Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony
Public Inquiry >>
A Blog About Human Rights
UN human rights chief calls for priority action ahead of climate summit Sat Oct 30, 2021 17:18 | Human Rights
5 Year Anniversary Of Kem Ley?s Death Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:34 | Human Rights
Poor Living Conditions for Migrants in Southern Italy Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:14 | Human Rights
Right to Water Mon Aug 03, 2020 19:13 | Human Rights
Human Rights Fri Mar 20, 2020 16:33 | Human Rights
Human Rights in Ireland >>
News Round-Up Fri May 17, 2024 00:26 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Don?t Be Fooled by Bills of Rights: They Failed to Stop Lockdowns (Everywhere) and Are Just Tools of... Thu May 16, 2024 19:04 | Dr James Allan
Don't be fooled by bills of rights, warns Law Professor James Allan. They failed to stop lockdowns (everywhere) and are just tools of Leftist judicial activism.
The post Don’t Be Fooled by Bills of Rights: They Failed to Stop Lockdowns (Everywhere) and Are Just Tools of Leftist Judicial Activism appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Why the Politicisation of Infrastructure, Including Banking, Must be Stopped Thu May 16, 2024 17:00 | Dr R P
Dr RP, who has a PhD in Robotics, argues that the increasing politicisation of basic infrastructure, with financial services being withdraw from an increasing array of people and companies, poses a threat to democracy.
The post Why the Politicisation of Infrastructure, Including Banking, Must be Stopped appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Debunking the Cheap Renewables Myth Thu May 16, 2024 15:44 | David Turver
Renewables are not cheap and are never going to be, says David Turver. With over £12 billion being paid in subsidies to or because of renewables each year, the claim that renewable will save us money is a myth.
The post Debunking the Cheap Renewables Myth appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Dr. Jeckyll and Marina Hyde Thu May 16, 2024 13:00 | James Alexander
The Guardian's Marina Hyde has mocked Russell Brand for his baptism in the Thames. It's easy to scoff, says James Alexander, but at least Brand, like his new religion, is trying to find the truth.
The post Dr. Jeckyll and Marina Hyde appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
General Assembly supports Palestine's full membership in the United Nations Tue May 14, 2024 10:49 | en
Elections to the European Parliament: a costly masquerade, by Thierry Meyssan Tue May 14, 2024 07:04 | en
In Europe and the Middle East, two scenarios for the same war, by Manlio Dinucci... Sun May 12, 2024 05:49 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°86 Sat May 11, 2024 07:12 | en
Ukraine on the brink of the abyss Sat May 11, 2024 06:45 | en
Voltaire Network >>
national |
anti-capitalism |
news report
Sunday November 16, 2008 20:08
by Andrew - WSM (personal capacity)
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (12 of 12)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12This audio is the opening contributions (Andrew Flood & James McBarron from the The Moment that We are In ' kicking capitalism while its down discussion. It's about 25 minutes in length. I'd my mic set to the wrong sensitivity so it didn't pick up the rest with enough clarity to use.
Kicking capitalism when its down
This audio is from the Chaos Cabaret on Saturday night when various people got up to do their piece. I missed some and not all worked in terms of recording (eg the mime based a round having an enormous lump of modelling clay on your head, see image). But here are some songs, instrumentals and even poetry to give you a sense of things. Someone local might be able to identify the different performers, I didn't want to post an incomplete list based on the ones I recognised.
Chaos Cabaret at the Cork Grassroots Gathering
I listened to the audio on kicking capitalism when it is down with interest. Financial capitalism is tearing at the seems. I think we can agree on that. However, I have one genuine question:
How do you propose to take advantage of this period of weakness without utilising the state?
Are political projects such as introducing publicly controlled credit insitutions, universal health coverage, complete public funding of education, adequate social housing, universal social wage, meaningful job creation, increased taxation on wealth irrelevant to anarchist strategy? If so, how do you represent or propose to represent the interests of the working class. None of these things can be introduced without utlising the state. Whats wrong with using power for the working class? Power will be taken by somebody, so is it defeatist to avoid the state as a tool for political change?
Now, if you tell me that such short term gain is not a preference in anarchist strategy, and that you are happy to wait another 100-200 years to make any systemic difference without the state then the question is answered already. It is bizzare but it makes logical sense for me then.
However, I sense from the audio, and from discussions I have had with anarchists that you do want to take advantage of this down turn now which begs the question:
How?
If you look at 'other articles from the same author' you'll see we don't quite to see the 'contradiction' in demanding better healthcare or defending free access to education that you seem to think we should. Most on the left don't have a problem demanding a wage rise without feeling that the best strategy for doing so is to become a factory owner, anarchists have a similar approach to placing demands on the state.
