Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 17:32:07 -0700
From: Keri Malone <keri1-AT-slip.net>
Subject: Re: Anarchy Magazine and Violence




Jamal wrote:

> I just saw the new issue of Anarchy magazine.  I am very concerned that
> the magazine takes a pro-violence stance... or at least, the stance that
> violence of no tactical significance.. even violence that would have
> harmful consequences for the anarchist movement, has some value or virtue.
>
> There was an interview with a guy from "Green Anarchist" in the UK who
> said that the anarchists who didnt support the Unabomber were "Scum"...
> what the heck ever happened to the idea that in anarchism, people are
> allowed to have differing ideas?

I think it is a mistake to condemn  _all_  violence ; sometimes violence
makes sense. But it is an even bigger mistake to be  _in favour_  of all
violence.

When I first learned that there was a journal called "Green Anarchist",
I was pleased. I thought "an anarchist magazine that emphasises
an environmental perspective! That's good !"

But that was before I actually read the damn thing.

Of course in anarchism people are allowed to have different ideas. One
of my ideas is that "Green Anarchist" is full of moronic self-contradictory
shit which has more in common with fascism than with anarchism, and that
the people who produce it are probably unable to realise this because their
capacity for coherent thought has been destroyed by habitual misuse of
chemicals.
They are just too stupid to realise their own stupidity. But hey, that's just
my idea, and people can have different ideas about "Green Anarchist",
even though they would be wrong.

"Green Anarchist" has welcomed random acts of violence and such actions
as the Aum religious cult's Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo underground
railway system. Apparently, there is no violent act too pointless
for "Green Anarchist" to support.

"Green Anarchist" has repeatedly printed criticisms of anarchists in Scotland
for not being prepared to give unconditional support to any idiotic action
just because the morons responsible happen to claim some spurious
connection with "anarchism". But why on earth should we ?
It is quite clear that their "anarchism" has absolutely nothing
in common with our genuine class struggle anarchism.

It does not surprise me that AJODA should link up
with such a suspect group as "Green Anarchist". Both
are irrelevant to the international anarchist movement.

Dave