Anarchist Fortnightly 30P 1 7Th April 1982 Vol 43 No 7

anarchist fortnightly 30p 1 7th April 1982 Vol 43 No 7

IF Andrew Lloyd Webber is so hooked on By the time you are reading this, com- it before that, had evacuated all their Argentinian politics that he ever wants rade, you will probably know the end of ‘possessions’ in the South Atlantic and to write a sequel to ‘Evita’he could hardly this divertissement, for things are happen- claim had been laid to it by the newly do better than pick up a scenario from ing so quickly that as we go to press we emerging state of Argentina— who made the media of last week and write songs to can only say that the British Fleet, God the mistake of not occupying and planting fit. Bless ’Er, is still steaming resolutely south- a flag on the relatively barren islands, 400 In fact, some of the songs are already wards towards the 200-mile circle declared miles off the eastern shores of Patagonia. there, with a bit of pirating, which would out-of-bounds for Argentininan ships by Those were still the heydays of Empire, be appropriate. Alter the lyrics of ‘Georgia the Lord High of the Admiralty here in especially the British Empire , and anybody On My Mind’ and stir in a bit of ‘Any Old London where everybody is still deter- finding the odd island ﬂoating around Iron’ and you’ve got the opening number mined to hang on to the ownership of a without a ﬂag on it (even 8000 miles away) with all those scrap merchants landing on couple of barren rocks pinched by our felt entitled to stick up their own flag and South Georgia (where?) to demolish an ancestors in the nineteenth century. shout loudly ‘THIS IS OURS’ and so it old unused whaling station, the wind The actual origin of British sovereignty was. machine ruffling their hair through the over the Falkland Islands is something Unhappily, something about the deal vigorous dance routine, closing with back that everybody (well everybody in power) made with the departing Spaniards made projections of Captain Ahab and the Great is keeping Very quiet about. This could be the Argentinians think the Falklands and White Whale—Moby Dick himself— there because the British just seized it in 1831 South Georgia ‘belonged’ to them— and to symbolise the spirit of natural sover- or thereabouts (nobody ._ seems very sure they have never—never*- accepted British eignty. when) after the Spanish, who had occupied sovereignty, which was established by

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importing a lot of sheep farmers and pop- It so happens at the moment that Arg- ulating the place rather like it was done in entina is ruled by a particularly vicious Northern Ireland. ‘tin-pot fascist junta’ wanting to distract Over the years, the dispute over owner- its citizens from its economic problems“ ship has been a running sore for the Arg- and the Falklands are about to be defended entinians, although they did not push too by the rump of a nineteenth century im- hard, for it was a matter of national pride perialist tory regime, wanting to distract more than anything else—as it has also its citizens from its economic problems been for the British, who have used the and using willing recruits to do its dirty \./ islands as a whaling station, a trading post work for it. So what’s new‘? We defend and a jumping off point for whoever was one ‘sovereignty’ against another? It’s exploring the Antarctic circle, as well of very convenient for the British that the course, as a breeding ground for all those present regime in Argentina is a partic- sheep—now numbering 600 ,000—and their ularly nasty fascist regime—but has that owners, now numbering 1,800. stopped Thatcher’s Government from These are the people, and these are the trading with it‘? Or selling arms to it‘? Or sheep (you can tell the difference because lending it money? No, it hasn’t. the people walk on only two legs) about One of the ironies of the present sit- whom, or which, all the trouble is. Or so We say ‘may be’ because we have to be uation is that the Argentine navy has you are asked to believe. The Falkland realistic, don’t we‘? It ‘may be’ that in the been equipped with British hardware. If it Islanders, like the Gibraltarians and the end of all this hullaballoo, we, the God- comes to a shooting match, the British Protestant Northern Irelanders and no given British, will have to do a deal with navy knows exactly what to expect-—for doubt the Hong Kongians and the North these damned dagoes from Argentina. But it is its own (out-dated) equipment that Bornioans and the people of the Isle of we shall have to negotiate from a position will be used against it. Another irony is Man, all want to remain BRITISH. of strength. It may well be going too far that, for all the deterrence that Britain And so they shall! No matter what the to actually nuke Buenos Aires, as one of has with its vast nuclear arsenal—-all point- cost! They all may perish in the struggle, our MPs suggested, but we certainly have ing Eastwards— it has been upstaged by a but by God, they’ll perish British! Nobody to teach them Argies a lesson. They are third-class power from the West, taking it perishes better than the British. We have on the Falklands. Right in Port Stanley, by surprise. perished in India; we have perished in right? So that’s where we have to winkle We might feel sorry for the islanders, Africa, we have perished in America, North them out of, right‘? And if we have to and for the marines, soldiers, sailors and and South; we have perished in Europe. blast Port Stanley, and the rest of the airmen who could be killed in this exercise There is no far-flung corner of the world island out of the sea— so be it. Right must if it came to a shooting match. But no- in which the British have not perished. If prevail, right‘? In this respect we must pay body forced the servicemen to join the we are good enough to perish in Northern tribute to Michael Foot of the Labour forces. If they fell for the crap about a Ireland, by God we must be good enough Party. In the emergency debate in the good life with the professionals; if they to perish in the Falklands! House of Commons on Saturday 3rd April thought it was all glamour to learn how What for, do we hear you ask‘? Are nobody provided a more patriotic, jingo- to kill their fellow men and women—and you mad, sir, or madam, or person? This istic and imperialist speech than Michael. children--for the myths of nationality, is a matter of principle. You may have He may be against nuclear weapons, but patriotism and sovereignty, they have no- noticed in your public papers that at this by God he really puts his faith in conven- body but themselves to blame. The islan- very time we are handing over the com- tional forces. And he knows what’s right! ders have done well and have been coss- plete control of their national affairs to Too bad about those Islanders,though. etted by the myths of British sovereignty the Canadians—but we must point out to But then, we must admit, they wouldn’t —now they are being presented with the you that this has been done by proper be much use when it comes to exploiting bill. process of law. We have screwed the the oil between the Islands and the main- As anarchists we have to say that the French Canadians and the remaining land—the area people who know are calling sovereignty that matters is individual sov- Indians by the due and legal processes The New Kuwait—~would they‘? It’s the ereignty. We all live in occupied countries. that everybody respects—but here are oilmen we want, the chaps who have This country of Britain has been occupied these Argies simply walking in and taking made Aberdeen the Dallas of the North, by a ruling class for centuries. We live on over that which we walked in and took not a lot of bloody sheep farmers. its terms; we are forced to obey its rules" over a century-and-a-half ago. That was S0 no doubt we can do a deal. When which are laid down without consultation different! it comes to it, who really gives a damn with us—we are governed by force, but Besides which, somebody has found about sovereignty‘? It’s the material wealth we don’t have to fight for it. oil in the seas around the Falklands. So that matters. Let the Islanders come back The nationality of our rulers does not what‘? Here are these 1,800 sheep farmers to Britain, they are white , after all—though matter. It is the fact that we are ruled —no, sorry, more than half of them work under Mrs Thatcher’s Nationality Bill, they that matters. for the Falkland Islands Company (sub- will be third class citizens because most sidiary of Charrington Coal) and live in of them were not born in this country. PS . \e company-owned houses, but they are all But then, we repeat, they are white, and g I ll cagfif free-born Britons and wish to remain that’s what really matters. Kith ’n’ kin, QAtqriflilq"-\16 and what do they know about oil under innit‘? 1 9 w-i0§£1’:‘§u’cii‘,’;ii<1el“ :§¢+.1<1“* U “I1 ’- i’ sic‘-= 9. fi"c0i"’ -1,1) the sea? Well, frankly, nothing, which is Fifty million quid, this has cost us-— 195’) ndi‘ 11115 lanai?‘ '11? (mil~ ti“ E1.‘rB _ {1Tc _ . Q8 11".t-(Q- s sad, because it is their lives that may be before a shot’ has been fired. But it’s all ii’? @,i’,,i:.hi1 ‘ifii Ii”c1_f:C9Tt’;?l'lt€T expended as a matter of principle to for a principle. I.t doesn’t matter that the @111 rm inc ' Hrs -1 Ll1('PL““-_;L.-nq,Q'LLCu.1_‘(d.. 1L'1“.d-1-Cont (“nub maintain British sovereignty over the Falk- people of the Falkland Islands never I _ . _ . -FL I L; lands. owned the Falklands themselves, any mild fliI7i)”’.(.t1"‘l£i]iQ °’m'i1od in int-1 i llie(in-1"P Qltf.Qldjl ivltlorv-M3‘.U16 1&1‘-’Ta more than the people of Argentina have ,l.1il_‘-wkgd 111 go 11,101» 2-)filL(‘6 ‘International banking DOES transcend sovereignty over all those vast lands, or '4; €.'llC‘lLApT‘ti 0,819“ 4L’Ii0".L_Ce __, politics—we are continuing trading with the British people own Britain. All these -'\L\.£ . Poland, for example.’--Bank of England were occupied centuries ago—by the same ‘|.l1l€L " spokesman, BBC TV 6/4/82. means that the British occupied those islands. GUARDIAN DIAR Y 1 3/4/82 previously uninhabited island and been prepared to farm the soil they have a right to assert their decisions over the islands. in 0 Terrorism Instead the islanders have vested the powers of discussion in a small group of people thousands of miles away. This is what people do everywhere, some are given the illusion of control by being THE whole question of the relationship and, another which is already police state permitted to place a X on a piece of between violence terrorism and anarchism and has a vast number of even poorer paper, others have a more overt form of has been extensively discussed and quite people. In both countries the populations power imposed upon them. rightly. Agreement between anarchists on are being roused by equally controlled the subject has never been reached, there medias to jingoist nationalist fervour for GOOD CUSTOMERS SOMETIMES is so much human emotion surrounding an operation which the dispossessed of BECOME BAD NEIGHBOURS the subject and anarchists are as subject both countries will have to pay and will The probability is that if hostilities break to the irrationalities of our society as are not benefit the unfortunate population of out British weapons will be killing British others. the islands in dispute. people, for those that are sending forth The irrational fears that permeate our this armada, represent those that have society are highlighted by the raids on the PROPERTY IS THEFT made a good profit out of such trade. anarchist press by the Anti-Terrorist squad The 800,000 sheep on the islands will Those that are baying about the foul Arg- briefly mentioned in our last issue. The probably have as much say on the future entine junta have not been so concerned. squad represents a group of successful of the islands as the inhabitants, their The vast business interests that have kept terrorists who as this is being written are destiny will probably be the same whoever the various S American juntas in place sending a vast force armed with all sorts claims ‘sovereignty’. Neither will the pop- operate from European sources. Their vic- of explosive devices against another group ulations of Britain and Argentina have tims number millions and it is within our of terrorists (ie the Argentine government) any more say, they have no say over their own power to seize the sovereignty that who have occupied a small piece of land land. The British governor’s cocked hat they have over us, and we will only have acquired by the first group of terrorists and sword has not added to the islanders’ to go up the road to do it. when they were in their prime. security of tenure and having inherited a /3 3‘. EH3.-T ALBON

GOVERNMENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL saw" TERRORISTS HAMPSTEAD HEATH?

A good example of this is the present S..0Pi"1"?,ra,U5rd lrlveriurihU“:1 ca Israeli government, having successfully Q““Qua acquired sovereignty they are now terror- j EAST HEATH WEST HEATH QM$9“ izing the old occupants of the land--except _Mg'\’i‘- ; ®H3fl1_U;|'.*’:’H|'f _ - '_ - the present activities of the Israeli govern- iumnn oi‘ j =9”*7‘-i 11'.-"1-"_=w_¢r.-23;? Jack .5’rraw's C8318 1 Pei:_a'$'_j ment are called enforcing law and order IHBHII1 Til WEB‘ “?i1E__,P””\\—, Iii _ - J'Nh|!esinI‘-9is / -, i="»._ P3' ‘ ' [3-"' - and the activities of their opponents terr- 5 ‘av ._,__..;sw 6: g Q oristic. George Orwell called this sort of Q s _ r ... . ~.r. 1. an~ 8* ‘P \ \ D Lu -__ 0'0, double talk Newspeak, and the visitation ljpperiei 9‘Q/ \\° \ 4 /.- mpEWOQ 2 2- r:L 9 , -54/I. we “E Scene! \l““”u \S. "/-/¢- of the representatives of the legitimised €___A[ii'TIlfaiS wl% QZEIESIEEET (,e one C’,5:“ 3; 32- “ x _ "2, f 3 terrorists to our press reminds us how 9».-e- - re-. - ,, is3 Z’3 ‘A ... as-_ ’"’"~‘.-.-r--1; _.-"*-'>:-7“.... _ = is_a=l’..ii’ ? Q75 .- / -' ‘ $ ~ "“is i .-:3':1':=_'I';5':'I':‘=’:1_'1 if(P ,5. Q) . ¢ 1 xv Q - __ | '-‘.-2-_:;,:-V:-_'.1Z; ~ _

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WiLDCAT . I I I I vi i r Your wishes Then l wish the er"... Correction. 1:3 Thankyou. its obviously No. l'li decide what your best interests are. And 1? are paramount, by me. pair of you would not your wishes, but in my interests that if necessary, Flldefend those interests to the - bugger oFF. \(/ your interests the pair ofyou should 1 last drop of your blood. ,_/’ l l want to look after. bugger off. ll

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ANARCHISTS from all over the north of Britain have met to launch an ‘Anti-Bomb THE festival of life around Greenham Campaign’. Comrades from Manchester, Common US airbase attracted over 6000 M.-"i CZN who called the meeting explained their people for a day of peace. They came to THE Anti-Parliamentary campaign in the reasons as being the vast growth of CN D, show our government that we refuse to Hillhead by -election achieved some impact, which seems to have learned nothing accept the terrible threat to our lives and but as usualthe threat to the electoral circus from the lessons of the movement of the to our planet which Cruise missiles repre- was not serious enough to make more than 1960’s. Its aim is still to work through sent. a handful of the people take notice. A Parliamentary channels and to elect a party 250 took part in a women’s action to couple of comrades, in particular, comm- to achieve unilateral disarmament. This is blockade the base for 24 hours starting itted themselves to street corner speaking unrealistic, as it is not in the nature of from 6.30pm. Throughout the night the six days a week for two weeks. Cold wea- any state to get rid of its armaments. blockade was successful, apart from some ther and indifference to any politics made It was also felt that there is a need for of the base personnel forcing themselves most of this effort limited in impact. more coherence between anarchists’ beliefs out of a pedestrian gate where they tram- The last meeting on Sat 20th did suc- and their opposition to nuclear weapons. pled over 11 seated women. ceed. With more Clydeside anarchists part- The relationship between anarchists and On Monday morning a gap was cut in icipating, an element of ‘spontaneity’ was CND should be reviewed in the light of the security fencing and civil police were introduced as Brian, the principal speaker, that organisation’s close links with the instructed to block the roads, allowing posed as a heckler and attracted a large Labour Party. There is a need for a body only military and works personnel through. crowd as he bated Dave, the straight anar- which reflects the anarchist belief that to Women immediately spotted the police chist. This was extremely lively, and the get rid of these weapons there must be a action and several from all the other gates, interest continued even when Brian took drastic change in society as a whole. This where the blockade was maintained for over the chair himself. Amongst the raza- contrasts with the CND platform, which 24 hours without problems, hurried to mataz, the soliciting, the salesmanship, at proposes the same political state but with- block the gap. Here 34 women were arr- last some semblance of life — and this was out nuclear weapons. ested in three waves and charged with ob- appreciated by the crowd who blocked Topics on the agenda were: structing ‘free passage along Burys Bank the street. 1) What’s wrong with CND and possible Road’. The media played their usual game alternatives to it‘? Please show solidarity with these preferring to concentrate on sloganising 2) The need for an alternative anarchist women by demonstrating outside the such as the pensioner on his bike parading organisation outside CND. magistrates court in Newbury on April 14th the message: ‘One of three million’. A sin- 3) Tactics for direct action. and 21st when they will be tried. ister side was the activities of ultra-loyalist 4) The need for propaganda and publicity. gangsters in Pastor Jack ’s campaign photo- 5) The contradictions between the anar- graphing opposition to their lorry parading chist position and the CND position. through the area. They were not amused 6) Particular actions against civil defence, it/Ls Acr as people shouted ‘I like the sound of demonstrations, protests etc. WE have received a report on recent breaking glass’ and ‘God is dead’ to them. 7) Support to groups already involved in happenings on the anti-nuclear front here in South Wales. Local anarchists were in- Problems in attracting a commitment by direct action. volved in some of these events. many local anarchists had ’ limited the It was agreed that organisation should Last week South Glamorgan County campaign to propagandising with the meg- proceed from a network to a firmer organ- Council bunker was occupied by three aphone and leaﬂet. No disruption tactics isation. The Leeds Anarchist Group volun- anarchists for the day. South Glamorgan were employed or intervening at public teered to act as a secretariat. For further is a nuclear free zone and the council is meetings. As a distraction from the misery information contact them, no doubt, Labour yet this bunker is still retained. of everyday life, the campaign helped to they’d appreciate something to cover The occupation tried to expose this hyp- involve a few anarchists, but any long- postage. term impact is likely to be minimal. Leeds Anarchist Group, Box LAP A, 59 ocrisy and publicise the existence of the Such is the fate of the marginalised! Cookridge, Leeds LS2 3AW. bunken In Mid Glamorgan the Council has ' ;_- ;;;.¥_-..5‘*\\3_'_'-§-F;:=~qEi_§R,H7?{=;,;.2~1-"Q=;-;:g_-;-'§;?.:;'- :|1T—€i-1',-T‘? ‘ -ii-;_'-- c __' ”"i!‘.':- 37: ' ‘ ?'r'“’- *- 11.‘"'5€1;;?"5; _’-§=E’s'rT;.TZ%’.‘~€- §T_¥>‘.5.'f-;’%§I';§5Iﬁil-T-2'-._i‘!E'£ abandoned work on the construction of a

