................................................................................................... 40 Revolution without Women ................................................................................................................................... 41 Statement before the Military Tribunal ........................................................................................................ 43 Eugène Varlin: Internationalist and Communard .................................. 44 The Presidency of Mutual Assistance Societies ................................................................................. 45 Workers Societies.......................................................................................................................................................... 46 Stuart Christie (1946-2020) ............................................................................. 48 Anarchism – A Definition .......................................................................................................................................... 49 Statement by the Black Flag Group ............................................................................................................... 50 Preface to The Floodgates of Anarchy ........................................................................................................ 51 David Graeber (1961-2020) .............................................................................. 52 On the Invention of Money ...................................................................................................................................... 55 Ken Weller (1935-2021) ..................................................................................... 62 The Flux interview ......................................................................................................................................................... 64 The “Black Flag” ................................................................................................... 68 Editorial Welcome to the relaunched Black Flag! Originally established by Albert Meltzer and Stuart Christie in 1968 as the Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross, it was renamed Black Flag in 1971 and has seen many formats and frequencies over its five decades of existence. At times a fortnightly newspaper (as during the Miners’ Strike of 1984-5), sometimes a quarterly, bi-annual or annual magazine, whether subtitled “for anarchist resistance” or “excitingly irregular”, it always presented a mixture of current struggles and libertarian history. We aim to continue this, albeit with more emphasis on the latter than the former for what we hope will be obvious reasons. This incarnation will be (at least) a bi-annual journal following in the footsteps Cienfuegos Press Anarchist Review published in the 1970s. It will be a collection of new translations, rare articles and reprints of the best libertarian articles and reviews, whether modern or old. We will continue its tradition of advocating class struggle anarchism (whether syndicalist or not) and we are open to articles from that tradition or those close to it. Why bother with the past? Simply because unless you understand and learn from the past, you will be doomed to repeat it. Moreover, what passes for “history” in radical circles is all too often unrelated to the facts of the matter, written (and often rewritten) to meet the requirements of party lines and hierarchies. Debunking the myths peddled by enemies of anarchism is always worth the effort, particularly if this also helps modern-day anarchists to get a better understanding of our forefathers and foremothers. This issue sees the mix of current and historical very much in favour of the latter. Some may consider this unfortunate, but as Kropotkin said, “only those who do nothing make no mistakes”. Ultimately, Black Flag reflects those involved and willing to put in time and effort: if you want the mix to change, then get involved. If you want to contribute rather than moan at those who do, whether its writing new material or letting us know of on-line articles, reviews or translations), then contact us: [email protected] In Commemoration of Peter Kropotkin Robert Graham February 8, 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the ameliorate the conditions of political prisoners in Siberia, death of Peter Kropotkin. In his time, Kropotkin was one but his report on the Siberian penal system was ignored. of the foremost exponents of anarchist communism, an After the execution of five Polish prisoners who had anarchist revolutionary and a well-respected scholar. attempted to escape to Mongolia, Kropotkin resigned his commission and returned to St. Petersburg in 1867 to Kropotkin was born into a prominent aristocratic Russian pursue his university studies. family in December 1842, during the reign of Czar Nicholas I. The political situation in Russia was bleak. It was in Siberia that Kropotkin was first introduced to Michael Bakunin, who later played an important role in anarchist ideas, obtaining a copy of Proudhon’s System the creation of anarchist movements across Europe, was of Economic Contradictions from the collection of one of imprisoned by Nicholas in the Peter and Paul fortress in the Russian political exiles, the poet Mikhailov, after the 1851 and kept in solitary confinement for the next two latter’s death from tuberculosis. But it was not until 1871 years. Kropotkin became a prisoner of Nicholas’ son, that Kropotkin really began his journey into radical Alexander II, some 23 years later in the same fortress, politics. illustrating the continuity of political repression in Kropotkin returned to his family estate to see what he Czarist Russia. could do for the peasants in the area, but was advised by Kropotkin was born with the title of Prince, which he an old priest that the only way that he could do anything ceased using when he without being was 11, but that has The role of the anarchists was to jailed would be to not stopped others assume the role of from subsequently work with the workers and a travelling using that title to preacher, which identify him, peasants, to awaken their would have sometimes to revolutionary potential through required too much discredit him deception for an politically, other propaganda and collective action unbeliever like times in a misguided him to pull off. attempt to emphasise Kropotkin then his stature, as if there was something inherently noble decided to travel to Switzerland in the spring of 1872, about him. which was far more welcoming to political refugees and Kropotkin himself has left a vivid description of his early exiles back then. He wanted to find out more about the life in his Memoirs of a Revolutionist. With an imperious International Workingmen’s Association, which had a and distant father, and a mean stepmother straight out of number of sections in Switzerland. He came into contact an old Russian folk tale, Kropotkin spent more time with with Nicholas Utin, leader of a reformist faction within his family’s peasant servants and his non-aristocratic the International in Geneva allied with Karl Marx. tutors than he did with his parents. He could see that Kropotkin was unaware at the time