Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Vote — or Don’t: On Abstention

Vote — or Don’t: On Abstention

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

It’s no secret that anarchists detest elections, but most who embrace revolutionary socialism (of which anarchism is a branch) tend to possess a simplistic understanding of how to position themselves in relation to the spectacle of these events. This article argues that the anarchist focus on abstention as a responsive strategy to electoralism is not only inadequate for the moment, but operates on the same moralizing logic used by our foes for the reproduction of bourgeois democracy.

by Cameron A.

Ungovernable: An Interview with Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin

Ungovernable: An Interview with Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Author and independent writer William C. Anderson interviews veteran organizer and former Black Panther and political prisoner Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin on the current political crisis, fascism and rising relevance of Black anarchism. We also urge you to generously contribute towards a fundraising campaign organized by William to support Lorenzo and his partner JoNina Ervin. Both are movement elders who’ve inspired generations of rebels and are in need of support with their living and medical expenses.

CHOP Analysis: Glimmers of Hope, Failures of the Left

CHOP Analysis: Glimmers of Hope, Failures of the Left

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Out of the national uprising in protest of the racist police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis emerged a movement occupied space of 8-10 blocks in the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill. The space began “as an accident” when on the evening of June 7 a man drove drove into the protests and shot a demonstrator. Quickly the crowds set up barricades at several intersections and an occupy style encampment emerged as the the mayor ordered the evacuation of the East Precinct police statement encompassed within the zone. Originally deemed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) the space was soon renamed Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) and remained in place until July 1 when Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered police to clear out the space after a series of late night shootings. Written in late July 2020, this critical analysis piece was based on discussions and experiences of our Seattle Black Rose/Rosa Negra comrades. 

Black Rose Anarchist Federation NYC Local Statement on the Current Revolt

Black Rose Anarchist Federation NYC Local Statement on the Current Revolt

From Love and Rage media dot org

by Black Rose/Rosa Negra NYC Local

The explosive revolt following the murders of George Floyd, Raynard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Loreal Tsingine and Chantel Moore laid bare the collective anger that’s been simmering just below the surface in a U.S. society  founded on white supremacy and a capitalist system designed to enrich a very few haves at the expense of everyone else. The uprising was a revolt of the Black and Brown people and the have-nots sickened by seeing the video of a Black man being slowly lynched, and tired of living day-to-day with a dim future of precarious jobs, health and housing, unstable food, debt, a degrading climate, and a pandemic-induced depression. The system has failed the have-nots. It’s time to uproot it and replace it with a cooperative and democratic society.

The Current Moment in Ireland: Interview with Andrew Flood

The Current Moment in Ireland: Interview with Andrew Flood

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Black Rose / Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation member Brendan Maslauskas Dunn sat down with Irish anarchist, organizer and writer Andrew Flood on February 20, 2020. Flood is a member of the Irish anarcho-communist organization Workers Solidarity Movement. Many of his essays and articles can be found here. The interview took place exactly where you might find an Irish and American anarchist on a brisk winter night: in a working class pub near the River Liffey in Dublin. 

Announcing the Quarantine Livestream!

and the platform is... Zoom... LULZ. so true

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Are you bored sitting at home? Feel like you’ve watched everything on every streaming service twice over? 

Instead of binging the same series for the tenth time, join Black Rose/Rosa Negra as we launch our quarantine livestream. Over the coming weeks we’ll be hosting a series of live panel discussions on a variety of topics relevant to building popular power in precarious times.

“The Greatest Purveyor of Violence”: Black Rose Statement on U.S. Aggression Against Iran

“The Greatest Purveyor of Violence”: Black Rose Statement on U.S. Aggression Against Iran

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Black Rose Anarchist Federation / Federación Anarquista Rosa Negra unequivocally condemns the U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. This is a provocation and an act of imperialist aggression that adds to a long history of U.S.-led military and economic violence in the Middle East, including the recent crippling sanctions which most severely impact poor and working class Iranians. This assasination has every possibility of escalating into a large scale armed conflict — something that would undoubtedly lead to the immiseration of millions in the region. 

The Counter-revolution of 1776, the Genocide of 1779 and the “Village Destroyer” Washington

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation by Brendan Maslauskas Dunn

This world is engulfed in a whirlwind of myths. But myths give meaning. Every fourth of July I reflect on the power that myths hold over people and how those people above, those that hold all the power, wield those myths and forge them into cudgels, and weapons to be used to keep all of us subservient. To create feelings of doubt when you veer off the path they created. Those myths, especially those creation myths of how the US became a nation started at a young age.

Means and Ends: The Anarchist Critique of Seizing State Power

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation by Anarchopac

The anarchist critique of seizing state power is often caricatured as being based on an abstract moral opposition to the state that ignores the harsh realities we are currently facing. Upon carefully reading historical anarchist authors, however, one discovers that the real reason why they argued that revolutionaries should not seize existing state power was because it was impractical for achieving their goals.

Anarchism and Marxism in Dialogue with Anarchopac

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

We are excited to present an excellent overview of anarchist ideas in the form of a discussion between Zoe, the YouTube and Twitter personality known as Anarchopac, and Breht from Revolutionary Left Radio as part of an ongoing series of dialogues between anarchism and Marxism. Topics covered include anarchist theory, organizational tendencies within anarchism, Marxist and anarchist conceptions of the State, organizing strategies, and responding to some of the common claims from Marxists and anarchist about each political tendency.

A “Green New Deal”?: The Eco-Syndicalist Alternative, Part I & II

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation(and part II) By Tom Wetzel

As debates over the climate crisis and the proposed “Green New Deal” unfold, veteran activist and writer Tom Wetzel speaks to its short comings and proposes an eco-syndicalist alternative. Read the second part, “The Syndicalist Alternative for an Eco-socialist Future.” This first appeared in Ideas & Action.

Anarchism and Socialism in Puerto Rico

From From Below Podcast

Interview and discussion with historian Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on the history of anarchism and socialism in Puerto Rico covering the early 20th century, the rise of urban and rural workers movement, feminism and figures such as Luisa Capetillo, the rise of the nationalist movement and discussion of contemporary activism since the impact of Hurricane Maria. Hosts Markie and Pedro relate the discussion to themes of historical memory, woman in the Sandinista revolution and more.

Jorell Meléndez-Badillo is a historian and assistant professor at Dartmouth College focusing on the global circulation of radical ideas from the standpoint of working-class intellectual communities in the Caribbean and Latin America. He is the author of “Voces libertarias: Orígenes del anarquismo en Puerto Rico.” (PDF version)

Libertarian Socialism in Latin America: A Roundtable Interview, Part III, Brazil

From Black Rose Anarchist Federation

In the United States, growing segments of the population are undergoing a period of profound politicization and polarization. Political elites are struggling to maintain control as increasing numbers of people seek out alternatives on the left and the right. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, political organizations on the left have grown significantly, most notably expressed in the explosive growth of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Meanwhile, the Trump administration has joined other far-right governments emerging around the globe, emboldening fascist forces in the streets. These developments have sparked widespread debate on the nature of socialism and its distinct flavors within and outside the US.

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