UtopianMag.com

Occupy Oakland: The Port Shutdown and Beyond�All Eyes on Longview!

On Monday December 12, the Occupy movement shut down the major west coast ports of Oakland, Portland, Longview (Washington), and Seattle. There were partial shutdowns or support actions at the ports of San Diego, Vancouver, and Long Beach, as well as in Hawaii and Japan. Wal-Mart distribution centers were blockaded in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque. Other actions occurred in New York, Houston, Tacoma, and Anchorage. The Seattle, Long Beach, San Diego, and Houston protests were met with police violence.

FROM OCCUPATION TO EXPROPRIATION!

The ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, encampment, and related actions around the country are a significant development. These events may well be the beginning of a 1960s style movement of great potential. Because of its focus on the economic crisis, the financial/corporate shenanigans that contributed to it, and, most important, jobs, the movement has the potential to strike a resonant chord in the hearts of millions of people who have been slammed by the events of the last few years and who are aching to do something about them. This is particularly true of those who have lost their homes and/or their jobs, as well as those who have little prospect of finding work.

We Can�t Make It Here

Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign

Sitting there by the left turn line

Flag on his wheelchair flapping in the breeze

One leg missing and both hands free

The Leadership Crisis of the US Ruling Class - Part II

In last year’s issue of the Utopian, I wrote about the leadership crisis plaguing the ruling class of the United States. My article discussed the fact that although the US was faced with dire economic and social problems, the ruling class - the tiny, extremely wealthy elite that controls the country’s economic, social, and political institutions - was incapable of making the political decisions necessary to address those issues.

Ohio Workers Fight Back! - Part II

While I was recuperating from surgery, it was exciting to see and hear about thousands of Ohio public and private workers demonstrating against Senate Bill 5, the anti-working class, anti-union bill passed by the Ohio Senate on March 1 by a 17-16 vote. Workers from the Autoworkers Union, teachers from a community college, single moms, and secretaries demonstrated as well.

British Riots: It Is Right to Rebel

Decent people everywhere should support and defend the working class and street youth – mainly but not only Afro-Caribbeans – who rioted and looted in London, Birmingham, Manchester and elsewhere in England for several days starting August 6.

Anarchism in the Oppressed Nations - Book Review

It is widely believed on the radical left that anarchism has been solely a movement of Europe and North America. Marxists and liberals state that anarchism has never had anything to offer the majority of humanity in the oppressed and impoverished nations (the so-called “Third World”) – unlike Marxism or pro-Western liberalism.

Who We Are - First of May Anarchist Alliance

We are active in our communities and workplaces as individuals, as members of M1, trades unions, as well as through formations such as the Industrial Workers of the World and Solidarity & Defense.

OUR ANARCHISM First of May Anarchist Alliance

Over the last year the Michigan-Minnesota Group has begun to reconstitute ourselves from a long-time affinity group into an anarchist organization of struggle, First of May Anarchist Alliance (M1).

Orígenes y evolución histórica del movimiento anarquista

No hay duda que esta periodización requiere ser trabajada en sus detalles y exige un gran esfuerzo de articulación: por un lado, con los procesos históricos que la incluyen y que la condicionan y, por el otro, con las características regionales que la especifican y le otorgan singularidades irreemplazables en cada caso particular.

Anarquismo en el Siglo XXI

Reflexionar sobre el pensamiento anarquista en pleno siglo XXI nos conduce inexorablemente al debate en torno al problema de la selección de los medios para la consecución de sus fines y la aplicación de métodos de organización concretos frente a las nuevas condiciones que imponen las estructuras de dominación contemporáneas.*

Marxist Philosophy

It should be clear by now that I think there is, in fact, a Marxist philosophy. Throughout this book, I have tried to show that Marxism is best understood as a philosophical worldview – specifically, a variant of Hegelian Idealism that sees itself and presents itself as materialist. Beyond this, I believe Marx and Engels did hold to a conscious ontological position, a view of the nature and structure of the natural world, one that has come to be called “Dialectical Materialism."

