Anarchist Age Weekly Review 25th-31st May '98 Number 301 25th - 31st May, 1998 IN A TIME OF UNIVERSAL DECEIT - TELLING THE TRUTH IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT - GEORGE ORWELL CAPITALISM'S THE PROBLEM Looks like One Notion has been able to mobilise about 10% of Queensland voters to cast a ballot for them at the Queensland State election on the 13th of June. Before readers of the Anarchist Age Weekly Review start throwing up their hands in horror and make comparisons between the Deep South and Queensland, its important we look at the reasons people are attracted to the One Notion Party. For over two decades the policies of the Liberal/National Party and the Labor Party have been almost interchangeable. Both have done their very best to strengthen the hand of national and transnational corporations at the expense of ordinary people. The major political parties have ditched their supporters' aspirations for a better life and have begun chanting the mantra - "that what's good for the corporate world is good for the people of this country." The Democrats and the Greens have not been able to win over many disaffected Labor and Liberal/National party voters because their policies have seemed remote from ordinary people's concerns. The authoritarian left and the Anarchist Movement haven't been able to break out of their ghettos because politics in this country is solely seen as parliamentary politics. There is still an overwhelming belief in Australia that the way you push for change is by working up the parliamentary channels. Politics is not seen as an every day affair that affects all aspects of our lives, it's seen as a three or four yearly ritual where you elect a representative to make decisions for you. Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (that's right, that's it's legal title) is an authoritarian outfit that is run by a central committee. Branches are little more than conduits for raising funds and providing hands to hand out how to vote card at elections. Pauline Hanson's One Notion Parties success is a consequence of our failure to present capitalism as the reason for the current alienation people feel. The One Notion crowd is able to attract people to its banners and ideas because many people believe their problems are in part a consequence of governments attitudes to indigenous Australians and immigrants. One Notion has been able to successfully harness general dissatisfaction with the political process and use that dissatisfaction to stoke its engine. Pauline Hanson's One Notion foray into politics is temporary, because they will not be able to deliver the goods as long as they support the capitalist system. Even if they manage to capture a few parliamentary seats at the Queensland elections, and they hold the balance of power, they will not be able to fill that gaping hole that is such a feature of life in our country. Anarchism provides a real alternative to the Pauline Hanson's of our world. It is a practical ideology that can deliver immediate results. As activists we should be using our time to harness the very dissatisfaction that the Pauline Hanson One Notion Party has been able to harness to push their authoritarian, capitalist values. THE TALE OF TWO DAYS It's interesting how National Sorrow Day has caught the imagination of the Australian people and the Australian media. Exactly one year after the Stolen Generation Report was tabled in Federal Parliament on the 26th of May, gatherings were held across the country to acknowledge the past plight of this country's indigenous people. Watching the symbolic acknowledgment of atonement, I couldn't help thinking about he reason this day has been chosen as a day of national sorrow. The scope of events that marked National Sorrow Day are in marked contrast to the range of events that mark a much more significant day for indigenous people in this country - MABO DAY. On the 3rd of June 1992 the High Court of this country acknowledged the prior occupation of this land by indigenous people. They also acknowledged that Indigenous people had significant Land Rights, not just symbolic Rights. The Mabo decision is arguable the most important decision that the High Court of Australia has made since Federation. It states Indigenous people have Legal Rights not just Symbolic Rights to all Crown Land in this country, as well as possible rights to pastoral leases. Mabo Day marked the beginning of a new era for Indigenous people. It changed Australian's views of themselves and their rights to this land. It has forced mining companies and the corporate world to take stock of Indigenous peoples' claims. It has radically altered the relationship between Indigenous and non Indigenous