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NEW guidelines have been announced for D Notices. These are the system by which . -ii _. » --é;~-‘.: -~-.- #9 L . —;;,;_..._ - .-.i:.}.;-',-;.-1 %T-"-_T--Iil-i"'r-_2--; =;1l.-T. :1’. r’ ‘=1; * "- :=1* .2.»-' -aw =2:-:1 : ---e ---.-,- ;’_$‘_-L"',~P 2,.‘-= "‘—‘;-— -'_ * ' _;4‘:'t.. ' .-=.-. = .--.331: 5'.airgr' -Z.»->= »s "‘=.,7J‘ _--. »- .;--='--._. J." '.-5:;+-2; --i-2P_ - the media voluntarily censors itself at the e*>'=r_;¢-2 ~- ; is ; —- .7-. _:_-_._ p _... ~,, . - -4,4; T--_ _ '< .___=_ ' :1-..5. -;1-£7._ =2’—_'§"- 2;; .-gr - -;.;::_ 1:1=.-."= .:3‘.3.!-L .-an=.s;e _-' i. 5:-I-1;:-1-1-1: --‘.1¢__-_ A"-_ --.. .~=-_ ’= -— ..-___4{ ._._.',."_-.1-:_ ___>_-_,=-_-; ,r-:~_T~52 __.-,3 _~ _,_-¢_‘:5-Iv-5 k.-,-.1"-_-.z;__ ~ , I . _,=-» _. -. ~.:-;_ .25;-;r"-_;--~ ,. request of Whitehall officials. They cover -1".,,___‘_.__i._.--1"? - v ..-_ _.,..:5? -., fir:7.2.. F?-*2’-. :_~"-‘Le. .. ’-s=?=-PS '-vi "’-1’I=".'=’_ '-‘;-:-=.._ .__._,_;_;_5'5‘?! .- things like defence plans, nuclear weapons, .. cyphers and communications. The system EH has been increasingly ignored recently. THE Law Commission has recommended -UP changes in the laws relating to public order. A new working paper notes that THE Greek government has proposed the present laws have remained relatively The police were ordered to change tac- legislation which would give workers the unchanged for centuries and believes that tics as the number of arrests was increasing right to support strikes by colleagues they should be ‘updated’. The new re- and many more women were ready to fill employed by the same multinational commendations relate to ‘riot’, ‘affray’ the spaces. For the rest of the afternoon company in other countries. and ‘unlawful assembly’. It is suggested police dragged women out of the gap to that ‘riot’ should be defined as three or let traffic through and women kept on PRINCE Franz Josef of Liechtenstein has more people gathered in public or private returning. At the end of the day 50 wo- urged the men of the country to allow engaged in violent conduct causing any men gathered at the gap while the other women to vote. Similar proposals have reasonable person present to be afraid for seven gates continued their action. The been turned down twice in all male refer- his or her safety. Drunkenness will not be police would have needed reinforcements endums. a defence. ‘Affray’ would be, without to move them again. lawful excuse, fighting with or inflicting We found our energy and strength CHINESE peasant, Luo Shijun, has grown acts of violence on another and acting growing by taking positive action against 25 new teeth at the age of 100, according with such violence that any reasonable the death machine. Women spontaneously to a Shanghai newspaper. person would have been in fear for his or sang--‘Women, Women, Women, We’re her safety. The commission says that ‘un- only just starting’. By persevering together A doctor in Tuscany is being tried under lawful assembly’ should be defined as we will stop the bomb. Article 552 of the criminal code of ‘crimes three or more people together privately The women of Greenham Common against the integrity and health of the or in public with the aim of engaging in a wish to thank all the women who took race’ and ‘acts against persons of either course of conduct which either involves sex, with their consent, which are intended part, all the men and women who supp- use of violence, threats or displays of viol- to render them impotent to procreate.’ orted here and the thousands of people ence. The reasonable person is invoke_d He is accused of performing vasectomies. who had us in their thoughts. again. The National Council for Civil Liberties SOUTH Africa has produced a 155 milli- EVICTION NEWS is worried that such laws could be used to metre artillery system which makes Amer- Since the above action we have had news get convictions in cases where there is not ican weapons ‘look like toys’. A spokes- that Newbury District Council have finally enough evidence that the accused actually man has dismissed a US congressional authorised their officers to institute legal committed an act of violence. So, it might report alleging that the CIA ‘bent previous proceedings against us. We urgently need be that simply being in the street at the policy’ to allow South Africa to avoid a publicity of all kinds and women who can wrong time would be an offence. We had United Nations arms embargo. He also stay at the camp. Please support us. the impression that this already applied. denies allegations that the ‘super gun’ had C13... —. - ._=-1--.@ _ And take another look at ‘unlawful ass- been designed to fire nuclear weapons. embly’. Ever been to a meeting‘? 5F5 A C‘Ti NComment from Huge Young, Political INTERESTING choices of words around nuciear bunker at Bridgend. This is after Editor of the Sunday Times, ‘While only the South Atlantic Crisis. Argentine news- local CND groups set up a Peace Camp an anarchist or other revolutionary would papers had the headlines ‘Recuperadas and sabotage of the site occupied by say that unemployment justified crime, persons unknown. Las Malvinas’. Situationism has infiltrated only a fool ora politician would deny that everywhere. In contrast, Margaret That- Recently a Conference on D-Action it contributes to a higher crime rate.’ and the Bomb took place in Cardiff. Jointly cher talks about ‘redeeming the Falklands’. We are not sure whether she means from organised by an anarchist and Green CND. DOCTORS at a conference in Cambridge It was badly attended but something will a pawnbroker’s or whether her megalo- have given their estimates of the effects mania has taken on spiritual dimensions. come of it. of a nuclear war in Europe. Joseph Rotblat Direct action is only supported by a of London University predicts 150 million CHINA will produce more than three bill- minority of people in local CND groups deaths immediately, and that half the sur- ion pencils this year. It is claimed that it which are dominated by the Left. Very vivors would be injured and _die of starv- is now the world’s biggest producer of depressing. ation. Leonid Llyn, a soviet academician pencils. Best wishes, TOMOS has similar expectations, 168 million ; ~-=- ._. ~=¢if -~e-_- ~-- )_T - - 1 =>»... ._._5 193*_ ... .,-;-1)’ >:‘-I ..in__.- .‘_€__;,'_,_ _ - jg; .1.'~'-':.'* TA.‘ J II <’ -' -1:-I: .-':- :-- fl:-' .- _ -‘LT , . ‘F’; -"' 5"." ’ \" deaths and 146 million injuries. He points .' -'4; 6 -*7’ 5'. -.1 % - - "= 1=' 56 i _‘§- <-4 , 3) I 'Q‘ﬂi1g-*4 ANOTHER Police Authority has joined in. ?§¥{-W“ ‘ '-’ F & mi‘ out that the survivors would ‘to the end the current fashion for Home Guardism. International as Human Rights Violators. of their days be haunted by psychological Northumbria police have launched a re- For example, Chile attended in 1981. sufferings and endless woes. Their children cruiting drive for 700 volunteers to form The British government will be sending and grandchildren even before they have a band of ‘home beat specials’. They deny been born will be burdened with a fatal representatives to the United Nations Sec- that the specials will be regarded as vigil- predisposition to developing malignancies ond Special Session on Disarmament, in ante groups in uniform. The head of New York from June 5 to July 7. and inherited defects. Indeed, the living Northumbria police ’s Community Services will envy the dead.’ Another interesting Department said, ‘The public always say A campaign against the Exhibition has revelation at the congress of International that they would like to see more uni- already begun. For ‘further information Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear formed officers on the streets’. contact London Peace Action, c_/o 6 War is that about 4% of American service- Endsleigh St, London WC1 or phone Anne men, who deal with nuclear weapons have Bebington (01-499 9821 (day)) or Ann to be replaced each year for ‘character BELGIAN MPs have voted for a 10% cut Feltham (01-633 0133 (day)). defects and drug abuse’. in their salaries. 5 FREEDO LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTER

