Are you an anarchist but not a member of an anarchist organisation?

[The39thStep]

I've been part of anarchist & anarcho-syndicalist orgs. Not currently part of either due to personal / work life commitments, I still have a strong sympathy for anarchist communism/ syndicalism.
I do feel like maybe it should be easier to be a part time/ less engaged anarchist and this would make access easier for all. Goups are always very welcoming and accepting but there can be a large imbalance in terms of what very committed people and others do and learn weekly, this can perhaps lead to less committed people feeli g guilty and dropping out? Not sure that's quite what happened with me but do think it night be a thing.

You are in the right place. Urban is awash with part-time/ less engaged anarchists , some even fully and comfortably disengaged.

 

[Dom Traynor]

You are in the right place. Urban is awash with part-time/ less engaged anarchists , some even fully and comfortably disengaged.

Tends to marmalade stall on Cheadle High Street.

 

[danny la rouge]

Tends to marmalade stall on Cheadle High Street.

Cheadle Staffs or some other Cheadle?

 

[The39thStep]

Cheadle Staffs or some other Cheadle?

Cheadle Stockport . The Tuscany of Greater Manchester .

 

[DaveCinzano]

The Tuscany of Greater Manchester .

Lot of beans there..?

 

[Serge Forward]

Cheadle Stockport . The Tuscany of Greater Manchester .

Also known as Cheagle Oom.

 

[The39thStep]

Also known as Cheagle Oom.

That’s up the road . Bit fur coat no knickers territory .

This is home of the Berts

 

[LDC]

I've been part of anarchist & anarcho-syndicalist orgs. Not currently part of either due to personal / work life commitments, I still have a strong sympathy for anarchist communism/ syndicalism.
I do feel like maybe it should be easier to be a part time/ less engaged anarchist and this would make access easier for all. Goups are always very welcoming and accepting but there can be a large imbalance in terms of what very committed people and others do and learn weekly, this can perhaps lead to less committed people feeli g guilty and dropping out? Not sure that's quite what happened with me but do think it night be a thing.

I think some of the problems with that isn't the anarchism and anarchist organisations as such, and more people seeing (and acting as) anarchist politics as synonymous with activism which does tend to be more all consuming, with all the issues that raises (some of which you mention). Plenty of this is the problem of politics divorced from daily life of course; 'issues' than people individually choose to do rather than struggles based around where people live and/or work. That's the cause of many problems with the political scene today tbh.

 

[Elpenor]

That’s up the road . Bit fur coat no knickers territory .

ha my dad went to school there, explains a lot

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I think some of the problems with that isn't the anarchism and anarchist organisations as such, and more people seeing (and acting as) anarchist politics as synonymous with activism which does tend to be more all consuming, with all the issues that raises (some of which you mention). Plenty of this is the problem of politics divorced from daily life of course; 'issues' than people individually choose to do rather than struggles based around where people live and/or work. That's the cause of many problems with the political scene today tbh.

I think the IWCA had it right with basing the politics within the community. Not anarchists but not statist Marxists either.

 

[hitmouse]

Lot of beans there..?

I'm nearly sure you can't make marmalade with beans.

 

[LDC]

I think the IWCA had it right with basing the politics within the community. Not anarchists but not statist Marxists either.

The problem with that kind of politics is the main shared point is a geographic area, and issues often tend to be very specific to that and unlikely to generalize (some are better like housing more generally for example) and do also seem to have a tendency to get bogged down in local micro-issues, that while important to people that live there, are often a bit less meaningful if looked in a wider political context.

But yeah, broadly agree where people live is important (although think the 'community' tag is often a bit questionable) but I think workplaces have to be the main and most important focus, both due to their relationship to capital, but also to be able to seize control and then provide a material basis for any attempt at a remaking of society. Even if an upsurge in struggle emerges outside work (which tbh I think is more likely than from within in the UK) unless it connects quickly and gets support from critical workplaces and areas likely transport, logistics and food and energy production it will likely fail.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The problem with that kind of politics is the main shared point is a geographic area, and issues often tend to be very specific to that and unlikely to generalize (some are better like housing more generally for example) and do also seem to have a tendency to get bogged down in local micro-issues, that while important to people that live there, are often a bit less meaningful if looked in a wider political context.

But yeah, broadly agree where people live is important (although think the 'community' tag is often a bit questionable) but I think workplaces have to be the main and most important focus, both due to their relationship to capital, but also to be able to seize control and then provide a material basis for any attempt at a remaking of society. Even if an upsurge in struggle emerges outside work (which tbh I think is more likely than from within in the UK) unless it connects quickly and gets support from critical workplaces and areas likely transport, logistics and food and energy production it will likely fail.

