A critique of an “anarcho”-capitalist attempt to steal the term syndicalism (like anarchism and libertarian by redefining it away from what it historically means). Ironically, the attempt shows why “anarcho”-capitalism is just not anarchist.
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Capitalism in crisis, again!
Some comments on the continuing crisis in the stock markets, discussing how economic ideology contributed to it and how capitalism has always been based on socialising costs and risk while privatising profits.
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Prospects for revolution
This talk was probably part of a debate at a conference of the Irish anarchist groups (WSM, Organise, Class War) in 1994. We are living in a time of great change for the left. For this century the left has been identified with social-democracy (Labour, WP etc.) who saw socialism as being introduced through a few good men taking getting elected through parliament. Or by Leninists who saw socialism as a few good men being put into power by a revolution. Essentially both were variations on the Marxist conception of socialism. Anarchists who argued that socialism could not be brought about by a few good men but only by the self activity of the working class were dismissed as everything from dreamers to bomb throwers.
The Zapatista rebellion of 1994 has become the 90’s equivalent of the Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions. It has excited the imagination of a layer of active young. The balaclava and pipe toting Marcos is becoming the same sort of visual icon that the bearded and beret wearing Ché was 30 years earlier. And perhaps it is this similarity that has scared the organised anarchist movement into comparative silence on the on-going rebellion in Chiapas?
We wanted this debate today (WSM Ideas & Action 31 March 2001) because we recognise that we share a considerable number of points of departure with those who advocate local sustainable development from an environmental rather then a nationalistic perspective. The idea for the session came out of a discussion I was having a couple of months ago with some of the activists involved in the S26 collective. They were a little annoyed at the description of the movement against corporate globalisation being labelled ‘anti-capitalist’, as this was not how they choose to define themselves.
Credit crunch? Crunch capital! Why the stock market is a crazy way to organise an economy.
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Review: Debunking Economics
Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of the Social Sciences
Review of an excellent book on the weaknesses of neo-classical economics.
Why working class people need not pay the price of the mistakes of capital.
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Bakunin: Ignorance or Lies?
A short critique of a sadly typical Leninist account of Bakunin by a leading member of the British SWP.
A 60 minute recording of a talk and discussion on the Chinese revolution and the Chinese anarchist movement. It’s available here as google video, mp4 and mp3 formats, the first two are preferred as the viewer will then be able to see the images referenced during the talk.