Vol. V. 20p Orga*^ n of the Anarchist Black Cross K A F E S TO TO THE NATIONAL II A R C H IS T MOV EM EN T LORENZO KOM BOA E R V I N "Before the First World War the main impetus for Social The incapability of bourgeois scientists and politi- Revolution came from the Anarchist and revolutionary cians to get to the root of these problems opens the doors Syndicalist movements. However, following the defeat to Anarchist revolutionary activities. This obvious world of the Russian Revolution with the triumph of author- wide destruction as well as the every-approaching planet- itarian (State) Communism, world Capitalism tended to ary catastrophe, (that even the Bourgeoisie can see!), concentrate its energies on destroying this (real) appar- opens up for the Anarchist world-view the best possible ent danger to its continued existence, thus giving the circumstances since the beginnings of the Anarchist move- impression that the Libertarian movement and its ideas ment. Thus, Anarchism presently faces an excellent were superfluous, or, at best, a side issue to the main opportunity to become a dominating social force in struggle, so far as the organized working class was con- modern society, to change the scientific, cultural, and social chaos into a free society, and to implement Libert- cerned. Only in a minority of countries did Anarchism arian Socialism on a world scale. take the lead, elsewhere the very idea of freedom went The Anarchist society will only be realized as a into decline (Albert Me/tzer in 'THE INTERNATION- result of world-wide social' revolution. However, this AL REVOLUTIONARY SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT', will be possible only when there exists a international Cienfuegos Press 1974). revolutionary Anarchist organization. An organization "The modern States (totalitarian or democratic), which can co-ordinate the everywhere existing resistance private and State capita/ism, all variations of political struggles of the people, but without centralizing those and religious ideology, trade unionism (whether reformist activities, and which con give to the actions Libertarian or State-run), in general, all social groups which are pan goals, at which point we know we can make freedom and of the productive society have established, as a fact, Libertarian Socialism come true. a co-existence that tends at any cost, to ensure the present The Social Revolution is proletarian international status quo for all forms of privilege, exploitation, and . not merely an insurrection in one land, and must authority". (Meltzer) i to goal wbrld-wide Anarchist rebellion and over- East and West, States are the oppressors of the peo- throw of the State. We need an organization and a Social ple. But Capitalism is being undermined due to economic revolutionary movement capable of launching, sustaining, and political crises (expression, inflation, exposures of and co-ordinating our struggles in every country. political corruption) and a myriad of social and cultural ; Cont. page 9' ills. Our time is indelibly branded by the robbery of human labour power, and by the exploitation of natural resources. The denial of freedom, world war, and op- : International Prisoners; Thorpe; China; pression by the State also characterizes our period. Times; Body Guards & more BLACK FLAG is late again - and BSNEFIT (PRE-TRIAL) not too well produced at that. Our '"#. • 'PERSONS UNKNOWN' problems have not been financial — SATURDAY 8TH SEPT. DON'T FORGET THE though they could, of course, be K 'V. CDNWAY HALL; 7.30 PM "FLAG" COMPANEROS dispensed with by cash. They rest WE GET NO MONEY upon the breakdown of a typesetting GRASS; POISON GIRLS machine, and the difficulties of obtain- AND ONE MORE GROUP FROM THE WORLD ing a typesetter where the work could COUNCIL OF CHURCHES! be done commercially. We were, in fact, all set to trans- form BLACK FLAG into a fortnight- 3 PM - 6 PM MEETING ly, and this will certainly come about DEFENDANTS WILL TALK in the foreseeable future. Strange, ABOUT THE CASE when this is the second copy in the 3EFORS DANCE. year - and it's supposed to be a monthly (more or less)? Not so strange when one thinly that the problems of a fortnightly are utterly differen t. However we can't go ahead without a solution to the typesetter problem — and purchase a new one involves sev- eral thousands of pounds. We hope to reach an agreement with some group doing typesetting. Meanwhile, once again we offer our opologies for irregularity and the appearance of the Flag, for so long vain of its appear- ANARCHO-QUIZ 3fe% •••';*• •';/ .,-:.WM-, On to the Fortnightly! We realise 1. Pope Innocent III ordered a that others are thinking of the crusade against the Albigensian same thing — an Anarchist paper Postage dnduding A8C) 