COMPETITION We believe that this is an important EDITORIAL DECLARATION point if we are to create a movement in this country (yes, we do wan t a movemen t). WE HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that we have For too long in this country the political today despatched a flotilla of nuclear- Dear FREEDOM, philosophy of anarchism had been treated powered serpentine class rowing boats to Having just finished the March 20th issue, as ajoke and many of those who tend to rendezvous in what passes for an estuary we must add our criticism to that of the call themselves anarchists but who are in Tyne & Wear with a cruiserweight kayak Hull and Doncaster groups. For a news- justplaying at it, should stop getting in (sold to Spain in ,1919, last used in the paper there is a total absence of news.’ the way of those who want to get on with defence of Madrid 1936) already underway In addition to the listing of strikes, demos the real work. from Over-the-Water, Orkneys. Coal will etc there should be some attempt to 3) What we don ’t want is yet another be taken to Newcastle to bombard rebell- provide an anarchic analysis of the main comic strip, satirical, ‘anarchist ’ paper ious natives. ‘news’stories. This would serve the there are enough of these. The people Simultaneously and at the same time a purpose of outlining anarchism in relation who produce these have nothing in spraygunboat will sail up the the Humber to major issues whilst helping to illustrate common with the anarchists throughout with a landing force capable of carrying the fundamentals of an anarchist society. the world who face imprisonment or airplanes to Doncaster and back. Given the production and distributive murder for their views. Anarchism is not We take this resolute action with rel- facilities enjoyed by FREEDOM it is a game. uctance, but we can no longer duck our imperative that every effort is made to We feel that if FREEDOM cannot responsibilities while sniping and grousing producea paper that will be relevant and fulfill the need for a paper on which and the repression of their own pheasants interestingto anarchists andnon-anarchists 0ll"l@l”8 C6” -$155955 ll“? Blflle Of the (mil-t'Cl1l5l goes on throughout bleak and faraway alike. Only by doing this will the idea of movement in this country then another territory groaning under the jackboot of anarchy and libertartarian alternatives will, and FREEDOM will ll“??? b<{C0??’_l6lll$_l the vile NEAF junta. reach more people, ‘a free anarchistsociety a name in the history of anarchism in this We intend to launch our surprise attack can never be created while at least 99% of country. If your answer to all this is that 14 days from now. the people have never had it suggested to Y0“ Ca" ’l be Till llllllgs l0 flllP@9Pl@ ’ lllell them ’ __l./lnarchy 33- who is John Guilt?) why not start producing a paper for Bltl:-,"TT 1*'l.E'TCHER anarchists. GREENHAM pp Stub City Anarchs What do others think? TYNE & WEAR ANARCHIST GROUP/' GRO USE DAM Dear Friends, WOR TH TUPPENCE? It would no doubt be better for the women involved in the Greenham Dear FREEDOM, Common demonstration to respond We read with great in tcrest the letter BUT WE DO themselves to Cliff Poxon "5 letter, but from Hull and Doncaster Groups, and feel may I say that the derision and hostility that we would like to add our ‘Tuppence- he expressed towards them can hardly be worth ’ to what will obviously be a debate conducive to the cause he presumably in the letters’pagc over the next few Dear FREEDOM, supports. Ifa group of women wish to issues. Although we do not agree that all As a reader and Free distributor of demonstrate in their own way and on lheore tical articles are ‘simply irrelevant’ FREEDOM, I have some positive their own terms against nuclear weaponry we do feel that FREEDOM in it’s present suggestions to make. Your articles are all one migh t, I suppose, as he does, question forin leaves a lot to be desired to say the in depth but too long, in some cases. the relevance of their actions, but I can ’t lcasl. By pointing out what we feel to be This is important to allow all the for the life of me see this as an ‘appalling il"s lntitleqiiacies other readers may be information to come together. FREEDOM example of se.rist ‘matriarchy ’. encouraged to let their views be known so should be more lively. Instead ofjust I personally do not like the ‘exclusive- that you at FREEDOM will be in a writing reviews there should be more ness ’ this involves, but Ifeel that one position to measure reader dig/satisfaction. articles on current Anarchist_/Feminist/ should nevertheless respect and support 1) FREEDOM shows all the signs of squatters and anttauthority actions in their actions. But quite apart from the accepting anything for publication just to Europe and the UK. Also more photos issue of ‘sexism ’I find the tone and ensure that something comes out fort- with these actions covered. FREEDOM is substance of Cliff ’s le tterquite disturbing. nightly. Examples being ‘the Free Market good but can improve. Generalizations made by the women shits’, ‘For the bomb’, ‘Are anarchists on At your next collective meeting of about ‘male violence ‘are dismissed as the left or not’and the endless leader FREEDOM writers and staff please bring ‘absurd ’ and ‘clap-trap and he cynically articles which say absolutely no thing. this up. Since I live in Connecticut it's interprets their actions as motivated If the justification for this is that hard for me to really make an impact on purely by the need to get a mention in FREEDOM is open to all opinion than FREEDOM. the localpress. why bother calling it an anarchist paper. An International Anarchist contact In the kind of class society we live in, We feel sure that many of the correspond- list should be included in FREEDOM. the state, patriarchyrand the production ents who you publish are not aware of Finally a review of Pirate L'nderground of nuclear arms are intimately connected, what the word anarchy really means. Radio should be a feature on a regular and the women are quite right to stress 2) We feel, as do members of the Hull basis. If you ’re unable to do all these the links between ‘male violence ’and and Doncaster Groups, that what" is needed things because of a lack of writers, Cruise missiles. is an agitational paper which could act as photographers etc, than ask people to a news he twork eoncen tra ting on meetings, send in well written news items from anti- I don ’t suppose for one moment that action, strikes, international information authoritarian demos, rallies, lectures etc. they are so naive as to think that their and Caps for Support This Should, in the Youneed to bemore ercitingandreadable peace camp will cause physical inconven- main, be written in a short to the point I hope I ve been helpful to you all. ience ’ to the MoD, but it might through style. If this was the case then the occasion- Sincerely in Peace, informal contacts and support, and al longer, detailed background article KE ii-‘EINER through the media, provide a kind of vould be welcome. Connecticut rallying point for continuing opposition FREEDOM?’ LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LEI to nuclear armaments. There are much We got some measure of support but easier ways of ge tting a mention in the not as much as we would have liked. We ‘local rag ’. NOR POPE disrupted David Owen because he What does Cliff suggest? Throwing a represents the new fascism under the few bombs at the Establishment or guise of the SDP. They base themselves engaging in militarist and authoritarian Dear Editors, The letter from Paul Cook sounds fine, on the Social Democracy of W Germany, tactics like the SWP? Indeed, his letter Italy, Greece etc. He is a possible future certainly sounded as if he belonged to the but unfortunately several thousand Protestant loyalists are already organising PM and Mr Flinn we are not prepared to Trotskyist camp rather than from a against the papal visit. NO POPE HERE tolerate the intolerable. professed libertarian. I wonder whether Flinn will sit back Sincerely, stickers are everywhere, and although their attempt to block the felling of trees and talk around the fireside when BRIAN MORRIS thousands of comrades are rotting in jail. Sussex under the guise of the South-side Rate- payers association looks like failing, the The group is a collective of individuals more militantof them will stop at no thing with no specific anarchist strand to disrupt the visit ofPopeye. This problem particularly dominant. The group contains of ‘sectarianism ’exists at a level that only those influenced by Autonomist theory, CND DEMO Belfast surpasses, and is a constant Syndicalism, Communism, Situationist Other Anarchists, problem for anarchist activity in working- and others by no particular strand. You may or may not be aware thatPreston class estates. If there is to be an anarchistmovement then it must be built through concrete CND have organised a march on Saturday, The leading article on El Salvador was 24th April from Ash ton Park, Preston to extremely short on facts. It’s too easy to action and notjust words. We must be prepared to point out the nature of the Westleigh (the site of one of the main say from the UK that life in Nicaragua is bunkers for local top brass), after which the same as Somoza. Surely its not left, unionism and argue for and build a there will be some sort of music festival sufficient to say that the national movement on the assertion of Autonomy and one capable of bringing about real in Auenham Park. It might be a good liberation struggles don ’t produce an changes not indulging in metaphysical idea (but, only a suggestion, like) if as administration that is committed to some ramblings which lead nowhere. many of us as possible, but particularly form of welfare capitalism with the State MAB those of us here up North, could meet having some control over the economy. Brighton before the march is due to set off (1 lam This may produce a more literate DIRECT ACTION, DIRECT DEMO- from Ashton Park) and if nothing else, a population with better medical care and CRACY, AUTONOMY NOW! sizeable Anarchistpresence at what is less extremes of wealth, but as we all ‘only ‘a ‘local ‘demo willat least let others know it isn ’t anarchy. There is a difference know we ’re there and doing some thing with the US backed regimes that have CONFRONTA TION (assuming we do nothing else). Quite a been overthrown but not a change that is few people managed to get to the recent likely to persist in the long-run, as the To FREEDOM, ‘Bradford I2 ‘demo in Leeds, despite question of the economy and identifica- You may or may not have heard a short notice; it would be nice if this could tion with opposing sides of the Cold War rumour concerning the proposed action be repeated. leads to a choice between ‘democratic’ at 715 Curzon St, Mayfair on 30th April Love, mixed economy capitalism and State at lo ’clock. JOHN catitalism on Cuba lines. Many comrades may be concerned Merseyside These editorial/general articles, which that this is a provocative attempt to are weak on facts and research are one mobilize anarchists and others in a reason why FREEDOM does not succeed confrontationist way. They are right! NO GOD NO MASTER as a paper. There is a much higher demand In the past we have been too concerned for say XTRA or BLACK FLAG. with public credibility. Thus our struggle FREEDOM 3 merit is that it comes out against the state has often been muted, Dear Editors, frequently and lists contacts. and pragmatic considerations have become In reply to Peter Dodson: KEITH an overriding feature of many actions. 1) I thought anarchists were people who Box 3—Clydeside Practical Anarchy Whilst not wishing to alienate potential did not want masters. What is God other comrades, we feel that we can no longer than a master? conform to the means ‘allowed’ to us for 2) What are the teachings of Jesus Christ our protest and struggle. Demonstrations other than an exhortation to take and the like do not pose any threat to the oppression lying down and a license to HOOLIGAN ’S REPL Y establishment, they have long learned to cowardice? I suggest you translate your cope with such actions and adjust their New Testament —perhaps it sounds too machinery accordingly. Dear FREEDOM, euphonious in the Mother Tongue. We don ’t know what we will do on the Iwould like to reply to TFlinn (Dundee). I’ll start you off.‘- 30th April. It is up to those who come. ‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit I am one of the Sussex hooligans he But when the means of distortion are the earth ’ becomes ‘Do not assertyourself. mentions and is upset about the coverage owned by the ruling classes ‘credibility ’ Existence under the thumb of the power- we have been getting in your paper. becomes a ludicrous consideration. ful may be one hot-bed of toil and suffer- The group in Sussex has developed in a Be there. ing but take itfrom me, when you ‘re dead, positive way over the last year and a half. In Solidarity, you ’ll have a whale ofa time.’ We now have regular contact with the JOANNE CLARKE 3) Even if you do agree with the teachings Hastings and Worthing groups. The three of Christ, thatshould be merely coinci- groups have come together to form the dental. An autonomous person does not S@S (Sussex anarchist society). The NEW SUBSCRlPTlON RATES read ano therperson s though ts foraguide group got a squat together in a stately to his actions —she or he does not appeal home to highlight the plight of the Inland £,3_00 Surface ' g9_00 to authority but acts always in character homeless in Brighton and to point out the Europe All-up £10.00 and in accordance with his/her own hypocrisy of the local council in having a Zone A £30.50 Zone B 25 dollars US though ts on his/her own experience. 70 roomed house empty with a large 28 dollars Canada KA Y number of homeless in the area. ZODBC £12.75 _. .-. _ __;;__ ;,__,,_. -121 Bookshop and meeting place, 121 Railton Rd, Herne Hill, SE24 SWINDON V : . 1.? Q, 1_ -r -,,;-_’= ---.. ,. _ - ,; 3;. area, Mike, Groundswell Farm, 1; _=-\ - 1,' -_ .- _ 2*.-J; West London Anarchists contact I‘~‘ir”-E r li'T.'--' 55-" -1 .=:-7!’: ; ~ ' -'-‘- : " '-ll» ""r' , _- _ -- .u_'lli.- '-_ . r-4v__. _. .,—_a_- .-, ___'. ._._, ,..r__ _. __:r|._ Upper Stratton , Swindon. _-_- ._ :3.-§,—: _ 5- .~:‘_:‘ 5; _ -I“"‘ —‘ ’ .-I John Sanders, 4 Naylor House, Mozart Estate, W10. TAYSIDE MALVERN Anarchist Group, 3L 188 Strath- and Worcester area, Jock Spence, martine Rd, Dundee. 1-. ,3 ,- ,':_ if , ...¢,_.:e.-Sir.-' I 1- ' , i" Birchwood Hall, Storridge, Malvern, Worcestershire. WAKEFIELD Anarchist and Peace Group, c/o -MANCHESTER E Fazackerley, 36 Bowan St, Ahgbrigg, Wakefield, West York- Solidarity and ‘Wildcat’ s ire. NATIONAL CONTACTS GLASGOW ‘Wildcat’ or ‘Solidarity’ at: Box Clydeside Anarchists c/o Box 3; 25, 164/166 Corn Exchange, DESIRES ABERDEEN Collective Action Group c/o Box Hanging Ditch, M4 3BN. 16 year old anarchist who wishes Solidarity, c/o 163 King St, 101 [Public meetings last Mon- to get in contact with groups of Aberdeen . day of every month City Halls, MERSEYSIDE anarchists or tjust someone to Albion Street] Box LAG write to regularly. I'm very isolated BARRY 'Ca|derwood 15* pamphlets c/o 31 Gothil Street, so get those pens rolling: Terry Philips, 16 Robert St, Barry, Box V2; Glasgow Young Anar- Rock Ferry Birkenhead Steven Codley, South Glamorgan. chists c/o Box 1984 [Weekly Merseyside 4 Abbey Wood Rd, meetings Saturday afternoons] MORECAMBE & LANCASTER Abbey Wood, BELFAST All at Glasgow Bookshop Coll- North Lanes. Libertarians’ London SE2 9NP Anarchist Collective, Just Books, ective, c/o Cliff M Poxon, 7 Winetavern St, Belfast 1. 488 Gt Western Road G12 13 Carleton St, (Kelvinbridge Tube) Morecambe, Lanes. LA4 4NX LFOEM LEEDS WILL BE THERE BEDFORDSHIRE Bedfordshire and isolated Anar- HASTINGS NORWICH chists, write: John, 81 F, Brom- Anarchists, 18a Markwick Terrace, Anarchists, Student group and ANY detailed info on Scottish ham Rd, Bedford MK40 2AH, Saint Leonards-on-Sea, East town group and Freewheel Anarchism mid 19th Century to Beds. Sussex. (0424) 434102. Community Bookshop Collec- mid 20th Century please send to tive, all c/o Freewheel, 52/54 Box V2, 488 Gt Western Rd, BRIGHTON HUDDERSFIELD King St, Norwich. Tel 21209. Glasgow G12. Libertarian Socialist group, c/o Huddersfield Anarchist Group Students Union, Falmer House, &DAM NOTTINGHAM University of Sussex, Falmer, Box DAM, c/o Peaceworks, c/o Mushroom, 10 Heathcote St, EVENTS Brighton. 58 Wakefield Road, Tel 582506. A Scottish conference is scheduled Huddersfield for May 1st, more info from BRISTOL HULL OLDHAM Cowan, 3r, 17 Cheviot Cresc, Fin- L Bedmlnster, 110 Grenville=Rd, Libertarian Collective, 70 Perth Nigel Broadbent, 14 Westminster try, Dundee. Bristol 3. St, Hull HU5 3N2. Rd, Failsworth. Box 010, Full Marks Bookshop, 110 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol 6. KEELE OXFORD SUNDAY 17th April, 1pm, Meal Anarchist Group, c/o Students Anarchist Group and Solidarity, and Discussion on: CAMBRIDGE Union, The University, Keele, c/o 34 Cowley Rd. ‘Don't let school get in the way of Cambridge Anarchists, c/o 186 Staffordshire. your education’. East Rd, Cambridge. PAISLEY 121 @ Centre, 121 Railton Rd, KEIGHLEY Anarchist Group are unfortunate- London SE24. 01-274 6655 CANTERBURY ly contactable through the Alternative Research Group, Anarchists, c/o Simon Saxton, 1 121 Bookshop Benefit Selbourne Grove, Keighley, West Students Union, Hunter St, Students Union, University of Paisley, Renfrewshire. ' Sunday May 2nd Kent, Canterbury. Yorkshire BD21 25L. 6.30pm Canterbury Anarchist Group, PLYMOUTH Centro lberica meets every Monday 8 pm, Jolly LAMPETEFI Anarchists, 115 St Pancras Ave, 42/A Harrow Road Sailor, Northgate, Canterbury. Anarchist Group, c/o Adian Westbourne Park—tube James, SDUC, Lampeter, Dyfecl Pennycross. Contact address is: Andrew Adm £1 Booze, Food, Music Savage, 177 Old Dover Rd, Can- SA48 7ED, Wales. Zounds, Rubella Ballet, Conflict, terbury, Kent. PORTSMOUTH LEVERPOOL area anarchist group, c/o Garry Assassins of Hope, Amsterdamned. CARDIFF Anarchist Group, c/o Hywel Ellis, Richardson, 25 Beresford Close Write c/o One-0-Eight Bookshop, Students Union, Liverpool Uni- Waterlooville, Hants, PUBLICATIONS versity. .me mysflf ii - the paper for 108 Salisbury Rd, READING LEAMINGTON Reading Anarchist Group, Box 19, individualists and aPPI'eI'I_1l°° WY- CIRENCESTER AND THE orists —- will be making I15 debt" and Warwick, c/o 42 Bath St, Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St, COTSWOLDS Reading. Meets once a week. on 18th April 1982. Only 1°P"' c/o Andrew Wilkie, 7 Sperringote, Leamington Spa. stamp from Cliff M Poxon. 13 Cirencester, Glos. LEEDS RHONDDA Carleton St, Morecambe Lancs and MidG|amorgan, Henning LA4 4-NX. COVENTRY Leeds Anarchist Group, Box LAP A, 59 Cookridge, Leeds LS2 3AW Andersen, ‘Smiths Arms‘, Tre- John England, Students Union, herbert, MidGlamorgan. Cosmic Waters University of Warwick, Coventry. DAM + Federation of Leeds Friends of the Sane Alternatives Anarchists: SHEFFIELD Part 6 The Patriarchal Psycho- CRAWLEY Box LAP A, Anarchists, c/o 4 Havelock Square Social Order Cljawley Anarchists 59 Cookridge St, Sheffield S10 2FQ. Michael Tobin Ray Cowper, Leeds LS2 3AW Libertarian Society, Post Office Harepark, Boyle Bluebell Close, Box 168, Sheffield 511 85E. Roscommon lreland Crawley 511-873 LEICESTER Blackthorn Books, 7 Highcross St, SOUTH WALES DAM, c/o Smiths Arms, Baglan ANNOUNCEMENT CUMBRIA (tel 21896) and 121 Book/Anarchist Centre Appeal 12 Bath Terrace, Drovers Lane, Libertarian Education 6 Beacons- Rd, Treherbert, MidGlamorgan, Penrith. field Rd, (tel 552085). South Wales. Write for anarcho- 121 Books/Anarchist Centre is syndicalist contacts in Treherbert, being forced out ot its 18 month DERBY The Anarchist Society, Rhondda, Pontypridd, Penarth, old squat and needs funds to re- Black Ram c/o Forum Books Societies‘ Room, Barry and Cardiff areas. establish itself. As the only active 86 Abbey Street, Student's Union Building, anarchist centre in South London, Derby University of Leicester, SWANSEA we need your financial support Tel: 358039 University Road, Black Dragon, Box 5, c/o Neges desperately. We will be staying Leics. LE1 7RH DUBLIN Bookshop, 31 Alexandra Rd, open regardless but contributions Swansea SA1 SDQ, W Glamorgan. are required for our fcontingency Love v Power, Whelan's Dance LONDON Studio, 51 South King St, Dublin plans‘. Send money, expropria- 2. Anarcha United Mystics meet SUSSEX tions, cheques/postal orders (Day- each Thursday at 8pm, Halfway anarchist group, c/o Students able to 121 Bookshop) to 121 EAST ANGLIA House Pub, opposite Camden Union, Falmer House, University Railton Road, Brixton, London DAM, Martyn Everett, 11 Gibson Town tube. of Sussex, Brighton. SE24 Gardens, Saft.on Walden, Essex. Freedom Collective, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High St, E1. EDINBURGH 101-247 9249). Aldgate East tube, near Whitechapel Art Gallery. - T /ar~ c/o Box SLF, First of May, 43 -“TE -- ' - __c'~‘.-_-f- J '- ..- en? ._ . -F.€_ -"-'_-.1? . -- F .. "1:-‘r-_ Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh. Greenpeace, 6 Endsleigh St, WC1, ..-s — T - ‘ Meet Thursdays 7pm. '- - -rt‘ - "~ ' ' - ' ‘ . -;_. L . - 1 -_- T -- .- .. .. .- _'-:.- .~" Kingston Anarchists, 13 Denmark F ' l i 7 1 1 7 -T- . 7"1 i ‘Y ‘Elie ESSEX '- in_-- 1-. . .-,.. \Jr _;y-A .Y_.Jl__= 1.. Oral Abortions, The Catskills, St, Kingston upon Thames, (OT- ii 55‘),-. P-"1"".'1-D-"T.. ‘r ,-'1 “'r"","-"'="-2". -r e- -,- .mi -.- we .--.- ‘ s,c.5.,., rt. _i=-<, 5-i, ;>--;-"-._ = . T--1 l? .,.--. . ~= Maldon Rd, Gay Bowers, Dan- 549 2564). .11.?-_./' :11,,1-en» rs. _=___ -I ,1._..1' .5.'. .1» _.J-L- ,...- A, .- _, '4-E:- ' 4_~- ¢~. -up‘ \5..-I1 .;L3 -=- |-C‘. . .,._ L 1, London Workers Group, meets ._. _- 1 bury. .14‘ Tuesdays Bpm at Metropolitan '* .i_J‘\J4.. J_ Q'\_s 0 -4._ -< 21:" -fxl '> 1'1"‘. ? -r-'1 ,. -1 _' f‘'1»_ -T-.4"l "1,"-_ .41 '“-, -*5 EXETER Pub, 75 Farringdon Rd, EC1. - . }....4 -N W I . LI,_.lvll-...-__{, _ -_-.,,,;-v-J _ .- : - 4 I :..:'\_J.l. \_/ .-_ @;-,*"-1-" »-"»i»-rt C-I _.:._‘_ Anarchist Collective, c/o Commu- Middlesex Poly Anarchists, -231 ._..-..-.- . _-=4-P3 nity Association, Devonshire Students Union, Trent Park Site, =_-,;-',—"c ..-:.-gr-1-=-'.-' ------.. .1‘ 1 >_;;—;.-'=\'.-1,, _ ~s=:-*.=.;=s-r.-1.-1~=*'.-..<.--<.=-.-,:l=-..~r=’-‘<5’?-‘?‘-"" -'-=:- .- as. _; -"-=?:=.a-..-1.““""’r¢¢i7'PPJ;»-f=--§,.'?.--’l'--;»:1-:.11 =.~l-'-“={;T'-5-3%»'.s“~“==§:-'+i= =.>'-'5‘ ;“5—-‘:‘-I--;J-:---:5-;'_E-"I-|-‘hi: '.-I-,;“-1'-' ' House, Stocker Rd. Cockfosters Rd, Barnet, Herts. r -1»-'"=="-*5-Q-e»=_-' »'=-—-=':----- Anardilrlfloviolv

