Anarchist Experiences: How Did You Get Involved?

Created by: yossarian. User 'anonymous' did: report at Sat Aug 22 08:14:42 +0000 2009.

true

true Straw poll: who's an anarchist when? With 13 people in the discussion group, 1: didn't describe himself as an anarchist 10: would tell their mother they're an anarchist 8: would tell their co-workers they're an anarchist 11: would tell a random person they met in a pub that they're an anarchist There was also quite a bit of discussion in relation to the question "how did you get involved in the anarchist movement?", and the answers were pretty interesting, revealing a very wide range of ways that people do get involved. Anarchist Case Studies - how did you become politicized? What do you want from this conference? <ol> <li>My experience of getting involved was seeing the people in Seattle fighting the police on TV and having a vague impression that those people were against the same things (environmental destruction, the cops, etc) that I was vaguely against at the time.  The experience of organizing as anarchists during the Scotland G8 (2005) was important, because it planted the anarchist flag firmly in my town, as opposed to the (previously) Trot-only visible presence of the radical left.  After a number of years working together, our group has come out with a fairly coherent political viewpoint, and they've moved towards a "traditional" anarchist communism, which is, interestingly, easier to explain to people than, say, radical ecology. What do I want from this conference? I think we need to recognize that ecological questions can be solved only after we win the class struggle and workers control over industry, because until that point we don't have the power to change the industrial system in ways which will stop the ecological disaster. So even though I consider myself a radical ecologist, this aspect of my politics rarely comes out at the moment, because I'm more focused on workplace organizing and related questions.  We should be seeing what we can, in each of our strands of the anarchist movement, what we can take away from the conference in order to make all of our struggles more effective.</li> <li>There are going to be big social changes happening in the near future, we can either be part of painting the picture of how things are going to look, or we can wait for it to happen and then throw bricks at it, being a sort of "anti-future" movement.</li> <li>I got involved through squatting, the early 80s peace movement, and the miner's strike. I want an understanding that there is in fact an anarchist movement in the UK and that it is part of a much broader movement of people looking for a self-organized, radical set of responses to what's going on.</li> <li>I got involved in anarchist groups because I didn't like being told what to do by authoritarian groups during the Iraq war.  If anything, I want to get people in London sitting down and talking to each other more.  </li> <li>I wants to meet actual anarchists - I have read many books but have never met any "real" anarchists.  [Note: he doesn't seem too disappointed by everybody else]. I want to help spread ideas.</li> <li>I come from an industrial background (I was a shift engineer in a car plant).  I was heavily influenced by the Solidarity group, Socialism ou Barbarie, etc because of their anti-bureaucratic stance.  I want a consensus that capitalism has profoundly changed its form over the past generation or so; that besides the purely anarchist strands of thought, there are many kinds of libertarian Marxist who anarchists should be having a dialogue with.  The traditional class war focus of some anarchist groups is not going to be fruitful in the future because of changes in the composition of the working class, and there may be ways forward which can be worked out in conjunction with other perspectives.</li> <li>I'm a new person, and I'm really just finding my way. I want to make sure that the anarchism is welcoming to new people.</li> <li>I got into anarchism through punk rather than any defining political moment.  Groups have a problem with communication, we could be helping each other out more.  There isn't much in the way of long-term planning, which is a big problem.</li> <li>I was politicized in the mid 80s and was active in the feminist movement.  About five years ago I joined the anarchist movement after a long break from political activity.  The economic crisis has spurred me to join an organization.  I want to see more cooperation between groups (as opposed to unity), and I agree that there needs to be more strategic thinking at this criticial moment.</li> <li>I got involved through feminism and identity politics via the Newbury Bypass, and have been chasing an adrenaline rush ever since. I don't want some fixed program to come out of the conference, since things are changing too quickly for us to predict what's going to happen.  I think it's absolutely the wrong thing to join an organization as I feels that the Earth First network-style model is a better way to go - I want new affinities rather than an organization to join.</li> <li>I did all kinds of ecology-related stuff, round and round for 20 years.  I need a new inspiration to carry me through.  Anarchy is taking responsibility for oneself and one's community.   </li> </ol>

2009-06-07T19:36:02+00:00

1542

promoted

yossarian

false

The Anarchist Conference 09 was a good time to not only figure out the strategy and tactics for a self-organized libertarian revolutionary movement, it was also possible to take time out to ask people about their experiences and feelings.  For example, here's a quick straw poll from one of the sessions.