P r a c t i c a l @ n a r c h y O N L I N E ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 2.1 January 1993 An electronic zine concerning anarchy from a practical point of view, to help you put some anarchy in your everyday life. The anarchy scene is covered through reviews and reports from people in the living anarchy. Editors: Chuck Munson Internet cmunson@macc.wisc.edu Bitnet cmunson@wiscmacc.bitnet Postal address Practical Anarchy PO Box 173 Madison, WI 53701-0173 USA Mikael Cardell Internet cardell@lysator.liu.se Fidonet Mikael Cardell, 2:205/223 Postal address Practical Anarchy c/o Mikael Cardell Gustav Adolfsgatan 3 S-582 20 LINKOPING SWEDEN Subscription of PA Online is free in it's electronic format and each issue is anti-copyright and may be distributed freely as long as the source is credited. Please direct subscription matters to cardell at the above address. We encourage our readers to submit articles and to send in bits of news from everywhere. Local or worldwide doesn't matter -- we publish it. Send mail to the editors. E D I T O R I A L S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDIB^HTORIAL by mikael cardell Another editorial from the closet? Yes, but this one will be rather short and my only contribution to this issue. I'll be back in coming issues, but this particular one collides with a lot of things in Real Life. Perhaps the birth of our child will be within deadline? If so, you'll be seeing a little announcement shouting out that I'm a proud father! So, besides increasing the population of this crowded planet, what's mikael up to? I hope you'll notice with the publication of the spunk press manifesto in this issue. This is what my friend and co-editor Chuck, myself, Ian Heavens of UK and the holder of anarchy-list, Jack Jansen will be doing; publishing and distributing alternative literature in electronic form. My personal wish is that spunk press will establish a relation with the Free Access Foundation (FAF) so we can give the blessings of the net to even more potential readers by establishing free access sites all over the world. I hope I'll be able to do just this myself as soon as I get my *grumble, grumble* computers working allright. I'm also trying to establish contacts with sysops of public access BBS's to encourage them to carry spunk press material as well as e-literature from Project Gutenberg and the Online Book Initative. I would like to see these BBS's as the new (electronic) libraries that, instead of lending you a book, gives it to you. Get in touch if you're a sysop. Well, get in touch anyway -- we do like feedback, sometimes. I'm out of here. See you around... closet% logout @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Editorial from the U.S. State of Anarchy 1993 by Chuck Another year has passed, a year that saw the international anarchist movement continue to grow. I'm very optimistic about the coming year and the prospects for more anarchy for the rest of this millenium. Last year saw the growth and appearance of many new zine and anarchist projects. It also included many changes and probably the natural demise of several projects. A successful gathering was held in the Fall in Bloomington, Indiana and I heard that another was held in southern California. One anarchist activist was harassed by the Feds when he made anti-Bush remarks on the Internet. Anti-convention demos were held in New York and Houston. Anarchy continued to blossom on the Internet, the worldwide electronic networks of networks. One of the projects that was created on and will be available on the Internet is announced elsewhere in this issue. While some envious critics, who obviously wear blinders, continue to herald the death of the anarchist movement, the facts consistently belie their observations. As the anarchist movement enters 1993, it's probably as strong as it was in the early part of this century. There are thousands of anarchist activists around the world who are organizing, publishing, building and doing all kinds of things. I certainly find it hard to keep up with all the anarchist literature that I get in the mail. Interest in anarchy is higher than it's been in a long time. I talk to folks in other cities and they tell me about all the people who show up at their local meetings. They're having to beat them off with a stick! Locally in Madison, attempts at building a local group and scene have been moderately successful. The number of consistent attendees at our local meetings haven't been high, but there obviously are many self-identified anarchists and anti-authoritarians around. The problem is, of course, getting them motivated and organized. So, what is on this anarchist's mind as we enter 1993? Unity. I'd like to see the North American anarchist movement cooperate more. I'm not asking for or looking for one big continental anarchist network or organization. Calls for such things are foolish. A big network already exists, only it doesn't have a name and doesn't need one. I'd like to see more tolerance and cooperation among the diverse anarchist groups, networks, and projects. I'd like too see fewer nasty put downs of other anarchists for not being "anarchist" enough. Sure, criticism is still needed and useful, but the rumors and name-calling need to stop. All anarchists should not be alike-- that is the strength of diversity and diversity is part of the anarchist vision. We need to tolerate our differences better. Some of us are going to do more "violent" direct action than others. Some of us choose to be nonviolent. And we don't have to choose one way or another. Tactics and lifestyles and approaches and tendencies can be part of a spectrum and they can be complementary. We need to get beyond thinking in terms of "correct" anarchist options. If we expect an anarchist society to be open-minded, let's be open-minded ourselves. Who do I support? I support Anarchy magazine in Columbia and its wonderful obtuseness at times. I support the Wind Chill project in Chicago and their militant attitude. I support the folks at Social Anarchism and their scholarly approach. I support the Love & Rage network and its growing pains (looks like they are starting to decentralize more). I support Dreamtime Village. I support the Anarchist Youth Federation. I support Bob Black and his wonderful rants. I support John Zerzan and his writings, even if they give me artist's block. I support the punk attitude of the folks at Second Guess zine in Nevaduh. Hooray for the Emma Center and the great attitude of Profane Existence. Life without the folks in Bloomington would be like life without pizza. I support Large Larry in San Francisco. Three cheers for the folks at Autonomedia and their great books. I support the Meander Whatever- Its-Name-Is-Now and those who espouse nonviolent anarchy. Go Fifth Estate Go- -Beat State! I support...many others which space limits who I can include. Let's keep those activists on their toes who might become complacent now "that Clinton