DOCSLIB.ORG

Anarchism in Book Publishing: an Exploration of Business and Ethics

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Anarchism in Book Publishing: an Exploration of Business and Ethics Portland State University PDXScholar Book Publishing Final Research Paper English 5-2016 Anarchism in Book Publishing: An Exploration of Business and Ethics Alexis M. Woodcock Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/eng_bookpubpaper Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the Publishing Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Woodcock, Alexis M., "Anarchism in Book Publishing: An Exploration of Business and Ethics" (2016). Book Publishing Final Research Paper. 13. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/eng_bookpubpaper/13 This Paper is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Book Publishing Final Research Paper by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Anarchism in Book Publishing: An Exploration of Business and Ethics Alexis M. Woodcock Portland State University May 10, 2016 Research Question: How do anarchist publishers reconcile their businesses with their ideals? Introduction The term anarchist business may seem like an oxymoron to some. In fact, the misconception that anarchism precludes any organization at all is rampant, regardless of participation in capitalism. The fact remains that there are anarchist businesses all over, from restaurants to bookstores to record labels, engaging in capitalism while simultaneously opposing it. Publishing is an area of particular interest, with a number of explicitly anarchist presses actually thriving. How do they reconcile their businesses with their ideals? Does their work contradict their ideologies? What is anarchism? Perhaps the most useful place to start is in defining what anarchism is and isn’t. One pamphlet from See Sharp Press gives a concise summary to this end, beginning with the negations. According to the author, Chaz Bufe, anarchism is not the following: terrorism, which is rejected by most as highly unethical and impractical; primitivism, which is a separate ideology that is also rejected by most as unethical and impractical; chaos or a rejection of organization, which is a complete misconception; amoral egotism, which is a toxic ideology that often masquerades as anarchism but isn’t; or libertarianism as defined by the US political party, which has little to do with historical uses of the term. Detractors of a rigidly pacifist persuasion might contend that certain forms of direct action, especially those that damage property, qualify as terrorism, but most anarchists would likely argue that there is a distinction to be made between non-defensive violence against people and violence against inanimate objects. A 2011 article in the Guardian professes a similar negation of the common usage. According to author David Goodway, “Anarchists disdain the customary use of ‘anarchy’ to mean ‘chaos’ or ‘complete disorder.’” Similarly, section A.1.1 of infoshop.org’s Anarchist FAQ 2 includes the following pronouncement: “To state the obvious, anarchy does not mean chaos nor do anarchists seek to create chaos or disorder.” But if this common usage of the term is mistaken, what sort of ideology do anarchists actually espouse? According to the Anarchist FAQ, anarchism is “a political theory which aims to create a society within which individuals freely cooperate together as equals. As such anarchism opposes all forms of hierarchical control—be that control by the state or a capitalist—as harmful to the individual and their individuality as well as unnecessary.” L. Susan Brown writes in The Politics of Individualism, “Anarchists oppose the idea that power and domination are necessary for society, and instead advocate more co-operative, anti-hierarchical forms of social, political and economic organisation” (1993, 109). In their letters, Sacco and Vanzetti wrote that anarchists are “the radical of the radical—the black cats, the terrors of many, of all the bigots, exploiters, charlatans, fakers and oppressors. Consequently we are also the more slandered, misrepresented, misunderstood, and persecuted of all” (1928, 274). The Kate Sharpley Library has an archived page offering Stuart Christie’s definition of anarchism, including the following text: Anarchism is the movement for social justice through freedom. It is concrete, democratic and egalitarian. Anarchism promotes mutual aid, harmony and human solidarity, to achieve a free, classless society—a cooperative commonwealth. In an anarchist society, mutually respectful sovereign individuals would be organised in non-coercive relationships within naturally defined communities in which the means of production and distribution are held in common. We are well aware that a perfect society cannot be won tomorrow. However, it is the vision that provides the spur to struggle against things as they are, and for things that might be. To return to the previously cited article from the Guardian, Goodway states that anarchism signifies the absence of a ruler or rulers, a self-managed society, usually resembling the co-operative commonwealth that most socialists have traditionally 3 sought, and more highly organised than the disorganisation and chaos of the present. An anarchist society would be more ordered because the political theory of anarchism advocates organisation from the bottom up with the federation of the self-governed entities—as opposed to order being imposed from the top down upon resisting individuals or groups. He goes on to detail its history as a workers’ movement; the ideology’s first published naming as anarchism by Proudhon in his 1840 work What is Property?, in