Table Of Content

‘J? <3" 20 * ~ we I ~( 1 g MERSEYSIDE Sat 9th Manchester Martyrs‘ Comemmoration Comittee Dayschool, éaet details from P0 Box S, SWPDO, Manchester M15 SEZ. NEWSLETTER 2OP Connellj Association History Lecture, 6.30, Irish Centre. Sun 10th Tony Coughlan will speak on the aftermath of 1916. Series 1 of talks to mark the 75th anniversary of the Easter Ri5ing.. £9isffioi Sat lbth MARCH 9| NUMBER 25 Regional Anarchist Bookfair, St Werburgh's Community dno Sun 17th Centre, Horley Road, Bristol. l0amr6pm. ' I Tues 19th Troops Out Movement public meeting - on human rights abuses xitnhflilikini . in Northern Ireland. Speakers from Campaign Against Plastic Bullets & Casement Accused Campaign. "I1 ‘I T.U. Centre, Hardman Street, 7.30pm., Sat 23rd National Anti—Poll Tax Demo, London. iSee advert inside. Sun 24th Connolly Association History lecture. Doris Daly speak- Afiexpaunogu ing on ‘The women's part 1916'. 6.30pm, Irish Centre. Mon 25th DEADLINE FOR APRIL NEWSLETTER ' iv 3 1m8dsvL Sat 6th April Class Strussle Anerchist Network, conference at Sheffield, contact P0 Box £66, Sheffield Sl INY. THESE GUYS HEY BOSS NEED MERSEYSIDE ' I’VE GOT ..ER..WHAT’S D ~ ANARCHISTI! A DICTIONARY ANARCHO- SYNDICAL _ HERE SOMEWHERE .-ISM? -Pb flu-1-" . -.q, 13- I -qu- .. '\\ v$ __." ur ‘ill’ -~ 1, THE END OF THE WARN’? THAT DAMN TAX A’ ISM, ARCHITECTURE 8: TOWN PLANNING STOP THE BIGOTS THE DAM &MORE TODAYS HERO, TOMORROWS CLAIMANT ..._.lZ-. 3 ?1ii Bhsic MERSEYSIDE ANARCHIST NEWSLETTER P.0.BOX 110 T I LIVERPOOL L69 BDP ' As we go to press the fighting in the Gull: has drawn to a close This I A I 5; 1 D arti'cle attempts to look ahead anpd outline some of t‘he issues which may g i arise in the Middle East now. Anarchism is revolutionary anti- state socialism. In practical terms, anarchists aim for the destruction of the power of the Hello again, I I I - for various reasons, ruling class and of all relat- some of which you will discover ionships based on domination .Li"”,»"' I9l(,‘flOL!lUHh|GH9 if you read on, we have changed and submission. This means HoME... §g§igg_g!g§ our industries and- the way we put together M.A., provoking a wider range of-con- communities and changing them tributions for this issue than to meet the needs of all. as well as the ecological needs of \\ ever before. ...BUT |'o szrrae Our article in Issue 2A the environment. without this“ ("This is the New World Order") takeover we can struggle within KEEP ‘mas provoked some response. We've capitalism but never replace it. included a letter from Glasgow _ DAM, despite the fact that it r Anarchism will be created by -___ has just reached us, the day before millions of people. not a dict- we go to press. We see this news- atorial-elite (we are not marx— I letter as a valuable means of. ist-Leninistslw and all will debate and education within the have their part to play in shopI ' anarchist movement, which is "hy inq it. Power will lie with the' Make no mistake - we've just seen the when a ground war began - a risky strat- 4lIr7§‘ we set our deadlines as late as I organisations thrown up by and birth of a new world order. The United egy for the defence of Kuwait but one possible to give you time to for the revolution. not with P T States (with their British lap-dog in which looked beyond the immediate conf- write in. Please respect our the political parties who will tow) now have a free hand to impose mil- lict and aimed to at least preserve deadline, it_is easier for every try to dominate and destroy them. itary solutions favourable to the West sufficient loyal forces to protect the one allround. Moan, grunt. in any trouble spot around the world. Iraqi government in a post-war internal rooms The new society will not be born crisis — hence the planes flown to Iran through abstract ideas. but will The implication given by the coalition The Editors. and the stationing of the Republican come out of the realities of forces will be that a new type of warfare Guard in an area which would allow them struggle and the need for work- has been invented; quick, bloodless and either to be used in Kuwait if there was ing class people to unite. SuchI to be used in defence of freedom and de- a chance of victory or withdrawn to Iraq struggle doesn't just involve mocracy everywhere! Though it may sound A in the event of defeat. resistance to ruling class power impressive to say that the worlds fourth (strikes. mass protests and other largest army was defeated in a six week We know now that Iraq's conscripts forms of direct action), but also campaign, we have to realise that the were not able to survive a month of car- construction - the building of odds were always stacked against the pet bombing as a fighting force and new, locally based federal organ- Iraqi's. On today's battlefield, tech- AS'EVER, THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS either gave up or retreated when ground NEWSLETTER ARR THOSE OP THE INDIVIDUAL isations (examples of which qoI nology counts for far more than numbers troops moved in - hence the very low from the original soviets of the.' of troops. So although Iraq was indeed -AUTHOR AND NOT NECBSSARILY OP LIVER- Western casualties. Around 100,000 Iraqi‘s Russian Revolution to the Miner's one of the strongest military powers in POOL HHKRCHIST GROUP A5 A WHOLE. (civilians and soldiers) are reported Support Groups of the 1984/5- the Middle East its army and defence killed but this will without doubt be strike). plus the forging of infrastructure were no match for the conveniently ignored by the flag-waving solidarity and the willingness to highly developed war machines of the patriots of the West. It won't be as SUBSCR IBE £3 . 00 for 10 issues West, fine tuned and with all the most easily forgotten in the Middle East and — Payable to: recent innovations to come out of the it is developments in this area that we "Mutual Aid Centre" There is no truce in the class war. forty years of Cold War preparation. need to look at next. s at the address above. The answer to ruling class power is When faced with the massive force continual and ever-widening N Many Arabs will see this war not in assembled in Saudi Arabia the Iraqis struggle -_for social revolution terms of restoring the government of and anarchism. D made a conscious decision not to contest Kuwait but as a battle fought by the West D§ADLINE April issue (N026) the war in the air, hoping to survive a to protect its client in the region - _ I Monday 25th MarchI LIVERPOOL ANARCHIST GROUP. period of bombing before inflicting Israel. Saddam Hussein is just the latest unacceptable casualties on allied troops in a long line of Arab leaders to champion the widespread anti-Israeli emotions in Overnight Syria was no longer deemed Dear M.A., B y S y power games, and capitalism.is the log— . the area and the cause of the Palestinians. to finance terror and the West got a lcal conc—usion. Class struggle is con- By weakening the Iraqi military the West PR boost from working with their former Sorry to see the usually exc- veniently forgotten. You can't talk has not only secured its supply of cheap enemies. Syria on the other hand, got ellent Merseyside An&fchlSt.Ngws1Qt:er about the U.S., Britain and iraq.as. B oil but also warded off a possible threat the chance to weaken their main rivals has a bad dose of the trots. The article though they are single entities in them-"- to its Israeli ally. Iraq's use of miss- in the region, to have a stake in Iraq "The New world Order" was written in a Se1Y@$- They are made up of different iles against Israel was an attempt to should there be a carve-up and may well traditional Marxist academic style. It social classes. s ‘ draw them into the war, thereby splitt- have obtained US guarantees that there doesnlt really differ from the way we're ing the Western/Arab coalition and would be no post-war pressure on Syria taught history and politics at school: n uniting much of the Middle East around to withdraw from the land they had ‘ history and politics are just a list offi Three scenarios are suggested as to Saddam. This tactic failed but we can be seized in Lebanon, as part of an overall rulers, nation states and wars where ord- the outcome of the war and that a West- sure that to guarantee Israeli neutrality peace package. Whether secret US S ' inary people are mere pawns in political ern defeat would be most desirable. the Americans must have given behind the promises to Syria conflict with secret Whoever wins the military war, it will scenes comitments that after the war no US promises to Israel will only become be a defeat for the working class.f Do significant action would be taken to clear in the future - watch this space! you really think a Western defeat and s remove Israel from the Occupied Territor- therefore a victory for Saddam Hussein ies or to make any deals with the PLO. So what now for Iraq? Whether Saddam a military dictator with the blood of a» LETTER remains in power or not, both Kuwait and million working class Arabs on his hands, As well as ensuring future conflict y the UN will want reparations paid to will be a victory for the Iraqi working in the region, this exposes the total cover damage and military costs during ON class? was the withdrawal of U.S. forces hypocrisy of the West. Britain and the US the occupation and the war and this from Vietnam a victory for the working have fought this war under the banner of could well sow the seeds of future con- class? Was it fuck! ’Did Nasser's Pan- the United flations. They claim to be act- flict. Economic pressure was one of THE Arabism in the 50s win anything for the ing in defence of UN resolutions and the causes of the Iraqi invasion of - Arab working class? Did it fuck! international law; When these apply in Kuwait in the first place and after a WAR. the case of friendly oil-producing. as month of massive bombing raids the The Gulf War is a war between two states then the West will raise huge country's infrastructure and economy is ruling classes. As.anarchists, we do armies and send them halfway around the in a much worse shape. Put simply, take sides, we side with the working‘ world to bomb a country into submission. there won't be any spare cash to pay out class. You either believe revolutionary change in society will be brought about But, as in the case of the Palest- If the West forces reparations to by the working class or you don't. To inians, a dispossessed people with no be paid we could see a similar sit— B stop this war to the benefit of the resources and therefore_little clout on. uation to that in Germany after the w working class will need a revolutionary- the world stage, the attitude of the First World War. Following their defeat change that will only be brought about world's policeman is very different. the Germans were made to accept all the by the working class itself. The class blame for starting the war and as part war is not being fought for us by Saddam's There is a UN resolution demanding that of the Peace settlement were supposed. s army. Stopping the war to our benefit Israel hand back land taken from surr- T to pay huge damages to the victorious will also not be done for us by middle ounding Arab countries. It's been stand- allies. Needless to say, this was widely class lefties or liberals. We shouldn't ing for over 20 years! Similarly, Israel's resented in Germany and the far right be trying to gain credibility with these 1982 invasion of Lebanon, designed to p were able to play on this, blaming every twats in boring anti-war meetings, by push Palestinians further from the bor- problem in the country on the unjust compromising basic anarchist principles der and create a buffer zone in the south peace treaty and reparations - whether of internatiohalism for some sort of ' of theat country, has been declared an they had anything to do with it or not., "New Realism" where we tag along behind illegal act of aggression under inter- the Left because we feel too powerless national law. Where is all the pious In the end it was onpa programme of to do anything about it ourselves. American rhetoric in these cases? Why stopping payment of war debts and were no armies sent to right these wrongs? righting the supposed humiliations of Surely by now you must realise that Because the US and its allies pick and~ the treaty that Hitler came to power. these people and their wonderful anti- choose which acts of state violence By using popular resentment at the way imperialist theories are totally irrel- to condemn only according to their own the allied powers had acted, the Nazis event to revolutionary change. interests. were able to draw in supporters and take power. In the end the conditions _ The two faces of the West have also imposed by the victors-of the First S We should be looking for ways of by- been shown in recent dealings with World War helped produce a far worse passing these people. "Hands Off Syria. Only a few years ago Syria was regime than the one they had just' Iraq" posers should be told to put on the US list of countries which spon- defeated and led directly to a re-run their money where their mouth is and sored ‘terrorism’. In American eyes of the conflict a generation later. join the Iraqi army. s - this put them on a par with "outlaw states" like Libya and Iran. However, I All these factors could yet lead to Yours In Solidarity to make the UN coalition more acceptable further conflict in both Iraq and the the West needed some Arab countries to wider Middle East and may yet rebound Mark, secretary fight alongside them. It was therefore on the smug and triumphant Western Glasgow D.A.M. mtually beneficial for Syria to be, leaders. New world orders don't always taken back into the international fold. turn OUt.88_p1lnnBd!i L I 6 ANARCHISM, ARCHITECTURE. AND s T (Oak and Eldon Gardens, Birkenhead)_ 7 '75 IX P14 1 '_‘_ "- .11.