Oh I agree. I think the IWCA learned that despite their successes with local politics, it didn’t turn those communities into hotbeds of radicalism. Only that they’d rather vote IWCA as opposed to the others who didn’t give a fuck.
The same can be said of Trades unionism though. It’s where the fight is right now with inflation and the cost of living crisis but going on strike to protect wages and working conditions doesn’t turn the lay man into an activist either. Or even some of the reps particularly.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I think Andy Littlechild’s Workmates has value, and it gets a heads up on official courses (or it did mine). I consider myself a syndicalist but most of my colleagues are absolutely miles away from that kind of thinking.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I'm nearly sure you can't make marmalade with beans.

You youngsters just don't have the spirit of adventure or the willingness to break pointless rules that a challenge like this requires.

Just think of it as Seville disobedience and go from there

 

[newme]

You youngsters just don't have the spirit of adventure or the willingness to break pointless rules that a challenge like this requires.

Just think of it as Seville disobedience and go from there

What have disagreeable oranges got to do with it?

 

[LDC]

I think Andy Littlechild’s Workmates has value, and it gets a heads up on official courses (or it did mine). I consider myself a syndicalist but most of my colleagues are absolutely miles away from that kind of thinking.

Yeah, to that and your other point about workmates and reps being miles away from being revolutionaries... I think mostly for me the idea isn't about 'bringing them round' to becoming card-carrying members of whatever anarcho-commie-syndicalist group there is, but to build the kind of collective and individual confidence and skills (and develop the technical and political understanding) needed to run the workplace (and life outside) without the bosses or similar and for people rather than the needs of capital etc etc.

It's also a lot about building trust with other people in the workplace (and neighbourhoods) and having a political understanding about why that's important. If things do escalate (or collapse into crisis) either in that workplace/neighbourhood or somewhere else in the country or world people will look about to those that seem to know what they're doing and why, have a plan to fix problems that looks workable, can provide the material conditions we all need day-to-day, and have some semblance of being able to defend all this if needed.

 

[newme]

I'd like more money and less work hours since they don't help. Whats that count as?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I'd like more money and less work hours since they don't help. Whats that count as?

Logical.

 

[newme]

Logical.

That's never helped before tho unfortunately lol.

 

[nino_savatte]

Well, I've only read Rudolf Rocker and I'm a Wobbly. Does that count?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

What do the Wobblies do? Do you even get a badge?

 

[chilango]

What do the Wobblies do? Do you even get a badge?

I've got a badge.

...and a card.

 

[JimW]

Songbook?

 

[Dom Traynor]

What do the Wobblies do? Do you even get a badge?

Syndicalist Sealed Knot

 

[8ball]

I think Andy Littlechild’s Workmates has value..

Is that on the Google App Store or iOS?

 

[LDC]

What do the Wobblies do? Do you even get a badge?

I think they do very little tbh, and not sure how many of the groups are much more than a contact and FB page rather than being very active.

Home - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

iww.org.uk

Was chatting last night, now might be the lowest ever membership numbers of all the anarchist groups (rather than projects or publications)? How many even are there: ACG, AnarCom, AF, IWW... is that it?

 

[Dom Traynor]

I think they do very little tbh, and not sure how many of the groups are much more than a contact and FB page rather than being very active.

Home - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

iww.org.uk

Was chatting last night, now might be the lowest ever membership numbers of all the anarchist groups (rather than projects or publications)? How many even are there: ACG, AnarCom, AF, IWW... is that it?

What happened to Solfed?

 

[Rob Ray]

Still about, eight active branches and a handful of 'Locals in formation' (folk trying to set one up).

 

[Serge Forward]

I think they do very little tbh, and not sure how many of the groups are much more than a contact and FB page rather than being very active.

Home - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

iww.org.uk

Was chatting last night, now might be the lowest ever membership numbers of all the anarchist groups (rather than projects or publications)? How many even are there: ACG, AnarCom, AF, IWW... is that it?

From it's website, the AF appears to be in it's last throes. No surprise since it went on idpol steroids and most of the libertarian communists who actually wrote for it and did stuff either dropped out, were made as welcome as a fart in a space suit or left to form the ACG.

Both the ACG and AnarCom are brilliant but we're unfortunately not in the times of building large-ish (never mind mass) revolutionary organisations I live in hope and look forward to both groups eventually coming together. I also look forward to a time when mass revolutionary politics becomes a viable alternative in the everyday lives of working class people. I'm in my 60s so I realise that might not be in my lifetime but at least the ACG and AnarCom are holding the torch.