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MANY Anarchists have been attracted to the new Ecology movement and in the history of every —failed —social revolu- Movement and actively participated in it. The Ecology tion. Movement has adopted elements of libertarian principles On the other hand, so I maintain, Anarchism and Ecology such as direct democracy, within the groups, distrust against do mean the same in the end. opportunists and would-be-leaders and against political parties, grass roots democracy, and federalist ideas. This adoption of some anarchist principles within the ecology What is Ecology? movement is no mere coincidence nor is it the result of dir- Ecology means the balanced togetherness of all the plants ect influence by individual anarchists. and animals on earth. Without the direction of a superior On the one hand new social movements always and spon- power 1) millions of different plant — and animal species taneously develop anarchist tendencies because the ideal of co-exist. The single individuals eat each other up, but the self-management among equals in a free society is a natural balance of species does not get disturbed by that. In the human aspiration. Only when the first successes and achieve- ecosystem of the natural jungle there is a better balance ments of such a new movement cannot be seen immediately between the thousands of plant e and animal species, which and defeats have to be suffered; when optimism turns into all depend on each other for their survival, than the best frustration and spontaneity into routine; then comes the forester could ever achieve in a planned and controlled cult- hour of the reformists and bureaucrats. This development OK. And this system has worked perfectly for millions of can be studied in the history of the international labour years -- until man came and tried to rule over Nature. 10 A