The Leadership Crisis of the US Ruling Class, Part II

In last year’s issue of The Utopian, I wrote about the leadership crisis plaguing the ruling class of the United States.... While the leadership crisis may not have been obvious last summer, it has become blazingly clear since then.

War in Libya

The no-fly zone, under which US and NATO fighter planes can attack Libyan civilian and military targets virtually at will, seems to have succeeded in halting Kadafi’s offensive and saving the rebels, at least for now. Yet, although the anti-Kadafi struggle has been rescued, this may come at considerable cost. This is because the aims of the United States and the other NATO countries may not coincide with those of the opposition forces, or at least of some factions among them.

Ohio Workers Fight Back

Thousands of public/state workers, many unions, and supporters like veterans and environmentalists have been peacefully and noisily fighting back in many Ohio cities against Ohio Governor Kasich’s support of Bill SB5. The bill passed the Ohio Senate. If passed by the Ohio House this coming week, it will all but eliminate collective bargaining by state workers over wages, pensions, healthcare, working conditions, and the right to strike.

[Click at right to read full story with update.]

The Middle East in Flames

Two weeks after Egypt’s revolution, the firestorm of people’s uprisings that is transforming the Middle East continues, and yet the ruling elites are reasserting themselves, threatening to destroy everything the people have suffered and sacrificed for. Part of the mortal danger to the still-bright rebellions comes from these elites, part from the United States, and part from the class nature of the rebellions themselves. That is a bitter pill to swallow, but it is the truth.

Wisconsin Protests Lead Public Workers Fight!

Highly organized anti-union attacks are being advanced by capitalists in alliance with conservative politicians across the country that aim to destroy unions, cut social programs, and give huge tax breaks to corporate interests. The direct attack on public unions in Wisconsin is clear. After union representatives there agreed to all financial givebacks, Governor Walker refused to concede because his essential goal is to break the public unions in order to decrease the power of workers’ opposition to this conservative agenda now and in the future. With all kinds of lies about how public employees get more pay than private sector workers, he unleashed a massive attack against public employees.

On Wisconsin! For Mass Actions, Occupations & a General Strike!

This movement - directly inspired, it must be said, by the heroic people of Egypt and the Middle East - with its contagious energy, determination, humor, and optimism has taken everyone by surprise. The politicians, bosses, unions, and media were all unprepared for the wave that has crashed ashore. But this upsurge is at a crossroads and must push forward defiantly or risk being co-opted or crushed leaving us with yet another heroic defeat or false “victory” to lament for years to come.

Call to Arms: What Working People Need to Do in the U.S.

I think the big job is still to break the hold of the Democratic Party on the working class and the unions. AFSCME’s entire strategy has been to elect Democrats instead of organizing workers to fight. We are in a class war and are getting our asses kicked. Elections won’t turn this around. Direct action by the workers will.

Egypt: Seize the Moment, Keep Up the Struggle

Fortunately for the people of Egypt (and for the rest of us), the brass have not yet succeeded in putting the genie back into the lamp. Like soda in a bottle of soda that's been shaken and then had the cap removed, workers throughout Egypt have erupted in a wave of strikes and demonstrations to address their long-standing grievances, particularly low wages and shabby working conditions.... Now, more than ever, the workers, the unemployed, the rural poor, and all those oppressed by Egypt's rotten social structure need to step up the struggle. In addition to striking and demonstrating for their immediate needs, they need to organize for another mass demonstration to be held as soon as possible.

Showdown in Egypt

(Written Feb. 11; updated Feb. 12.)

The Egyptian Revolution is intensifying, and the stakes are getting raised ever higher. Rather than the demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square dissipating as the Mubarak regime had hoped (and I had feared), over the last few days the number of protesters has mushroomed. In addition, some of the demonstrators, tired of being cooped up in the square by the army, have spread the protests to other parts of the city. Among them, several hundred militants have sat down in front of the building in which Mubarak’s puppet parliament holds its sessions, while, as I write, several thousand demonstrators are marching on the state-owned TV station and a similarly-sized crowd is marching on the presidential palace.

