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

Anarchist organisation involvement poll

  • I am an anarchist and a member of an anarchist org

    Votes: 8 8.4%

  • I am an anarchist but not a member of an anarchist org

    Votes: 41 43.2%

  • I am not an anarchist but I would like to vote anyway

    Votes: 46 48.4%
  • Total voters
    95
Count Cuckula said:
This is undeniably true. It's why I still wonder what the point is sometimes, to be honest, together with the very bleak situation we are in atm. But we have to keep going and do our thing, so I keep at it. And our group in Kent does seem to be gradually growing somewhat and being more active, so there's definitely something to aim for and build on.
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Would be interested in your take on what Peter Painter was saying about Kent earlier in the thread, since that was a thought-provoking post and local context is often really important.
danny la rouge said:
We use the especifismo model to get involved in social movements and community activity. Especifismo: The anarchist praxis of building popular movements and revolutionary organization in South America - Adam Weaver
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I have to admit, whenever I've seen people (especially in the anglo world) talking about especifismo, it has always left me wondering "yes, but what is it that you actually do?"
 
Serge Forward said:
As an example of this, I'll be out today with a new local "reinstate the £20 universal credit" group a few locals have set up.
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Oop, hadn't seen this reply, I stand corrected. Sort of. Although I could stand to know more about what being involved in a universal credit group in an especifismo way means compared to being involved in a non-especifismo way?
 
locomotive said:
On my very shallow reading of it, does it leave you open to accusations of entryism?
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It shouldn’t, because it’s not our intention to use it to recruit or even to entice people to call themselves anarchist communists, but to encourage self management; nor is it the idea that we set ourselves up as a vanguard or as being “the freedom specialists”, but in order to give strength to activity that recognises that the seed of the future revolutionary transformation of society already exists in working class communities. The job of activists is to amplify those voices and support their self-confidence and self-activity. Not to promote the revolutionary organisation.

To quote Pannekoek "To be liberated by others, whose leadership is the essential part of the liberation, means the getting of new masters instead of the old ones."

Our aim is to nourish and strengthen the habit of direct action.
 
Serge Forward said:
Think of it as something like social/action/building in the community. But yes, especif.... a word I can barely say... needs something better in the anglophone world.
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To put it in a phrase I think charlie mowbray coined, it seems to me to encourage the leadership of ideas rather than a leadership of people, to defend organising non-hierarchically and resist the creation of formal or informal stratification within the movement - passing on what 'we' have learnt in struggle while also learning from the new interactions in struggle - not too well put but I hope you see what I'm driving at
 
purenarcotic said:
danny la rouge / redsquirrel / Fozzie Bear - do you know of or listen to any good podcasts that talk about anarchism, anarchist ideas etc?
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Again, depends what you're looking for, any specific topics or what? The Channel Zero Network is the largest network, it's a bit of a mixed bag:

Co-Conspirators – Channel Zero

channelzeronetwork.com channelzeronetwork.com
The Final Straw is often very good for international coverage, and Labor Wave is a decent sort of @-synd-leaning US podcast. The Antifada can be good too? The UK has Dissident Island Radio, and I've never really got around to listening to that much of ABC with Danny and Jim but that might be good if you want people talking about books?
 
Count Cuckula said:
I feel I should also just say that we do understand that not everyone has the time to be actively involved. People are often busy with work, and sometimes family stuff, these days. That's just the reality of modern life under capitalism unfortunately.
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Understand if you're not comfortable saying...but as a MoK originally...whereabouts in Kent are you/is your group?
 
brogdale said:
Understand if you're not comfortable saying...but as a MoK originally...whereabouts in Kent are you/is your group?
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I'm not really comfortable saying which part of Kent I'm in. But the group in general is in a few different parts of the county. We are pretty much spread out around the county. There are not a large number of us and most of us are busy with work and family commitments. But we do intend to start having proper, more regular meetings and being more active (including in other parts of Kent), atleast those of us that are not too busy to do so.
 
Count Cuckula said:
I'm not really comfortable saying which part of Kent I'm in. But the group in general is in a few different parts of the county. There are not a large number of us and most of us are busy with work and family commitments. But we do intend to start having proper, more regular meetings and being more active (including in other parts of Kent), atleast those of us that are not too busy to do so.
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Fairy nuff.
My fam are all in and around Fav and I'd be both surprised and delighted to learn that there were active anarchists in North, East Kent. Few people who are ready to bad-mouth Kent realise what a proud radical tradition it has.
 
brogdale said:
Fairy nuff.
My fam are all in and around Fav and I'd be both surprised and delighted to learn that there were active anarchists in North, East Kent.
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We do have a couple of members in the North area - only one of whom is not too busy with work etc, and is currently an active member. He wants us to put on regular meetings and do more stuff. He's a good comrade who joined recently.
 