which he calls himself an anarchist and “a firm friend of order”; its diversity in the particulars of the ideology; and the perhaps growing number of what he calls “natural anarchists,” people who haven’t identified themselves with the word but “think and behave in significantly anarchist ways.” Anarchism & Capitalism Despite the emergence of “anarcho”-capitalist ideologies (the inclusion of scare quotes being the most common manner of reference), a brief study of the core tenets of anarchism as an ideology show it to be in direct opposition to capitalism. As a result, “anarcho”-capitalists are scorned by the vast majority of anarchist communities—while their anti-state leanings seem superficially to place them under the anarchist umbrella using the dictionary definition, anarchism is in fact a complex political theory that is very explicit in its opposition to all hierarchy, including those inherent in capitalism. As the Anarchist FAQ puts it in section F.1, “Opposition to government is a necessary but not sufficient condition for being an anarchist . Even a superficial glance at anarchist theory and history shows that no anarchist limited their critique of society simply at the state.” The passage goes on to point out that “anarcho”-capitalists “are not against authority, hierarchy, or the state—they simply want to privatise them.” According to the FAQ, many libertarians take on this position, this label, and some eventually take it to its logical conclusion, which is essentially that of a competitive monarchy. 4 Even using the dictionary alone to define it, breaking down the word anarchy to its base components still leaves one with a sense that hierarchy really is the crux of the matter rather than the state alone, and the theory has historically reflected that. According to Merriam-Webster, the origin of the word comes from the Latin anarchia and Greek anarchos, which both translate to “having no ruler.” A ruler most directly refers to a state figure, but anyone who holds power over another—legally, economically, or otherwise—can be said to be a type of ruler. In Chomsky on Anarchism, Noam Chomsky writes, “A consistent anarchist must oppose private ownership of the means of production and the wage slavery which is a component of this system, as incompatible with the principle that labor must be freely undertaken and under the control of the producer” (2005, 123). All this being the case, how is it possible that anarchist publishers—not “anarcho”- capitalists, but truly anarchist publishers—can reconcile their businesses, their participation in capitalism, with the core values of their ideologies? Anarchist publishers There are anarchist businesses all over the world, implicitly or explicitly, and they take many forms. What they tend to have in common is the goal of embodying their ideals even while working in the undesirable framework of capitalism. They often do this by promoting mutual aid, offering safer spaces for marginalized communities, using nonhierarchical organization, and disseminating texts and resources they deem important. Though almost anyone can put together a zine, anarchist publishers are largely where the book-length texts of such ideologies come from. Two very well-known anarchist publishers in the United States are AK Press and CrimethInc. There’s also Freedom Press, in the United Kingdom; ChristieBooks, operated solely 5 by the Scottish anarchist Stuart Christie; On Our Own Authority! Publishing, in Atlanta, GA; Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness, an imprint of Combustion Books; Ardent Press; Little Black Cart, in Berkeley, CA; Eberhardt Press, in Portland, OR; and Left Bank Books, in Seattle, WA. This is not an exhaustive list, and it doesn’t scratch the surface on publishers who operate on anarchist principles but don’t declare themselves as such (and one can easily understand why shying away from such
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Stuart Christie Obituary | Politics | the Guardian
    8/29/2020 Stuart Christie obituary | Politics | The Guardian Stuart Christie obituary Anarchist who was jailed in Spain for an attempt to assassinate Franco and later acquitted of being a member of the Angry Brigade Duncan Campbell Mon 17 Aug 2020 10.40 BST In 1964 a dashing, long-haired 18-year-old British anarchist, Stuart Christie, faced the possibility of the death penalty in Madrid for his role in a plot to assassinate General Franco, the Spanish dictator. A man of great charm, warmth and wit, Christie, who has died of cancer aged 74, got away with a 20-year prison sentence and was eventually released after less than four years, only to find himself in prison several years later in Britain after being accused of being a member of the Angry Brigade, a group responsible for a series of explosions in London in the early 1970s. On that occasion he was acquitted, and afterwards he went on to become a leading writer and publisher of anarchist literature, as well as the author of a highly entertaining memoir, Granny Made Me an Anarchist. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/17/stuart-christie-obituary 1/5 8/29/2020 Stuart Christie obituary | Politics | The Guardian Christie’s Franco-related mission was to deliver explosives to Madrid for an attempt to blow up the Spanish leader while he attended a football match at the city’s Bernabéu stadium. Telling his family that he was going grape-picking in France, he went first to Paris, where it turned out that the only French he knew, to the amusement of his anarchist hosts, was “Zut, alors!” There he was given explosives and furnished with instructions on how to make himself known to his contact by wearing a bandage on his hand.