Actually there is a debate about just how this should be done over on Anarchist Black Cat - as you'll see there is some pretty strong disagreements on aspects of this (although some of those who disagree the most with putting particular demands on the state are actually Marxists). The related link below will take you to that
Grassroots gathering Cork
GG 08.
Well done to all involved with putting together the Cork GG 2008
more pics
Great report and great photos.
But a fair question was asked and it was not answered.
Anarchists are poor at engaging with this question, which is often put. Instead of answers, we get terse responses delivered in a huffy manner.
I am none the wiser about how you change all the these things without using state power. There may be a way-lets hear it.
I did reply but maybe I wasn't obvious enough.
It all comes down to what you mean by 'use state power'. From the context the original questioner appeared to suggest this meant you should take state power (through election or revolution). So I pointed out that seeing as we don't apply this logic to wage demands why would we apply it to healthcare or education. In other words just as in a struggle over wages we put demands on the source of the problem rather than seeking to become the problem.
Hey I had a great weekend, thanks to all for the hard work. Can we get Diarmuid the poet to come to Dublin? He was amazing.
Fair play to all in cork. Good to yis again.
All of us involved in the organising of last weekend's event will be getting together soon over beverages and sticky buns etc. to reflect on all that happened at gg08corcaigh - the very good indeed, the merely good and the little bit of bad. We just about covered our organising expenses, and everyone got home hale, happy, sweating and energised (I hope!). We're going to have a good natter and review, and then we'll write the report/review of gg08corcaigh it deserves. In the aftermath of such a successful gathering, I feel that it would be very useful to have a record or report of the event from its inside, both the event itself and the organising effort that went into it; this could be very useful for new groups putting together future Grassroots Gatherings, for both inspiration and guidance.
I must express my gratitude to all my fellow-organisers for this gg08corcaigh for a job excellently done, to all workshop speakers/facilitators for making their topics interesting and accessible, to all performers at a most enjoyable cabaret eclectique, to the kids for being their beautiful selves, and to all who attended gg08corcaigh and made it all come alive with their infectious energy and enthusiasm. We'll see you all back here in a year or two at another Grassroots Gathering maybe?
We were flahed tired after it all for a few days, but the memories from the whole weekend will remain to enchant us long after the tiredness goes. there's a lot of life in the Grassroots Gathering yet!!
Fri. night get-together
Kids zone. Kids rock!
Gathering - Sat. afternoon
Cabaret - visiting poets
Cabaret - clay-headed man
Magic weekend - the response blew me away. let's make that magic transform the world!
Cabaret - Diarmuid Ó Dálaigh declaiming
Cabaret - gg08corcaigh participant sings and plays
Gathering, Sun. - sharing stories 1
Gathering, Sun. - sharing stories 2
gg08corcaigh legacy - urban garden on leeside courtesy of gg guerilla gardeners. Magic!
First Andrew - I don't define class in terms of wage alone. While I consider class in terms of education, wealth and lifestyle it remains rooted in material condition - the base determines the superstructure not the other way around (sorry weber). I think class can be measured by degrees of social power ie the level of control one has over ones own life condition - or indeed over the lives of others. Naturally social power is relative to the specific society so although a supermarket floor worker in Ireland may get paid more than a manager in Somalia, the manager occupies a higher social station relative to his own society.
Status is key - Capitalism requires that people define themselves according to their degree of power in order to preserve the economic base. Commodities take on a new dimension apart from function or ‘’use value‘’, they become material manifestations of the social hierarchy. Acquisition of (specific) goods and services become the main drive in that people (define) themselves in relation to there position - ever aspiring towards power by accumulation of (social capital). Commodity fetishism ect are protected by the countervailing idealogical hegemony.
Andrew the ruling elite have a reasonable understanding of class dynamics. Social mobility and wage protections are tools used to reduce class antagonisms. Preservation of the middle class by way of controlled concessions ensure the unification of labor/socialism remains beyond reach. Social democratic policy ensures the survival of capitalism and is ''in reality'' the most right wing approach going.
Again I ask you - why would the upper or middle class participate in the dismantlement of the hierarchy that they define themselves with ?
Sorry for putting this in the wrong place - is there somewhere we can continue on here ? BTW - Im an anarchist Im just skeptical of the WSM - they seem a little reformist or something, spending disproportionate amounts of time on single issue camps - symptoms rather than the cause. Then again Im not completely aware of your work - its just what iv seen and heard personally so I could be wrong (hopefully i am).