-.:-;_.Sa='-'-_='\-I-z"‘* ' _ __,.._ . __ , _, _ '*."M~""".‘.'."~-<W;‘.."""..‘ ' -5.' -Y". no-. -- '. -r Q‘. _l',-l-"-I\.i‘-.'§'."}-1"". I ’ ' I . . - . s~ -s av -.*;.F ' 1 5 J“ ,1 weasanarchistsneedtolookintoissuesofarchitectureandtoun ' - w gs» - . .-r" ‘planning? Can't we just leaveit to the ‘experts’? The following article explores -1- -» pg, *€ thenhigh-riseexperienoemadlodcsattnwvestnndbeisainnngtoomtrol the i 1c_g.—-‘.___. 01.0 -q._* ‘*9 conditions inwhichwe Li.ve...... *- uni. - - nfli Q Since the Town and Country Planning Act. they are consulted but in nearly all an- Ii -. of 1967, all aspects of our environment, cases their views are marginalised an H ; \ r , i from.the location and type of housing, form.a small consideration. They are -. J "‘\%n|, I". -‘, z; *"ams ¢ greenbelts, transport systems, workplaces, not asked to design their homes, but are g - parks and open spaces have all been des- told what is unacceptable and presented igned by architects and'town planners. with middle class conceptions of good \. "'¥'h-. 3.-:,- Before this, and in much of the Third taste and design. Town planning is all World now, people made their own towns carried out from the top down by agent-p and cities: they were unplanned. ies with little regard for the communi- ties for whomsthey.plan. Decision I ...,,q-we The ideas of the early town planners . maing lies with central government as it have clear connections with anarchist sets the legislation under which counc- thinking.. Professor Peter Hall, Britain's illors and planners work. Furthermore, 2 structurally sound buildings and build Nevertheless, a lot can be learned leading author on town planning, in his capitalism determines what is profitable new ones in the pursuit of profit. from the work of commnity architects. book "Cities of Tomorrow" illustrates to construct. Make no mistake, houses‘ Buildings should be adaptable and res- Usual practice has been for the arch- this by saying "early visions of the and workplaces are only constructed when ilient, instead of being torn down Q in itects to set up an office on the site planning movement stemmed from the anar- it is profitable to do so. The number every time capitalist aspirations change. and actually get to know all the res- chist movement which flourished in the of homeless in this country is increasing idents there. Also they have used O . a» last decades of the nineteenth century and yet house building has fallen cons- In India the layout of New Delhi, eetings, role play, newsletters and There are clear parallels between the istently over the past l8 months because 1- I a legacy of hnperialism, means that the models rather than maps and plans ‘ work of Ebenezer Howard in ‘Garden those in nned do not represent a profit p city cannot support a mass transport which are difficult for many people Cities of Tomorrow’ and Kropotkin‘s for developers. s s system efficiently, whereas Bombay, a to visualise. Also they have-used ‘Fields, Factories and Workshops‘, both linear city whose growth has been det trips with the residents to other published in 1898. Hall says "the vis- H The same goes for hospitals, factor- ermined by its two parallel railway areas to find out to find out what ion of these anarchist pioneers was not ies and offices, the only exception lines, provides easy mobility for its other groups ahve done to stimulate merely an alternative built form, but» being raods, which can be justified as inhabitants. ideas. of an alternative society , neither cap- s providing indirect subsidies ti capit- italist nor bureaucratic socialist: a alist industry. s Planning needs to be changed to n The developmetn industry in this society based on voluntary co-operation be carried out by the people, for the country is only interested in produc- among men and women, working and living Ebenezer Howard insisted in 1898 people, with their needs being the ing more "units" not homes. Community in small self-governing commonwealths. II that cities should be the common prop- paramount consideration. This has architecture was able to look at the He sees Kropotkin, Proudhon and Bakunins erty of their inhabitants and that any happened to a certain degree in the individual needs of each occupier as the "spiritual fathers" of town plan- . increase in land values should belong to commnity architecture movement. and tailor thier home to their needs. ning. them to be used for their common co-op- w Comunity architecture actually This meant thinking about people's erative purposes. But the whole of the enables people to design their own future needs, ie., making buildings However, town planning now offers present property industry is geared to homes and environments. However, it flexible to allow for children leaving office blocks, dual carriageways, and profit. Every house owner expects their has not gone far enough because the home or having more children. Also more Barrett's housing while the ter- house to go up in value. Why? If you work usually has to be carried out bye it meant the work done was built to races lie empty, all provided by tech- buy a car and drive it half a mile it building contractors and the refurb- last and involved long term savings nocrats divorced from.the people who loses 102 of its value. This link bet- ishments have still to be overseen particularly energy efficiency through use these buildings. ween profit and property has limited by professionals. Rod Hackney, who insulation. s grassroots attempts by the working. started the movement in Macclesfield, The real issues which concern the class to provide for their own needs., was able to save working class homes If commnity architecture can form people are bousing, transport, employ-it Squatting and self-build has met with t from demolition and the people des- the basis of people controlling their ment, aesthetics, and the environment. small scale success but has yet to chal- igned and improved their own houses. own environment with total control These are treated as technical problems " 1en3e market fgrggg, Capitalism has However, the area has now become tren- given to members of the comunity, we to be solved by the mobilisation of also sought to disrupt a sustainable dy and bijou, the old residents have‘ could be well on the way to anarchism. capital. The working class do not S economy, creating inbuilt obsolescence, w moved out and Mr Hackney has mved on We all know the consequences of impo- $h@P§ tbs P14¢¢9 "here tbs? live. "°Ik particularly in factories and offices, to more profitable schemes with his sed, centrally designed, systemised and bring up their children. Of course, I thus fulfilling its own need to demolish own company. w housing.fi The featureless inhuman Another important point is that the /\ NT present planning system very rarely con- sults or involves children Children could, with adult help, be able to design and build their own meeting places, play areas and schools Now, a persons standard and choice of accomodation is determined by their income not their needs Colin Ward, one of the few anarchist architectural auth- ors, makes many valid contributions to this debate The imnortant thing about housing is not what it is, but what it does in people s lives Dweller satis- faction is not necessarily related to the imposition of standards, and people find deficiencies in housing infinitely U U U ‘F more tolerable if they are their own , _ . , _ ,__ . i I do responsibility than ir they are some- t‘ ’ "- ’- "~I ______ one e1se s He goes on to say nThe moment that housing, a universal human activitY. becomes defined as a Problem, i a housing problems industry is born, W A D t H Q U AM with an army of experts, bureaucrats and researchers whose existence is a Yguaran- AT ST WETZBURGH S CMTT CENTRE t w ' awa . iii The only people who know the problems HORLEY RT) WTTST M\LlS are the people themselves we know that cf. a system which creates housing shortages evictions,low spending, bureaucracies, pointless standards and places where no-one wants to live, while the rich live in luxury and blame us for creat- not . '\- 9, ing our own slums, must be brought to --..:]:»z..»-...=--..a~lI5?'.1IL.!¢T'F;<n¢-ism’. Q“ - - -'..u.ii_.. an end Alice Coleman in her book "Utopia On Trial puts this neatly when high rises are now being demglighgd U\ +- she writes'"the sink estate concept across the nation. In Belfast, the city blamed problem people the child density council have a comitment to demolish concept blamed problem children, the all council-owned high rise blocks by efficient management concept blamed die the year 2000. The graffitti has taken problem local authorities " All the tooo long to be read by the planners, the time the fact that the flats and houses writing should be on the wall for them. r €.c\m were not designed with people's needs Utopia cannot be imposed, it is up to in mind have been overlooked Meanwhile, the working class to not only build ' public money is being spent on cleaning, their own homes and workplaces as they 4 he repairing and administering these prob- OD do now, but to design them as well. The lem areas With resident control they physical design of buildings and in par- could be transformed into decent places F 2 E. e \bC(ifi1oI’1.b;\L,qt\\5]l\\’pf¢;‘L ticular groups of buildings can create to live The same applies to workplaces, and foster communities. In the same way how many workers fins the only place to Awussxou tower blocks cause isolation and insec- eat is a filthy, noisy canteen or wind- urity places can be designed to ensure swept tarmac parking bay If workplaces that people feel safe, meet each other were organised by anarchists we could in passing, and are able to look out for raise our own conditions rather than be their neighbours. slaves to shareholders and entrepreneurs Women can design environments in Anarchists need to be bringing come which they feel at ease, minority groups unities and workplaces together so that can design areas which meet their own we all have soewhere to live and work cultural needs. This could involve rel-T which meets urown needs and the needs igious bilding and gardens designed to of the whole of society The future grow non-native food and plants._ must be in our own hands D 11 10 Hello Readers , TURNING — .1,wi£-X in for some time many of the ideas need up- dating - even the most recent syndicalist 'classic' was written a good few decades Up until now much of what you've ago. For example we need to take on _ read in issues of 'Merseyside Anarchist‘ board the effects of things like new has been written by me. I say up until technology on work, of people working now because from now on I want to con- from home, and how to make anarchist centrate on writing for the D.AsM.'s R ideas relevant to people who may never paper, Direct Action. have been in a workplace let alone exp- But we shouldn't be too critical of as we ourselves remain disorganised - This has been a tough decision to the movement at that time. Remember which brings me back to the point of erienced militant unions and strikes! take. I've seen this newsletter grow that it was composed mainly of young this article - why I want to concentrate But these things will only come about from its inky and unreadable first iss- people with little organisational exper- my activity on the Direct Action Movement when todayh anarchists bring their ideas ues into the neat and attractive version ience, there was no recent anarchist and its paper, as opposed to 'Merseyside and experience to bear on traditional of today. More importantly, M.A. has tradition in Britain to learn from and Anarchist‘. anarchist politics. Anarchism.isn't become widely read and respected within we were at least moving away from the about waiting for the party line to be the anarchist movement and I always think liberal single-issue campaigns of the If you know anything about anarchism handed down from on high - the movement that its growth mirrored a shift inside past. All in all the 80's were a learning you'll agree that syndicalism (the form- and the politics develops through debate, British anarchism.- away from the drop- process through which activists had to ing of anarchist labour unions and their participation, organisation and struggle. community-based equivalents) makes up out liberal shit which_had contaminated pass. Now it is time to put those lessons the movement since the 60's, and towards into practise. the overwhelming mass of anarchist hist- We're long past the days of anarchists ory. Wherever in the world there's been a viable, class-based perspective - real working just for single-issue causes, of a big anarchist movement, it's always anarchism. We've reached a stage where there are activity for activity's sake, and we've plenty of conscious class struggle anar- been centered on libertarian workers surely learnt that dispirate anarchist So why give it up now, at the height chists around and, by and large, where organisations - because anarchists have initiatives with no hard politics or always realised that the workplace and of its success ? Well, its a long story. anarchism has got rid of its hippy fringe. organisation behind them really get us When I first got involved in politics and the anti-anarchist views that went the day to day running and provisioning nowhere. Without doubt, the overriding in the early 1980's there were loads of with it. The next step for anarchists is of society is where working class power task for us now is the building of a real lies. When you hear anarchists talking anarchists around, but very little to build up an organisation capable of anarchist movement that can carry our about workers control and community organisation amongst us. We all inst- putting our ideas across to the wider ideas out. control, they're talking about synd- inctively knew there was a lot wrong working class and of defeating the arg- uments of the current labour movement icalism.