is in office." One activist friend has talked to me about the drop- off in participation in her progressive group since November. Hey folks, Clinton isn't going to change the things that need to be changed, but hey, maybe I'm preaching to the converted. Anarchists need to be vocal in their criticisms of Clinton and his new cronies. We also should point out to those fascists who'd want to join us in this that their system is no better. It's business as usual for the American empire and this will become all too clear for more and more people over the next couple of years. In 1993, let's fight those who would keep us marginalized, whether they be the state, the CEOs, the Left, or those within our own movement. Hey kids, I want to see anarchy everywhere. It's more than just some alternative hobby or clothing option. I want to see it gain mainstream acceptance. I don't want to have to explain what it is anymore. I want to see a time when there is no need anymore for anarchist activists. I want anarchy and I want it--now! Let's see more anarchist cooperation in 1993. We are, after all, supposed to be cooperative! N E W S & S C E N E R E P O R T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- subject: Black Panther's parole date set posted by: autonome forum -- Sundiata Acoli's Coming Up For Parole After 20 long, hard years, Sundiata Acoli, ex-Black Panther, is coming up for parole in early 1993. Because of his outstanding achievements, New Jersey Department of Corrections recently restored all of the "good time" they had taken from him during the early 70's; which made him immediately eligble for parole. Yet the parole board plans to give him a 10 year "hit", meaning, "Do 10 more years!" We are asking all people concerned about justice to write the parole board today, demanding that Sundiata be released when he comes up for parole. Send personal and form letters and signature petitions to: The New Jersey State Parole Board CN-862 Trenton, NJ 08625 USA (609) 292 4257 Also send a copy of your letter or petition to: Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign P.O. Box 5538, Manhattanville Station Harlem, NY 10027 USA (203) 966 9048 This will help his attorney, Jill Soffiyah Elijah, (718) 575 4460 (Work); (718) 575 4478 (FAX); (718) 282 3576 (Home), verify to the parole board that the letters and petitions were sent. A Bit Of History About Sundiata In 1973, Sundiata and Assata Shakur were captured after a shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike during which their companion Zayd Shakur and a state trooper, Werner Foerster, were killed. Following a highly publicized trial, Sundiata was convicted and sentenced to life at Trenton State Prison. There he was confined for 5 years in a MCU isolation cell which was smaller then the SPCA's space requirement for a 90 lb. German Shepherd dog. He was then secretly transferred over 1,000 miles to the infamous Federal Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois, although he had no federal charges or convictions. An entrance physical exam showed that Sundiata had been heavily exposed to tuberculosis while he was at Trenton Prison. Even so, for the next 8 years at Marion, he was confined 23 hours per day in an isolation cell containing only a stone bed, toilet bowl and sink. Finally in 1987, Sundiata was transferred to general population at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, Kansas. Sundiata has had only one minor disciplinary infraction in the last 10 years. At Leavenworth he has maintained a straight "A" average in all his college courses while earning diplomas in both Desktop Computers and Paralegal Real Estate Law. He has also received "above average" job-performance ratings and he has worked 7 days per week for the last 5 years as a cellblock janitor. Because of his outstanding record, the New Jersey Department of Corrections recently restored the 2.5 years of "good time" he had lost while confined in Trenton's MCU Unit; which made him immediately eligible for parole. Yet the New Jersey Parole Board plans to "hit" him with 10 more years when he comes up for parole. For Sundiata, already 56 years old and infected with tuberculosis, that will amount to a death sentence. Write the parole board today, and demand that Sundiata be released at his parole hearing. Books/Pamphlets By Sundiata Sunviews (Book) $5.00 Bits 'N' Pieces (Pamphlet) $2.50 The Liveright Interview (Pamphlet) $2.50 Brief History Of The New Afrikan Prison Struggle (Pamphlet) $3.00 Prisoner Prices (Payable by cheque, cash or stamps): Sunviews - $1.00, Any pamphlet - $.60 Add $1.00 to the total amount for postage and handling. Order from the National Office or the nearest Regional Coordinator. Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (SAFC) Co-counsels: Jill Soffiyah Elijah and Nkecki Taifa National Coordinators: Susan Burnett and Ali Bey Hassan Operations: Sunni Acoli Spokesperson: Shiriki Unganisha National Office SAFC P.O. Box 5538, Manhattanville Station Harlem, NY 10027 USA (203) 966 9048 Regional Coordinators New Jersey Bonnie Kerness (201) 643 3192 SAFC 972 Broad St., 6th Floor Newark, NJ 07102 USA Midwest Hondo T'chikwa (312) 737 8679 SAFC P.O. Box 579154 Chicago, IL 60657-9154 USA Central Shiriki Unganisha (816) 333 9814 SAFC P.O. Box 5161 Kansas City, MO 64132 USA West Coast SAFC c/o Malcolm X Grassroots Movement 5356 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA Write to Sundiata! Sundiata Acoli #39794-066 P.O. Box 1000 Leavenworth, KS 66048 USA -- autonome forum: aforum@moose.uvm.edu "solidarity is a weapon!" -- C U L T U R E S C E N E ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zine Reviews by Chuck Support your favorite zine by sending them some bucks! MSRRT Newsletterv.5, no.9 / November 1992 Chris Dodge / Jan DeSirey * 4645 Columbus Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407 Excellent newsletter put out by some radical librarians who happen to live in Minnesota. Features short news updates on things of interest to progressive librarians, including a tidbit on the Emma Center in Minneapolis. Periodical and zine reviews are also included. First page article on voting which includes a great quote from Jello Biafra: " I cannot in good conscience vote for George Wallace disguised as a yuppie." World Domination Review#5 / Winter 1992/93 Larry & Sandra Taylor * 5825 Balsam Rd. #4, Madison, WI 53711 This zine has some pretty hip political humor. Feature "article" is titled "Hitler's brain found alive by Clinton team in the White House." Short, but shows the potential of DIY humor zines. [Quarterly. $1] Blue Ryder#27 / December 1992 Box 587 * Olean, NY 14760 Reviews other zines and reprints stuff from othe publications. [Tabloid / Monthly / $8/12 issues / 12pp] Harmful Matter#2 PO Box 3642, Terre Haute, IN 47803 This funny anarchist zine is a gas! I haven't laughed this hard while reading a zine since the old days of Popular Reality. The detourned turkey / Thanksgiving graphic on the