Day 14 of the Egyptian Revolution

As the Egyptian Revolution has entered its fourteenth day, the political situation in Egypt appears to have reached a stalemate. The anti-Mubarak demonstrators, with great courage and tenacity, defended themselves and Tahrir Square from assaults by pro-Mubarak thugs, many of them employees of the state intelligence apparatus. They have also vowed to stay in the square until Mubarak leaves.... For its part, the regime has dug in its heels.

Egypt at the Turning Point

Although it is extremely unfortunate that people have been killed and hurt, these events may well be a positive turning point for the Egyptian Revolution. Up until today, the protesters appeared to be almost complacent about what would be needed to overthrow Mubarak and bring about an improvement in their lives.... Now, at least, the anti-Mubarak demonstrators realize where the army really stands. As anarchists have long argued, the army is one of the chief pillars of the state, which, in turn, is the main instrument through which a tiny elite (that lolls in luxury while the majority of people struggle in poverty) defends its rule.

Bright Sky over North Africa

The sky is bright over northern Africa, not only because of the burning government buildings and police stations, but because of the new dawn of mass struggle and potential liberation. Since Jan. 14, less than three weeks ago, the Ben Ali dictatorship in Tunisia has fallen and its successor regime has been shaken up several times, the Mubarak dictatorship in Egypt has suffered a mighty blow from ever-growing protests seeking the president’s downfall.

Anarchist Solidarity Against the Political Police!

We stand firmly opposed to the raids carried out by the FBI, America’s political police, against a number of antiwar and labor activists across the country on Friday, September 24th, 2010. We give our solidarity to those threatened by these raids and to those subpoenaed to appear before a government Grand Jury next month. These attacks must be resisted.

On the Need for Organization - Response to Ron

When I began to read Ron’s essay, On Organization, I thought that I agreed with most of it, but that it had an odd focus. When I finished it, I realized that I did not agree with it at all, because Ron did not advocate a special organization of revolutionary anarchists.

Cuba: El eterno drama de la Libertad y el Socialismo

Diálogo es el vocablo de orden o, al menos, la palabra cotidiana más recurrente. En este mismo instante, la inmensa mayoría de los cubanos hablan al unísono─ de la necesidad de diálogo. Y bueno, eso de que hablemos todos a la vez de un mismo tema, no tiene nada de particular ni debe causar asombro, por lo menos a aquellos que conozcan a fondo eso que denominan “idiosincrasia cubana”. Lo que ocasiona extrañeza es el empleo indiscriminado del término, aunque tiene cierta lógica si tenemos en cuenta los últimos titulares que se han venido empleando para reseñar la más reciente puesta en escena de la tragicomedia ─¿o zarzuela?─ del partido-Estado cubano.

ON ORGANIZATION

Many people who have limited knowledge of anarchism believe that anarchists are, by definition, against all organization; this is what they think anarchism means. In fact, historically anarchists have held a range of opinions on the question. Probably most well-known has been the position of anarcho-syndicalists, who are in favor of organizing the mass of workers in trade unions or trade union-like organizations, while differing among themselves over whether conscious anarchists should form a distinct organization of their own, either in or separate from the unions.

From Trotskyism to Anarchism

A significant number of revolutionaries went from Trotskyism to some type of libertarian socialism. Why had they been attracted to Trotskyism in the first place?

The History and Culture of California�s Mixtec Migrant Agricultural Workers

Indigenous migrants from the Southern Mexico states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Puebla, and Michoacan are a growing presence throughout the United States today.

Comunicado de SL - Communiqué of Socialista Libertario

La reciente muerte de Orlando Zapata tras 85 días de huelga de hambre para exigir que se acabasen las palizas que sufría, los continuos traslados de prisión en prisión.

The recent death of Orlando Zapata after 85 days of hunger strike - demanding an end to the beatings he endured, the continuous moves from prison to prison.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo (1967-2010)

Cuando los amanuenses profesionales vierten sus escritos de veneno y basura sobre la muerte de Orlando Zapata Tamayo (Enrique Ubieta Gómez “Cuba : ¿Para quién la muerte es útil?”.