- the nuts and bolts of social with the world and so threw ourselves This is why I want to concentrate on into doing things. Anarchists were very leadership and the bankrupt parties of t ’ L revolution, the means by which an the DAM. I don't want people to stop buy- anarchist society is run. I'm a member involved in anti-nuclear, environmental the left . "T ing the newsletter — local publications of the DAMIbecause it's in the business and animal rights campaigns, but at the can only help the movement, but more of building revolutionary unions and end of the day it was middle-of-the- This will only happen when anarchists important than that is to have a national thereby creating an anarchist mvement road reformist organisations like CHD, put their money where their mouth is, paper, well written and produced, that with a fighting chance. Greenpeace and the BUAV which took the agree with a specific definition of anar- can put across anarchist politics and credit for our work on the ground. chism and join the relevant anarchist draw people into an organisation. Of course, there are some anarchists organisation. When this occurs, when who don't call themselves syndicalists As the decade wore on, more and more anarchists start putting their time and and people who are somehow trying to of us realised that there was no point energy into something which can tell re-invent anarchism.from scratch - - in anarchists promoting single-issue people what anarchism.is for, not just people who think they don't need to what it's against, when s5*se got an campaigns which were actually opposed know how anarchists have gone about to widespread social change, and so organisation that can make a difference people began to work on specifically in the workplace and all the other issues revolution in the past and who dream of pulling a squeaky-clean new anarchimm anarchist initiatives. This was the we're involved.with, then we'll see from out of thin air! time of papers like Attack, Flamethrower, anarchism.actually moving forward - for the first time in ages ggywill be in a Class War and Counter Info, and this Unfortunately this isn't going to type of propaganda sumed up the anar- position to reap the rewards of our happen! Anarchism cons ists of the chist movement as it was then - angry, political work. There are already a ideas and organisational methods that shit-hot on things like support for great many people who are sympathetic to have been developed and refined through working class struggles, anti-racism our arguments, who have seen for them- struggle, and this is what we have to and anti-fascism.etc, but not offering selves the uselessness of the Labour Party So, if you like what you've seen in work with today - no short cuts, no any clear way forward, not producing and the existing trade unions. So why do past issues of this newsletter start fancy new labels, no miraculous new definitive statements of what anarchism they stick reluctantly with these org- reading ‘Direct Action‘ cos that's where formulae - if you want a real grass- actually was, and not getting people anisations ? Because we have so far you'll find it in the future. Better roots revolution and anarchimn, then involved in a revolutionary anarchist failed to provide a viable alternative still - join the DAM! syndicalism is the means to get you organisation. Basically, as anarchists, for them to turn to, failed to create a there. awe still weren't turning our chips into concrete organisation for sympathisers For Anarchism, money - if you see what I mean! There was to 'oin and failed to show that anarchism Keith, J . ’ . lots of directionless activity with little, is anything more than a set of nice ideas. Needless to say, because we haven't Liverpool DAM. to show for it. A And we'll continue to fail just as long had a large anarchist movement in Britain .. ;|"§~J omen" r 13 i Anarcho-syndicalists are realistic enough THE =0 accept that it will be difficult to organise "We 've got to Zay off some g a workplace if we ask prospective members to HK€@1‘ workers .. . which department accept all the aims and principles of the DAM. Rather, the constitution of the DIWU sets out got the weakest union?" principles of militant action such as a ref- usal to collaborate with the bosses, a ban ll" “H ion crossing picket lines and control by the rank and file rather than by paid bureucrats. .o---4 ARE ANARCHO SYNDICALIST UNIONS NON-POLITICAL ItI.I’ -A-__L_4_ THEN? 0-1rr The following was written by a member of Liverpool Direct Action as a first draft for a leaflet outlining the position of anarcho-syndicalists -I N Not at all. It is the role of anarchists towards the present unions. It goes scneway towards explaining how the DAM, within these unions to draw attention to the hpes to change the way we organise the fightback in the workplace...... political implications of strikes and to ...;:> argue our line in general. s ~ sa- THE DIRECT ACTION MOVEMENT_ being eroded. Unofficial action by workers has not compensated for the s These anarchist are working within a ‘;i::EL L ‘!=;>. s Liverpool DAM had decided to produce refusal of trade unions to initiate union comitted to militancy, whose struggles this leaflet in an attempt to state clearly official action. are unrestrained by bureaucrats. This will the anarcho-syndicalist strategy and to lead to confrontations more full-blooded than clear up a few misconceptions about the For instance, when the NUS called those that can generally be expected in a TUC beliefs that may exist among other anar- off the sympathy strikes that had been union. Therefore, their job of politicising This will only take place when those- chists. called to help the P&O strikers because workers will be far easier than att€mptS-tO- within the Inustrial Network judge that of the threat of sequestration, all the pohiticise workers within la TUG union. it would have constructive results. WHY ORGANISE aNARCHIST UNIONS? sympathy strikes ended imediately. Exactly how much support as a proportion In the absence of an alternative, the WON'T ANARCHO SYNDICALISTS BE ACCUSED OF v of the workforce we will need before this srtrrrrnc was r.u.c. Most anarchists would agree that failure of reformist unions demoralises I ? is the case will differ from.industry to the working-class must learn through k workers and makes them lower their industry. struggle if they are to become revol- expectations. _ Most anarchists can only be happy that, utionaries. They will not become rev- most UK workers are unionised! However,_ Therefore, while we do not believe olutionary without propaganda work, would they really advocate anarchists setting 1, ' in destructive splitting, that is, " but propaganda work on its own is not up TUC unions in unorganised workplaces? attempts to undermine_the TUC for the enough. The attitude of many non-unionised workers unaoou sake of it, we do not regard the exist- to TUC unions is mistrustful. They believe fl5ugq£fl€NT 0cP|c1AL- ence of TUC unions as sacrosanct. Why, :--:1 who D0 wE\ At the moment this process of the union will simply take their dues and should we? struggle is held back by the bureau- disappear. The DIWU has shown that anarchist. cratic nature of the TUC unions. The unions can inspire more enthusiasm.- The DOES mm strrrvs tmros ISTHE ss- State, by threatening to rob union TGWU couriers branch admitted to the BBC that ALL AND END-ALL or asvoturrosaar ' vuru HR$T? ‘ bureaucrats of their salaries by sequ- the DIHU has ten times more members than- steamer? L estration of union assets, can always them, even though the TGWU branch started off I-THAT ABOUT moss oursrm-3 mans muons? force them to cave in to anti—trade with £10 O00 worth of funding. a no1~:"r nmr HAVE A ROLE? l 2 .057’ M“ v union legislation. It is obvious to earn every-one that this means that trade BUT DO YOU WANT TO SPLIT ESTABLISHED TUC DAM members are involved in otherr union power to improve wages and cond- UNIONS? struggles than those purely in the work- itions is severely cuailed. Secondary place. DAM members are active in the action often vital to the success of we are not in favour of establishing tiny anti-poll tax movement, anti-fascism,and strikes is impossible. Striking against anarcho-syndicalist unions in already organised the support of prisoners such as Martin anti-working class government policies h- industries. This would be a pointless exercise. Foran. Articles in Direct Action, our is also impossible. The NALGO executive Our industrial policy is to establish newspaper, concern such issues as ecology, council, for instance, refused to co- anarcho-syndicalist industrial networks racism, sexism and Ireland. — ordinate a policy of non-implementation within these unions. These are networks This is why the Direct Action Movement of the poll tax, which the delegate of people comitted to anarcho-syndical- _ The DAM believes that in a revolut- conference voted to introduce, on the N supports the establishment of anarcho— ist political ideas, as opposed to the ionary situtation the take-over of work grounds that it would lead to sequest- syndicalist unions. rank and file groups of the failed places is vital. We believe that the ration. International Socialist (now SW?) domin- existence of a union to prepare and HOW ARE ANARCHO SYNDICALIST UNIONS DIFFERENT ated National Rank And File Movement, organise such a takeover is necessary- . The era of Thatcherism has shown FROM T.U.C. UNIONS?. r which was active in the 70s and did not for its success.. _ that the failure of reformist unions see the need for a political perspective- does not make their members more left The Dispatch Workers Industrial Union We do not believe that this alone is wing or more militant. A great many, .(DIWU) is a living examle of our organisat- These groups will argue our politics enough. It must be accompanied by insur- workers continued to support the Tories ional principles. The DIW membership is within the union and build towards they rections and revolutionary takeover of growing fast, organised in workplaces. while the power of their unions was creation of an anarcho-syndicalist union. commnities. snag 15 I‘ . . 14@ ' /"fl I 1 WHAT IS WORKERS CONTROL ? IS IT CONTROL OF SOCIETY BY TRADE UNIONS ? MOST PEOPLE HATE THEIR JOBS. CONE THE REVOLUTION THEY WONT WANT TO CONTROL THEIR WORK— PLACES, THEY'LL WANT THEM SHUT DOWN. incming and outgoing mail is frequently in witheld, he is allowed only one visit "Workers control" means the cont- la N R 10 Anystreet, per month, and is being denied the right rol of production by the working shnytown, to see a lawyer. J I class for the needs of the auto- Joe Anarchist, s Anyshire, nomous communities. Therefore, EH Prison Anyvi11¢,, pfingland. The conditions he is being held under all the community decides what sflwecounty. s C amount to sensory deprivation. This 1 is produced and how society is to . be organised. January, he went on hungerstrike again, Dear Joe Anarchist, s C and after 19 days he slashed his wrists It is not a society where indiv- o _ I am wr't' N in protest at the conditions he is being my solidarity and good wishzg to expra.‘ idual groups of workers produce <.. ;..:."::.;n:.::.='::::°:..i:"" kept in. p ‘ I have he; 5 b p I. . o whatever will make the most money- F .§. Market Socialism. It will be a If you wish to write letters of y histl from a friend/from an AC 1 sf I llaofl moneyless, communist society protest to the prison director, or o L L s s e let etc.) ~*ns5= where working hours are reduced to cards or letters of support to John SIOHPIIDaAnMaI AmBeCm!beCr la°sfsAWna?rt/°A"RflC (Aetncar)choins-t a minimum. Society will work for "as1-I~IIb?" W Perotti, the address is:i (oI am not acti0ve i.n any group but tak . the benefit of humans as producers an interest ' ' N J ’ ' and consumers of production. JOHN PEROTTI 167712 and I - In pt13°“°"' 5=r"881¢8,) ‘° "18" =° express my moral su Therefore there will be no - o , _ p ort . \_ durlng Y°“Y Present imprisonment, P 'Worker—controlled' nuclear power (nIascroR). I h°P° You are keeping well, I stations or advertising agencies, no sharing eight hours a day to Lebanon Correctional Facility, w WA. Supporter y C 1 produce an endless proliferation JOHN PERROTTI is an anarchist prisoner PO Box 56,. N C I of consumer goods. in the USA. He was originally jailed for , Lebanon OH 43036, c I a $7 robbery fifteen years ago, but he has U.5.A. since had years added to his sentence as Letters are automatically censored, N "punishment" for his involvement in pris- so be discreet about what political state-s oners' struggles within the penal system, ** THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS \\\£% ll 0;,-0? y ments you put in. The screws might withold ALWAYS DENIED IT HOLDS POLITICAL PRISONERS. In particular he has fought for aosvra? rates ARE 150 rnxsonsns IN anything too "extreme". prisoners to become unionised through the AMERICAN PRISONS FOR POLITICALLY NOTIVAIED Even if the prisoner gets your letter,l orrsncss.. IWW and be paid full wages for the work s/he may not be able to write back.i they do. (The U.S. prison system is an w Prisoners are often restricted as to They represent a wide variety of i'ndus tory i'n 1‘ts own ri‘ght, exp1O1‘t’ing che mov ts and cultuv res s b t man are Black lthe number of letters they can send, unpaid labour of prisoners.) Ema? . ’ u 7 . \t\\‘ or Native Americans. What they have in - and so will have to give