    [Show full text]
  • The Continuum Companion to Anarchism
    The Continuum Companion to Anarchism 9781441172129_Pre_Final_txt_print.indd i 6/9/2001 3:18:11 PM The Continuum Companion to Anarchism Edited by Ruth Kinna 9781441172129_Pre_Final_txt_print.indd iii 6/9/2001 3:18:13 PM Continuum International Publishing Group The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane 11 York Road Suite 704 London SE1 7NX New York, NY 10038 www.continuumbooks.com © Ruth Kinna and Contributors, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitt ed, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the permission of the publishers. E ISBN: 978-1-4411-4270-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record of this title is available from the Library of Congress. Typeset by Newgen Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India Printed and bound in the United States of America 9781441172129_Pre_Final_txt_print.indd iv 6/9/2001 3:18:13 PM Contents Contributors viii Acknowledgements xiv Part I – Research on Anarchism 1 Introduction 3 Ruth Kinna Part II – Approaches to Anarchist Research 2 Research Methods and Problems: Postanarchism 41 Saul Newman 3 Anarchism and Analytic Philosophy 50 Benjamin Franks 4 Anarchism and Art History: Methodologies of Insurrection 72 Allan Antliff 5 Participant Observation 86 Uri Gordon 6 Anarchy, Anarchism and International Relations 96 Alex Prichard Part III – Current Research in Anarchist Studies 7 Bridging the Gaps: Twentieth-Century Anglo-American Anarchist Thought 111 Carissa Honeywell 8 The Hitchhiker as Theorist: Rethinking Sociology and Anthropology from an Anarchist Perspective 140 Jonathan Purkis 9 Genders and Sexualities in Anarchist Movements 162 Sandra Jeppesen and Holly Nazar v 9781441172129_Pre_Final_txt_print.indd v 6/9/2001 3:18:13 PM Contents 10 Literature and Anarchism 192 David Goodway 11 Anarchism and the Future of Revolution 212 Laurence Davis 12 Social Ecology 233 Andy Price 1 3 Leyendo el anarchismo a través de ojos latinoamericanos : Reading Anarchism through Latin American Eyes 252 Sara C.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchist FAQ (17/17)
    An Anarchist FAQ (17/17) The Anarchist FAQ Editorial Collective June 18, 2009. Version 13.1 Contents An Anarchist FAQ after ten years 3 2 An Anarchist FAQ after ten years 3 It is now ten years since “An Anarchist FAQ” (AFAQ) was officially released. A lot has happened over that time, unfortunately finishing it has not been one of them! Over that decade, AFAQ has changed considerably. It was initially conceived as a energy-saving device to stop anarchists having to continually make the same points against claims that “anarcho”-capitalism was a form of anarchism. As would be expected, the quality of the initial versions and sections were pretty mixed. Most of it was extremely good (even if we do say so ourselves!) and has required little change over the decade (mostly we have built upon and expanded the original material). A few bits were less good and have been researched more and rewritten. We have also, of course, made mistakes and corrected them when we have been informed about them or have discovered them ourselves. In general, though, our initial work has stood up well and while we were occasionally wrong on a few details, the general thrust of even these areas has been proven correct. Overall, our aim to produce an FAQ which reflected the majority of anarchist thought, both currently and historically from an international perspective, has been a success as shown by the number of mirrors, links and translations AFAQ has seen (being published by AK Press confirms this). Since the official release, AFAQ has changed.
