WWHEREHERE WWEE SSTANDTAND We, the working class, produce the on the freedom of the individual is that Anti-ImperialismAnti-Imperialism world's wealth. We ought to enjoy the their freedom does not encroach on the benefits. freedom of others. We want to abolish the system of We do not ask to be made rulers nor capitalism that places wealth and power do we intend to seize power "on behalf and National in the hands of a few, and replace it with of the working class". Instead, we hold and National workers self-management and social- that socialism can only be created by the ism. We do not mean the lie called mass of ordinary people. Anything less 'socialism' practised in Russia, China, is bound to lead to no more than replac- and other police states - the system ing one set of bosses with another. LiberationLiberation in those countries was/is no more We are opposed to the state than another form of capitalism. because it is not neutral, it We stand for a new cannot be made to serve society where there our interests. The will be no bosses or structures of the state bureaucrats. A soci- are only necessary ety that will be run in when a minority seeks a truly democratic to rule over the majori- way by working peo- ty. We can create our ple, through councils own structures, which in the workplaces and will be open and demo- communities. We want to cratic, to ensure the effi- abolish authoritarian relation- cient running of everyday ships and replace them with control from life. the bottom up - not the top down. We are proud to be part of the tradi- All the industries, all the means of tion of libertarian socialism, of anar- production and distribution will be com- chism. The anarchist movement has monly owned, and placed under the taken root in the working class of many management of those working in them. countries because it serves our interests Production will be co-ordinated, organ- - not the interests of the power seekers ised and planned by the federation of and professional politicians. elected and recallable workplace com- In short we fight for the immediate mittees, not for profit but to meet our needs and interests of our class under needs. The guiding principle will be the existing set up, while seeking to "from each according to ability, to each encourage the necessary understanding according to need". and activity to overthrow capitalism and We are opposed to all coercive its state, and lead to the birth of a free authority, we believe that the only limit and equal (anarchist) society. MORE COPIES CAN BE ORDERED FROM: Post: Postnet Suite 116, Private Bag X42, Braamfontein, 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa Email: [email protected] Website: www.zabalaza.net/zababooks A South African Anarchist Pamphlet Anti-Imperialism & National Liberation - Page 32 ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ANTI-IMPERIALISM ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ AND NATIONAL ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ LIBERATION ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ [In this struggle] only the workers and the peasants will go ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ all the way to the end... ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Augustino Sandino ___________________________________________________________________ Anarchist leader of 1927-33 armed rising ___________________________________________________________________ against the US occupation of Nicaragua ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ The division of the globe is not between Europe and the ___________________________________________________________________ Three Continents, but between those above and those ___________________________________________________________________ below. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Autonomous Action ___________________________________________________________________ Let’s Stop the Congress: ___________________________________________________________________ Against the World Bank and IMF ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ GENERAL INTRODUCTION ___________________________________________________________________ By imperialism we refer to a situation in which the ruling class of one country _________________________________________________________________ dominates the people and territory of another country. In other words, there is a ___________________________________________________________________ situation of external domination by an outside power. This relationship assumes ___________________________________________________________________ different forms in different contexts. ___________________________________________________________________ As Anarchists we are opposed to imperialism because of the suffering and ___________________________________________________________________ oppression that it brings. We do not accept the argument that imperialism is a ___________________________________________________________________ progressive force, whether this argument proceeds from the idea that imperialism ___________________________________________________________________ “advances the productive forces”, “intervenes to keep the peace”, “civilises” etc. Imperialism is responsible for genocide, national oppression, attacks on working ___________________________________________________________________ class conditions, war, underdevelopment, starvation, and poverty. Imperialism is _________________________________________ __________________________ Anti-Imperialism & National Liberation - Page 2 Anti-Imperialism & National Liberation - Page 31 not, however, the only cause of these problems, and is itself the product of p.86; on Chile, C. Madlala, 29 December 1996, “Hot Recipe for Growth from Chile”, capitalism and the State (see below). in Sunday Times, (Johannesburg), p16. The key imperialist powers are the dominant First World states and their ruling 41. See R. Sandbrook, 1985, The Politics of Africa’s Economic Stagnation. classes: Western Europe, the United States of America, Japan etc. These are (Cambridge University Press). commonly called the First World, or the West, or the “core” or the metropolitan 42. See D. MacCarron, spring 1992, “New World Order: Same Old Slaughter”, in countries. In addition to these countries, the main Eastern bloc countries such as Workers Solidarity: Magazine of the Workers Solidarity Movement, no.34 (Dublin. Russia and China have also acted as imperialist powers. Ireland) ; and A. Flood, summer 1992, “The Return of the ‘White Man’s Civilising The other side of the coin are the countries and regions dominated by Mission’: Imperialism Is Not Just Another Buzz Word”, in Workers Solidarity: imperialism: Africa, East Europe, South Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Magazine of the Workers Solidarity Movement , no.35 (Dublin. Ireland. Latin America. These countries are often called the Third World, the South or the 43. Rudolph Rocker, (1978) Nationalism and Culture. Croixside Press, StillWater, “periphery”, the “satellite” countries or “colonial and semi-colonial regions”. Minnesota p.270-1 makes this point as does Alfredo M. Bonanno, 1981, Anarchism At the same time, the Third World is not a homogenous zone. Some countries and the National Liberation Struggle. Second English edition. Translated by Jean are more regionally powerful and economically dominant than others. These Weir. (Alfa Grafica Sgroi. Italy. Bratach Dubh Editions no.1 London) and Endless countries often (but not always) act as the local enforcers and allies of the Struggle, spring/summer 1990, “Against imperialism: International Solidarity and imperialist powers and are backed up by these powers. This range of countries is Resistance”, in Endless Struggle, no.12 (Vancouver) sometimes referred as the industrialised Third World, the Newly Industrialising countries (NICs), or the “semi-periphery”. Examples of semi-peripheral countries that act as the local partners of imperialism are South Africa and Israel. Semi- peripheral countries that do not act overtly as the junior partners of imperialism include Poland, Brazil and South Korea. Although Apartheid/racial capitalism in South Africa shared many of the features of an imperialist relationship