priority to family and close friends. H h 8 1 f h - C th brutal comon is that they went beyond what the e a 3 so Dug t agalns e State considers to be the bounds of "legal" treatment of prisoners by prison guards .Birthday, christmas and easter cards — treatment which often.amounts to torture Pr°te3t in the °°“rs°i°f th°iF str“331es' (or for that matter, summer solstice, _ d - yF b y 1990 h involved in Once captured, they face particularly an in e ruary e was spring/autum equinox cards or whatever) brutal prison conditions and long sentences. a hungerstrike, a1ong_with hundreds of are just as welcome as letters. other prisoners, in protest at their rep— ressive treatment. The prison guards If you doubt the value of writing *************iii************************* heard of the hungerstrike just before it to prisoners, bear in mind this state- was to take place, and on the assumption THE BLACK CROSS is an organisation for the ment from a political dissident: he was one of its organisers, l0 of them support of anarchist prisoners around the severely beat John and teargassed him in world, and for prisoners convicted of "A prisoner may come to know about his cell. politically motivated activities. letters indirectly from the sarcastic remarks of her jailers, but it is enough Prisoners always need and welcome lett- i For more information contact either He was subsequently transferred to ;to give her a wonderful feeling that she ers of support. However, many people are Liverpool DAM, P.0. Box 110, Liverpool another prison. He is the only prisoner is not completely forgotten. That some- uncertain what to say in a letter to a L69 BDP, or — - T in his cell block, and has now been kept one cares." prisoner they've never met, so here 18 a the National Secretary, P.O. Box 29, in isolation for a total of 32 months. sample letter and a few guidelines. SWPD, Manchester, M15 SHW; His food slot is locked shut, he is denied l*******fi****#*******************##***** access to a radio and newspapers, his II '17 FILM REVIEW: HIDDEN AGENDA February, saw the notorious Clause 25 of the Criminal Justice Bill become law. Clause 25 If you want to see "Hidden Aflenda“, marks the first government attempt to en- you might have to wait now until iti comes out on video. It had only a force harsher sentences for homosexual acts short run in Liverpool, and possibly in more than twenty years. the same has happened in other towns ti] H s V - perhaps because the subject matter of the fil is considered "uncommer-9 If life in the nineties hasn't become difficult enough cial".' I for Gays, with increasing attacks. serious assaults _ ‘ ‘ A truth must be faced, as it has been by many black wouldmt-an harrassment andeventual isolationfrom and even murder. by bigots, Fascists and the police. Members of the Liverpool T.0.M. people. That the police-force are not out thereto hetroscxual friends and the rest of society. - y Now the govemment have given the Police the back group were specially interested in protectgay-men from thebigots mdthe fascists .they seeing this film after hearing it upto arrestanyone who they suspectofbeing gay. So- are on the side of the fascist and bigots. And life will Every socialist must oppose attacks on people's was about the activities of the Brit- liciting laws already make it an offence for men to ish state in Northern Ireland. only get worse for the gay community as long as that sexuality. That doesn't mean appealing to the police chat eachother up on the street It also outlaws “aid- is still believed . They mustjoin the ranks of people orparliarnentor any other authority of the system to ing homosexual acts”. like letting two gay friends However, the film turned out toe who hold no illusions inthe police-force. the people do something about it .for they are the problem. This stay overnight in your house. » be very poor. As a "political thril- who realise that the only people who will defend means arguing againstignoranceandbigouy and de- ler" it's less than thrilling and them fi'om hostile goups are themselves. Many les- fending lesbian and gay-men in their right to live as it's too far-fetched to be politic- Theindecency laws areused againstmenwho engage ally credible. Ni, g bian and gays realise this already and are setting up they choose without harassment and not allowing in any fonn of sexual or affectionate contact outside self-defence groups, knowing full well thatas long as thcmto be used as scapegoats. as blackpeople are for their own homes. vlhe plot is loosely based on the bigots can attacks thermand get away with it ,then it the problems causedby this sysrem. Wemustbuild a Stalker affair. An American journ- will confirms . 9 working-classmovementopposed to all forms ofdis- alist, in Northern Ireland to inves- At present police arrest and convictions of gay men crimination ,a movement of liberation based in the tigate human rights abuses, is driven are the highest since the 1950's. Convictions for to Dublin by a republican sympathiser Gay men and Lesbians must not be forced under- conununities and workplaces. Who will oppose all indecency have doubled since 1985. to meet an unknown contact who claims groxmd again. after all the gains that have been made attackson our class. by bigots and bigoted ruling to have information relevant to his over the years. It would be a disaster to end up in a class laws. It's time tomakeourownrules intheclass investigation. Through “special police activity” the Home Office situation remeniscentoftheolddays, Whento be gay and sexual struggle instead ofplaying by the mics of havereleased figures thatthe conviction rates forgay the ruling class . p On the way they are both shot men are 10percenthigher for these offences than for dead by the army. The army claim I sex offences as a whole. they drove straight through a road- block and tried to run down the sold- iers who were in their way. But the ll’ fekesiwo heft-rosexuals The reality is that. in 1989, ninty men were jailed for forensic evidence sheds doubt on this consenting homosexual behaviour-some for up to 5 claim; plus the fact thar the Ameri- can was not known to have republican years-and in all 2.311 men were convicted. - sympathies and was a respected inves- tigative journalist. So a senior Now Clause 25 recommends soliciting. procuring ,, g _British police officer is sent to in- F and indecency be treated as “serious” sex crimes-on vestigate. He meets hostility from the Irish police, but he eventually a par with indecent assault or child abuse-and pun- gets to meet the unknown contact, who ished with even harsher sentences. c- turns out to be an ex-member of the SAS with a tape that proves the CIA _ bo- were plotting to overthrow the Labour Many more gay and bisexual men could go to jail for . - I ~ . ofiao J. government in the late 70s. He had longer and longer periods t sent the American journalist a copy cc» ° ° s of the tape and the SAS had shot him ° 0 no in order to recover it. V Clause 25 is basically given the legal go ahead, for O Q6 what has already become areality for many gay men. 5 0 If all this sounds confusing - it The harassment, arrest and assault for being gayby a is. In addition, the plot is so com- police-force rotten to me core with bigotry and cor- @ __ _ @Q\:iLl-(vi G pletely removed from the reality of ruption. Many gay men have even been arrested for British state repression of Irish ib makes homoiexoal republicans, and is too far-fetched trying to report attacks on themselves. Even gay to be credible, or to give any audi- murders have been investigated with nothing but a ence nn insioht into the political vague indifference. situation in the 6 counties.‘ 19v 1E5 y y -11 JOIS AND SERVICES S ' S oacamsr FOR mace .231-as ~ c Hundreds of council jobs are now also of All Anti—Poll Tax Unions and- c on the line as Liverpool tries desperately c anarchist groups should now be prepar- to balance it's books, and make the C ing for the national demonstration-oni workers pay for it's cash crisis. More c Saturday March 23rd in London. Thisl will follow, a result mainly of govern- is the anniversary, near enough, of the ment cutbacks and the new Uniform Business ABattle of Trafalgar" when police Rate (the govcrnmnt now control over 852 attacked 200,000 demonstrators and N. of the council's money). As p011 tax bills " s made 350 arrests (100 more in later c Almost one year on in England and Wales. two in.Sootland. and up to l4 mdllion soar we are being asked to pay more, for raids across the country). Last year people are still refusing to be robbed in broad daylight by paying the Poll'Eax. less. "n N N vseperate marches were organised in Scottish nn-payment levels are UP on last year. In Northern Ireland they dare not Scotland on the same day; This year even try it...Meanwhile, with Thatcher gone, the Torimare trying to find a way s N ,The best way to preserve jobs and everyone's coming to Londonll to kill the Poll Taxzwithout burying themelves services is the total defeat of the Poll Tax. But passive non—payment is not enough. Bearing in mind the possibility _ Legal "loopholes" are bound to be closed, of another police attack, the Trafalgar just as legal "rights" are being abolished. - Starting on February 13th, some 9,000 Square Defendants‘ Campaign will be’_ Apart from more militant actions r occup- coordinating a legal back—up ands _ , people per week are being dealt with ations of council meetings etc - we need in two courts each Wednesday and Thurs- monitoring system. This is to ensures to build anti-poll tax organisation in that every marcher gets the maximum day. Hundreds have been turning up for their cases (400 on the first day) and every street and every workplace. Bailiffs possible practical support and that hundreds of adjournments have been must face not isolated individuals, but N every police action is subject to whole communities. Strikes against wage scrutiny. N N forced as the officials try to cope. arrestments must be supported and built for, Lobbying the council, although a 3 The TSDC is calling for all APTU's REMEMBER... tactic, failed months ago. We cannot and Federations to: s have our hands tied in an attempt to ...If you get a summons, TURN UP AT COURT. The more people who turn up, "reinstate" 29 local councillors. i) , Choose their own stewards to< » the harder it is for the magistrates ‘help on the day- to protect the , to rubber stamp us. People from the SOLIDARITY and DIRECT ACTION are demo, not police it., N needed to win. N ' s Anti—Poll Tax Federation will be there to give advice on how to string out **t*********************kitikitfititt' ii) Organise at least one First Aid adviser. your case. In the end, all the courts March 6th ~ Council Budget meeting can do is issue a liability order C L Planned strike by Council s which says simply that you owe the iii) Choose legal liasson volunteersN A ' workers against job cuts. to communicate with the legal back- council money. They've still got to sup system, distribute bust cards, get you to payl March 13th -Full council meeting to," get the names of people arrested, set the Poll Tax.. While the council can issue dire warnings witnesses and police numbers and"" I" *" ' "" ' to non-payers there are few penalties write a report to send in after- L ********#***i***#***#****k****#***** they can impose as yet. Bailiffs CANNOT wards- c s N kick in your front door UNDER ANY CIRCUM- In Liverpool, 124,000 out of the STANCE$,.So don't let them in and 327,000 on the register have still paid contact your nearest Anti—Poll Tax Union The TSDC will be organising ac NOTHING. Only £35 million of the expect- as soon as you are threatened with a full Legal Coordination Office, and a- New posters from: ed £119 million has been paid and, all visit. Poll Tax cannot be deducted from bank of available solicitors as well" told, 55 per cent have either paid any benefits (pensions etc) other than as mobile Legal Liasson Volunteers.s nothing or are in arrears. (£12 of people It will be essential for the welfare of Income Support. Even then, they can only in Liverpool are on or below the so- take 5% (e.g. £1.85 for a single person) all marchers that APTUs and individuals called ‘poverty line‘). The City Council If your in work you will need the support on-\t\F“5“' cooperate with this system. For more gs meet on March 6th and 13th to set the of your workmates/union to fight any details on this contact the TSDC: . bills for the coming year and the bills attempts at wage arrestment with indust— seem certain to break the £500 barrier—. rial action. That's if they can find out Trafalgar Square Defendants‘ Campaign increasing the numbers still further c/o Haldane Society of Lawyers. where you work. At worst they can only of those who cannot or will not pay. i Rm 205 Panther House‘ v take so much, £4 if you earn £80 pw, £8 2"“ if you take home £100). T 38 Mount Pleasant n03 2o~ I.-lulu >49--|P*i4ll In the face of this, Liverpool has LONDON WCIX 0PA.. begun, well behind the rest of Mersey— N Whatever happens, the council cannot c \ s N V “p‘)Q§l' p ,. side and the country, to try to clear Coach tickets for the march from: just "take" your money, there is a long mi“ gut up the backlog by starting the court , Liverpool APT Federation . and drawn out proceedure to be followed. cases. A token 130 people were summonsed 75 July Road" S p _ It is in everyones interest to delay and p0\-\-1p*£“2 so for loo before Chistmas, rising to an estimated obstruct that proceedure wherever poss- _Liverpool L6 (051-263 1809); 80,000summonses in recent weeks. 0 L ‘\ N v (includes p & pl £5 unwaged, £10 waged. " ible. , -

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Merseyside Anarchist Newsletter #25 PDF

10 Pages·1991·15.5 MB·English
