democracy

This Is America #190: Block Cop City Tour and Mobilization

would you sign this petition?

From It's Going Down

On this episode, we speak with Sam about the recent Block Cop City speaking tour across the US and the upcoming mass actions in Atlanta against the Cop City project from November 10th – 13th.

We also speak with hosts of the Final Straw podcast about the recent Asheville Anarchist Bookfair about organizing anarchist and autonomous events in the current terrain with COVID-19 still a looming threat, how to make gatherings accessible and engaging to as many people as possible, and much more.

Night Owls #3: Autumn Offensive

From It's Going Down

Diversity of tactics is a concept that has been used to break the hegemony of non-violence in social movements. The term can be understood as a shared principle that advocates respect and solidarity across different approaches with the aim of breaking down moralistic and ideological divisions. Tactics, however, are often confused with methods, leading to a dangerous misuse of the idea of diversity of tactics to advocate for tolerance of or collaboration with authoritarian, populist, or democratic initiatives

Why Do Anarchists Burn Ballot Boxes?

Ballot box on fire

by ziq

Anarchists have been burning ballot boxes for generations because anarchists have a keen understanding of the way the act of voting, and the system of democracy more broadly is used to destroy our agency and rapidly shrink the range of acceptable discourse that is tolerated by the government in the public sphere.

Shut up about 'dual power', tool

Anarcho-Lenin's Dual Power

From: https://raddle.me/wiki/dualpower

Dual power was coined by Lenin to describe two powers (the Soviets and the existing government) temporarily coexisting with each other and competing for legitimacy with the ultimate goal of the Soviets expelling the other power and seizing control of the state (to install state capitalism / one party dictatorship).

Paul Z. Simons on Immediatism Podcast

Two additional Paul Z. Simons texts have been made available on Immediatism.com. "An Anarchist Affection for Democracy" identifies the tension between anarchists who believe direct forms of democracy have utility and those, more nihilist-oriented, who believe it has no place. The latter group, as described by Simons, are more concerned with destroying all structures of power regardless whether they are horizontal, as direct democracy is described in this essay to be. "In a Moral Universe There Are No Anarchists" is Simon's expression of support for a fellow writer suffering under accusations from within the anarchist milieu.

Amsterdam Anarcha Feminist Group responds to the Inauguration of Joe Biden

via Enough is enough!

Our movement is international, and we stand in solidarity with comrades in the US and elsewhere fighting against the US war machine and police brutality. At the same time, as Anarcha feminists organising around Amsterdam, we cannot comment on the inauguration of Joe Biden without also speaking about the Dutch government. Just like the US government, the Dutch government is built on slavery, imperialism and exploitation. Recently, the Dutch government resigned over a child care benefit scandal which highlighted the institutional racism of the tax authorities and the Dutch state. Rutte’s resignation, however, is performative only. Even during the pandemic, the Dutch government has not stopped its deportations. The Dutch government is frequently involved in weapon exports and there are renewed attempts to criminalize sex work and to scale down on abortion rights.

Why We Need Real Anarchy

From CrimethInc.

Don’t Let Trump’s Minions Gentrify Revolt

Politicians have come together across the aisle to decry the storming of the Capitol on January 6 as “lawless,” “anti-democratic,” and “extremist,” going so far as to misrepresent the result as “anarchy.” But the problem with the invasion of the Capitol was not that it was unlawful, undemocratic, or extremist, per se, but that it was an effort to concentrate oppressive power in the hands of an autocrat—which is precisely the opposite of anarchy. Direct action, militant tactics, and a critique of electoral politics will remain essential to movements against fascism and state violence. We must not let the far right associate them with tyranny, nor permit centrists to muddy the waters.

Interview on recent Protest in Poland

From Elephant in the Room

Abortion in Poland was legal during Communism and became illegal (with a few exceptions) after the political shift to democracy. Since then, feminists have been active in resisting the abortion law but with little success in gaining public support or influencing legislation.

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.

The Triumph of Democracy and its False Critics

from Contra Info, translated by Anarchist News

Chile: The Triumph of Democracy and its False Critics

While thousands of Chileans celebrate the electoral triumph to change the Constitution, we continue to wage war against all forms of power. Today the Chilean State, the political parties and the official press celebrate along with the citizens the nauseating triumph of democracy, of the institutional channels and of civic and republican culture, as if it were the triumph of a world soccer championship.

TOTW: Electoral politics

kobe!

Topic of the Week: It’s that time of year again, on repeat every four years; where in a little more than a month, the spectacle of the USA presidential election will take place live over the virtual stream of 2020. This week we’re taking a look at elections, politics, and their impact on anarchist ideas.

Relitigating Decentralization

via Center for a Stateless Society

Relitigating Decentralization: Response to M Black by William Gillis

I must confess no small horror on reading M Black’s contribution to this Mutual Exchange. A self-professed anarchist, defending centralization? I would normally let such arguments fall on their face alone, but if we are to platform them in this exchange I feel a moral obligation to reiterate basic reality. My response will be divided into two parts. I will first respond to M Black’s abrogation of basic anarchism in his acceptance of centralized democracy. Then I will respond to the specific claims as to the comparable inefficiencies of markets.

This is what greek democracy looks like

Cops ram antiracist protesters with their motorbikes

15 July 2020, Athens, Greece: This is what democracy looks like. No, really. This is what democracy looks like. These public servants called "officers of the law" are agents of a democratically elected government. Their acts -regardless of the fact that they are dressed, look and act like a criminal gang and regardless of the fact that if these exact same acts were to be committed by citizens, they would be deemed as crimes according to the law- are authorized and take orders by democratically elected governments all over the world, every day, for decades and decades now. Face it. The fact remains, that although many would not characterize this as "democracy", because it so obviously arbitrary and unjust, it is actually Democracy.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - democracy