    [Show full text]
  • CHAPTER VI Individualism and Futurism: Compagni in Milan
    I Belong Only to Myself: The Life and Writings of Leda Rafanelli Excerpt from: CHAPTER VI Individualism and Futurism: Compagni in Milan ...Tracking back a few years, Leda and her beau Giuseppe Monanni had been invited to Milan in 1908 in order to take over the editorship of the newspaper The Human Protest (La Protesta Umana) by its directors, Ettore Molinari and Nella Giacomelli. The anarchist newspaper with the largest circulation at that time, The Human Protest was published from 1906–1909 and emphasized individual action and rebellion against institutions, going so far as to print articles encouraging readers to occupy the Duomo, Milan’s central cathedral.3 Hence it was no surprise that The Human Protest was subject to repeated seizures and the condemnations of its editorial managers, the latest of whom—Massimo Rocca (aka Libero Tancredi), Giovanni Gavilli, and Paolo Schicchi—were having a hard time getting along. Due to a lack of funding, editorial activity for The Human Protest was indefinitely suspended almost as soon as Leda arrived in Milan. She nevertheless became close friends with Nella Giacomelli (1873– 1949). Giacomelli had started out as a socialist activist while working as a teacher in the 1890s, but stepped back from political involvement after a failed suicide attempt in 1898, presumably over an unhappy love affair.4 She then moved to Milan where she met her partner, Ettore Molinari, and turned towards the anarchist movement. Her skepticism, or perhaps burnout, over the ability of humans to foster social change was extended to the anarchist movement, which she later claimed “creates rebels but doesn’t make anarchists.”5 Yet she continued on with her literary initiatives and support of libertarian causes all the same.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchism and Religion
    Anarchism and Religion Nicolas Walter 1991 For the present purpose, anarchism is defined as the political and social ideology which argues that human groups can and should exist without instituted authority, and especially as the historical anarchist movement of the past two hundred years; and religion is defined as the belief in the existence and significance of supernatural being(s), and especially as the prevailing Judaeo-Christian systemof the past two thousand years. My subject is the question: Is there a necessary connection between the two and, if so, what is it? The possible answers are as follows: there may be no connection, if beliefs about human society and the nature of the universe are quite independent; there may be a connection, if such beliefs are interdependent; and, if there is a connection, it may be either positive, if anarchism and religion reinforce each other, or negative, if anarchism and religion contradict each other. The general assumption is that there is a negative connection logical, because divine andhuman authority reflect each other; and psychological, because the rejection of human and divine authority, of political and religious orthodoxy, reflect each other. Thus the French Encyclopdie Anarchiste (1932) included an article on Atheism by Gustave Brocher: ‘An anarchist, who wants no all-powerful master on earth, no authoritarian government, must necessarily reject the idea of an omnipotent power to whom everything must be subjected; if he is consistent, he must declare himself an atheist.’ And the centenary issue of the British anarchist paper Freedom (October 1986) contained an article by Barbara Smoker (president of the National Secular Society) entitled ‘Anarchism implies Atheism’.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchist Movements in Tampico & the Huaste
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Peripheries of Power, Centers of Resistance: Anarchist Movements in Tampico & the Huasteca Region, 1910-1945 A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (History) by Kevan Antonio Aguilar Committee in Charge: Professor Christine Hunefeldt, Co-Chair Professor Michael Monteon, Co-Chair Professor Max Parra Professor Eric Van Young 2014 The Thesis of Kevan Antonio Aguilar is approved and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Co-Chair Co-Chair University of California, San Diego 2014 iii DEDICATION: For my grandfather, Teodoro Aguilar, who taught me to love history and to remember where I came from. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page……………………………………………………………..…………..…iii Dedication……………………………………………………………………………...…iv Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….v List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….…vi Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………vii Abstract of the Thesis…………………………………………………………………….xi Introduction……………………………………………………………………………......1 Chapter 1: Geography & Peripheral Anarchism in the Huasteca Region, 1860-1917…………………………………………………………….10 Chapter 2: Anarchist Responses to Post-Revolutionary State Formations, 1918-1930…………………………………………………………….60 Chapter 3: Crisis & the Networks of Revolution: Regional Shifts towards International Solidarity Movements, 1931-1945………………95 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….......126 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………129 v LIST
    [Show full text]
  • Burn It Down! Anarchism, Activism, and the Vancouver Five, 1967–1985
    Burn it Down! Anarchism, Activism, and the Vancouver Five, 1967–1985 by Eryk Martin M.A., University of Victoria, 2008 B.A. (Hons.), University of Victoria, 2006 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Eryk Martin 2016 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2016 Approval Name: Eryk Martin Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (History) Title: Burn it Down! Anarchism, Activism, and the Vancouver Five, 1967–1985 Examining Committee: Chair: Dimitris Krallis Associate Professor Mark Leier Senior Supervisor Professor Karen Ferguson Supervisor Professor Roxanne Panchasi Supervisor Associate Professor Lara Campbell Internal Examiner Professor Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Joan Sangster External Examiner Professor Gender and Women’s Studies Trent University Date Defended/Approved: January 15, 2016 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract This dissertation investigates the experiences of five Canadian anarchists commonly knoWn as the Vancouver Five, Who came together in the early 1980s to destroy a BC Hydro power station in Qualicum Beach, bomb a Toronto factory that Was building parts for American cruise missiles, and assist in the firebombing of pornography stores in Vancouver. It uses these events in order to analyze the development and transformation of anarchist activism between 1967 and 1985. Focusing closely on anarchist ideas, tactics, and political projects, it explores the resurgence of anarchism as a vibrant form of leftWing activism in the late tWentieth century. In addressing the ideological basis and contested cultural meanings of armed struggle, it uncovers Why and how the Vancouver Five transformed themselves into an underground, clandestine force.