people in this country. I can't help wondering why such little fuss or acknowledgment is made of Mabo Day in comparison to National Sorry Day. You'd think that a day that provided real tangible gains for Indigenous Australians would be just as important if not more important than a day that concentrates on symbolic gestures. I know which day I'll be celebrating. EMPLOYMENT SECURITY BILL You've got to hand it to the folks in the Labor Party, they are quick to seize a political opportunity when they see one. The Federal Labor Party introduced a bill into the House of Representatives on Tuesday that has set a cat among the Liberal/National Party pigeons. Looks like the Labor Party has decided to introduce the bill to see if honest Johnny Howard will inject a little bit of substance into his I love the battlers dirge. You know there's an election in the wind when John Howard starts waxing lyrically about his love for Australia's battlers. In a masterful stroke, some would even say a stroke of genius, the Labor Parties Employment Security Bill will test the Federal governments love affair with Australia's battlers. The Employment Security Bill is not really an Employment Security Bill, it's not even a radical piece of legislation. Reading between the legal jargon the modest demands it makes are very simple indeed. The bill proposes to make it illegal for a company to arrange its affairs in such a way that it is artificially unable to pay sacked workers back pay. Simple things like back pay, holiday pay, long service leave and superannuation pay would be the entitlements the bill protects. Over the past year, hundreds, possibly thousands of workers have been laid off by artificially created labour hire companies (A La Patrick). The parent company keeps trading, using the money they owe to sacked workers to pay their new employees. A very nice tight legal scam, that is designed to boost company profits and avoid paying workers back pay. Looking at the legislation you'd think that Johnny Howard's crowd would jump at the chance of consummating their love affair with ิthe Aussie battler'. Considering that the Liberal/National Party's biggest claim to fame was their success in getting the Aussie battler to vote for them at the last election, you'd think they'd fall over themselves in the rush to support Labor's Employment Security Bill. Some how I think the Howard Government's love affair with the Aussie battler is a plutonic one and I'm sure they'll find some good reasons not to upset their real love, the corporate world and they will reject Labor's Employment Security Bill. TAX TAX TAX It's nice to know that the Federal government and the opposition have decided that the next election will be fought over tax. They've reached into their lexicon of election paraphernalia and have pulled out surprise, surprise - the Aussie Battler. You know those Australians (there seems to be more of them every year) who are having a great deal of difficulty in paying their bills, let alone having enough money to do stupid things like saving or going on holidays. The smart folk in the political parties are dusting off their tax policies, adding bits and pieces here and there, baiting their hooks with their tax policies, waiting for the suckers to swim by and take the bait. As an anarchist, I find the tax debate a little hypocritical. You know and I know that about the only people who pay their fair share of tax in this country are Pay As You Earn taxpayers, most other people, especially corporate Australia, treat tax as a voluntary exercise. Most people know that irrespective of what laws government pass, the tax burden will still remain on the shoulders of wage earners. In direct contrast to the farcical taxation situation that exists in society today, taxation does not exist in an anarchist society. As everything is held in common, there is no need to tax people. Taxation, whether direct or indirect is not necessary in an anarchist community as the means of production, distribution and exchange belong to the community, not to private individuals there is no need to tax people. People who pay taxes get angry, because they don't see their taxes directed into socially useful endeavours. Most people don't mind paying tax if there taxes guarantee they have access to health care, education, social security benefits, clean water and the basic necessities of life. Australian's are angry about the taxation system because those who have the most seem to pay the least and garner the greatest benefits. Both the government and the opposition may be surprised at the intensity of Australian's reaction to proposed tax changes. Most people are more interested in having guaranteed access to services than a