by  Liverpool Anarchist Group
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‘J? <3" 20 * ~ we I ~( 1 g MERSEYSIDE Sat 9th Manchester Martyrs‘ Comemmoration Comittee Dayschool, éaet details from P0 Box S, SWPDO, Manchester M15 SEZ. NEWSLETTER 2OP Connellj Association History Lecture, 6.30, Irish Centre. Sun 10th Tony Coughlan will speak on the aftermath of 1916. Series 1 of talks to mark the 75th anniversary of the Easter Ri5ing.. £9isffioi Sat lbth MARCH 9| NUMBER 25 Regional Anarchist Bookfair, St Werburgh's Community dno Sun 17th Centre, Horley Road, Bristol. l0amr6pm. ' I Tues 19th Troops Out Movement public meeting - on human rights abuses xitnhflilikini . in Northern Ireland. Speakers from Campaign Against Plastic Bullets & Casement Accused Campaign. "I1 ‘I T.U. Centre, Hardman Street, 7.30pm., Sat 23rd National Anti—Poll Tax Demo, London. iSee advert inside. Sun 24th Connolly Association History lecture. Doris Daly speak- Afiexpaunogu ing on ‘The women's part 1916'. 6.30pm, Irish Centre. Mon 25th DEADLINE FOR APRIL NEWSLETTER ' iv 3 1m8dsvL Sat 6th April Class Strussle Anerchist Network, conference at Sheffield, contact P0 Box £66, Sheffield Sl INY. THESE GUYS HEY BOSS NEED MERSEYSIDE ' I’VE GOT ..ER..WHAT’S D ~ ANARCHISTI! A DICTIONARY ANARCHO- SYNDICAL _ HERE SOMEWHERE .-ISM? -Pb flu-1-" . -.q, 13- I -qu- .. '\\ v$ __." ur ‘ill’ -~ 1, THE END OF THE WARN’? THAT DAMN TAX A’ ISM, ARCHITECTURE 8: TOWN PLANNING STOP THE BIGOTS THE DAM &MORE TODAYS HERO, TOMORROWS CLAIMANT ..._.lZ-. 3 ?1ii Bhsic MERSEYSIDE ANARCHIST NEWSLETTER P.0.BOX 110 T I LIVERPOOL L69 BDP ' As we go to press the fighting in the Gull: has drawn to a close This I A I 5; 1 D arti'cle attempts to look ahead anpd outline some of t‘he issues which may g i arise in the Middle East now. Anarchism is revolutionary anti- state socialism. In practical terms, anarchists aim for the destruction of the power of the Hello again, I I I - for various reasons, ruling class and of all relat- some of which you will discover ionships based on domination .Li"”,»"' I9l(,‘flOL!lUHh|GH9 if you read on, we have changed and submission. This means HoME... §g§igg_g!g§ our industries and- the way we put together M.A., provoking a wider range of-con- communities and changing them tributions for this issue than to meet the needs of all. as well as the ecological needs of \\ ever before. ...BUT |'o szrrae Our article in Issue 2A the environment. without this“ ("This is the New World Order") takeover we can struggle within KEEP ‘mas provoked some response. We've capitalism but never replace it. included a letter from Glasgow _ DAM, despite the fact that it r Anarchism will be created by -___ has just reached us, the day before millions of people. not a dict- we go to press. We see this news- atorial-elite (we are not marx— I letter as a valuable means of. ist-Leninistslw and all will debate and education within the have their part to play in shopI ' anarchist movement, which is "hy inq it. Power will lie with the' Make no mistake - we've just seen the when a ground war began - a risky strat- 4lIr7§‘ we set our deadlines as late as I organisations thrown up by and birth of a new world order. The United egy for the defence of Kuwait but one possible to give you time to for the revolution. not with P T States (with their British lap-dog in which looked beyond the immediate conf- write in. Please respect our the political parties who will tow) now have a free hand to impose mil- lict and aimed to at least preserve deadline, it_is easier for every try to dominate and destroy them. itary solutions favourable to the West sufficient loyal forces to protect the one allround. Moan, grunt. in any trouble spot around the world. Iraqi government in a post-war internal rooms The new society will not be born crisis — hence the planes flown to Iran through abstract ideas. but will The implication given by the coalition The Editors. and the stationing of the Republican come out of the realities of forces will be that a new type of warfare Guard in an area which would allow them struggle and the need for work- has been invented; quick, bloodless and either to be used in Kuwait if there was ing class people to unite. SuchI to be used in defence of freedom and de- a chance of victory or withdrawn to Iraq struggle doesn't just involve mocracy everywhere! Though it may sound A in the event of defeat. resistance to ruling class power impressive to say that the worlds fourth (strikes. mass protests and other largest army was defeated in a six week We know now that Iraq's conscripts forms of direct action), but also campaign, we have to realise that the were not able to survive a month of car- construction - the building of odds were always stacked against the pet bombing as a fighting force and new, locally based federal organ- Iraqi's. On today's battlefield, tech- AS'EVER, THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS either gave up or retreated when ground NEWSLETTER ARR THOSE OP THE INDIVIDUAL isations (examples of which qoI nology counts for far more than numbers troops moved in - hence the very low from the original soviets of the.' of troops. So although Iraq was indeed -AUTHOR AND NOT NECBSSARILY OP LIVER- Western casualties. Around 100,000 Iraqi‘s Russian Revolution to the Miner's one of the strongest military powers in POOL HHKRCHIST GROUP A5 A WHOLE. (civilians and soldiers) are reported Support Groups of the 1984/5- the Middle East its army and defence killed but this will without doubt be strike). plus the forging of infrastructure were no match for the conveniently ignored by the flag-waving solidarity and the willingness to highly developed war machines of the patriots of the West. It won't be as SUBSCR IBE £3 . 00 for 10 issues West, fine tuned and with all the most easily forgotten in the Middle East and — Payable to: recent innovations to come out of the it is developments in this area that we "Mutual Aid Centre" There is no truce in the class war. forty years of Cold War preparation. need to look at next. s at the address above. The answer to ruling class power is When faced with the massive force continual and ever-widening N Many Arabs will see this war not in assembled in Saudi Arabia the Iraqis struggle -_for social revolution terms of restoring the government of and anarchism. D made a conscious decision not to contest Kuwait but as a battle fought by the West D§ADLINE April issue (N026) the war in the air, hoping to survive a to protect its client in the region - _ I Monday 25th MarchI LIVERPOOL ANARCHIST GROUP. period of bombing before inflicting Israel. Saddam Hussein is just the latest unacceptable casualties on allied troops in a long line of Arab leaders to champion the widespread anti-Israeli emotions in Overnight Syria was no longer deemed Dear M.A., B y S y power games, and capitalism.is the log— . the area and the cause of the Palestinians. to finance terror and the West got a lcal conc—usion. Class struggle is con- By weakening the Iraqi military the West PR boost from working with their former Sorry to see the usually exc- veniently forgotten. You can't talk has not only secured its supply of cheap enemies. Syria on the other hand, got ellent Merseyside An&fchlSt.Ngws1Qt:er about the U.S., Britain and iraq.as. B oil but also warded off a possible threat the chance to weaken their main rivals has a bad dose of the trots. The article though they are single entities in them-"- to its Israeli ally. Iraq's use of miss- in the region, to have a stake in Iraq "The New world Order" was written in a Se1Y@$- They are made up of different iles against Israel was an attempt to should there be a carve-up and may well traditional Marxist academic style. It social classes. s ‘ draw them into the war, thereby splitt- have obtained US guarantees that there doesnlt really differ from the way we're ing the Western/Arab coalition and would be no post-war pressure on Syria taught history and politics at school: n uniting much of the Middle East around to withdraw from the land they had ‘ history and politics are just a list offi Three scenarios are suggested as to Saddam. This tactic failed but we can be seized in Lebanon, as part of an overall rulers, nation states and wars where ord- the outcome of the war and that a West- sure that to guarantee Israeli neutrality peace package. Whether secret US S ' inary people are mere pawns in political ern defeat would be most desirable. the Americans must have given behind the promises to Syria conflict with secret Whoever wins the military war, it will scenes comitments that after the war no US promises to Israel will only become be a defeat for the working class.f Do significant action would be taken to clear in the future - watch this space! you really think a Western defeat and s remove Israel from the Occupied Territor- therefore a victory for Saddam Hussein ies or to make any deals with the PLO. So what now for Iraq? Whether Saddam a military dictator with the blood of a» LETTER remains in power or not, both Kuwait and million working class Arabs on his hands, As well as ensuring future conflict y the UN will want reparations paid to will be a victory for the Iraqi working in the region, this exposes the total cover damage and military costs during ON class? was the withdrawal of U.S. forces hypocrisy of the West. Britain and the US the occupation and the war and this from Vietnam a victory for the working have fought this war under the banner of could well sow the seeds of future con- class? Was it fuck! ’Did Nasser's Pan- the United flations. They claim to be act- flict. Economic pressure was one of THE Arabism in the 50s win anything for the ing in defence of UN resolutions and the causes of the Iraqi invasion of - Arab working class? Did it fuck! international law; When these apply in Kuwait in the first place and after a WAR. the case of friendly oil-producing. as month of massive bombing raids the The Gulf War is a war between two states then the West will raise huge country's infrastructure and economy is ruling classes. As.anarchists, we do armies and send them halfway around the in a much worse shape. Put simply, take sides, we side with the working‘ world to bomb a country into submission. there won't be any spare cash to pay out class. You either believe revolutionary change in society will be brought about But, as in the case of the Palest- If the West forces reparations to by the working class or you don't. To inians, a dispossessed people with no be paid we could see a similar sit— B stop this war to the benefit of the resources and therefore_little clout on. uation to that in Germany after the w working class will need a revolutionary- the world stage, the attitude of the First World War. Following their defeat change that will only be brought about world's policeman is very different. the Germans were made to accept all the by the working class itself. The class blame for starting the war and as part war is not being fought for us by Saddam's There is a UN resolution demanding that of the Peace settlement were supposed. s army. Stopping the war to our benefit Israel hand back land taken from surr- T to pay huge damages to the victorious will also not be done for us by middle ounding Arab countries. It's been stand- allies. Needless to say, this was widely class lefties or liberals. We shouldn't ing for over 20 years! Similarly, Israel's resented in Germany and the far right be trying to gain credibility with these 1982 invasion of Lebanon, designed to p were able to play on this, blaming every twats in boring anti-war meetings, by push Palestinians further from the bor- problem in the country on the unjust compromising basic anarchist principles der and create a buffer zone in the south peace treaty and reparations - whether of internatiohalism for some sort of ' of theat country, has been declared an they had anything to do with it or not., "New Realism" where we tag along behind illegal act of aggression under inter- the Left because we feel too powerless national law. Where is all the pious In the end it was onpa programme of to do anything about it ourselves. American rhetoric in these cases? Why stopping payment of war debts and were no armies sent to right these wrongs? righting the supposed humiliations of Surely by now you must realise that Because the US and its allies pick and~ the treaty that Hitler came to power. these people and their wonderful anti- choose which acts of state violence By using popular resentment at the way imperialist theories are totally irrel- to condemn only according to their own the allied powers had acted, the Nazis event to revolutionary change. interests. were able to draw in supporters and take power. In the end the conditions _ The two faces of the West have also imposed by the victors-of the First S We should be looking for ways of by- been shown in recent dealings with World War helped produce a far worse passing these people. "Hands Off Syria. Only a few years ago Syria was regime than the one they had just' Iraq" posers should be told to put on the US list of countries which spon- defeated and led directly to a re-run their money where their mouth is and sored ‘terrorism’. In American eyes of the conflict a generation later. join the Iraqi army. s - this put them on a par with "outlaw states" like Libya and Iran. However, I All these factors could yet lead to Yours In Solidarity to make the UN coalition more acceptable further conflict in both Iraq and the the West needed some Arab countries to wider Middle East and may yet rebound Mark, secretary fight alongside them. It was therefore on the smug and triumphant Western Glasgow D.A.M. mtually beneficial for Syria to be, leaders. New world orders don't always taken back into the international fold. turn OUt.88_p1lnnBd!i L I 6 ANARCHISM, ARCHITECTURE. AND s T (Oak and Eldon Gardens, Birkenhead)_ 7 '75 IX P14 1 '_‘_ "- .11.