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brogdale said:
Few people who are ready to bad-mouth Kent realise what a proud radical tradition it has.
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Yes. I have read the Making of the English Working Class, about the riots that occurred here long ago. And I am aware of there once being a DAM presence here and some miners too.
 
brogdale said:
Fairy nuff.
My fam are all in and around Fav and I'd be both surprised and delighted to learn that there were active anarchists in North, East Kent. Few people who are ready to bad-mouth Kent realise what a proud radical tradition it has.
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I know it had miners (oops, crossposted with CC there), what else should I know about? May have mentioned this before but All the Devils are Here is an interesting book about Kent, doesn't really tell much about the proud radical tradition though.
 
hitmouse said:
I know it had miners (oops, crossposted with CC there), what else should I know about? May have mentioned this before but All the Devils are Here is an interesting book about Kent, doesn't really tell much about the proud radical tradition though.
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Well historically, I know there were food riots here. And there was an armed uprising hundreds of years ago where the Archbishop of Canterbury (I think) was beheaded. I believe the Diggers had a commune down here aswell. The Luddites may have also been active down here. And then you've got the Peasant's Revolt too.

I have actually wondered before if it would be a good idea to try to produce some leaflets and posters about this history of rebellion.

In more recent years there was DAM and the miners. Have also bumped into the odd Class Warrior down here in my time. There was no doubt Anti-Poll Tax groups down here aswell, they were everywhere. There was the Kent Anarchist Group (which I was involved with) but it became defunct about 10 years ago.
 
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Peter Painter said:
Thanks.

I probably fall into the category of lifestyle anarchist then because in some ways I have deliberately chosen to reject much, and remove myself from, mainstream society.

I agree with you that such a lifestyle will almost certainly never have mass appeal, though for me that's not really the point. I do see it as a form of rebellion, but not one which really has any importance or significance to anyone but myself. It's certainly not revolutionary!

The direct action you're interested in is the important stuff. The building of class confidence and class consciousness, the provision of examples of alternative ways of thinking and of doing things, the fights and campaigns for better working and living conditions; all these things and more are things that anarchist organisations (formal and/or informal) can help with.

I do think though, that as others have said above, location is a huge factor. I've spent very little time in Scotland (I did visit for the G8 in 2005) and have never been to Glasgow (though I'm keen to sometime). Nevertheless, I do have a sense that there is far more class solidarity and general left-wing sentiment where you are than in my home town in the South East of England.

One of the first books I ever read about anarchism was Stuart Christie's, 'Granny made me...', and that had a big impact on me. I'm aware of the history and tradition of left-wing politics in Glasgow, and I am full of respect and admiration for activists such as yourself. That video I saw on here a while back of the people in Kenmure Street forcing the Border Control people to release those two men, that really warmed my heart. But at the same time I was thinking, "that might be able to happen in Glasgow but it'd never happen in Kent."

Perhaps if there had been more class consciousness and class solidarity in the community I was brought up in, I might have been less inclined to want to 'escape' society and find an alternative ("lifestyle anarchist", if you like) community to become a part of.

And I suppose really that that's as good an argument as any for trying to set something up or get something going in the places where there isn't much or any anarchist presence.
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I know what you mean about Kent, it can be a reactionary and conservative place, which is definitely true of where I am. I live in Kent myself. But there is a small Kent ACG. And we intend to be more active and to grow. Maybe we could meet up sometime.
 
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Count Cuckula said:
I know what you mean about Kent, it can be a reactionary and conservative place, which is definitely true of where I am. I live in Kent myself. But there is a small Kent ACG. And we intend to be more active and to grow. Maybe we could meet up sometime.
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I wasn't intending to bad mouth Kent! I grew up there and there are so many things I love about the place and very many of the people who live there. Indeed, there are certain parts of the county which will always feel like home whenever I visit.

But much of it does also feel, as you say, reactionary and conservative. This is only an impression mind, the only actual evidence I have is anecdotal and based upon things I've directly experienced.

I'm also aware that Kent has it's own proud history of protest and rebellion stretching all the way back to Wat Tyler. So again, I wasn't meaning to denigrate the county's radical credentials!

I didn't know about the Kent ACG but am pleased to hear it exists and is intending to grow and become more active.

I live on the road so I never know how long I'll be staying in any one area. This makes it difficult to get too involved with any local group. Having said that, I have family and friends in Kent and I often visit. I'm not sure if there is much I could do to help but I'd be interested in meeting. And if I there is anything I can do then there's a good chance I'd be up for doing it. Maybe next time I'm about I'll send you a pm. In the meantime I'll simply offer my best wishes for the Kent ACG and hope that you can have an influential and inspirational effect in the area.
 
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