back cover is worth more than winning the fuckin lottery. Features in this issue include pieces on bisexuality, being fat in today's society, rewritten punk versions of the pledge of allegiance, album cover reviews, and a rport from my friend Joseph on the wonderful anarchist revolution in Bloomington, Indiana. Definitely worth checking out. [Trade, two stamps, or 50 cents] Instead of A Magazinev.11, no.55-56 PO Box 76 * Shingletown, CA 96088 This issue's theme is "higher education" and the problems with it. Also read about editor Michael Ziesing's impending relocation to SE Asia. Ship of FoolsJuly / September 1992 PO Box 2062, Westmister, MD 21158 Kif is hopefully free of government shenanigans now and has managed to put out this excellent zine. If he keeps putting this one out, it has all the potential to become a sort of Utne Reader for anarchists. We all know that Utne sucks, but Kif's zine features excerpts from the anarchist press (another zine like this is SLAM). Read more about how the feds seized the Davis family's computers after delivering a bogus UPS package containing pot. Great coverage of radical news. Check out the pro-hemp stuff, news about cops, anti-racist organizing, political prisoner updates, zine reviews, and the piece on t-shirts for cops which celebrate polic brutality. Highly recommended. [$2] Imminent Strike #4 504 W. 24th #81, Austin, TX 78705 Anarchist zine from Texas. Articles on nomadism, anarcho-tribalism, and travelling autonomous zones. [8pp] Incite Informationv.3, no.6 / January-February 1993 1507 E. Franklin St. #530, Chapel hill, NC 27514 A fine anarcho-libertarian zine from North Carolina. This issue includes scads of letters, an essay on the new Clinton administration, a piece on the world of investigative journalism, and book reviews. Includes a section on news that you don't hear about--sections like these are a true strength of today's zines. [$10/six issues] West Coast Libertarianv.12, no.6 / Deceember 1992 Greater Vancouver Libertarian Association * 922 Cloverly St., North Vancouver, BC V7L 1N3, Canada Libertarian party news and opinion from the canadian Pacific northwest. These folks are also apparently active on the Internet. Kick It Over#30 PO Box 5811, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5W 1P2 This issue's focus is on elections with a Canadian flavor. Readers of Practical Anarchy know that the last issue of this zine talked about elections. I'm burned out on this issue, but this issue of KIO offers some more views. Anarchists should protest all elections, not just the ones where national leaders are chosen. Several great anti-election graphics here. Be sure to check out the articles on the SDS, the college peace movement, and the news brief sections and resource reviews. KIO is looking better all the time. The new collective deserves your support. [Canada: $9/4 issues. U.S.: $9/4 issues] Second Guess#5 / Winter '92-93 PO Box 9382, Reno, NV 89507 Nevada's zine of music, zines, and scams. Find out here what punks should be wearing this year. Feature story covers local shows that the editors have seen recently. A fine example of today's anarcho-punk zines. Music, zine, and even TV commercial reviews. [$2] The Infinite Onion7 PO Box 263, Colorado Springs, CO 80901 Anarcho-punk zine featuring a free form layout with loads of graphics, articles, and several punk-style practical anarchy suggestions. Zine reviews, an article on Alexander Berkman and one on beating piss tests. These folks also do distro of zines, t-shirts, patches and music. [$1.50] Wind Chill Factor#8 / November - December 1992 PO Box 81961, Chicago, IL 60681 Chick-full of articles on everything of interest to anarchists. One of the most exciting projects in the U.S. today. [Trades, $1.50 / 1 issue, $8 / 6 issues Rolling StoneFebruary 4, 1993 Oh, brother. This glossy waste of paper discovers the DIY music scene and Riots Grrrls in this issue. Of course, they do a very half-assed job of it too. The article on the 7 inch scene mostly covers what big labels are doing to capture this "market segment." The author concludes with a reassurance that the 7" phenomenon is only a temporary one and that soon it will be U2 as usual. RS also reviews two Riot Grrls bands and one male reviewer dismisses Bikini Kill as more "Sabbath-like" noise. Oh yes, check out the special Marlboro catalog pull-out and the slick Calvin Klein, Guess, Ford and Polo ads. Give me MRR any day of the week. Vomit Blood#3 PO Box 65072, St. Paul, MN 55165-0072 Anarcho-punk zine which celebrates the DIY attitude. Poetry, punx and recycling, and a tribute to Lard gore zine. [2 stamps or trade] EIDOS: Sexual Freedom & Erotic Entertainment For Women, Men & Couples.vol.6, no.4 PO Box 96, Boston, MA 02137 This newspaper for those interested in erotic entertainment is an outpoken advocate of sexual freedom. Each issue includes articles, updates on the editor's work on behalf of sexual freedom, letters, book reviews, and pages of uncensored personal ads. [Quarterly. $10 / issue. Tabloid. 72pp] Venus Envy#1 PO Box 3642, Terre Haute, IN 47803 An illustrated look on what it is like to be a "fat" woman in today's Cindy Crawford society. Personal account is very moving. Highly recommended. [2 stamps or trade] A N N O U N C E M E N T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPUNK PRESS MANIFESTO @ S P U N K P R E S S The excuse for the existence of SPUNK PRESS is the desire of some individuals to see alternative literature continue to flourish, but this time online! The policy of SPUNK PRESS is to act as an independent publisher of works converted to, or produced in, electronic format and to spread them as far as possible on the Internet and in the BBS society free of charge. The work may not necessarily originate from someone with net access. The major interest of SPUNK PRESS is alternative literature and anarchist material, both old, converted, and newly produced. We want to help zine editors, flypost authors and others who desire a wider audience to convert or to produce their works in an electronic format and give them the opportunity to use our distribution channels, FTP sites, mailing lists and whatever other means we might have within our powers. We welcome fanzines, pamphlets, books and portions of books, articles, manifestos, quotations, interviews, bibliographies, reviews, posters, and other material, both in-print and out-of-print. You can snarf what we have published so far from: red.css.itd.umich.edu (IP Number: 141.211.182.91) /poli/Spunk/texts This manifesto and other internal Spunk Press documents can be found in /poli/Spunk/info; in particular, there is an introduction to the archive in /poli/Spunk/info/Introduction. To submit material, get the file /poli/Spunk/info/How.To.Submit from the FTP site mentioned above or contact the editorial collective. If you do not have ftp access, you can get documents by sending electronic mail requests to a mail server (such as ftpserv@lysator.liu.se). Type "help" in the body of the message for instructions to change and list directories, and retrieve files from the archive. To get on our mailing list send a note to spunk-list-request@lysator.liu.se so you can be a part of the coordination of actions taken. The mailing list is the forum for decision making at SPUNK PRESS, but if there is no clear consensus, or the consensus is at variance with anarchist ideas, the collective decides. The collective is composed of people with a reasonable commitment to doing some aspect of the work at SPUNK PRESS, and will be extended to those who are like-minded. If you would like to reach the editorial collective of SPUNK PRESS, write to: Mikael Cardell Linkoping SWEDEN Chuck Munson c/o Practical Anarchy PO Box 173 Madison, WI 53701-0173 U.S.A Jack Jansen Amsterdam HOLLAND Spunk Press Manifesto Version 1.023rd December 1992 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ CO-EDITOR OF P@O BECOMES FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mikael Cardell became the father of a baby boy (name yet to be determined) this last Sunday, January 17th, 1993. Congratulations! P R A C T I C A L A N A R C H Y ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boycott & Buycott by Chuck0 The next issue of PA will have more on why anarchists should actively oppose capitalism. Boycott: Colorado: Last November, the majority of voters in this state approved a Constitutional Amendment which "overturned all of their state's Gay and Lesbian rights ordinances and banned the passage of any more such ordinances." Several groups have called for boycotts of the state until this amendment is thrown out. Some steps you can take to support the boycott: * Urge any organizations or professional associations that you belong to to not schedule any meetings, events, or conventions there. As a member of the American Library Association I will lobby it to not have any conventions there in the future (the ALA will probably do this anyway). If you are a SF fan, or professional or member of a special interest organization, you should do the same. Other suggestions from the Wisconsin Light: * Do not vacation in Colorado. Do not be part of any convention or group meeting in the state. * Do not buy any product made in or distributed from Colorado. This, of course, includes Coors beer (a notorius backer of right-wing causes), but there are numerous other products as well. When you're shopping, look at the labels on cans and packages. They will say where they come from. If it's Colorado, choose some other brand. * Write a letter to the mayor of Colorado Springs [the home base of CFV, the group that sponsored the amendment]. The address: Mayor Robert Isaac, City Administration Building, P.O. Box 1575, Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Write a letter to the governor. Gov. Ray Roemer, State Capitol Bldg. Rm. 136, Denver, CO 80203. @@@@@@@@@@@@ ZENDIK FARM From: wixer!cactus.org!hogbbs.scol.pa.us!wce@cs.utexas.edu (Bill Eichman) To the autopia list-- This is a post that I wrote for another "cyber community" oriented list-- I repost it here, without corrections or improvements, to add to Paco's writing about the Zendiks. Starting with landbased communities, perhaps located at the ocean's edge, seems a logical step towards a seacolony effort.... ========================================================================== Hello, Folks, April 28, 1992 This past weekend I spent some time talking with Arol Wulf and three other members of the Zendik Farm, a community that has been mentioned in other letters here in this mailist. I first heard about Zendik farm some 4-5 years ago, when one of the people on my network passed on to me a package of Zendik literature and a copy of a videotape, "Arol Wulf Raps", distributed by this community. Some month's ago my beloved gave the videotape of Arol Wulf to some of the women who were organizing the Earth Day celebration at Penn State University-- and these women decided to spend some university funds earmarked for Earth Day to bring Arol Wulf here and have her speak. I guess because I am a person of some prestige in the ecology activism groups here at PSU, when the time came it seemed to fall naturally on my shoulders to take Arol and her friends out for dinner afterwards, and I ended up being able to "interview" the visiting Zendiks for quite a few hours, over a period of two days. So, I'm going to try to encapsulate some of my impressions here, and bounce them around to folks. Maybe it will stimulate some possiblilities. ********************************************************************* >From their somewhat less funky flyer: --------------------------------- ZENDIK FARM ECOLIBRIUM FOUNDATION --------------------------------- What is Zendik Farm and the Zendick Farm Ecolibrium Foundation? Zendik farm is a 21-year old intentional community of artists, craftspeople, and organic farmers. We offer apprenticeship programs to youth from all over the world. These young people live at this drug-free community and can learn any art or craft, organic farming techniques, as well as learning how to build alternative living structures and work with appropriate technology. They also learn the art of cooperation within a working alternative social structure. Recently Zendik Farm has begun to work on amending the constitution with an ecological Bill of Rights. We've contacted scientists, activists, and artists throughout the United States to help us draft this amendment. We feel the validity of this proposal is undeniable and have found support from many of these people. The Zendik Farm Ecoloibrium Foundation is dedicated to the sustainability of the human species through the promotion, demonstration, and practice of the socio/political philosophy known as ecolibrium. Ecolibrium's central premise is taking responsibility on a holistic level, i.e., socially, ecologically, and politically. The foundation works from this open-ended philosophy as the viable alternative to the oncoming extinction of the human species. Therefore, Zrendik farm's primary function is to teach and help others practice this democratic, ecology-based, and cooperative social structure. The Zendik Farm Ecolibrium Foundation is committed to the survival and well-being of all species and to the purity of the elements that sustain life. A fundamental truth of our time is, that without a dramatic change from the competitive consumer society to an ecological and cooperative society, humanity will cease to exist. The technical knowledge exists right now to heal our earth. Zendik Farm's work is to pursue and live out the cultural philosophy that can implement this knowledge. We communicate through numerous artforms such as literature, music, theatre, dance, and video; and we work to make life Art itself. We wish to work with as many individuals and groups as our time and energy allows. We believe in cooperation, not competition. We believe humans everywhere can get together and create a