The Destruction of Nature by the State Anarchy is the logical goal for a political Ecology movement. This assumption of power by mankind over Nature, the In the course of human history we have become so removed destruction of the natural Anarchy leads us today onto the from the original state-free society, that to most people brink of an ecological catastrophy. Not only more and more nowadays a society without oppression and central govern- plant - and animal species become extinct, but all life on ment seems totally unrealistic and gets associated with chaos. earth is threatened, including the human species. The threat But the anarchists say simply that the harmonic order with- is a double one: a) the danger of a sudden extinction of life out government which exists in Nature is also possible in through a nuclear war; b) the danger of a creeping extinction human society. of life by steadily growing pollution of the atmosphere, the The anarchist scientist Kropotkin has proven with numer- land, and the sea by chemical and radioactive poisons. ous examples from the animal world that the instinct of But it isn't just man ’s evil character that made him an mutual aid and solidarity is a very important factor in the incapable ruler over Nature. For hundreds of thousands of history of social evolution. 2) Species with a social motiv- years humans were part of the natural balance and in many ation factor are far superior to those without one in the parts of the earth they remained in this condition until the struggle for survival. Only because of their extremely well last century. developed natural inclination for mutual aid could the Man only ceased to be directly dependent on the laws of human race survive at all; for alone a human is completely ecology at the stage of agriculture and keeping cattle. The helpless against most wild beasts. This social instinct - pract- deforestation of natural land and its possession as farm - or ically an inherited moral - keeps the human society tog- grazing land was the first step of mankind in his rule over ether, and not external force applied by a government. This Nature; and the revenge often followed when formerly rich inclination towards mutual aid enables a society to exist lands turned infertile because of over grazing or wrong agri- without government and prevents chaos in such a society. 3) culture. There is a clear connection between the develop- Let me make it clear that I am not calling for a naive ment of private ownership over land and cattle, the develop- ‘back to nature’ or the ideal of the ‘noble savage’, because ment of economic classes, the construction of political states, going back to the hunter and gatherer who roamed free and the beginning of the rule of mankind over nature. By without a state and in ecological harmony with nature is leaving and destroying the ‘ecological Anarchy’, man created neither possible nor desirable. at the same time the instruments of his ruling over himself: Human society must achieve a new conscious social sys- private property. The beginning of the rule of Man over tem of a society without state which is in ecological equil- Nature was the beginning of the rule of Man over Man (and ibrium with nature. This is not just a fine ideal,but a necessity over Woman: I reckon that the beginning of patriarchy also of survival for the human race, since the statist and hierarch- coincides with the beginning of private property). ical way of organising human society has led us onto the The small agricultural community did not live in the same precipice. ecological balance with Nature like a tribe of hunters and gatherers, but it was nevertheless not yet capable of destroying Nature on a large scale. States were necessary for this sad achievement. The deforestation of most Mediterranean countries was not done by a few goat-keepers, but by the first Mediterranean states: the Phoenicians, the Carthageans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans, who systematically cut down all the trees to get timber for their military ﬂeets. And only the modern industrial states and highly developed capitalism have managed to destroy the balance of Nature in such a way that an ecological catastrophy is to be expected. Nearly all extinct plant and animal species have become extinct wihtin the last 100 years. So far the last step in this development is the construction of a lethal military and civil Nuclear industry, which would be impossible without the support and protection by the state. It is obvious that the state originated nuclear weapons, but the same is true in the civil sector. The first nuclear reactors were primarily destined to supply plutonium for atomic bombs, and the production of energy was only a welcome secondary effect. This was for instance the case in the first multinational concerns today are still not financially capable — or because of the financial risk not willing - to build up a nuclear industry completely on their own. In the more privatecapitalist countries like West-Germany or the USA the state finances the nuclear research and the final storage of nuclear waste, and it guarantees insurance cover for nuclear accidents which private insurance companies are not willing to do. Private industry just runs the profitable ‘middle bit’: the actual production of energy and the construction of the power stations. Apart from that the state supplies police — and paramilitary protection in order to enforce the nuclear programme against the will of the people. In other countries like Britain or the USSR the state itself runs the whole nuclear industry.