tax cut. People aren't stupid, they know that tax cuts can be eaten away by inflation, increased interest rates, price rises and future tax increases. So following that old adage a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, most people would be willing to pay more taxes if they were guaranteed access to life's basic necessities. Anarchism takes this principle one step further, an anarchist society is one where people have access to everything in society, not just basic necessities. The tax debate can be used as a vehicle to introduce anarchist ideas to a community. Anarchist activists may be surprised by people's reactions when they explain to them that there is no tax in an anarchist society and that people have access to society's wealth because they are a member of that community. ANARCHIST QUESTION and ANSWER Q. Why do anarchists oppose parliamentary democracy? A. Historically anarchists have dismissed parliamentary democracy "as two minutes of illusory power." Even if people are in a position to make decisions about their day to day lives, this power is illusory if the means of production, distribution and exchange are not held in common by the community. Anarchists dismiss parliamentary democracy as an illusion for two main reasons. Decisions about what is able to be done are not made in parliament, they are made in the boardrooms of the corporate world and the upper echelons of the permanent bureaucracy. Parliamentarians are not able to make real decisions if wealth is not held by the community they theoretically represent. The second major reason why anarchists reject parliamentary rule as a farcical method of government is because electors give their representatives a blank cheque to make what decisions they like over the next three, four or five years. Irrespective of what promises a political party makes, once they are in power, electors can do nothing constitutionally to remove them from power till the next election. Few people conduct their affairs by giving away blank cheques. Those who do soon find they are bankrupt. Electors do just that, they give politicians a blank cheque to make decisions for them till the next election. Anarchist wish to replace parliamentary rule and other forms of government by a society where wealth is held in common, not in the hands of a few individuals and corporations. Anarchists do not elect representatives to make decisions for them, they appoint delegates to carry out decisions that the community makes via direct democratic or consensual decision making processes. Delegates are given limited mandates and they can be recalled by the people who appoint them if they do not carry out that mandate. ACTION BOX - WE'RE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SAME TEAM I never cease to be amazed by the vitriol that can break out among small groups. Many anarchists seem to spend more time and energy attacking each others ideas and strategies, than fighting against the common enemy. As anarchist activists we should always remember that we are members of the same team. Although we may be playing in different positions, the goal we are striving for is the same:- the creation of an egalitarian community. Not all anarchist groups will use the same strategies. If a group decides to use strategies that are different to the strategies you are currently using, it doesn't mean that one groups strategy is superior to the other groups strategy. Different members of a team play different roles. Whether a team wins or loses depends on how different players interact. A team that spends all its energy fighting among itself can never successfully topple the opposition. An anarchist movement's strength lies in its diversity and in the ability of different groups within that movement to respect that diversity. Are you involved in a dispute with another anarchist group? If you are hold an internal group meeting to try to work out, what are the points that you differ on. Are they personality related, theoretical or strategical. Write them down, discuss the nature of your differences. Approach the group you're fighting with, organise a joint meeting, draw up an agenda which is circulated to all members of both groups before the meeting. At the joint meeting discuss your differences, some differences may be due to misunderstandings, other differences may be resolved by the joint meeting. In situations where no agreement is possible, agree to disagree. Remember not all groups will follow the same strategy. Even if you can't resolve your differences, at least agree to disagree. One good way of mending fences is by embarking on a common project. If the group you're involved with is not involved in a dispute offer your services as