nyxx
*
I’m not a parent. I chose not to be. That’s an individual choice, thank fuck.
London Anarchist bookfair 2020
- Thread starter Treacle Toes
- Start date
I’m not a parent. I chose not to be. That’s an individual choice, thank fuck.
I thought the tone (and content) of campanula's post was great. Surely as a collective, you do whatever's important to that collective* rather than what you necessarily want to do as an individual? Is that not kind of the point?
*Assuming you have the skills required.
ETA I'm not a parent either but I've done my fair share of helping out at kids' cinema events, football competitions and all the rest.
Um, I am not putting in any sort of spiky boot but merely wanting to emphasise that children have as much right and agency as anyone else, given the chance to participate...and often, the childcare components of meetings and protests are just viewed as an add-on instead of an integral part of the whole thing. I have had 3 of them so am very much aware what bloody hard work childcare can be...but collective responsibilities for all children, can be a joyful and creative action, I will also admit to scuttling off myself, given any opportunity, so I really didn't intend to point a finger of guilt at anyone...just to emphasise some of the potentially useful ways of integrating childcare into the broader aims of the meeting/fair/whatever...whilst trying to not reinforce the current unequal social reproduction which tends to isolate parents (and usually women).
I also accept the many difficulties around safeguarding but feel that these are not insurmountable burdens when childcare is fully considered as a vital and energetic process worth investing effort in.
For many parents, especially single ones, isolation and inability to take part in political movements is more than just an inconvenience - it perpetuates anomie, loneliness and bitterness down generations.
I also accept the many difficulties around safeguarding but feel that these are not insurmountable burdens when childcare is fully considered as a vital and energetic process worth investing effort in.
For many parents, especially single ones, isolation and inability to take part in political movements is more than just an inconvenience - it perpetuates anomie, loneliness and bitterness down generations.
It's fair to say that, my involvement in collectives almost never involves any sort of creche work (cos I am desperate for a break) but I will happily spend many kitchen hours, cooking, cleaning and rubbish picking. Obviously, individual preferences can fit seamlessly within a wider collective because numbers and goodwill can overcome almost anything.
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
nyxx has a point in that there are some @ activities that aren't suitable for kids, and shouldn't include them.
Away from the Bookfair itself I do think that this is a big issue for the movement.
It is still largely a young person's game, with many if dropping out or back once we age, become parents etc.
Perhaps because it's still largely a combination of youth culture and spectacular action.
Away from the Bookfair itself I do think that this is a big issue for the movement.
It is still largely a young person's game, with many if dropping out or back once we age, become parents etc.
Perhaps because it's still largely a combination of youth culture and spectacular action.
Although this is purely anecdotal, it had a big effect on me at the time and really affected my involvement in the politics within a particular group. Back in the 1980s, I was involved in a women's collective which, as well as providing a space for education, meetings and activities (I taught a woodwork class a couple of times a week), a free creche was (for me) the fundamental service which enabled me to participate in anything. It was a bit shambolic, very collectivist and egalitarian. Workers (creche, office, tutors, building maintenance) were paid a nominal hourly rate - same for everyone. Success brought it's own particular problems when we got funding for more workers and larger premises. Suddenly, the creche workers, who had been paid exactly the same as anyone else, were defunded to a paltry hourly rate while hefty monthly salaries were being paid to an unfeasibly large bunch of 'professional' women who occupied the office (exactly the same number of courses and ctivities which had been administrated by 1 full-time and 1 part-time worker later required 11 women...none of whom had children. This was the most bitter betrayal of the feminist movement - that they would so willingly embrace hierarchical differences as to blatantly dismiss the absolute essential needs and importance of childcare...nor could they even see how the entire organisation had perpetuated the inequalities which made parent's, and especially single mothers so poorly represented in professional positions in the first place...
I realise that it was a personal thing which left me feeling quite betrayed (even though I never worked in the creche and would have wanted £100per hour for doing so).
I realise that it was a personal thing which left me feeling quite betrayed (even though I never worked in the creche and would have wanted £100per hour for doing so).
I choose not to contribute to your healthcare or pension then. Because I can. Haha. My choice.
Yours,
Money placed elsewhere
nyxx
*
Struggling to see what your point is Magnus but given the output I’ve read from you thus far my expectations are low; please don’t put effort into belabouring it.
I made an individual choice not to become a parent - bodily autonomy, reproductive rights. I hope you’re not such a brazen misogynist as to have any problem with these principles.
As to contributing to child care - I’ll do this happily in the right circumstances.
Having been lumped with childcare responsibilities from age 11 because I was “the girl” I’ve got little time for any assumptions that I should be responsible for anyone’s kids.
You’re mildly entertaining but it’s borderline tedious.
I made an individual choice not to become a parent - bodily autonomy, reproductive rights. I hope you’re not such a brazen misogynist as to have any problem with these principles.
As to contributing to child care - I’ll do this happily in the right circumstances.
Having been lumped with childcare responsibilities from age 11 because I was “the girl” I’ve got little time for any assumptions that I should be responsible for anyone’s kids.
You’re mildly entertaining but it’s borderline tedious.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
How do we know who they are though?
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
They'll be be a group of five young people with an old person watching. A few people filming themselves and handing the evidence to the OB.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
sheepish, smell of lighter fuel, singed eyebrows
andysays
Love and solidarity
We'll have no pyrophobia here or at the Bookfair, if you don't mind...
ska invita
back on the other side
I can recommend reading Alexi Sayles Stalin Ate My Homework for a funny/sad memoir on this theme.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Speaking as an anarcho communist for the last 38 years, I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment. Still, ever the optimist, I'm hoping things get better.
charlie mowbray
The Enforcer
Tomorrow, Saturday September 7th the ACG will be running stalls at both the Dorset Radical Bookfaiir and the Bradford Anarchist Bookfair. In addition, we will be holding meetings there, This Land Is Our Land at Dorset and “Whose NHS ? Beyond ‘fighting the cuts’ at Bradford. If you're in the vicinities, call by our stalls!
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
However, we have concerns about the pool of funding remaining which was donated and raised by people and groups for the purpose of holding events and strengthening the Anarchist movement. While it is clear that you have decided you will not endorse Bookfair2020, we believe the funds that you are withholding should go towards helping improve and strengthen other areas of anarchist struggle. This money should not be left sitting in a bank account and it would be better to see it in circulation. We recommend transparency for the funds you currently have access to, and for you to donate them to a group like The Outsiders Project or Streets Kitchen.
A bit of a blackmaily demand I thought.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
That's a declaration of war.
For a given value of "war" I suppose. The start of a load of internet bollocks more like.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Oh this'll get nasty in real life - money does that. The new lot are making a big claim to speak for the wider anarchist movement here, they have opened the door to everyone not happy with this. The old bookfair collective don't seem very much into internet war tbh.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
And weird places to suggest giving the money to...? Why not to other anarchist projects?
Are they not anarchist projects? Never heard of them.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Me neither. Quick Google showed them to be some charity type things (one about writing and one about homelessness) but fuck knows, maybe they are something else and I missed it.
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butchersapron
Bring back hanging
They will be the way that people find out about who is behind the new bookfair because they're clearly mates/personal projects. It shows the vision is punx prisoners and homeless though. A real step back to the subculture bad old days. Anarchism as therapy to capitalism.
Theres no need to do any detective work to find out who's behind the new bookfair though is there?
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