When professional writers fill their pages with poison and garbage regarding the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo (Enrique Ubieta Gomez’s “Cuba: Para Quién la Muerte es Util”.

El Error de junio - The June Error

En el transcurso del presente mes (junio, 2010) han proliferado de manera significativa los artículos de “colaboración-crítica” desde el “dentro-contradictorio” y los llamados a la “cohesión revolucionaria” y al “diálogo sin sectarismos”.

In the past month (June 2010), we have seen a proliferation of articles about “critical collaboration” from the “contradictory insider,” along with calls for “revolutionary cohesion” and “dialogue without sectarianism”.

REFUTING THE ROOSTER

When someone uses public air waves emanating from a community radio station, that person wields the power to address the general public.

THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS OF THE US RULING CLASS

Beginning in December 2007, the United States entered into one of the deepest economic crises - now dubbed the Great Recession - in its history. Hidden behind this crisis, however, has been another one few people recognize.

The Death of Orlando Zapata - La muerte de Orlando Zapata

The recent death of Orlando Zapata after 85 days of hunger strike - demanding an end to the beatings he endured, the continuous moves from prison to prison...demands taking a clear position, without ifs, ands, or buts, against the regime of the Cuban generalísimos.

La reciente muerte de Orlando Zapata tras 85 días de huelga de hambre para exigir que se acabasen las palizas que sufría, los continuos traslados de prisión en prisión...exige una toma de posición neta y clara, sin peros ni excusas contra el régimen de los generalísimos.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo

Cuando los amanuenses profesionales vierten sus escritos de veneno y basura sobre la muerte de Orlando Zapata Tamayo (Enrique Ubieta Gómez “Cuba : ¿Para quién la muerte es útil?” en rebelión y kaosenlared, Ángeles Diez “El caso Zapata, nueva agresión mediática contra Cuba” en Rebelion) con el mejor estilo calumniador del socialismo real, es útil recordar cositas.

Dialogue on Expropriations - Dialogo sobre las expropriaciones

Although I am in favor of publishing your article about the arrests of comrades Bonanno and Stratigopolous and extending solidarity to the comrades, I have to tell you that I am very much opposed to the tactic of “expropriation.” In my opinion, it’s a stupid tactic. It does not advance either the anarchist movement or the anarchist cause.

Aunque estoy en favor de publicar tu artículo sobre la detención de los compañeros Bonanno y Stratigopolous y de extender la solidaridad hacia los companeros, tengo que decirte que estoy muy en contra de la táctica “expropriatoria”. Para mi, es una táctica estupida. No avanza ni el movimiento anarquista ni la causa del anarquismo.

Vivir la Anarquía | Living Anarchy

During the night of Thursday, October 1, barely a few minutes before midnight, on a fateful day for Mexico - a day symbolic of repression and brutality- a dear comrade told me that in the early morning hours, Alfredo Maria Bonanno had been arrested again, this time in the city of Trikala, in northern Greece.

En la noche del jueves 1ro de octubre, apenas faltando unos minutos para que iniciara el día 2 ―fecha fatídica, símbolo indiscutible de represión y barbarie, en México― un entrañable compañero me comunicó que, en horas de la mañana, había sido detenido nuevamente Alfredo Maria Bonanno. Esta vez en la ciudad de Trikala, al norte de Grecia.

Hasta siempre compañero | Obit for Daniel

El lunes 24 de agosto, al agonizar la tarde, se fue el querido compañero Rafael Spósito Balzarini -Daniel Barret, para los que le acompañamos en la cotidianidad de la lucha contra el Estado-capital desde tiendas libertarias- víctima de un cáncer que a penas le otorgó el tiempo necesario para despedirse de compañeros, amigos y familiares y, de concluir alguno de los múltiples textos que acostumbrada elaborar de manera simultánea.