114J& Stationery 10.00 (Cathar) heretics: what was with fortnightly, and some in London the answer of the Church to the hope weekly, issues. The more military commander who asked 386.50 the merrier — there is plenty of scope. during the siege of Beziers Sales & Subs 231.14 Regularity means topicality «T*~, (France) how in the heat of Donations + 85.50 316.64 and dealing with current issues - but battle he could distinguish bet- these cannot be dealt with by any ween Cathar heretics and the 69.86 paper under fortnightly appearance. Loss Catholic faithful? Is a daily an impossible pipe dream? deficit c/fwd 1326.58 Not so. It is within the bounds of 2. How is it that British 1396.41 immediate possibility if three or new deficit achievement in geriatric science four fortnightly papers were brought never gets recognised in the out by different groups, were success- Honours List? ful, and saw the possibilty of collab- Last issue sold out but we would oration. still solve our deficit if all copies were paid for. But as long as it's below 3. What have Pullman Wagons de tho dreaded £1400 figure it's manage Lit (sleeping cars) to do with VOLUME V. NO. 9 20p. able. anarchism? + donations 4. What has the statue of Queen London: Punk Concert £15; JH £5; Published by Black Flag, Over the Anne outside St Paul's Cathedral JG £6; SM £1; 'Smithfield Mob' Water, Sanday, Orkney, KW17v 2BL in London, in common with the £25; JF £2.50, AM £20, Cosham the statue of Brigham Young in SB £7; Washington (Tyneside) DAS Printed by Little @ Ltd.. Metropolitan the middle of Salt Lake City £4. TOTAL. £85.50. Wharf, C.1, Wapping Wall, Wappint, (at least, as enshrined in jest)? London El Typesetting & Layout by Black Flag 5. Which English politician was Collective, c/o Little @ Ltd., Metro- compared during the election politan Wharf, C1, Wapping Wall campaign (admiringly) with Mich- London E1 ael Bakunin and other Russian Subs. £4.00 per 12 issues (home). revolutionaries? Canada/Australia/N.Z. (airmail) U S.A. $14.50. Seamail S7.50 6. Mr G.N.Strauss.until the election Father of the House and now in the Lords, once collabor- ated with Anarchists and others in a 'terrorist murder plot'. What did he do ? Answers on page 23 PAGE 2 interview WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 'INDIVIDUALIST'ANARCHISM? 'Punk is dead'.' so goes a song writ- to spread anarchist ideas not only ten by a group calliVig themselves amongst the Left but also amongst CRASS and who have brought anarchism the extreme Right, this being the back on to th^urrrtable. CRASS are main thing that sets them apart from other 'individualist' anarchists irt of i..f-r1 lT~fo|j||feJ^"" near Spping. We wondered if they were (and rock groups). They consider that merely?l^i>|lig*ffrbifefB« heady their way of IBfe*«*iSSies'fir*t, whilst days of '76, or whether in fact they™ their"Tfiu§i'e is only an extension had anything to offer the anarchist of it. One interesting aspect of movement. Some of them have been their lifestyle is that unlike most living in the collective for about anarchists who find themselves out fifteen years in a rented farm- of work and who tend to advocate house where their lifestyle would living off the dole (as if in doing seem to reflect the kinds of anarch- so they are striking a blow at capit- ism they have adopted. They live alist society), CRASS bluntly frugally, are anti-consumer and when refuse to take any hand-outs, real- they need money they do the odd job ising (quite rightly) .that if they to get what they need. In other Became claimants their collective words, lihey live at a very low mone- would then in fact be financed by tary level - consuming only what they the State. Many anarchists tend to need. At the same time they realise justify the former belief by stating tnat they don't need to compensate that if everyone went on the dole for an unsatisfying life by spending then the capitalist society would money and 'consuming'. collapse. This is, of course, Unlike most rock bands the group unrealistic as everyone isn't going have put a lot of thought not only to go on the dole. There is the into how their music relates to other point that eventually, in their audience but also how it re- order for capitalism to continue, lates in the wider context to their it will be necessary for a high type of anarchism.' CRASS (Oxford dict- percentage of the population to be ionary: stupid, ignorant, etc.) act- paid not to work (even Tory M.P.'s ually describe themselves as 'indiv- are getting used to this idea and idualist' anarchists, although on some are even advocating it). But first sight appear to be just another as anarchists this doesn't really_ bunch of peace freaks who live in a concern us as it is merely reformism commune and grow their own' food.