Price: £3.00 Issue: 226 Date: 2007 ice e pages: WWHHEENN YYOOUU DDOOWWNNLLOOAADD inton on Centr Maur Br cults SSAARRKKOOZZYY YYOOUUSSRREE DDOOWWNNLLOOAADDIINNGG TTHHAATTCCHHEERRIISSMM Obituary: The life of Murray Bookchin IainIain McKay McKay on on France’sFrance’s new new Also inside this issue... presidentpresident Editorial After a year off, Black Flag has returned! The good news is that we have a new collective, even if it is on the small side. Even better, we are working closely with the editors of Freedom (who we can thank for the new layout!). Now we are sure that is something Albert Meltzer would never have expected to see in Black Flag – which shows how much things have improved in the anarchist movement over the last ten years or so. So, what is in this issue? Lots of articles about dead people and the past! We have articles on the 1936 French factory occupations and a lengthy review of the new Durruti biography (which makes up for missing the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Revolution). Then there are the obituaries for three important libertari- ans who have recently passed away – Murray Bookchin, Chris Pallis (better known as Maurice Brinton) and stalwart of the Glaswegian anarchist movement since the 1930s, John Taylor Caldwell. While there is an analysis of the recent WHY LADYBIRDS? Well, because they help rid the world of parasites, and they have a great French Presidential elections, there is a colour scheme. Photograph: Anya Brennan lack of articles on current events. This is to be expected from a magazine which has sadly been annual for the last few years. We are also dependent on people contributing articles, so if you want Black Flag to cover more recent events then please contact us and write some- thing! We aim to increase the regularity of the magazine, hoping to have two issues out next year, then three the fol- lowing one before going back to quar- terly (but we have said this before, and WHO failed). If you want to see this happen, then get involved – we are dependent on help of our comrades. If this is not forthcoming, neither will be Black Flag! WOULD It really is as simple as that. Finally, some may question whether the UK anarchist scene needs another anar- HAVE chist magazine. We have "Direct Action", "Organise!" and "A Touch of Class" – is there a need for Black Flag? We think so but we would be more GUESSED than happy to merge with other jour- nals to produce one good quality quar- terly magazine rather than four ade- quate ones. Whether this will happen THAT depends on numerous factors, but the benefits of so doing should sense on numerous levels. Perhaps if we concen- trate on what unites us rather than the ONE? ultimately minor issues in which we dif- fer, then perhaps the British anarchism could build on its many strengths and produce a media which people outside the movement will find of interest and so help our movement grow. Contents Ethos Black Flag is for a social system based on mutual aid and voluntary co-operation – against state control and all forms of n government and economic Cover story: Nicolas Sarkozy has the repression. To establish a share in the attitude, but does he have the strength? general prosperity for all – the Page 4 breaking down of racial, religious, national and sex barriers – and to fight for the life of one world. n Analysis: How the French Popular Front The Black Flag has been a worldwide symbol for anarchism of 1936 had the potential to be so much since the 1880s. It is at base a representative of the negation of more. Page 7 all oppressive structures. About n Obituary: Looking over the remarkable Contibutors/excerpts: life of Murray Bookchin, a founding father Richard Alexander of social ecology Page 13 David Berry Murray Bookchin Maurice Brinton Andrew Flood n Review: Andrew Flood lauds a long Iain McKay Alan Woodward overdue recognition of the contribution of Layout/design revolutionary Lucy Parsons Page 18 Rob Ray (Freedom Press) Printing n Centre spread: Maurice Brinton explains Clydeside Press, Scotland the pitfalls and parallels of sects and ( 0141-552 5519 socialism, followed by a review of the last Contact book he wrote before his death in 2004 : [email protected] - Black Flag Page 20 BM Hurricane, London, WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom, n Review/History: Richard Alexander Bulk Orders from AK Press takes an extensive look at the life and - AK Press (UK) PO Box 12766 times of Buenaventura Durruti, as told by Edinburgh EH8 Abel Paz Page 26 ( 0131 555 5165 - AK Press (USA) n PO Box 40862 Analysis: In the first of a two-part series, San Francisco CA Iain McKay delves into the Russian ( 94140-0682 Revolution. Page 35 : [email protected] 4 Analysis: Sarkozy Mandated for Analysis: He’s the darling of the right but can Sarko beat France’s workers? ONSERVATIVE politician Nicolas sad thing is that this programme is based ly similar in both countries, at least for the Sarkozy has won the French economics which are at deeply flawed and bulk of the population. Presidential election. He managed to which have little or no bearing to reality. This means that while France may grow convince 53% of the population that At best, it is impartial and incomplete, at more slowly, it benefits more than just the C ruling class. Then there are such factors as he represents change and this message has worse it has been debunked for decades and dutifully been repeated in the media over reflects a fantasy world of whatever unreal poverty and social mobility. here. assumptions are required to make the theory Child poverty is around 7% in France, but at Yet he is basically the chosen successor to come to the conclusion the economist seeks. 16% in Britain (double the rate for 1979) and the incumbent party so, surely, it makes far So the only group that needs Sarkozy’s at 20% in the USA. While poverty has risen, more sense to say the French were looking “reform” of the French economy is its very social mobility has fallen in the US and UK for “more of the same” rather than the Royal rich. since the 1980s neo-liberal revolutions. victory would have been the mandate for Do the French people really want to become Moreover, comparing France's income or “change.” like the UK and USA? Countries where the GDP per person to the U.S. fails to take into Failing to note that he had been a politician bosses are in the saddle and workers do what account the fact that French people work far for 20 years, he played the right-wing they are told? less than Americans. populist card of portraying himself as an Sure, the French bosses would love such a So while France may lag America ($30,693 outsider and attacking politicians (and trade regime but they do not make up 53% of the to $43,144), it cannot be said that working unions, immigrants and other usual population. class people are automatically worse off. suspects) for stealing the wealth of hard Part of the problem is Less hours at work and longer working French people. that many people holidays may impact on That this was reported seriously shows the accept the image GDP but only an idiot “objectivity” of the media and the fact some of France as would say that this people bought it shows the gullibility of many one inflicted means the economy is on the right. What can you expect, when you with eco- worse. have a worldview based on authority- nomic Economists cannot worship? stagna- say that one person What was significant in the reporting was tion, a is worse off than how a 3% majority was turned into a strong new “sick another if she mandate for his agenda rather than what it man” of has less was, a relatively small majority which showed Europe. income that a sizeable section of the French people The simply due reject it. source of to working It is doubtful that a Royal victory of 3% the fewer hours. would have been reported in quite the same “decline” of So GDP way. But, then, Bush’s 2004 “victory” of 1% France is per capita was dutifully reported as a landslide for con- usually linked may be servatism. to lower GDP higher in the So what to make of this demand for growth over the US, but only “change”? MEDEF, the French bosses past few years because association, was solidly behind Sarkozy. compared to coun- American This is unsurprising, as he promised to tries like Britain and workers work “reform” the tax on large fortunes and give the USA (both of more hours and tax breaks to big business and the rich while which are constantly not because making more cuts in the state-run national touted as models for they are more health system. France to follow). productive. In other words, to help the already- Yet this perspective fails to Like privileged classes retain and extend their take into account internal socio-economic position. income distribution. Both the “Reform” used to be associated with mak- USA and UK are marked by large ing things better. These days it is usually an (and increasing) inequality. This “economically correct” code word for means that GDP growth is not imposing a neo-liberal agenda (ie, “freeing” equally distributed. the labour market, weakening union power In America, for example, most of and state regulation of business, and reduc- GDP growth has been captured by ing taxes).