1) It is typical that people in authoritarian societies find it hard to understand this anarchist natural state. Therefore they invent an authoritarian god as creator of Nature and ruler over her. But this theory of one single almighty god only became predominant with the development of the modern state (Rome). The anarchist workers’ movement has developed models on it and have no other choice than to buy the electricity at of how an industrialised society can function without state whatever price. This difference between the ecological and and central government: taking over the workshops and the state-capitalist form of production is extremely obvious their management by the workers; exchange between work- in the energy sector, but the same goes for industries like shops organised by workers’ councils or unbureaucratic agriculture, chemicals, transport and others. syndicalist unions; organising the distribution of goods to the consumers by democratic consumers’ co-ops; organising ‘Small is beautiful’ is the slogan of the new Ecology Move- the communal affairs of politically independent boroughs ment and has, as a principle, always been part of the anar- by grass-roots controlled councils. I cannot go into details chist theory. here, but the essential point is that the model of an anarchist The essential aim is that we have rt; regain control over society is characterised by autonomous and democratically self-managed small industrial and political units which are our fate. over our living and working conditions. over the federated on the basis of consensus to a network of short- decisions of what we produce and how we produce it. Under or longterm unions. according to purpose. private -- or state-capitalism we are forced to sell our labour It is no mere coincidence that the newly developed con- for wages, and to produce thousands of unnecessary and cept of an alternative energy-system, based on renewable often harmful goods and services under conditions that are sources, comes very close to that model of autonomous but often destructive to our health and to the environment. All federated units: this only in order to produce a profit for the owners of the Each house has its own solar collectors and photo-voltage means of production — be it state or private capitalist. Only cells mounted on the roof, thus generating directly an ess- in a society where we ourselves (we the people. the man ential part of the energy needed for private consumption. and the woman on the street decide what to produce and Rural communities and large farms operate their own small how to produce it, shall we be able to produce useful goods power station with Methane gas -- produced from bio-mass. and services (useful for the individual. for the community. An electric grid fed by small and medium power stations and for nature) without destroying our own health or the operated by wind. water and coal supplies the remaining natural environment. Then profit will no longer be the energy demand of industrial and private consumers. The _ __ _--- — -. -um energy is produced as close to the consumer as possible: no single producer of energy holds conomic power over mill- 2) see Peter Kropotkin: ll/lutual Aid and Peter Kropotkin ions of consumers: no resources are being wasted; the envir- Ethics onment does not get polluted. 3) Authoritarian societies are also based on this human feel- Nuclear energy on the contrary is a typical instrument of ing of solidarity. But this feeling is generally perverted an authoritarian society: One huge power station supplies into emotions like Nationalism. Racism. religious fanatic- millions of consumers which are economically dependent ism. or class snobbery.

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orword 3 bocl< ! BOOK REVIEW: The Forward March of Labour Halted? the pursuit of particular interests by Labour movement bur- by Eric Hobsbawm et al. (Verso £2.95). eaucrats at the expense of the working class’ general interests, is studiously ignored. Perhaps this is all we can expect THIS is probably the most dreadful book I have read in from people who have remained friends or even members of years. Not because of its conclusions, which are, as it says the Communist Party in spite of Hungary, Czechoslovakia on the back cover, that ‘the British Labour movement is and Poland: but I have a suspicion that many innocent now in a crisis’ but rather because the responses to these members of the general public are actually going to believe conclusions put forward in its pages are so incredibly tired that their bleatings are radical. and conservative. Only one contributor (Steve Jefferys of Worse, however, is to follow. After the second rate the SWP) goes further than calling for a somehow rejuven- Marxism Today debate, we are faced with an interview with ated Labour Party which can magically recapture the mood none other than Tony Benn. Benn is a familiar type, the of 1945: for the most part The Forward March of Labour congenitally stupid but educated aristocrat, whose intell- Halted? is nothing short of a conclusive demonstration of ectual vacuity becomes embarrassingly apparent as soon as the utter bankruptcy and imbecility of the left Labour pers- he is forced down from the podium and into dialogue. Here, pective. he collapses into incoherent babbling even under the mini- It begins with a long essay by Hobsbawm, first published mal pressure exerted by the sycophantic Hobsbawm: try as in 1978 in Marxism Today (the Communist party journal), I might, I simply cannot make sense of Benn’s ideas about which gives the book its title. The basic argument he advances the three possible paths for British governmental policy, is that, despite economic militancy, which has in any case which he labels ‘monetarism’, ‘corporalism’and ‘democratic been characterised by the pursuit of sectional rather than socialism ’. The last mentioned is particularly vague and in- class interests, the British Labour movement has lost the comprehensible: Benn’s account is stuffed full of notions hearts and minds of the workers (or at least their votes). like ‘grass roots leadership ’ which strike me as being nothing This thesis is hardly daring or original: ‘bourgeois’ electoral but rhetorical nonsense. And this man is supposed to be the analysts like Ivor Crewe had been plugging a similar line for great white hope of British socialism! But for the personal some time even in 1978, and I suspect that Hobsbawm was charisma he seems to exude, I really am at a loss to explain more than slightly influenced by such sources. Still, plagiar- his current reputation. ism is neither here nor there, and there is a certain value in Things improve a great deal with Steve Jefferys’ piece stating the obvious. Voting statistics undoubtedly do show which opens the third section of the book. I'm almost temp- a marked decline in Labour support in the last thirty years, ted, given what ’s gone before, to agree completely with his and wage militancy in certain instances (in struggles to main- argument, which stresses the importance of grass roots activ- tain differentials in pay, for example) is undeniably not ity against the bureaucratic Labour movement elite whose motivated by, or consistent with, a concern for the interests crisis of legitimacy is so mourned by Hobsbawm. There is, of the working class as a whole. The actual extent of this however, a sting in Jefferys’ tail, in his predictable call to ‘sectionalism’ is, however, debatable, as the contributors to build the Socialist Workers Party (or at least its front organ- the first part of The Forward March of Labour Halted? show isations). Like so many others, he is completely blind to the in their articles (reprinted here from the pages of Marxism bureaucratic practice implicit in Leninist notions of the Today) with varying degrees of success. So too is the assump- party, with the result that his proferred solutions to the tion of I-lobsbawm’s essay that Labour voting is at least a quite correctly identified problems of an ossified Labour minimal prerequisite of ‘socialist consciousness’: yet not and trade union machine are no solutions at all. Indeed, in a one of Hobsbawm’s Communist Party and Labour Left sense they are completely counterproductive - you don ‘t cronies even raises the question, since they all equate ‘soc- have to look far to find examples of the perniciouseffects ialism’ with the election of a Labour government. Similarly, of SWP interventions in manipulating and effectively neut- none of them stop to examine Hobsbawm’s bracketing all ralising what were at first self-managed anti-bureaucratic workplace militancy under theheading of ‘trade, unionism’: struggles in the workplace, the women ’s movement, anti- they seem blissfully unaware that time and time again the fascist activity or anti-nuclear campaigns. interests of those on the shopﬂoor have clashed violently At least Jefferys makes some kind of effort to wrench the with the interests of the institutions which purport to ‘rep- discussion of The Forward March of Labour Halted? away resent’ them. In short, despite the talk of the dangers of from the sterile preoccupation with re-legitimising the Lab- ‘sectionalism’, the paradigmatic example of such practice, our movement bureaucracy onto the level where politics really matters, the struggle of ordinary people for control over their everyday lives. The same cannot be said for the remaining contributions, which range from the appalling to the ineffectual. Least offensive is the rather harmless piece by Raymond Williams, which repeats his twenty year old call for a renewal of socialist culture. Exactly what he means by ‘socialist culture’, and what he sees as practical steps in the right direction, remain unclear, however: I don ’t llli I think he ’s talking about forcing New Left Review down the throats of the ‘ignorant masses’, but his recent association with the founding of the so-called ‘Socialist Society’ gives me doubts as to his intentions. At least with Robin Black- burn, who sings the praises of ‘the new socialist intelligentsia’ in his short article, there can be no ground for such uncer- tainty: he ’s the editor of New Left Review, after all, and I ll has an interest in increasing its circulation. This might sound like an excessively crass remark, but it is not - my point is The Triple Struggle: Latin American Peasant Women by that intellectuals. like bureaucrats, have a tendency to act Audrey Bronstein, published by W O W Campaigns Ltd, according to their own sectional interests while claiming to £3.00 paperback, £9.00 hardback. Obtainable through act in the interests of the workers, and in this light it is FREEDOM Press. worth viewing with a degree of suspicion their calls for a special place for theory in the socialist project. For it is a small step from pleading the importance of theory to arguing on one hand that the day to day experience of ordinary 4 1 people is trivial and inferior, and on the other that the theo- rist should occupy a position of power and privilege. Such a step does not have to be taken, of course: but I find it diff- icult to interpret the current attempt of the ‘new socialist intelligentsia‘ to form a left-wing alternative to the Fabians in any other way. The rest of The Forward March of Labour Halted? is largely unworthy of mention: with the exception of Hilary Wainwright, the contributors are union bosses whose platit- udes would bore the pants off the most sympathetic re- viewer. Wainwright’s article deserves more serious attention - her perception of the problem of ‘sectionalism’ as that of ‘the deep division, not so much between different grades or groups of workers, but between, for instance, employed workers and the young unemployed, between male trade unionists and all but the most organized groups of women and between workers as trade unionists and working class people as consumers and users of services’ has more than a grain of truth in it, as has her observation that this sort of sectionalism can be overcome by intelligent workplace tactics e the provision of free services rather than the use of the strike in the public transport sector, for example, or the institution of overtime bans at times of high unemployment. On the other hand, she is mistaken to consider that she is making a novel point in all this — at best she is merely re- surrecting ideas which first found their expression in revolutionary syndicalist theory and practice - and she does seem rather too keen on building the party for her ideas to be considered more than a minor challenge to the assump- tions of her fellow authors. So we come back to Hobsbawm again, who contributes some final ‘observations on the debate’, which do little more than repeat his previous remarks. And with that, the show is well and truly over - though of course we ‘re supposed to sit ourselves down after reading the last page and write a letter to the membership secretary of the local Labour Party. I can ’t really see myself doing this — if anything, the argu- ments advanced in The Forward March of Labour Halted? redouble my resolve to do all I can to actually worsen the crisis of the bureaucratic Labour movement — but I fear that others will be more easily conned. Then again, no book published by Verso ever reaches more than a handful of de- classe intellectuals, and it is at least partly as a result of such types joining Labour that the current crisis of plumm- etting working class identification with their traditional political outlet has occurred: ironically, the more people con- vinced by Hobsbawm and his chums (for the moment any- way). the worse (for them) things are likely to become. The funniest thing is that some of them actually realise this to be the case — and are shitting bricks at the prospect of their impending doom. L ERIZO 15