mediator to groups that may be involved in a dispute. Your involvement may be the circuit breaker that is needed to bring the dispute to a satisfactory conclusion. AUSTRALIAN ANARCHIST HISTORY RED AND BLACK - AN ANARCHIST JOURNAL Red and Black is a tribute to one human being's determination not to be intellectually crippled by mass culture. Jack Grancharoff, a Bulgarian anarchist who escaped from the spreading yoke of Bolshevism over fifty years ago, found himself a political refugee in an alien land. While most post world war, two anarchist refugees who ended up in Australia were never able to break into mainstream culture, Jack did. Jack Grancharoff was not interested in reliving the battles of the past, he wanted to live in the present, he wanted to be able to understand, interact with and change the dominant Australian culture he was part of. Jack has always participated in the life of the Australian anarchist movement. Initially as part of a small group of Bulgarian anarchists in exile in Australia, later on as an active participant in the re-emerging Australian Anarchist community. In 1965, Jack launched Red and Black, a small anarchist journal that provided an anarchist analysis of what was happening in the world and which also published theoretical anarchist articles. Red and Black has been staunchly anti-communist and anti-capitalist. While other Australian radicals flirted with Communism, Jack's personal experiences in Bulgaria had taught him the reactionary nature of Communist politics. Red and Black has been produced in fits and starts since 1965. The last copy I've seen was issue No 27 - Autumn 1997. Jack may have produced one more since then. Through Red and Black, Jack has been able to share what he believes are important ideas with the readers of the journal. In issue No.26 Jack talks about his feelings about revisiting Bulgaria fifty years after he escaped. Richard Kostelanetz writes about Anarchist Art, Ian Firth reviews the composer Richard Wagners involvement with the Anarchist Movement, James R. Bennett examines the Corporate State and the Bill of Rights and Pino Cacucci explains why the Zapatistas are an issue that concerns us all. For almost 35 years Red and Black, an Anarchist Journal, has provided theoretical and practical insights into issues and ideas that concern anarchists. Jack Grancharoff still publishes Red and Black - An Anarchist Journal. I encourage readers of the Anarchist Age Weekly Review to write to Jack for the latest copy of Red and Black. Subscriptions are $10.00 per year. Cheques should be made out to J. Grancharoff. Correspondence should be sent to Red & Black, P.O. Box 12, Quaama N.S.W. 2550. Australia. BOOK REVIEW 1896 - DURRUTI - 1936 Published by Active/Beastie in co-operation with AK Press, Freedom Press and Phoenix Press 1996. Ascaso and Durruti This is one of those books that you want to touch and hold. It's a beautifully presented hard back edition produced by five anarchist publishing houses in Britain. The book was published in 1996 to celebrate both the Centenary of Buenaventura Durruti's birth and the sixtieth anniversary of his death in 1936. This two hundred page book celebrates Durruti's life by celebrating the life of one of the most profound social revolutionary movements in the world's history:- the anarchist participation in the events that led to and made up the Spanish Civil War. The publishers have gathered almost two hundred photographs, many of them previously unpublished, intertwining Durruti's life with the Spanish Anarchist Movement and anarchist participation in the Spanish Civil War. The book is written in five European languages, each page is a photographic chronicle of the events that shaped the character of the Spanish Social Revolution. Many of the photographs have never been published before, some were found in private collections, others were found in the archives of the International Instituut Voor Sociale Geschiedenis of Amsterdam, others were discovered in the Archivo Nacional of Salamanca. This two hundred page hard cover book is divided into four distinct sections, The Rebel, The Revolutionary, Libertarian Aragon and Durruti Died Twice. Although this book was produced to mark the centenary of Durruti's birth and the sixtieth anniversary of his death, it is not a static photo essay which lionises one man. It's much much more. It's a celebration of an event that showed the world that egalitarian social revolution is not only desirable, but possible. The pictures in this book tell the story of how ordinary human beings seized the moment and created an egalitarian community in the midst of a civil war. Although they were eventually crushed by force of arms, they showed the world that