Hijo de El Cerro, tierra dispendiosa en ácratas y rebeldes, en Montevideo, Uruguay, desde su más tierna adolescencia, Rafa contribuyó con sus aportaciones y esfuerzos a la difusión de las ideas anarquistas, defendiendo siempre los ideales de libertad por los que luchó toda su vida y por los que sufrió persecución y exilio, mismos que jamás significaron sacrificio alguno para su integridad libertaria.

Some Thoughts on the Nature of the Period

I. The US Economy

The economic recession in the United States, part of a global contraction and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, appears to have bottomed out, and a recovery now seems to be underway.

As most people know, the United States and the world recently experienced the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Although the downturn in the US has been classified as a recession (officially defined as two or more consecutive quarters of a decline in a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the total amount of goods and services produced within its borders), this downturn has been qualitatively more severe than others of the post-World War II period. It has already seen:

*The layoffs of millions of workers, with official unemployment rates rising to close to 10%. Unofficial rates, that is, those that include workers who have given up looking for work and those working part-time but who would like full-time jobs, are much higher, around 17%. (In the Depression of the 1930s, official unemployment was 25%, while unofficial rates were probably close to 40%.)

Response to Leninism Without Lenin

In reading Gustavo’s article, “Leninism Without Lenin,” I find it hard to get a handle on where he is going.... While he appears to dismiss anarcho-syndicalism as an alternative to Platformism/Specificism, he nevertheless never makes it clear to me exactly what is his position.

Some Thoughts on Anarchism and Religion

We all have our own mythologies. We all live in our own (overlapping) worlds of symbolic representations of reality and have our unique ways of making sense of our lives and of the world we live in. We should respect and value the differences in these symbolic worlds, not try to stamp them out in favor of some kind of (in fact, unachievable) gray atheistic unity.

The Two Main Trends in Anarchism

To get to the real differences between the two trends of anarchism, it is necessary to look at the serious political differences between them—not at an nonideological “culture,” but at actual politics.

Small Farm Movement Takes Root in the Motor City

The morning’s farm activities include: milking the goats, carrying hay out to the horse, feeding the chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. and collecting eggs, and tending the rabbits. All the familiar farm chores…only these are all being done in the heart of the City of Detroit, almost within sight of the smokestacks of the giant Ford complex.

The Hurt of No Longer Being / El Dolor de Ya No Ser

When speaking of a political regime so dependent on its tribal totem, we should not find it surprising that a fundamental chapter in its trajectory is about Fidel Castro...

Tratándose cómo se trata de un régimen político altamente dependiente de su tótem tribal, no tiene nada de extraño que un capítulo fundamental de su deriva gire en torno a la persona de Fidel Castro...

Obama and Double Consciousness

When I try to sort out my sense of events since the election of President Obama—my senses both that this election was a major watershed in U.S. politics and society, and that Obama’s presidency will realize few if any of the hopes people had in voting for him—I find myself drawn to a fundamental idea in African American writing about the United States, W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness.

In Memoriam Lisa Gayle July 4,1950-January 30, 2009

Lisa Gayle, a friend and well-wisher of the Utopian, passed away in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday, January 30, at age 58. We all knew and grew to deeply appreciate Lisa over our years together in the Revolutionary Socialist League (1973-1989). Lisa was buried in Ann Arbor on Monday, February 2. Mourning her loss were her husband, Mike, their son, Jacob, Lisa’s mother, and other family members. Joining them in remembrance of a life rich in humor, an intense commitment to social justice, and a deep spiritual sense of liberation were numerous individuals who had come to know and to love her over the years as a student, autoworker, nurse, teacher, mother, and revolutionary.

One anarchist comrade, upon learning of her death, related that when he was a young man in the mid-1990s in Detroit, Lisa had told him that her contribution as a militant in the automobile might have been small, but that the impact of this experience and of her coworkers on her was enormous. He spoke of Lisa’s warmth and honesty. Honest she was, but it was a sweet and straightforward type of honesty, honest without being harsh.

The Tragedy and Triumph of Lester Young

To anyone more than a little familiar with the life of Lester Young, the great African American jazz tenor saxophonist, the title of my essay must seem ironic. For Young's life is more often described, when it is described at all, as a triumph followed by tragedy.