Why Govemments Fail to Help the Poor ‘Most international development agencies have tended to THE simple answer is, of course, because they represent the attribute this to agricultural backwardness rather than to rich and powerful. Democracy has no meaning because the the unequal structures of land ownership. The Oxfam report means of bribing and manipulating electorates are also in criticises this approach: the hands of the rich and powerful. “In the agricultural sector modernisation is the The question of poverty and oppression is of course a that needs to be done is to draw them into it. In social, political and economic one. British charitable regul- this is self defeating Often modemisation itself ations are based on the old idea of the rich in their castle makes them poorer by strengthening the resources of the and the poor at their door so any charity that tends to point rich." ’ at the economic and political causes of the distress and When we are wearing our jeans (once an American work- poverty they are trying to eliminate is in for trouble with ing garment derived from the cottonpicking slave south USA) the Charity Commissioners, who regulate charitable organis- which are so tight in the arse you cannot work in them, ations in this country. War on Want has had its troubles thnk of the pesticide poisoned plantations of Guatemala with the Commissioners as the economic and political dom- where most of it is produced. Cotton is one of the primary ination of third world countries is the cause of the intract- products produced at great profit to all but the plantation ability of the problems in those countries. Consequently workers and controlled by the monopolies that have their this book is published by WOW Campaigns Ltd, which has base in the west. Trading in primary products in what are more freedom of movement to deal with the political and called futures each bale of cotton is sold several times over economic issues behind third world poverty. at vast profit to those engaged in it for no retum to con- South and Central America was the first area to suffer sumers or producers. While we acquiesece in this vast from European colonialism, its gold and silver fuelled an fraud we contribute to the misery that is protrayed in this expansion of the financial system on which commercialism book. is based, which in turn developed the plantation system of commercially exportable products. This system, initially Togetherness or Separateness worked by slaves that replaced the decimated indigenous The exploited must never end up as the exploiters, we see population with poorly paid wage labourers, still exists this when women aspire to become members of the controll- today. ing professions, when native South Africans become mem- As Eduardo Galeano said in The Open Veins of Latin bers of a white man’s Army we see it all over. It is said with America- some truth that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the ‘The division of labour among nations is that some spec- world, and it is true in the sense that subservient attitudes ialise in winning, and others in losing. Our part of the world, are inculcated very early, and acceptance of existing social known today as Latin America, was precocious: it has spec- forms also derive from a very early age. Now motherhood ialised in losing ever since those remote times when the can be from choice and not a condition thrust upon one. Renaissance Europeans ventured across the ocean and buried Motherhood is a rewarding and interesting experience that their teeth in the throats of the Indian civilisations. Centuries should be highly regarded and assisted as an important per- passed, and Latin America perfected its role... our region iod where the seeds of a free society can be sown. still works as a menial. It continues to exist at the service of others’ needs.’ r Audrey Bronstein travelled through Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, El Salvador and Guatemala and talked to the most oppressed part of an oppressed population, the women. Being a fluent Spanish speaker was a help and being a weaver, a widespread home occupation in Latin America, provided an introduction. Illiteracy, however, has a higher rate among women, who often only spoke one of the many Indian dial- l‘BllSl III‘ ects, so a lot of interviews had to be done through the medium of an interpreter. In the Preface the author points out that_— ‘Women comprise 50% of the world ‘s population, do two thirds of the world 's work hours, receive 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of world property, according to the International Labour Organisation. As un- just as that global picture may be, when the situation of lllllli Third World peasant women is examined, it becomes apparent Breast or Bottle War on Want Publication £1 that they are one of the most oppressed social group in the THIS is another War on Want publication appropriately world today.’ reviewed with the preceding one. That making money is an The problem for people in conditions of constant poverty activity completely without morality can be seen through is that the struggle for existance dominates their whole life, capitalism ’s treatment of every human activity it gets its and for women often with large families working in the day sticky hands on. After an exposure of the baby-food man- and looking after the family at night, even the thought of ufacturers activities in the third world this book exposes change seems remote. To be poor and male in South America the activities of the infant food and bottle manufacturers in is bad, to be poor and female is worse. In spite of all the this country. It is now accepted that the artificial feeding of obstacles there have been attempts to form co-operatives in infants is a very poor substitute both physically and psych- which by cooperative effort some independence by women ologically for the natural method. The natural method does has been achieved. There is often male resistance, for the not of course yield vast profits to the manufacturers. In oppressed feeling impotent against their oppressors, oppress order to discourage promotional pressure on others to aban- those within their power. don natural methods the World Health Organisation in May 1981 issued an international code of marketing. The manufacturers have virtually ignored the code in the United King- The Common Enemy dom. A lot of promotional material is presented dressed up as educational material to the professionals who often for One of the excuses for not deprivatising the 0W1'1BI‘Ship of convenience fail to give mothers the proper support for a land.(I specifically reject nationalisation) is that peasant natural process which does not necessarily adhere to a rigid farmmg is inefficient but as it observes in the Introduction- timetable. There is also the point that breasts have become a sex symbol. To quote from the pamphlet- advertising programmes. In fact, of course it is the pat- ‘A nursing officer from Sheffield commented: ients and the National Health Service who pay for all this “Much more needs to be done in schools to inform child- nonsense." ren about infant feeding, and this should start at an early He went on to say: age, before the concept of the breast as a sex symbol has “The trouble with drug company information and the become established." ’ reason why it does not suffice alone, is that in it the The way this isexploited by a large manufacturer WYETH advertisers are mixing information and promotional mat- is shown in this little snippet from one of their booklets on erial. They are trying to tell doctors about drugs and at advice to fathers- the sami time trying to persuade them to prescribe them. ‘Because of this sexual, rather than functional bias, some Any sponsored information must be biased if it is to be men look upon their wife ‘s breasts as their ‘domain ’.... They commercially valid. As Dr Charles May has said: ‘The do not take kindly to a little infant coming in on the act — goal of promotion, even when travelling along a circuit- and who can blame them.’ ous path under the guise of “education” is to achieve uncritical acceptance of a preconceived message — to Capitalism Stinks captivate the mind; stimulation of sceptical thinking would block the purpose. This is in sharp contrast to the Practically every human activity is soiled by the market objective of true education which seeks to cultivate the economy supported by every party without exception, it use of the mind for independent judgements’.” pervades the so-called caring professions as a quote from It is perhaps for that reason that the international code Vernon Coleman indicates: recognised the need for governments to either plan, pro- ‘ “For too many years doctors have put up with expensive vide, design and disseminate objective and consistent and tasteless advertising and have accepted happily free information on infant feeding, or control such inform- samples, presents and meals paid for by the drug houses ation.’ which spend approximately 14% of their income on ALAN ALBON

Please add postage as in brackets. Items marked * are pub- BOOKS FROM FREEDOM BOOKSHOP lished in the USA. N American Purchasers please convert In Angel Alley, 84b White-chapel High St., London E1. £1 (plus postage) at 1.90 dollars (US) or 2.25 dollars (Canada). POLAND Bernard Crick: George Orwell: A Life (473pp cloth) The Book of Lech Walesa: A Collective Portrait by Solidarity * £10.00 (£1.84) Members and Critics (203pp ppr) £2.50 (36p) Burnett Bolloten: The Spanish Revolution: The Left and * Oliver MacDonald (Ed) The Polish August: Documents the Struggle for Power during the Civil War (664pp ppr) from the Beginnings of the Polish Workers’ Rebellion £10.00 (£1.84) Gdansk, August 1980. (174pp ppr) £4.00 (49p) Michael Dobbs, K S Karol & Dessa Trevisan: Poland, Sol- BARGAIN BASEMENT idarity, Walesa. (1 28pp ppr) £4.95 (94p) *Wilhelm Reich; Sex-Pol: Essays 1929-1934 (378pp cloth) £2.00 (£1.20) JOURNALS -A Small Selection : - * The Spirit that Moves Us: Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork (80pp ppr) £0.75 (31p) DEFICIT FUND Anarchy 33 (30pp ppr) £0.40 (l9p) Practical Self-Suffiency 39 (66pp ppr) £0.80 (31p) Donations Received March 10th —24th Incl.

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