    [Show full text]
  • Human-Computer Insurrection
    Human-Computer Insurrection Notes on an Anarchist HCI Os Keyes∗ Josephine Hoy∗ Margaret Drouhard∗ University of Washington University of Washington University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA Seattle, WA, USA Seattle, WA, USA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT 2019), May 4–9, 2019, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. ACM, New York, NY, The HCIcommunity has worked to expand and improve our USA, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300569 consideration of the societal implications of our work and our corresponding responsibilities. Despite this increased 1 INTRODUCTION engagement, HCI continues to lack an explicitly articulated "You are ultimately—consciously or uncon- politic, which we argue re-inscribes and amplifies systemic sciously—salesmen for a delusive ballet in oppression. In this paper, we set out an explicit political vi- the ideas of democracy, equal opportunity sion of an HCI grounded in emancipatory autonomy—an an- and free enterprise among people who haven’t archist HCI, aimed at dismantling all oppressive systems by the possibility of profiting from these." [74] mandating suspicion of and a reckoning with imbalanced The last few decades have seen HCI take a turn to exam- distributions of power. We outline some of the principles ine the societal implications of our work: who is included and accountability mechanisms that constitute an anarchist [10, 68, 71, 79], what values it promotes or embodies [56, 57, HCI. We offer a potential framework for radically reorient- 129], and how we respond (or do not) to social shifts [93]. ing the field towards creating prefigurative counterpower—systems While this is politically-motivated work, HCI has tended to and spaces that exemplify the world we wish to see, as we avoid making our politics explicit [15, 89].
    [Show full text]
  • Yalensky's Fable: a History of the Anarchist Black Cross
    Yalensky’s Fable: A History of the Anarchist Black Cross Matthew Hart 2003 Contents Propaganda by the Deed .................................. 5 Russian Revolution and the Continued Repression .................... 5 World War II ......................................... 6 The Second Wave ...................................... 7 The Present Wave ...................................... 8 Work Cited .......................................... 9 2 For close to a century, anarchists have united under the banner of the Anarchist Black Cross for the sole purpose of supporting those comrades imprisoned for their commitment to revolu- tion and to the ideas of anarchism. Who would have suspected that a few men supplying boots, linen, and clothing to deportees in Bialostock would have been the meager beginnings of an organization that has spread throughout the globe?1 Recently statements have been made, referring to the history of the Anarchist Black Cross as mere folklore. While I admit the history of this organization seems evasive at the surface level, a deeper search for the organization’s history uncovers a rich amount of information that is far from folklore or fairy tales. This article is just a small amount of the history that hasbeen discovered in just a couple of years of research. Hundreds of pages filled with facts regarding the history of the organization is presently being assembled by members of the Los Angeles Branch Group of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation in hopes of one day printing this information in books, pamphlets, etc. We present the informa- tion in hopes of bringing unity and knowledge within the ranks of those who struggle for the support of political prisoners throughout the world. The Anarchist Black Cross dates back to the beginning of the last century during the politically turbulent times of Tsarist Russia.