Leninism Without Lenin | Aproximaciones al Leninismo sin Lenin

Before beginning, I would like to make it clear that I am writing these modest lines with the intention of encouraging reflection, more in the search for the Truth than with the idea that I am somehow the repository of it.

Ante todo, quiero hacer constar, que escribo estas modestas lineas con el animo de exhortar a la reflexion, mas desde la busqueda y el desasosiego que desde el pulpito de la Verdad, de la que no me siento depositario.

Something Smells Different in Cuba | Algo huele diferente en Cuba

With respect to the situation in Cuba these past few weeks, the Cuban Libertarian Movement (MLC--affinity group of Cuban anarchists in exile) speaks up to answer the unknowns and the challenges facing Cuban society. Ours is the voice of uncompromising commitment to freedom, equality and solidarity that the Cuban anarchists have always upheld.

Ante la coyuntura vivida en la isla en los ultimos tiempos, el Movimiento Libertario Cubano--MLC (grupo de afinidad del anarquismo cubano en el exterior) se hace oÃr para dar respuesta a interrogantes y retos que hoy se plantea la sociedad cubana, con una voz que es la del indomito compromiso con la libertad, la igualdad y la solidaridad que historicamente han sostenido los y las anarquistas

Some Thoughts on Obama

These thoughts will focus on what I think is unique about Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency, as well as on why I don't plan to change my long-standing practice of not voting in order to vote for him.

The Economy and Anarchy

The economic events of the last few months have raised a lot of questions about where the US and world economies are headed and what this means for the political climate in the United States.

OBAMA & CLINTON

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination has gotten more interesting in the past two months with the emergence of Barack Obama as the clear contender to Hillary Clinton. Obama’s articulated program is extremely vague and hardly to the left of Clinton’s, but his campaign rhetoric is much more radical -- “Change” seems to be his main slogan. Probably more important, the possibility of electing the first Black man president of the country seems to have inspired more enthusiasm than the chance of electing the first woman.

My Life as a Dog, I Mean a Teacher: Parts 2 and 3

The following is what I call an essay/memoir. It is simultaneously an account, largely anecdotal, of my experiences as an elementary school teacher working for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and an analysis of the state of the public educational system in Los Angeles and in the United States as a whole.

Liberation or Gangsterism

Indigenous and Asian youth to use their time, energy, creativity and imagination to discover their true self-worth and earn the respect of the entire world while struggling toward even broader goals that were not measured by one\\\'s material possessions. And over time each segment cheered on, supported, worked in solidarity with and/or discovered its own common interests and closely linked missons connected to broader people\\\'s goals.

Capitalist Globalization and the National State

Reading your symposium on Western Values and Total War, I am astounded that ...there is no discussion of national sovereignty as the bottleneck preventing a solution to the dilemma, and in fact creating and aggravating the dilemma.....

Obamanations

Among the lists which inundate my e-mail inbox is one on which someone last winter posted an appeal for funds to help the campaign of Barack Obama. Although this list has several thousand members, like many others, only a score or so people regularly post messages.

The Leadership Crisis of the U.S. Ruling Class

Among the things the contemporary political scene in the United States reveals is that the country??™s ruling class is suffering from an acute crisis of leadership. I am not speaking here in terms of the effectiveness of the nation??™s political leaders in addressing the interests of the country as a whole, however one may conceive them.

Francis Grimke and African American Prophecy

If John Brown were permitted to speak to us today from heaven, where he has been now for fifty years, he would say to us, I believe, Never despair! Never give up! The forces that are for you are greater than those that are against you.

Embracing God and Rejecting Masters: On Christianity Anarchism and the State

Throughout the three years that I have been involved with the annual Anarchism and Christianity conference and the four or so years I have considered myself to be a Christian with anarchist tendencies, I have been challenged on whether or not it is possible for me to exist.

Anarchism: Utopian or Scientific

Together with the revival of anarchism in the last decades, there has been an increased interest in Utopia. This is largely due to the crisis in Marxism, long the dominant set of ideas among the radical left.