benevolent, pleasurable culture. ZENDIK FARM, Star Route 16C-3, Bastrop, Tx, 78602, (512)321-0604 or 0845 ********************************************************************* >From their funky flyer: WHAT IS ZENDIK FARM? Zendik Farm is a cooperative community of artists, activists, and organic farmers started 22 years ago by Arol and Wulf Zendik as a refuge for artists and musicians to work out of the city and free of conventional resraints. Over the years and through many changes, Zendik farm has evolved into a radical movement for social and ecological change. Through opur techniques and way of life we are building a strong new culture based on honesty, cooperation, creativity, and universal responsibility. Since our founding in 1969 we have drawn people from aroundf the world. The group is constantly being infused with new blood, mostly youth from the ages of 15-25, who are fed up with the way the world is being ripped off and ruined. Zendik Farm is a 300-acre certified organic farm outside of Austin, Texas where we build and design our own housing, do our own mechanics, and grow our own food without pesticides. We also raise animals, dairy goats, horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, geese, and a few dairy cows. The community is intensely artistic; we do theatre, tattooing, publishing, pottery, metalwork, music, video, fashion, amd dance, just to name a few. The Zendik farm zeen is the largest and most widely distributed underground mag in the world. It covers the Zendik philosophical and political stance on everything from ecology and sexuality to literature, art, and science, and the occult. We distribute it around the country ourselves at 'select' street corners, college campuses, health food stores, and supermarkets. We survive financially from donations brought in by our mag-zeen, music tapes and donations from our apprenticeship program. Our TV shows are run in series on Access cable stations in cities around the world, such as Austin, San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Boulder, and in England. At this point in history, as humanity continues it's devastation of nature, we realize it is our responsibility to change. Change ourselves and everything before it is to late for us as well as all other life on this planet. We believe that ecology is our only true religion, Truth the only valid pursuit, and cooperation the only workable social ideal. It's too late for everything else. Zendik farm offers short and long term apprenticeships to people who are looking for a responsible, funky alternative to the drudgery of life in the DeathKultur. Apprenticeship tuition is on a sliding scale based on individual situations and length of stay; we can also arrange for school credit. Call us for details: 512-321-0845 or 512-321-0712. Ask for Shey, Jinn, Ix, Nom, or Nez. ************************************************************************ For all intents and purposes, Zendik Farm is a classic counterculture commune. It has 45 members on a 300 acre farm in texas-- though, two years ago, they were just making the move from their third farm, a 75 acre place in southern california. The members live in a relatively intense communal style, six to a room in a rambling old farmhouse, awaiting the construction of more living cabins which are being constructed now, and several of which will be comnpleted by the fall. For all their crowding, the people I talked to-- Arol Wulf, a 53-year old woman and one of the defacto leaders of the community, Shey, a 23 year old woman, Zoe, a 20 year old man, and Geb, a 19 year old man, seemed very happy with what was happening at the farm. They all handled themselves very well, extremely well considering their 30 hour drive and the nervewracking nature of coming to a strange town to give a speech and distribute t-shirts and publications. The Zendiks promote a distinct "Back-to-the-land" and local reliance approach to communities, but they include computers and information technology in their concept of community. Their magazine is dtp'd/produced with a fairly hefty donated Macintosh system, and the magazine (also called "Zendik Farm") is the primary income source for the community. They claim to print 50,000 issues every quarter, and that theirs is the largest-circulation alternative magazine published in the world. Apparently they're relative newcomers to the net. They've recently gotten an Econet account, but while they vaguely knew that lower cost and broadly based nets like internet and usenet, etc, etc, existed, and that they should know more about them, not much had been done to get connected. (Of course, they've only been in texas a short while, less than two years, and are 35 miles out in the boondocks of Austin, and probably had to worry about getting their farm going far more than about being gabby on the networks...;-}. ) They didn't have their new Econet address available when they talked with me-- maybe I'll be able to get it sooner or later. They're also pretty concentrated on farming the land, which is supposedly certified organic ( The only way I can figure that is if the Texas organic certification system is more lenient than the Cal or Pa certfication, though maybe the fact that the farm was unoccupied for seven years was factored in...). They're raising animals, many of which they brought from Ca., and seem to have the classic grain and bean diet with vegetables, eggs, milk from goats and newly-bartered-for cows, and occasional meat from their fowl and purchases from neighboring farmers. (When asked about aquaculture, they claimed to be planning to set up systems after housing is built.) At least some of their income is obtained through selling organic grain and nuts (from trees already on the property) to natural foods stores in California. They print and dye T-shirts, some of which are pretty fine if you're into the tie-dye look. They've definitely got some fairly handy black and white line-drawing artists doing designs for shirts, magazine illos, and book and tape covers. They publish six or eight small press books, none of which I got the chance to read. (some seemed to be poetry, some philosophy.) They have enough of a recording studio to produce a half-dozen tapes (none of which I listened to...), and maintain a band which, through playing clubs and events and making tapes, is another major source of Zendik income. They produce occasional videos of the talking head or recorded speech sort, and Arol Wulf appears on a public access cable show that Zendik produces. This makes for a pretty complete media blitz, all things considered;-). Well, I'm getting tired here-- I'll mail this and maybe write some more in a few days.... Later, Bill ps Rural texas has no building codes, they say. The IRS has never bothered them, and by living at below poverty line incomes they pretty much don't pay taxes (I wonder about social security?). N E T W O R K I N G ------------------------------------------------------------------------ alt.amateur-comp Charter Alt.amateur-comp is a conference where readers and writers can discuss the articles and subjects that appear in the electronic and printed newsletter "The Amateur Computerist". The Amateur Computerist was born out of the battle to continue computer programming classes for workers at the Ford Rouge Factory in Dearborn, MI after Ford and UAW officials ended the classes in February 1987. In our first issue we wrote: "There was an effort by administrators of the UAW-Ford program at the Dearborn Engine Plant to kill interest in computers and computer programming. We want to keep interest alive because computers are the future." ("Introduction", vol I, no. 1) The first issue of the newsletter was published February 11, 1988 and dedicated to the Flint sitdown pioneers who began the UAW. Articles have appeared in the newsletter from some of those pioneers who welcomed the newsletter and the computer, saying, "From the Great Wall to the Great Pyramid, from the hieroglypics to the screen of the computer, mankind is still progressing." ("Dawn of a New Era", vol I, no. 1) The sitdowner pioneers who built the UAW believed that the problems of automation had still to be solved by the upcoming generation. The newsletter is dedicated to support for grassroots efforts and movements like the "computers for the people movement" that gave birth to the personal computer in the 1970's and 1980's. Hard efforts of many people over hundreds of years led to the production of a working computer in the 1940's and then a personal computer that people could afford in the 1970's. This history has been serialized in several issues of the newsletter. Most recently the newsletter has begun an online edition that is available free. We are beginning to document the progressive impact of democratic developments like usenet news and the internet and we plan to have a supplement dedicated to these developments. The Amateur Computerist was described by Andrew Ross and Constance Pawley in their recent book "Technoculture" (Univ of Minnesota Press, 1991, p. 125) as follows: "When worker education classes in computer programming were discontinued by management at the Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, United Auto Workers members began to publish a newsletter called the 'Amateur Computerist' to fill the gap. Among the columnists and correspondents in the magazine have been veterans of the Flint sit-down strikes who see a clear historical continuity between the problem of labor organization in the thirties and the problem of automation and deskilling today. Workers' computer literacy is seen as essential not only to the demystification of the computer and the reskilling of workers, but also to labor's capacity to intervene in decisions about new technologies that might result in shorter hours and thus in `work efficiency' rather than worker efficiency." The newsgroup will also make available the electronic version of the Amateur Computerist when a new issue is published. ---------------------------------------------------------------- One of the reasons for proposing this group is that there is currently no place on usenet that we know of where issues involving computers and workers are dealt with. If you wish to directly contact the editors write to either Ronda Hauben at ae547@yfn.ysu.edu or ronda@umcc.ais.org or Michael Hauben at hauben@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu or am893@cleveland.freenet.edu A R T I C L E S ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION TO THE WOBBLIES THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD (I.W.W.) Every worker is an industrial worker, whether that industry be steel, health care, tourism or education. If you earn your living by working with you hands or mind, then you're welcome to join the I.W.W. The Wobblies (as members of the I.W.W. are known) have historically organized those workers that the A.F.L. had shunned. In the early days that meant blacks, immigrants, women and unskilled laborers. Today we find the I.W.W. organizing office workers, environmental canvassers, housewives and prisoners, as well as the homeless and unemployed. Can the I.W.W. help me improve the working conditions or wages at my current job? That depends on you. The I.W.W. does not provide an all-knowing leadership or hefty treasury to fight your battles for you. But if you're willing to organize on the job-site by talking with your co-workers about the issues that matter to them, then you can count on your fellow workers in the I.W.W. to lend their full support to your struggle. In 1909, when Wobblies in Spokane were being thrown in jail for speaking on street corners, hundreds more came west on boxcars to help them. In the first of a series of "Free Speech Fights", Wobblies took turns speaking and being arrested, packing the jails and courts, until they won the right to speak in public. It's their fierce commitment to social justice that makes "worker solidarity" in the I.W.W. a force to be reckoned with. What is the relationship of the I.W.W. and mainstream labor unions? For many decades, the leadership of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. has worked hand in hand with the capitalists to squelch rank and file militancy. Their overriding concern has been "industrial harmony," not social justice, and so they fail to question the most basic assumptions of capitalist production. While regular trade unions split workers up into their respective skills, allowing one craft union to cross the picketline of another, the I.W.W. believes in one big union, organized along industrial lines. If, for instance, the nurses go on strike, they should be able to count on the support of the doctors, janitors, pharmacists, and clerical workers in their hospital. Many Wobblies also belong to trade unions where they work. Here they often agitate for more rank and file democracy. The I.W.W. does not believe in signing away the right to strike, nor does it recognize the authority of the courts to impose injunctions against labor. While the I.W.W. is happy to do strike support for other unions when necessary, we also try to keep our sights on the bigger prize ahead. But didn't the I.W.W. die out? Are its ideas still relevant? The I.W.W. was nearly crushed in the early '20's by some of the fiercest repression ever unleashed by big business and the U.S. government. Because the I.W.W. had strongholds in industries that were critical to the First World War effort, and because they refused to sign no-strike pledges, the Wobblies were branded "pro-Kaiser" and relentlessly persecuted. The world economy has changed a lot since the days when the I.W.W. controlled great sections of the logging, mining and agricultural industries. Today, while mainstream labor tries desperately to hold its ground against the union-busting fostered during the Reagan/Bush era, vast new sectors of the economy have opened up that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. would