-.:-;_.Sa='-'-_='\-I-z"‘* ' _ __,.._ . __ , _, _ '*."M~""".‘.'."~-<W;‘.."""..‘ ' -5.' -Y". no-. -- '. -r Q‘. _l',-l-"-I\.i‘-.'§'."}-1"". I ’ ' I . . - . s~ -s av -.*;.F ' 1 5 J“ ,1 weasanarchistsneedtolookintoissuesofarchitectureandtoun ' - w gs» - . .-r" ‘planning? Can't we just leaveit to the ‘experts’? The following article explores -1- -» pg, *€ thenhigh-riseexperienoemadlodcsattnwvestnndbeisainnngtoomtrol the i 1c_g.—-‘.___. 01.0 -q._* ‘*9 conditions inwhichwe Li.ve...... *- uni. - - nfli Q Since the Town and Country Planning Act. they are consulted but in nearly all an- Ii -. of 1967, all aspects of our environment, cases their views are marginalised an H ; \ r , i from.the location and type of housing, form.a small consideration. They are -. J "‘\%n|, I". -‘, z; *"ams ¢ greenbelts, transport systems, workplaces, not asked to design their homes, but are g - parks and open spaces have all been des- told what is unacceptable and presented igned by architects and'town planners. with middle class conceptions of good \. "'¥'h-. 3.-:,- Before this, and in much of the Third taste and design. Town planning is all World now, people made their own towns carried out from the top down by agent-p and cities: they were unplanned. ies with little regard for the communi- ties for whomsthey.plan. Decision I ...,,q-we The ideas of the early town planners . maing lies with central government as it have clear connections with anarchist sets the legislation under which counc- thinking.. Professor Peter Hall, Britain's illors and planners work. Furthermore, 2 structurally sound buildings and build Nevertheless, a lot can be learned leading author on town planning, in his capitalism determines what is profitable new ones in the pursuit of profit. from the work of commnity architects. book "Cities of Tomorrow" illustrates to construct. Make no mistake, houses‘ Buildings should be adaptable and res- Usual practice has been for the arch- this by saying "early visions of the and workplaces are only constructed when ilient, instead of being torn down Q in itects to set up an office on the site planning movement stemmed from the anar- it is profitable to do so. The number every time capitalist aspirations change. and actually get to know all the res- chist movement which flourished in the of homeless in this country is increasing idents there. Also they have used O . a» last decades of the nineteenth century and yet house building has fallen cons- In India the layout of New Delhi, eetings, role play, newsletters and There are clear parallels between the istently over the past l8 months because 1- I a legacy of hnperialism, means that the models rather than maps and plans ‘ work of Ebenezer Howard in ‘Garden those in nned do not represent a profit p city cannot support a mass transport which are difficult for many people Cities of Tomorrow’ and Kropotkin‘s for developers. s s system efficiently, whereas Bombay, a to visualise. Also they have-used ‘Fields, Factories and Workshops‘, both linear city whose growth has been det trips with the residents to other published in 1898. Hall says "the vis- H The same goes for hospitals, factor- ermined by its two parallel railway areas to find out to find out what ion of these anarchist pioneers was not ies and offices, the only exception lines, provides easy mobility for its other groups ahve done to stimulate merely an alternative built form, but» being raods, which can be justified as inhabitants. ideas. of an alternative society , neither cap- s providing indirect subsidies ti capit- italist nor bureaucratic socialist: a alist industry. s Planning needs to be changed to n The developmetn industry in this society based on voluntary co-operation be carried out by the people, for the country is only interested in produc- among men and women, working and living Ebenezer Howard insisted in 1898 people, with their needs being the ing more "units" not homes. Community in small self-governing commonwealths. II that cities should be the common prop- paramount consideration. This has architecture was able to look at the He sees Kropotkin, Proudhon and Bakunins erty of their inhabitants and that any happened to a certain degree in the individual needs of each occupier as the "spiritual fathers" of town plan- . increase in land values should belong to commnity architecture movement. and tailor thier home to their needs. ning. them to be used for their common co-op- w Comunity architecture actually This meant thinking about people's erative purposes. But the whole of the enables people to design their own future needs, ie., making buildings However, town planning now offers present property industry is geared to homes and environments. However, it flexible to allow for children leaving office blocks, dual carriageways, and profit. Every house owner expects their has not gone far enough because the home or having more children. Also more Barrett's housing while the ter- house to go up in value. Why? If you work usually has to be carried out bye it meant the work done was built to races lie empty, all provided by tech- buy a car and drive it half a mile it building contractors and the refurb- last and involved long term savings nocrats divorced from.the people who loses 102 of its value. This link bet- ishments have still to be overseen particularly energy efficiency through use these buildings. ween profit and property has limited by professionals. Rod Hackney, who insulation. s grassroots attempts by the working. started the movement in Macclesfield, The real issues which concern the class to provide for their own needs., was able to save working class homes If commnity architecture can form people are bousing, transport, employ-it Squatting and self-build has met with t from demolition and the people des- the basis of people controlling their ment, aesthetics, and the environment. small scale success but has yet to chal- igned and improved their own houses. own environment with total control These are treated as technical problems " 1en3e market fgrggg, Capitalism has However, the area has now become tren- given to members of the comunity, we to be solved by the mobilisation of also sought to disrupt a sustainable dy and bijou, the old residents have‘ could be well on the way to anarchism. capital. The working class do not S economy, creating inbuilt obsolescence, w moved out and Mr Hackney has mved on We all know the consequences of impo- $h@P§ tbs P14¢¢9 "here tbs? live. "°Ik particularly in factories and offices, to more profitable schemes with his sed, centrally designed, systemised and bring up their children. Of course, I thus fulfilling its own need to demolish own company. w housing.fi The featureless inhuman Another important point is that the /\ NT present planning system very rarely con- sults or involves children Children could, with adult help, be able to design and build their own meeting places, play areas and schools Now, a persons standard and choice of accomodation is determined by their income not their needs Colin Ward, one of the few anarchist architectural auth- ors, makes many valid contributions to this debate The imnortant thing about housing is not what it is, but what it does in people s lives Dweller satis- faction is not necessarily related to the imposition of standards, and people find deficiencies in housing infinitely U U U ‘F more tolerable if they are their own , _ . , _ ,__ . i I do responsibility than ir they are some- t‘ ’ "- ’- "~I ______ one e1se s He goes on to say nThe moment that housing, a universal human activitY. becomes defined as a Problem, i a housing problems industry is born, W A D t H Q U AM with an army of experts, bureaucrats and researchers whose existence is a Yguaran- AT ST WETZBURGH S CMTT CENTRE t w ' awa . iii The only people who know the problems HORLEY RT) WTTST M\LlS are the people themselves we know that cf. a system which creates housing shortages evictions,low spending, bureaucracies, pointless standards and places where no-one wants to live, while the rich live in luxury and blame us for creat- not . '\- 9, ing our own slums, must be brought to --..:]:»z..»-...=--..a~lI5?'.1IL.!¢T'F;<n¢-ism’. Q“ - - -'..u.ii_.. an end Alice Coleman in her book "Utopia On Trial puts this neatly when high rises are now being demglighgd U\ +- she writes'"the sink estate concept across the nation. In Belfast, the city blamed problem people the child density council have a comitment to demolish concept blamed problem children, the all council-owned high rise blocks by efficient management concept blamed die the year 2000. The graffitti has taken problem local authorities " All the tooo long to be read by the planners, the time the fact that the flats and houses writing should be on the wall for them. r €.c\m were not designed with people's needs Utopia cannot be imposed, it is up to in mind have been overlooked Meanwhile, the working class to not only build ' public money is being spent on cleaning, their own homes and workplaces as they 4 he repairing and administering these prob- OD do now, but to design them as well. The lem areas With resident control they physical design of buildings and in par- could be transformed into decent places F 2 E. e \bC(ifi1oI’1.b;\L,qt\\5]l\\’pf¢;‘L ticular groups of buildings can create to live The same applies to workplaces, and foster communities. In the same way how many workers fins the only place to Awussxou tower blocks cause isolation and insec- eat is a filthy, noisy canteen or wind- urity places can be designed to ensure swept tarmac parking bay If workplaces that people feel safe, meet each other were organised by anarchists we could in passing, and are able to look out for raise our own conditions rather than be their neighbours. slaves to shareholders and entrepreneurs Women can design environments in Anarchists need to be bringing come which they feel at ease, minority groups unities and workplaces together so that can design areas which meet their own we all have soewhere to live and work cultural needs. This could involve rel-T which meets urown needs and the needs igious bilding and gardens designed to of the whole of society The future grow non-native food and plants._ must be in our own hands D 11 10 Hello Readers , TURNING — .1,wi£-X in for some time many of the ideas need up- dating - even the most recent syndicalist 'classic' was written a good few decades Up until now much of what you've ago. For example we need to take on _ read in issues of 'Merseyside Anarchist‘ board the effects of things like new has been written by me. I say up until technology on work, of people working now because from now on I want to con- from home, and how to make anarchist centrate on writing for the D.AsM.'s R ideas relevant to people who may never paper, Direct Action. have been in a workplace let alone exp- But we shouldn't be too critical of as we ourselves remain disorganised - This has been a tough decision to the movement at that time. Remember which brings me back to the point of erienced militant unions and strikes! take. I've seen this newsletter grow that it was composed mainly of young this article - why I want to concentrate But these things will only come about from its inky and unreadable first iss- people with little organisational exper- my activity on the Direct Action Movement when todayh anarchists bring their ideas ues into the neat and attractive version ience, there was no recent anarchist and its paper, as opposed to 'Merseyside and experience to bear on traditional of today. More importantly, M.A. has tradition in Britain to learn from and Anarchist‘. anarchist politics. Anarchism.isn't become widely read and respected within we were at least moving away from the about waiting for the party line to be the anarchist movement and I always think liberal single-issue campaigns of the If you know anything about anarchism handed down from on high - the movement that its growth mirrored a shift inside past. All in all the 80's were a learning you'll agree that syndicalism (the form- and the politics develops through debate, British anarchism.- away from the drop- process through which activists had to ing of anarchist labour unions and their participation, organisation and struggle. community-based equivalents) makes up out liberal shit which_had contaminated pass. Now it is time to put those lessons the movement since the 60's, and towards into practise. the overwhelming mass of anarchist hist- We're long past the days of anarchists ory. Wherever in the world there's been a viable, class-based perspective - real working just for single-issue causes, of a big anarchist movement, it's always anarchism. We've reached a stage where there are activity for activity's sake, and we've plenty of conscious class struggle anar- been centered on libertarian workers surely learnt that dispirate anarchist So why give it up now, at the height chists around and, by and large, where organisations - because anarchists have initiatives with no hard politics or always realised that the workplace and of its success ? Well, its a long story. anarchism has got rid of its hippy fringe. organisation behind them really get us When I first got involved in politics and the anti-anarchist views that went the day to day running and provisioning nowhere. Without doubt, the overriding in the early 1980's there were loads of with it. The next step for anarchists is of society is where working class power task for us now is the building of a real lies. When you hear anarchists talking anarchists around, but very little to build up an organisation capable of anarchist movement that can carry our about workers control and community organisation amongst us. We all inst- putting our ideas across to the wider ideas out. control, they're talking about synd- inctively knew there was a lot wrong working class and of defeating the arg- uments of the current labour movement icalism.