James Petras' Photographs of Cuba Before and After Developing: An Anarchist Commentary on his Declarations about Cuba

The Cuban Libertarian Movement (MLC??”Movimiento Libertario Cubano) makes some pertinent observations about certain declarations by somebody who was until recently an unconditional defender of the Cuban revolution.

Open Letter to New York School Officials

When Michael Bloomberg took control of the New York City school system over three years ago, he sponsored a complete reorganization of the structure of school government.

The U.S. Deserves to Loose in Iraq

The following essay was written in four parts for the international anarchist web site, www.Anarkismo.net. It grapples with the attitudes which revolutionary anarchists should propose for the movement against the war in Iraq.

Another Attack on the English Language

On Nov. 26, 2003, during an interrogation session, Chief Warrant Officer Lewis E.Welshofer Jr., a chief investigator with the U.S. Army Third Cavalry Regiment in Qaim, Iraq, shoved his prisoner, Iraqi Major Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush, head first into a sleeping bag, sat on the general\\\'s chest, and covered his mouth with his hands.

War in Lebanon

As I write, at the end of July, a full-scale Israeli air war against Lebanon has been going on for nearly three weeks. Israeli tanks and infantry are making cross-border raids and are massed at the border ready for a large-scale invasion.

The Muhammad Cartoons

As most people know, in January and February Muslims demonstrated in many countries over the publication of satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in European newspapers. The cartoons showed the prophet in a variety of ways meant to satirize him and Muslim belief, for example, with bombs in his head covering.

Are The Wheels Coming Off The Republican Bangwagon

It sure looks that way. In recent months, the Republican administration of George W. Bush and the Republican Party in general have taken a series of heavy blows.

The Dialectics of Ambiguity: The Marxist Theory of History

After some years of study and consideration, I eventually concluded that [my previous] position was untenable. Rather than seeing the establishment of totalitarian, state capitalist (Communist) systems as the negation of Marxism, I came to believe that these societies in fact represented its fulfillment, although this had not been explicitly perceived, let alone advocated, by Marxist ideologists. As a result of reaching this conclusion, while still maintaining my opposition to capitalism and advocating the establishment of a liberated society, I became attracted to anarchism. I was particularly drawn to its hostility to the state and its opposition (in contrast to Marxism) to utilizing a state apparatus to achieve its goal. I was also intrigued by its understanding of hierarchy, which subsumes questions of class, national, racial and sexual oppression under a broader category without insisting on the primacy/determining nature of any one of them. Lastly, I was impressed by what I believe to be implied by anarchism (if not always consistently adhered to by anarchists themselves): a philosophical skepticism that repudiates the belief in the Truth of any one political/philosophical orthodoxy, in other words, its commitment to a form of ideological pluralism.

Libertarian Marxism's Relation to Anarchism

The current world-wide revival of anarchism is premised on the decline of Marxism. Yet there remains a strand of Marxism (libertarian or autonomist Marxism) to which anarchists often feel close and whose followers often express a closeness to anarchism. Its libertarian-democratic, humanist, and anti-statist qualities permit anarchists to use valuable aspects of Marxism (such as the economic analysis or the theory of class struggle). Yet it still contains the main weaknesses of Marxism. And in certain ways it has the same weaknesses of much of anarchism, rather than being an alternative. This version of Marxism has much to offer anarchists but remains fundamentally flawed, as I will argue.

War and Civil Rights: The Negro Quarterly, 1942-43

A little over sixty years ago, African Americans faced the question of how to respond to World War II.Most felt there were strong reasons for supporting the war; the question was whether one should concentrate singlemindedly on victory, putting aside all other concerns “for the duration,” or should continue to fight for civil rights during the war. After some inevitable initial confusion broad sections of the African American public came round to the second view, despite inconsistent leadership on the national level and opposition by some major leadership groups. This response was a step toward establishing a politically independent African American movement and toward the emergence of the civil rights movement in the 1950s.

