Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 20:17:48 -0400
From: Chuck0 <chuck-AT-tao.ca>
Subject: Australian socialists preach against anarchism


>From Green Left Weekly. This group has been engaged in a long campaign in their
newspaper to discredit anarchist organizing methods and revise the history of
the anti-globalization movement.

After M1: See you at CHOGM!
http://www.greenleft.org.au/current/446p12.htm

"M1 was a great success. It showed that the movement could mobilise the broad
range of anti-corporate activists who turned out last year at S11 without the
help of a summit or meeting organised by the corporate globalisers. It showed
that the movement could go beyond “summit hopping”. 

It also showed that this movement cannot advance without greater organisation.
Sure, it will only advance with inclusive and democratic organisational forms
but they need to be created. 

The widely promoted myth that the activists in this new movement are totally
averse to all forms of organisation only serves the corporate rulers. 

But it is true that the activists in this movement are deeply suspicious of the
organisational forms and the politics of the old movements, and with great
justification. This is a movement that is arising after nearly two decades of
attacks from the corporate ruling class that have been shamefully accepted by
the leaders of the old social movements. Most of the trade union leaders and the
leaders of the “old left” — particularly in the world's richest countries —
betrayed their ranks time after time. 

The old movement leaders had long abandoned the politics of radical mass action.
And by and large they have played little role in organising S11 and M1. Some of
them are even probably hoping that our movement will fail, if only to justify
their abstention and political retreat. What a sorry sight! 

Meanwhile, however, many former activists who had dropped into inactivity after
the years of retreat are breaking from demoralisation and joining the new
movement. 

Organising for S11 and then M1 has been an important experience for the new
movement in Australia. Activists have learnt how to work better together. The
tremendous success of M1 greatly boosted the confidence of new and old
activists. 

The M1 alliances should continue and build the Brisbane convergence and other
activities. There will be a day during the Brisbane convergence (probably
October 7, when the CHOGM delegates are expected to fly up north for
sightseeing) that could be used for an anti-corporate activists' national
conference/consultation. Such a meeting can further advance the new movement. 

<< Chuck0 >>

Infoshop.org    -> http://www.infoshop.org/
Alternative Press Review -> http://www.altpr.org/
Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/
Homepage -> http://flag.blackened.net/chuck0/home/

INTERNATIONALISM IN PRACTICE

An American soldier in a hospital explained how he was wounded: He said, "I was
told that the way to tell a hostile Vietnamese from a friendly Vietnamese was to
shout ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ If he shoots, he’s unfriendly. So I saw this
dude and yelled ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ and he yelled back, ‘To hell with
President Johnson!’ We were shaking hands when a truck hit us." 

(from 1,001 Ways to Beat the Draft, by Tuli Kupferburg).