Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 16:32:07 +1100 (EST)
From: =?iso-8859-1?q?anthony=20hayes?= <antyphayes-AT-yahoo.com.au>
Subject: Re: AUT: Re: Weekend Demos Around The World


here in canberra the DSP (third worldists),ISO & SA (Socialist
Alternative - a splinter from purges & splits in the ISO) have
dominated the anti-war coalition, tho' more greens and democrats (a
split to the, ahem, "left" of the main conservative party here, the
Liberals) have been jumping in. the organising meetings are almost
completely directed to a functional nuts and bolts organising that
leaves little space for good ol' political argument - tho i'm sure we
could make a political argument out of this. what i'm getting at is
that the leninists have maintained a certain "prestige" in the anti-war
organising and at the rallies. i think this is related to their high
visibilty (attention seeking?) work in the national refugee action
collectives that have been working around the incarceration of asylum
seekers. 

i think the leninists have thrived on the post 911 scene in a way they
didn't with the movement of movements. they are much happier and at
home with building coalitions, united fronts, etc., and this is
precisely what they've been pushing - ie. the anti-war mvt as their
"in" to the working class.

however i do think that the leninists here are in danger of becoming a
sort of "bus organiser" - ie. their rhetoric doesn't go further than
the green party, and they love inviting "prominent" politicians from
the labour party and the greens in their continuing desperate attempts
to "relate to the class" blah blah blah. they are their own worst
enemies. they have yet to work out that their ultra social democratic
politics are nearly always a poor second to the mainstream variants.
and the variant that is creeping up and doing a running here are the
rapidly growing green party.

anthony

 --- Thomas Seay <entheogens-AT-yahoo.com> wrote: > --- anthony hayes
<antyphayes-AT-yahoo.com.au> wrote:
> 
> > if the above does not seem either graceful or
> > helpful,
> > well maybe that's because i'm wondering i) to what
> > extent do our rulers care about well heeled
> > *respectable* opposition other than as an adjunct to
> > their own machinations (cf. the leaders of germany &
> > france) and ii) i'm depressed... a little...
> 
> 
> Anthony, I know what you mean.  I think there are
> different levels of political commitment.  It is fine
> if one's level of commitment against the war is to
> bring out your baby and dog and go for these "stroll
> in the park" type demonstrations.
> 
> HOWEVER, if other people want to take more radical
> actions they SHOULD and MUST.  These types of
> demonstrations only become problematic if we limit
> ourselves to them
> or if the organizers of those marches try to impose
> their program on the march (ie it must be a "peaceful"
> march).  
> 
> We have a lot of experience here in the US with this
> same problem in the anti-war movement.  In the
> aftermath of 9/11 there was, I think, a moment of
> confusion within the anti-globalization movement.  It
> was not clear how to respond.  In that vacum the front
> organization for a leninist sect was able to establish
> hegemony over the movement.  Oh they want peaceful
> protests that follow all the rules.
> 
> The interesting things is that they have slowly lost
> that hegemony...not because anyone really actively
> opposed them but because people stopped listening to
> them.  I call them the Kim Il Jong Bus Company (they
> support North Korea), because, for the most part, they
> have become bus organizers for these marches.  
> 
> Anyway, yes, you are right, numbers dont mean that
> much if we all follow the rules.  It could be just
> another form of the ballot-box: a more or less empty
> excercise of democracy.  On the other hand when the
> multitudes get together (not "united") and go outside
> of the parameters of "proper behavior" then NEW things
> can begin to happen.  Who was aware beforehand that
> Seattle would have the impact that it did?
> 
> So when we dont follow the rules, I think numbers do
> become important...for the very reason that there are
> a larger number of creative acts and tactics which can
> then be shared or inspire new acts and novelty.  
> 
> Anyway, that's a brief thought on the matter from me.
> I agree that it is good to think about why and if
> these demonstrations are important.  I think they are.
> 
> -Thomas
> 
> ====> <<Be like me!  The Primal Mother, eternally creative, eternally
> impelling into life,
>     eternally drawing satisfaction from the ceaseless flux of
> phenomena.>>
>     -Nietzsche, "The Birth of Tragedy"

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