- the nuts and bolts of social with the world and so threw ourselves This is why I want to concentrate on into doing things. Anarchists were very leadership and the bankrupt parties of t ’ L revolution, the means by which an the DAM. I don't want people to stop buy- anarchist society is run. I'm a member involved in anti-nuclear, environmental the left . "T ing the newsletter — local publications of the DAMIbecause it's in the business and animal rights campaigns, but at the can only help the movement, but more of building revolutionary unions and end of the day it was middle-of-the- This will only happen when anarchists important than that is to have a national thereby creating an anarchist mvement road reformist organisations like CHD, put their money where their mouth is, paper, well written and produced, that with a fighting chance. Greenpeace and the BUAV which took the agree with a specific definition of anar- can put across anarchist politics and credit for our work on the ground. chism and join the relevant anarchist draw people into an organisation. Of course, there are some anarchists organisation. When this occurs, when who don't call themselves syndicalists As the decade wore on, more and more anarchists start putting their time and and people who are somehow trying to of us realised that there was no point energy into something which can tell re-invent anarchism.from scratch - - in anarchists promoting single-issue people what anarchism.is for, not just people who think they don't need to what it's against, when s5*se got an campaigns which were actually opposed know how anarchists have gone about to widespread social change, and so organisation that can make a difference people began to work on specifically in the workplace and all the other issues revolution in the past and who dream of pulling a squeaky-clean new anarchimm anarchist initiatives. This was the we're involved.with, then we'll see from out of thin air! time of papers like Attack, Flamethrower, anarchism.actually moving forward - for the first time in ages ggywill be in a Class War and Counter Info, and this Unfortunately this isn't going to type of propaganda sumed up the anar- position to reap the rewards of our happen! Anarchism cons ists of the chist movement as it was then - angry, political work. There are already a ideas and organisational methods that shit-hot on things like support for great many people who are sympathetic to have been developed and refined through working class struggles, anti-racism our arguments, who have seen for them- struggle, and this is what we have to and anti-fascism.etc, but not offering selves the uselessness of the Labour Party So, if you like what you've seen in work with today - no short cuts, no any clear way forward, not producing and the existing trade unions. So why do past issues of this newsletter start fancy new labels, no miraculous new definitive statements of what anarchism they stick reluctantly with these org- reading ‘Direct Action‘ cos that's where formulae - if you want a real grass- actually was, and not getting people anisations ? Because we have so far you'll find it in the future. Better roots revolution and anarchimn, then involved in a revolutionary anarchist failed to provide a viable alternative still - join the DAM! syndicalism is the means to get you organisation. Basically, as anarchists, for them to turn to, failed to create a there. awe still weren't turning our chips into concrete organisation for sympathisers For Anarchism, money - if you see what I mean! There was to 'oin and failed to show that anarchism Keith, J . ’ . lots of directionless activity with little, is anything more than a set of nice ideas. Needless to say, because we haven't Liverpool DAM. to show for it. A And we'll continue to fail just as long had a large anarchist movement in Britain .. ;|"§~J omen" r 13 i Anarcho-syndicalists are realistic enough THE =0 accept that it will be difficult to organise "We 've got to Zay off some g a workplace if we ask prospective members to HK€@1‘ workers .. . which department accept all the aims and principles of the DAM. Rather, the constitution of the DIWU sets out got the weakest union?" principles of militant action such as a ref- usal to collaborate with the bosses, a ban ll" “H ion crossing picket lines and control by the rank and file rather than by paid bureucrats. .o---4 ARE ANARCHO SYNDICALIST UNIONS NON-POLITICAL ItI.I’ -A-__L_4_ THEN? 0-1rr The following was written by a member of Liverpool Direct Action as a first draft for a leaflet outlining the position of anarcho-syndicalists -I N Not at all. It is the role of anarchists towards the present unions. It goes scneway towards explaining how the DAM, within these unions to draw attention to the hpes to change the way we organise the fightback in the workplace...... political implications of strikes and to ...;:> argue our line in general. s ~ sa- THE DIRECT ACTION MOVEMENT_ being eroded. Unofficial action by workers has not compensated for the s These anarchist are working within a ‘;i::EL L ‘!=;>. s Liverpool DAM had decided to produce refusal of trade unions to initiate union comitted to militancy, whose struggles this leaflet in an attempt to state clearly official action. are unrestrained by bureaucrats. This will the anarcho-syndicalist strategy and to lead to confrontations more full-blooded than clear up a few misconceptions about the For instance, when the NUS called those that can generally be expected in a TUC beliefs that may exist among other anar- off the sympathy strikes that had been union. Therefore, their job of politicising This will only take place when those- chists. called to help the P&O strikers because workers will be far easier than att€mptS-tO- within the Inustrial Network judge that of the threat of sequestration, all the pohiticise workers within la TUG union. it would have constructive results. WHY ORGANISE aNARCHIST UNIONS? sympathy strikes ended imediately. Exactly how much support as a proportion In the absence of an alternative, the WON'T ANARCHO SYNDICALISTS BE ACCUSED OF v of the workforce we will need before this srtrrrrnc was r.u.c. Most anarchists would agree that failure of reformist unions demoralises I ? is the case will differ from.industry to the working-class must learn through k workers and makes them lower their industry. struggle if they are to become revol- expectations. _ Most anarchists can only be happy that, utionaries. They will not become rev- most UK workers are unionised! However,_ Therefore, while we do not believe olutionary without propaganda work, would they really advocate anarchists setting 1, ' in destructive splitting, that is, " but propaganda work on its own is not up TUC unions in unorganised workplaces? attempts to undermine_the TUC for the enough. The attitude of many non-unionised workers unaoou sake of it, we do not regard the exist- to TUC unions is mistrustful. They believe fl5ugq£fl€NT 0cP|c1AL- ence of TUC unions as sacrosanct. Why, :--:1 who D0 wE\ At the moment this process of the union will simply take their dues and should we? struggle is held back by the bureau- disappear. The DIWU has shown that anarchist. cratic nature of the TUC unions. The unions can inspire more enthusiasm.- The DOES mm strrrvs tmros ISTHE ss- State, by threatening to rob union TGWU couriers branch admitted to the BBC that ALL AND END-ALL or asvoturrosaar ' vuru HR$T? ‘ bureaucrats of their salaries by sequ- the DIHU has ten times more members than- steamer? L estration of union assets, can always them, even though the TGWU branch started off I-THAT ABOUT moss oursrm-3 mans muons? force them to cave in to anti—trade with £10 O00 worth of funding. a no1~:"r nmr HAVE A ROLE? l 2 .057’ M“ v union legislation. It is obvious to earn every-one that this means that trade BUT DO YOU WANT TO SPLIT ESTABLISHED TUC DAM members are involved in otherr union power to improve wages and cond- UNIONS? struggles than those purely in the work- itions is severely cuailed. Secondary place. DAM members are active in the action often vital to the success of we are not in favour of establishing tiny anti-poll tax movement, anti-fascism,and strikes is impossible. Striking against anarcho-syndicalist unions in already organised the support of prisoners such as Martin anti-working class government policies h- industries. This would be a pointless exercise. Foran. Articles in Direct Action, our is also impossible. The NALGO executive Our industrial policy is to establish newspaper, concern such issues as ecology, council, for instance, refused to co- anarcho-syndicalist industrial networks racism, sexism and Ireland. — ordinate a policy of non-implementation within these unions. These are networks This is why the Direct Action Movement of the poll tax, which the delegate of people comitted to anarcho-syndical- _ The DAM believes that in a revolut- conference voted to introduce, on the N supports the establishment of anarcho— ist political ideas, as opposed to the ionary situtation the take-over of work grounds that it would lead to sequest- syndicalist unions. rank and file groups of the failed places is vital. We believe that the ration. International Socialist (now SW?) domin- existence of a union to prepare and HOW ARE ANARCHO SYNDICALIST UNIONS DIFFERENT ated National Rank And File Movement, organise such a takeover is necessary- . The era of Thatcherism has shown FROM T.U.C. UNIONS?. r which was active in the 70s and did not for its success.. _ that the failure of reformist unions see the need for a political perspective- does not make their members more left The Dispatch Workers Industrial Union We do not believe that this alone is wing or more militant. A great many, .(DIWU) is a living examle of our organisat- These groups will argue our politics enough. It must be accompanied by insur- workers continued to support the Tories ional principles. The DIW membership is within the union and build towards they rections and revolutionary takeover of growing fast, organised in workplaces. while the power of their unions was creation of an anarcho-syndicalist union. commnities. snag 15 I‘ . . 14@ ' /"fl I 1 WHAT IS WORKERS CONTROL ? IS IT CONTROL OF SOCIETY BY TRADE UNIONS ? MOST PEOPLE HATE THEIR JOBS. CONE THE REVOLUTION THEY WONT WANT TO CONTROL THEIR WORK— PLACES, THEY'LL WANT THEM SHUT DOWN. incming and outgoing mail is frequently in witheld, he is allowed only one visit "Workers control" means the cont- la N R 10 Anystreet, per month, and is being denied the right rol of production by the working shnytown, to see a lawyer. J I class for the needs of the auto- Joe Anarchist, s Anyshire, nomous communities. Therefore, EH Prison Anyvi11¢,, pfingland. The conditions he is being held under all the community decides what sflwecounty. s C amount to sensory deprivation. This 1 is produced and how society is to . be organised. January, he went on hungerstrike again, Dear Joe Anarchist, s C and after 19 days he slashed his wrists It is not a society where indiv- o _ I am wr't' N in protest at the conditions he is being my solidarity and good wishzg to expra.‘ idual groups of workers produce <.. ;..:."::.;n:.::.='::::°:..i:"" kept in. p ‘ I have he; 5 b p I. . o whatever will make the most money- F .§. Market Socialism. It will be a If you wish to write letters of y histl from a friend/from an AC 1 sf I llaofl moneyless, communist society protest to the prison director, or o L L s s e let etc.) ~*ns5= where working hours are reduced to cards or letters of support to John SIOHPIIDaAnMaI AmBeCm!beCr la°sfsAWna?rt/°A"RflC (Aetncar)choins-t a minimum. Society will work for "as1-I~IIb?" W Perotti, the address is:i (oI am not acti0ve i.n any group but tak . the benefit of humans as producers an interest ' ' N J ’ ' and consumers of production. JOHN PEROTTI 167712 and I - In pt13°“°"' 5=r"881¢8,) ‘° "18" =° express my moral su Therefore there will be no - o , _ p ort . \_ durlng Y°“Y Present imprisonment, P 'Worker—controlled' nuclear power (nIascroR). I h°P° You are keeping well, I stations or advertising agencies, no sharing eight hours a day to Lebanon Correctional Facility, w WA. Supporter y C 1 produce an endless proliferation JOHN PERROTTI is an anarchist prisoner PO Box 56,. N C I of consumer goods. in the USA. He was originally jailed for , Lebanon OH 43036, c I a $7 robbery fifteen years ago, but he has U.5.A. since had years added to his sentence as Letters are automatically censored, N "punishment" for his involvement in pris- so be discreet about what political state-s oners' struggles within the penal system, ** THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS \\\£% ll 0;,-0? y ments you put in. The screws might withold ALWAYS DENIED IT HOLDS POLITICAL PRISONERS. In particular he has fought for aosvra? rates ARE 150 rnxsonsns IN anything too "extreme". prisoners to become unionised through the AMERICAN PRISONS FOR POLITICALLY NOTIVAIED Even if the prisoner gets your letter,l orrsncss.. IWW and be paid full wages for the work s/he may not be able to write back.i they do. (The U.S. prison system is an w Prisoners are often restricted as to They represent a wide variety of i'ndus tory i'n 1‘ts own ri‘ght, exp1O1‘t’ing che mov ts and cultuv res s b t man are Black lthe number of letters they can send, unpaid labour of prisoners.) Ema? . ’ u 7 . \t\\‘ or Native Americans. What they have in - and so will have to give priority to family and close friends. H h 8 1 f h - C th brutal comon is that they went beyond what the e a 3 so Dug t agalns e State considers to be the bounds of "legal" treatment of prisoners by prison guards .Birthday, christmas and easter cards — treatment which often.amounts to torture Pr°te3t in the °°“rs°i°f th°iF str“331es' (or for that matter, summer solstice, _ d - yF b y 1990 h involved in Once captured, they face particularly an in e ruary e was spring/autum equinox cards or whatever) brutal prison conditions and long sentences. a hungerstrike, a1ong_with hundreds of are just as welcome as letters. other prisoners, in protest at their rep— ressive treatment. The prison guards If you doubt the value of writing *************iii************************* heard of the hungerstrike just before it to prisoners, bear in mind this state- was to take place, and on the assumption THE BLACK CROSS is an organisation for the ment from a political dissident: he was one of its organisers, l0 of them support of anarchist prisoners around the severely beat John and teargassed him in world, and for prisoners convicted of "A prisoner may come to know about his cell. politically motivated activities. letters indirectly from the sarcastic remarks of her jailers, but it is enough Prisoners always need and welcome lett- i For more information contact either He was subsequently transferred to ;to give her a wonderful feeling that she ers of support. However, many people are Liverpool DAM, P.0. Box 110, Liverpool another prison. He is the only prisoner is not completely forgotten. That some- uncertain what to say in a letter to a L69 BDP, or — - T in his cell block, and has now been kept one cares." prisoner they've never met, so here 18 a the National Secretary, P.O. Box 29, in isolation for a total of 32 months. sample letter and a few guidelines. SWPD, Manchester, M15 SHW; His food slot is locked shut, he is denied l*******fi****#*******************##***** access to a radio and newspapers, his II '17 FILM REVIEW: HIDDEN AGENDA February, saw the notorious Clause 25 of the Criminal Justice Bill become law. Clause 25 If you want to see "Hidden Aflenda“, marks the first government attempt to en- you might have to wait now until iti comes out on video. It had only a force harsher sentences for homosexual acts short run in Liverpool, and possibly in more than twenty years. the same has happened in other towns ti] H s V - perhaps because the subject matter of the fil is considered "uncommer-9 If life in the nineties hasn't become difficult enough cial".' I for Gays, with increasing attacks. serious assaults _ ‘ ‘ A truth must be faced, as it has been by many black wouldmt-an harrassment andeventual isolationfrom and even murder. by bigots, Fascists and the police. Members of the Liverpool T.0.M. people. That the police-force are not out thereto hetroscxual friends and the rest of society. - y Now the govemment have given the Police the back group were specially interested in protectgay-men from thebigots mdthe fascists .they seeing this film after hearing it upto arrestanyone who they suspectofbeing gay. So- are on the side of the fascist and bigots. And life will Every socialist must oppose attacks on people's was about the activities of the Brit- liciting laws already make it an offence for men to ish state in Northern Ireland. only get worse for the gay community as long as that sexuality. That doesn't mean appealing to the police chat eachother up on the street It also outlaws “aid- is still believed . They mustjoin the ranks of people orparliarnentor any other authority of the system to ing homosexual acts”. like letting two gay friends However, the film turned out toe who hold no illusions inthe police-force. the people do something about it .for they are the problem. This stay overnight in your house. » be very poor. As a "political thril- who realise that the only people who will defend means arguing againstignoranceandbigouy and de- ler" it's less than thrilling and them fi'om hostile goups are themselves. Many les- fending lesbian and gay-men in their right to live as it's too far-fetched to be politic- Theindecency laws areused againstmenwho engage ally credible. Ni, g bian and gays realise this already and are setting up they choose without harassment and not allowing in any fonn of sexual or affectionate contact outside self-defence groups, knowing full well thatas long as thcmto be used as scapegoats. as blackpeople are for their own homes. vlhe plot is loosely based on the bigots can attacks thermand get away with it ,then it the problems causedby this sysrem. Wemustbuild a Stalker affair. An American journ- will confirms . 9 working-classmovementopposed to all forms ofdis- alist, in Northern Ireland to inves- At present police arrest and convictions of gay men crimination ,a movement of liberation based in the tigate human rights abuses, is driven are the highest since the 1950's. Convictions for to Dublin by a republican sympathiser Gay men and Lesbians must not be forced under- conununities and workplaces. Who will oppose all indecency have doubled since 1985. to meet an unknown contact who claims groxmd again. after all the gains that have been made attackson our class. by bigots and bigoted ruling to have information relevant to his over the years. It would be a disaster to end up in a class laws. It's time tomakeourownrules intheclass investigation. Through “special police activity” the Home Office situation remeniscentoftheolddays, Whento be gay and sexual struggle instead ofplaying by the mics of havereleased figures thatthe conviction rates forgay the ruling class . p On the way they are both shot men are 10percenthigher for these offences than for dead by the army. The army claim I sex offences as a whole. they drove straight through a road- block and tried to run down the sold- iers who were in their way. But the ll’ fekesiwo heft-rosexuals The reality is that. in 1989, ninty men were jailed for forensic evidence sheds doubt on this consenting homosexual behaviour-some for up to 5 claim; plus the fact thar the Ameri- can was not known to have republican years-and in all 2.311 men were convicted. - sympathies and was a respected inves- tigative journalist. So a senior Now Clause 25 recommends soliciting. procuring ,, g _British police officer is sent to in- F and indecency be treated as “serious” sex crimes-on vestigate. He meets hostility from the Irish police, but he eventually a par with indecent assault or child abuse-and pun- gets to meet the unknown contact, who ished with even harsher sentences. c- turns out to be an ex-member of the SAS with a tape that proves the CIA _ bo- were plotting to overthrow the Labour Many more gay and bisexual men could go to jail for . - I ~ . ofiao J. government in the late 70s. He had longer and longer periods t sent the American journalist a copy cc» ° ° s of the tape and the SAS had shot him ° 0 no in order to recover it. V Clause 25 is basically given the legal go ahead, for O Q6 what has already become areality for many gay men. 5 0 If all this sounds confusing - it The harassment, arrest and assault for being gayby a is. In addition, the plot is so com- police-force rotten to me core with bigotry and cor- @ __ _ @Q\:iLl-(vi G pletely removed from the reality of ruption. Many gay men have even been arrested for British state repression of Irish ib makes homoiexoal republicans, and is too far-fetched trying to report attacks on themselves. Even gay to be credible, or to give any audi- murders have been investigated with nothing but a ence nn insioht into the political vague indifference. situation in the 6 counties.‘ 19v 1E5 y y -11 JOIS AND SERVICES S ' S oacamsr FOR mace .231-as ~ c Hundreds of council jobs are now also of All Anti—Poll Tax Unions and- c on the line as Liverpool tries desperately c anarchist groups should now be prepar- to balance it's books, and make the C ing for the national demonstration-oni workers pay for it's cash crisis. More c Saturday March 23rd in London. Thisl will follow, a result mainly of govern- is the anniversary, near enough, of the ment cutbacks and the new Uniform Business ABattle of Trafalgar" when police Rate (the govcrnmnt now control over 852 attacked 200,000 demonstrators and N. of the council's money). As p011 tax bills " s made 350 arrests (100 more in later c Almost one year on in England and Wales. two in.Sootland. and up to l4 mdllion soar we are being asked to pay more, for raids across the country). Last year people are still refusing to be robbed in broad daylight by paying the Poll'Eax. less. "n N N vseperate marches were organised in Scottish nn-payment levels are UP on last year. In Northern Ireland they dare not Scotland on the same day; This year even try it...Meanwhile, with Thatcher gone, the Torimare trying to find a way s N ,The best way to preserve jobs and everyone's coming to Londonll to kill the Poll Taxzwithout burying themelves services is the total defeat of the Poll Tax. But passive non—payment is not enough. Bearing in mind the possibility _ Legal "loopholes" are bound to be closed, of another police attack, the Trafalgar just as legal "rights" are being abolished. - Starting on February 13th, some 9,000 Square Defendants‘ Campaign will be’_ Apart from more militant actions r occup- coordinating a legal back—up ands _ , people per week are being dealt with ations of council meetings etc - we need in two courts each Wednesday and Thurs- monitoring system. This is to ensures to build anti-poll tax organisation in that every marcher gets the maximum day. Hundreds have been turning up for their cases (400 on the first day) and every street and every workplace. Bailiffs possible practical support and that hundreds of adjournments have been must face not isolated individuals, but N every police action is subject to whole communities. Strikes against wage scrutiny. N N forced as the officials try to cope. arrestments must be supported and built for, Lobbying the council, although a 3 The TSDC is calling for all APTU's REMEMBER... tactic, failed months ago. We cannot and Federations to: s have our hands tied in an attempt to ...If you get a summons, TURN UP AT COURT. The more people who turn up, "reinstate" 29 local councillors. i) , Choose their own stewards to< » the harder it is for the magistrates ‘help on the day- to protect the , to rubber stamp us. People from the SOLIDARITY and DIRECT ACTION are demo, not police it., N needed to win. N ' s Anti—Poll Tax Federation will be there to give advice on how to string out **t*********************kitikitfititt' ii) Organise at least one First Aid adviser. your case. In the end, all the courts March 6th ~ Council Budget meeting can do is issue a liability order C L Planned strike by Council s which says simply that you owe the iii) Choose legal liasson volunteersN A ' workers against job cuts. to communicate with the legal back- council money. They've still got to sup system, distribute bust cards, get you to payl March 13th -Full council meeting to," get the names of people arrested, set the Poll Tax.. While the council can issue dire warnings witnesses and police numbers and"" I" *" ' "" ' to non-payers there are few penalties write a report to send in after- L ********#***i***#***#****k****#***** they can impose as yet. Bailiffs CANNOT wards- c s N kick in your front door UNDER ANY CIRCUM- In Liverpool, 124,000 out of the STANCE$,.So don't let them in and 327,000 on the register have still paid contact your nearest Anti—Poll Tax Union The TSDC will be organising ac NOTHING. Only £35 million of the expect- as soon as you are threatened with a full Legal Coordination Office, and a- New posters from: ed £119 million has been paid and, all visit. Poll Tax cannot be deducted from bank of available solicitors as well" told, 55 per cent have either paid any benefits (pensions etc) other than as mobile Legal Liasson Volunteers.s nothing or are in arrears. (£12 of people It will be essential for the welfare of Income Support. Even then, they can only in Liverpool are on or below the so- take 5% (e.g. £1.85 for a single person) all marchers that APTUs and individuals called ‘poverty line‘). The City Council If your in work you will need the support on-\t\F“5“' cooperate with this system. For more gs meet on March 6th and 13th to set the of your workmates/union to fight any details on this contact the TSDC: . bills for the coming year and the bills attempts at wage arrestment with indust— seem certain to break the £500 barrier—. rial action. That's if they can find out Trafalgar Square Defendants‘ Campaign increasing the numbers still further c/o Haldane Society of Lawyers. where you work. At worst they can only of those who cannot or will not pay. i Rm 205 Panther House‘ v take so much, £4 if you earn £80 pw, £8 2"“ if you take home £100). T 38 Mount Pleasant n03 2o~ I.-lulu >49--|P*i4ll In the face of this, Liverpool has LONDON WCIX 0PA.. begun, well behind the rest of Mersey— N Whatever happens, the council cannot c \ s N V “p‘)Q§l' p ,. side and the country, to try to clear Coach tickets for the march from: just "take" your money, there is a long mi“ gut up the backlog by starting the court , Liverpool APT Federation . and drawn out proceedure to be followed. cases. A token 130 people were summonsed 75 July Road" S p _ It is in everyones interest to delay and p0\-\-1p*£“2 so for loo before Chistmas, rising to an estimated obstruct that proceedure wherever poss- _Liverpool L6 (051-263 1809); 80,000summonses in recent weeks. 0 L ‘\ N v (includes p & pl £5 unwaged, £10 waged. " ible. , -

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