you can create an egalitarian society in modern cities as well as the countryside. The photographs tell the story, the multi-lingual captions written by participants in these momentous events, pencils in the details. My thanks to Barricade Books for kindly providing the review copy of 1896 - DURRUTI - 1936. Drop in or write to BARRICADE BOOKS at 115 Sydney Road, Brunswick 3056 Melbourne Australia and ask them for their 1998 Book Catalogue. PERSONAL OBSERVATION Racing through one of those specialised card shops, looking for that last minute birthday card, I nearly collided with a very elderly woman who was trying to decide what card she would buy. I raced down the aisle, found what I was looking for and made my way to the counter. Damm it, she'd beaten me to the cash register. I moved in behind her, waiting, waiting, waiting to pay for my purchase. She must have been over eighty, thick curly white hair, not one hair out of place, thick black glasses were perched on her nose. I'm sure she couldn't see if she took them off. She was wearing a long blue coat that had seen too many winters. Her hands had that fine tremor that people with Parkinsons disease have in the early stages of the malady. "Three dollars, 65cents please". "Thank you", she said as the man behind the counter handed her her card in a brown paper envelope. "My turn next", I said to myself as I fished some change out of my pocket. She stopped, "can you give me a carry bag?, I didn't bring anything to carry my shopping in. Two men snatched my bag last week as I was walking home from the shops. They hurt my arm, when I stumbled and fell on the footpath. I didn't have any money in it. They've ruined my life. I'm frightened they'll come back, I had all my identification in it". The man behind the counter, mumbled something, put her purchase in a plastic carry bag and turned towards me. "The police found my bag, thieves took everything and slashed it with a knife, they were looking for money. I told the police to keep it, I didn't want it back". She turned and slowly made her way out of the shop. I looked at the man behind the counter as I handed over my purchase, he shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, what type of a world do we live in, when frail elderly pensioners are assaulted in broad daylight for a few dollars. I pocketed my change, picked up my purchase and shrugged my shoulders in agreement. STOP PRESS - HOW LONG WILL INDONESIANS PUT UP WITH HABIBIE'S DRIBBLE? So Habibie's the main man, whoopee do!! Looks like he's mobilised parts of the third green army (Muslims) to help him throw the students out of parliament house. All those people who celebrated when Suharto the 40 billion dollar man (eat you heart out Kerry) stood down, will be having second thoughts now that Habibie has the reins of power. Seeing Habibie exercise power, reminds me of that old slogan "Those who make half a revolution dig their own graves". Although there has been change in Indonesia, currently it's only cosmetic, whether the students are able to regain the momentum of the past week and incorporate other Indonesians in the movement for change, depends on whether Habibie has made a break from his puppet master Suharto and whether he can buy the more conservative elements of the Muslim opposition with a few cabinet posts. The army has reluctantly thrown its support behind Habibie. Habibie knows that he cannot win over the army and the radical students. What he does know is that if he plays the Muslim card and wins over the conservative Muslim clergy he will be able to fool enough of the people to hold onto power until the next dodgy presidential election in the year 2002. Although Habibie may have won himself a few weeks, possibly two months respite, I don't believe he will be able to hold onto power unless he calls general elections within the next 6 months (not under the old rules, but under new rules), and unless he releases all political prisoners. As the economic situation deteriorates and the I.M.F. demands its pound of flesh, it's highly likely the looters and rioters will return to the streets and force Habibie and his pseudo reform cabinet to resign. JOSEPH TOSCANO (Libertarian Workers for a Self-Managed Society). ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK LE LIBERTAIRE No.184 April'98, 25 Rue Dume D'Aplemont, 76600 Le Havre, France. Tel 02 35533341. LE MONDE LIBERTAIRE No.1123, 14th-20th May'98, 145 Rue Amelot, 75011 Paris, France. Tel 0148053408, Fax 0149299859. UMANITA NOVA 78th year, 15th Feb'98, C/-La Coop Tipolitografica, Via S. Piero 13a, 54033 Carrara, Italy. OTHER PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK SUBVERSION No.23 1998, Dept 10 1 Newton Street, Manchester M1 IHW, England United Kingdom, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8195 email knightrose@geocities.com A) ANARCHISM TOWARDS THE 21ST CENTURY B) TOWARDS AN ANARCHIST SOCIETY - Libertarian Workers for a Self-Managed Society Position and Activities 1998. Send $4.00 of stamps to L.W.S.S. PO Box 20 Parkville 3052 Melbourne Australia and we will post out both booklets to you. VICTORIAN READERS LISTEN TO THE ANARCHIST WORLD THIS WEEK ANARCHIST WORLD THIS WEEK POSTER AVAILABLE FOR THE COST OF A FEW STAMPS Want to help us find new listeners for the Anarchist World This Week, then send us a few stamps to AWTW, Po Box 20, Parkville 3052, Australia and we'll send you out a colour poster (A3) for your use and a black & white poster you can photocopy and put up to help us increase the number of people who listen to the Anarchist World This Week. REGIONAL ANARCHIST FLAG 5 feet x 3 feet approximately 175cm x 110cm, Cost $25.00 (includes postage within Australia), $35.00 (Inc. postage air-mail overseas). The Black represents the International Anarchist Flag. The Black Flag negates all borders and all flags. The four stripes (red, green, yellow, blue) represent the dominant colours of the Aboriginal Flag (red and yellow) and the Torres Strait Islander Flag (green and blue). The red stripe represents the blood spilt during colonisation. The green represents the land. The yellow the sun. The blue the sea. Quotes available for larger and smaller flags and for bulk orders. Make out cheques and money orders to: LIBERTARIAN WORKERS PO Box 20, Parkville 3052 Melbourne Australia. DEBT ELIMINATION APPEAL - PUSH US OVER THE LINE Our debt stands at $761.50. We would like to eliminate this debt by June. Over the past two years we have been able to reduce our debt from over $3000.00 to a little over $800.00. If you've hesitated helping us overcome our debt because you didn't want to throw good money after bad, well you don't need to worry as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We need a little bit of extra help to push us over the line. So if you haven't helped before and want to help, make out cheques or money orders to Libertarian Workers and send it to L.W.S.S. PO Box 20 Parkville 3052 Melbourne, Australia. THANKS!! WAR ON THE WHARFIES WEB PAGE - http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm ANARCHIST AGE MONTHLY REVIEW BACK!! ISSUE NO.80 OF THE ANARCHIST AGE MONTHLY REVIEW WILL APPEAR IN EARLY JULY 1998 AFTER A TWELVE MONTH BREAK Subscribers to the AAMR have received complimentary copies of the AAWR during this period. AS WE DON'T WANT TO SUSPEND PUBLICATION IN THE FUTURE - ONLY SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE THE AAMR NEW SUBSCRIPTION RATES:- * $48.00 - 12 issues WAGE EARNERS * $30.00 - 12 issues NON WAGE EARNERS. Please make out cheques and money orders to LIBERTARIAN WORKERS and post to PO Box 20, Parkville 3052 Melbourne Australia. RECYCLING AND EMPLOYMENT Public Discussion organised by Anarcho-Syndicalist Group of Melbourne. 7.30pm Thursday 4th June, Cafe Bohemio, 345 Smith Street, Collingwood Melbourne. MONTHLY ANARCHIST DISCUSSION MEETING When: Sunday 7th June at 3.00pm Where: Lincoln Hotel, Cardigan Street, Carlton. Telephone: Steve on 9429 9837 (after hours) or Greg on 9386 4967 (after hours) FOR SET DISCUSSION TOPIC ANARCHIST MEDIA INSTITUTE OBSCENITY OF THE WEEK Has been awarded to the National/Liberal Parties love child - The One Nation Party. If You Like What You Have Read, Photocopy This Publication and Leave It In Doctors, Dentists, Vets Waiting Rooms and In Railway Stations, Bus Stops, Libraries and Restaurants Etc. The articles in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review express the opinion of individuals within the Libertarian Workers for a Self-Managed Society/Anarchist Media Institute. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Libertarian Workers for a Self-Managed Society/Anarchist Media Institute. P U B L I C A T I O N S Anarchist Age Weekly Review - 4 pages of Anarchist commentary on Local, National and International events. $50.00 for 50 issues $10.00 for 10 issues Anarchist Age Monthly Review - Issue 80 out July 1998 $48.00 wage earners - 12 issues $30.00 non wage earners - 12 issues Make out cheques or money orders to: Libertarian Workers, PO Box 20, Parkville, 3052 Victoria Australia. All material in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review can be used by anarchists, anarchist collectives and non-profit organisations as long as the source of the material is mentioned in the article. The Anarchist Age Weekly Review reserves all rights as far as commercial publications are concerned. NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD - MARGARET MEAD.