never dream of organizing. Whether they be fast-food workers, word processors, or micro- chip assemblers, today's non-union wage workers need the I.W.W. even more than their predecessors. Winning the eight-hour day was not enough. We must redefine the very meaning of work itself, and find ways to redistribute society's wealth for the benefit of all. Does the I.W.W. support any political party? The I.W.W. is a labor union, not a political party. We believe that economic justice must be achieved through economic struggle, whether it be with our boss or landlord. The institutions of government have always proven themselves to be the allies of capital, so we do not wait for our freedom from wage-slavery to be legislated. The I.W.W. has successfully resisted attempts by various "left" parties to make the union a mere adjunct to their political ambitions. By refusing to endorse one party or another, the I.W.W. has avoided the sectarian feuding that can easily destroy a group. Nonetheless, many of the founders of the I.W.W. were also active in socialist politics. Eugene Debs and Big Bill Haywood are the best-known examples. Some Wobblies consider themselves anarchists and shun all electoral activity. Others are simply militant unionists who would disavow all labels. Our commitment to worker control and the abolition of capitalism makes us a "left" organization more by default than intention. What is direct action? The labor movement has been most successful when it relied on the direct intervention of the the workers to obtain their demands. Rather than allowing professional negotiators to speak for them, Wobblies have engaged in those tactics which they could control themselves--strikes, slow downs, work to rule--what we call sabotage. Sabotage in this context does not mean arson and dynamite. It's more properly defined as, "the conscious withdrawal of efficiency." Staying at your workstation but reducing your production by half will bring the bosses to their knees quicker than a whole team of negotiators. The I.W.W. has never advocated violence. By fighting for justice with non-violent tactics, the I.W.W. has often won the support of an initially mistrustful public. What is a general strike? A general strike is when all workers in all industries go on strike at the same time. It may be for a limited time and have limited demands, in which case it has the largely symbolic value of illustrating the important point that the world doesn't function without the workers' cooperation or indeed, their labor. THE GENERAL STRIKE, however, is a mythological, revolutionary moment in the future when all the workers of the world seize control of their respective industries, and begin reorganizning their workplaces to to meet their own needs rather than those of their bosses. Needless to say, it will take a well educated and highly organized working class to pull this off, and it's toward this end that eh I.W.W. dedicates itself. What about feminism and the I.W.W.? Women have been active in the I.W.W. since its inception. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, one of the I.W.W.'s best known early agitators, once said that, "The I.W.W. has been accused of pushing the women to the front. The is not true. Rather, the women have not been kept in back, and so they have naturally moved to the front." Much of the work that has traditionally been done by women was not recognized as such by the male-run business unions. The I.W.W. supports the right of homemakers, sex-industry workers, and other women to organize for better conditions and wages just like other male workers. What about the I.W.W. and militarism? Every war has its losers and winners, but countries have nothing to do with it. The ruling class inevitably makes a tidy profit from war, while the working class loses its flesh and blood on the frontlines. Worker solidarity does not recognize national boundaries, but instead unites against a common class enemy. The surest way to stop a war is by refusing to participate in it, which is why the I.W.W. believes it's important to educate workers in the armed forces and so-called "defense industries" about where their real self-interest lies. How about the environment? Rainforest destruction, chemical spills, and acid rain are just a few examples of how dangerous it can be to put profit before people. Government regulation and public outcry can at best slow down regulation and public outcry can at best slow down the destruction of our planet, not reverse it. But if the workers in all polluting industries were to withdraw their labor, the poison factories could be shut down in a matter of weeks. The workers themselves must decide whether what they produce is socially useful and necessary or not. So, why not become a Wobbly? I want to become a Wobbly. I'am a worker and not an employer. Name______________________________________________________ ADDRESS___________________________________________________ Dues are $3.00 for incomes of $0-800 a month, $9.00 for $800-$1,700 per month, and $12.00 for those making more than $1,700 per month. Initiation is the equivalent of one month's dues. Included with your membership is a subscription to the "Industrial Worker", the Wobbly monthly newspaper; the General Organizational Bulletin, totally unedited letters, proposals, activities you send in, along with your fellow workers. The G.O.B., as it's known,comes out in monthly increments. You'll also be receiving a copy of the I.W.W. constitution which is, can be and will be amended to wishes of the general membership. Lastly, you'll receive your red card and union button. There was a time in the U.S.A. when it was nigh on to impossible to hitch a free ride on a freight train without one. For more information: You can phone us in the U.S.A. at (415) 863-9627 or 863-WOBS. You can e-mail us at iww@igc.org Our snail mail address is: I.W.W. 1095 Market St. Suite 204 San Francisco California 94103 U.S.A. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Will computers conserve or change the social structure? by Jesper Hogstrom Boras Radikala Autonoma To examine this deep enough, I would have to define and explain what a social structure is in general, and specifically how such a structure is applicable on our own society. Time will not permit a too long discussion on this, why I can give only my own point of view. The social structure in a capitalist/liberal society like ours bases itself on money. The more money controlled by an object, the higher rank the object gets. This is valid for a lot of different objects such as persons, groups of persons/families, companies and even countries. Money comes from money but also from information, or controll of information. Without going too far into this definition as it would take me away from and beyond the scope of the question I'll just tell you what you already know: * Computers can gather information. * Computers can evaluate massive amounts of information very rapidly. * The more powerful a computer is, the fastar can it work and the higher is the price. This seems to reserve the power a computer can give to but a chosen few. This group ought to be a rich group as computer power is expensive. As money and power often comes in pair, this group is not only a rich group, but also a powerful group. What they have gained by the computers is more power giving the result they are now more powerful than before. Power is always something binare, i.e. it is operated by something on something else. Using this definition on the earlier mentioned scene we find an increased polarization. The already powerful groups gains more power on behalf of the weak groups. Now, let's stop for a moment to see who made what mistake. * Developers of technology: They might have acted in beleif they made what was best for mankind. Naive, but not morally wrong in either consequentialism nor deontology. * The people who cannot afford the new technology: As they didn't do anything, it might at a first glance seem as if they are innocent, and maybe they are, if in-action/inactivity is right. But is it? All week long they work and they strive and when the weekend comes, they are more dead than alive. For what purpose? To maximize happiness on the planet? Probably not - they have helped maintain a system that createws unhappiness, so in a utilitarian point of view they are acting wrongly. A deontologist might say they worked because of duty, or a sense of duty. Duty yes, but mainly to save themselves from thinking, and duty to an immoral system. Sounds wrong to me. There is never an excuse not to make a revolution. * The capitalists/capital owners: As they benefit personally from all this, one might think they are wrong. And they are. They have not helped increase the overall happiness, but maintained an evil system. Have they worked in self-interest? Yes. The conclusion must be they are wrong. The consequenses of all this will lead to a quantity change in power distribution. The rich will get richer, the poor poorer. As time passes the weak groups (of persons, countries et cetera) will feel more and more out of touch with society. The society ruled by the rich and powerful will no longer concern them. Adding a few other factors this might eventually lead to a quality change in the social structure. This is the real computer revolution. This will overthor what is here today and hopefully, but unfortunately not necessary lead to a new and better society. This creates another interesting problem - who was acting morally right if the earlier mentioned conclusions were correct? Well, as deontologists don't care about the consequenses of actions, the judgements based on that theory remains the same. The utilitarians, however, must judge from the results or consequenses of the actions. If the post-revolution society is better for all and gives a net increase of happiness, the actions that lead to the revolution were good. They were bad before the revolution and turned good after. This makes at least me sceptic to whether or not the utilitarian theory is any good in practice. Before going into trends of today, I'll just sum up the discussion so far: * The technical development increases the polarization in society regarding power-not power, rich poor et cetera. * The technical development is conserving the social structure until the tensions become over-whelming (and overthrowing). * The exploited will still be exploited until the revolution. The trends of today. In the macro perspective the scenario described is already happening. The rich and powerful organisations buy themselves more power and more information through computers. Power used to oppress the poor and weak organisations keeping them from developing a higher standard. In the micro perspective, computers are available to more people, giving a distribution of potential power. Mind you, however, that owning a computer is still reserved for those who already belong to the rich 20 per cent of the world. When starving, you don't wastre money buying a computer. Having no access to electricity you don't buy a computer. Also, a computer without sufficient information is as powerful as any other tool, let's say a screwdriver... Not very powerful. The problem as I see it is that any given society, with extremely few exceptions, is trying to maintain and conserve itself. The system of today is based on exploitation and a gap between rich and poor. The technical evolution will be directed by those who have power, and they will direct it in their preferred direction. Inevitably this will worsen the situiation. As last words, I would like to quote the famous singer Bob Marley: It takes a revolution to find a solution. LETTERS --------------- dear editor, I was very impressed with my first issue of "practical anarchy on-line", which i received on dec 15. i can see that the e-mail format has a lot of potential. I'd like to introduce myself, and share a few thoughts with your other readers. my name is ed stamm, i'm a thirty-two year old moderate anarchist, employed at the university of kansas as a payroll clerk. I'm married and have a two year old daughter. I belong to a tiny green group here in lawrence, and am active in a traditional and very weak labor union where i work. i would like to see anarchists concentrate on creating the new society among themselves instead of expending our energy trying to convert society as a whole. i think practical projects will attract more converts than words alone. next, i would argue that we should avoid antagonizing the rest of society when we are building our new community or communities. squatting, violent protest, and anti-social acts like graffitti and postering will not only give people a false impression of anarchism, but it will also attract unwanted attention from the authorities. maybe i am getting old, but it really seems to me that building a community is the best long-term strategy. If fascists come to power, at least we will be organized. the biggest problem i have with recruiting new anarchists is the association many people have of anarchism with violence, and their idea that anarchism is the same thing as chaos. i have to know someone pretty well before i will even mention to them that i am an anarchist. once we do something positive though, i would be proud to admit my political opinions to anyone. I could say, yes i belong to a housing cooperative. it's an anarchist project where we cut our housing expenses by taking the profit out housing costs. Yes there is a computer cooperative i belong to that is sponsored by anarchists who want to cut costs by sharing equipment and who want to make the net accessible to more people. there are so many possibilities! tools, books, babysitting, food, gardens! Ed (bitnet: stamm@ukanvm) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ That's all folks! Your editor this time was Chuck Munson. This issue published using 100% recycled electrons.