    [Show full text]
  • Ackelsberg L
    • • I I Free Women of Spain Anarchism and the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women I Martha A. Ackelsberg l I f I I .. AK PRESS Oakland I West Virginia I Edinburgh • Ackelsberg. Martha A. Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women Lihrary of Congress Control Numher 2003113040 ISBN 1-902593-96-0 Published hy AK Press. Reprinted hy Pcrmi"inn of the Indiana University Press Copyright 1991 and 2005 by Martha A. Ackelsherg All rights reserved Printed in Canada AK Press 674-A 23rd Street Oakland, CA 94612-1163 USA (510) 208-1700 www.akpress.org [email protected] AK Press U.K. PO Box 12766 Edinburgh. EH8 9YE Scotland (0131) 555-5165 www.akuk.com [email protected] The addresses above would be delighted to provide you with the latest complete AK catalog, featur­ ing several thousand books, pamphlets, zines, audio products, videos. and stylish apparel published and distributed bv AK Press. A1tern�tiv�l�! Uil;:1t r\llr "-""'l:-,:,i!'?� f2":' �!:::: :::::;:;.p!.::.;: ..::.:.:..-..!vo' :uh.. ,.",i. IIt;W� and updates, events and secure ordering. Cover design and layout by Nicole Pajor A las compafieras de M ujeres Libres, en solidaridad La lucha continua Puiio ell alto mujeres de Iberia Fists upraised, women of Iheria hacia horiz,ontes prePiados de luz toward horizons pregnant with light por rutas ardientes, on paths afire los pies en fa tierra feet on the ground La frente en La azul. face to the blue sky Atirmondo promesas de vida Affimling the promise of life desafiamos La tradicion we defy tradition modelemos la arcilla caliente we moLd the warm clay de un mundo que nace del doLor.
    [Show full text]
  • A Bottom-Up History, Not a Comfortable Reinforcement
    A Bottom-Up History, Not a Comfortable Reinforcement Agustín Guillamón is a dedicated anarcho-syndicalist activist whose partisanship has not affected his critical sensitivities nor prevented him from graphically outlining what he regards as the errors and inconsistencies of the Spanish libertarian left. His narrative relies extensively on the records of meetings, documents, and manifestos of the various factions and committees of the National Confederation of Labor (Confederation Nacional del Trabajo or CNT) and the Iberian Anarchist Federation (Federación Anarquista Ibérica or FAI), most especially those of the rank-and-file militants. This is a history from the “bottom up” not usually found in studies of the Spanish Revolution and Civil War. Guillamón’s book, as the editors of the Kate Sharpley Library note by way of introduction, “makes us reassess and debate what we thought we knew” (12). And it is “not an easy read for those of us looking for a comfortable reinforcement of the purity of our anarchist ideal” (10). The libertarian left in Spain, the CNT and FAI, were neither naïve nor unsophisticated, nor for that matter “filled with saintly militants driven by the purity, righteousness, and moral correctness of their mission.” They were organizations shaped by their members’ “experience of strikes, insurrections, imprisonment, exile, cultural activities, and lives led in the working class barrios and villages of Spain” (6-7). The anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists and their organizations formed an organic part of the working-class community, involved in each and every aspect of working-class life, social and cultural. And for all that it was a remarkably complex movement, containing various currents and tendencies that were frequently in conflict—both between and within the two organizations.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents Perspectives on Anarchist Theory
    Table of Contents Introduction 2 Maia Ramnath Atmospheric Dialectics 8 Javier Sethness The Climate Crisis or the Crisis of Climate Politics? 26 perspectives Andre Pusey & Bertie Russell All Power to the People 48 on anarchist Lara Messersmith-Glavin theory Movements for Climate Action 56 Brian Tokar v.12 n.2 What We’re Reading 76 fall 2010 Cindy Crabb, John Duda, & Joshua Stevens Editorial Collective: Lara Messersmith-Glavin, Paul About the Illustrations 80 Messersmith-Glavin, and Maia Call for Submissions 81 Ramnath. Anarchist Interventions 82 Layout & Cover Design: Josh About the IAS 84 MacPhee. Perspectives on Anarchist Theoryis a publication of the Institute for Anarchist Studies (IAS). The views expressed here do not necessarily re- flect the IAS. Contact us at perspectivesmagazine@ Special Thanks: Josh MacPhee, the googlegroups.com. New articles, many artists from Justseeds, Jon Keller, not contained in our print edition, are David Combs, Cindy Crabb, John continually posted on line at our website. Duda, Joshua Stevens, AK Press, and You can see them at Anarchiststudies.org, Charles at Eberhardt Press. just look under “Perspectives.” “The non-sustainability and bankruptcy of the ruling world order is fully evident. The need for alternatives has never been stronger....As we face the double closure of spaces by corporate globalisation and militarised police states, by economic fascism aided by po- litical fascism, our challenge is to reclaim our freedoms and the freedoms of our fellow beings.... At the heart of building alternatives and localising economic and political systems is the recovery of the commons and the reclaiming of community. Rights to natural resources are natural rights.
    [Show full text]