Trip to Oaxaca

My heart races as we finally approach San Martín Peras, home of the “Cloud People.” This is a place few “Americans” can even visualize, much less visit. It took two airplanes and most of the day to reach Oaxaca City (a place I once found exotic), and where I was first thrilled by visiting the surrounding indigenous artisan villages.

Trotsky, Jesus, and Buddha Remembering the '60s

It was early October, 1966. I had just returned to the “Windy City” to begin my second year at the University of Chicago. The previous spring, I had helped organize and had taken part in an anti-war/anti-draft sit-in in the school’s administration building that had tied up the campus for five days and had made the New York Times and national TV. I was looking forward to getting something like that going again. This made up for what I expected would be another unspeakable Chicago winter, as well as the stifling spiritual atmosphere (smug hypocrisy) of the U of C as an institution.

Declaración de Principios | Declaration of Principles

Como ha sido siempre un deber ineludible, consecuentes con nuestros principios y acuerdos, l@s anarquistas y anarcosindicalistas cuban@s, fuimos y somos, luchador@s sin tregua por la libertad, la justicia social y el socialismo libertario.

Since it has always been an inescapable duty, consistently with our principles and agreements, the Cuban anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists have been, and are in a struggle without respite for liberty, social justice and libertarian socialism.

Solidaridad con el pueblo de Cuba, no con Castro | Solidarity with the People of Cuba, Not with Castro

La Federación Sindical Mundial (FSM) y la dictadura fascista de Castro, tienen el cinismo de llamar a constituir un Frente Internacional Antifascista. Cómo se atreve a hablar de antifascismo la última dictadura fascista de América Latina. Cómo se atreve la FSM a hablar de sindicalismo antifascista desde La Habana, bastión del último sindicato vertical a la usanza del dictador Francisco Franco.

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFT) and Castro\\\'s fascist dictatorship in Cuba reveal their cynicism with their recent call to establish an International Anti- Fascist Front. How does the last fascist dictatorship in Latin America dare to speak of anti-fascism!

Comunicado: Los Sucesos del Salta | Communique: The Events of Salta

La represión de que han sido victimas el pueblo originario de Salta, por parte de la soldadesca brutal y criminal del Estado argentino, con ordenes terminantes de golpear, reprimir, abusar, desterrar y encarcelar a cientos de indígenas, incluyendo ancianos, mujeres y niños es un acto reprobable y deplorable por parte de las autoridades de la seudo Res-pública Argentina. Condenamos enérgicamente este acto de barbarie, que asombrosamente contemplamos y sufrimos todos los hombres y mujeres libres de la tierra y que transalda la ciudad de Salta a los tiempos de la invasión y colonización hispánica de este continente. Los abusos cometidos en este \\\"pogrom\\\" de típico estilo nazi, contra una minoría racial indefensa, no solo es un crimen contra la Argentina sino también contra la Humanidad.

The repression against the aboriginal people of Salta, carried out by the brutal and criminal military of Argentina, with orders to beat, abuse, banish and jail hundreds of indigenous individuals, including old people, women and children, is a reprehensible and deplorable act on the part of the pseudorepublic of Argentina.We vehemently condemn this act of barbarism, which astounds all free men and women of the land and is a throwback to the time of the Spanish invasion and colonization of this continent. The abuses committed against a defenseless racial minority in this Nazi-style pogrom is not only a crime against Argentina but also a crime against Humanity.

Alcarajo, Manifiesto contra el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio de las Américas | Against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas

El Fondo Monetario Internacional y el Banco Mundial asfixian a la Humanidad con demandas implacables, legitimadas por gobiernos corruptos y lacayos, que siguiendo sus designios, oprimen y explotan a nuestr@s herman@s de clase a lo largo y ancho de América.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are choking humanity with their relentless demands, legitimized by corrupt puppet governments, who, following their designs, oppress and exploit our class brothers and sisters throughout America.

Socialism from Above or Below

The quotation at the right is from the beginning of “The Two Souls of Socialism,” by Hal Draper (1992), published as a pamphlet in 1966. Draper’s editor notes, “Its political impact on a generation of socialists in the United States and Great Britain has been considerable.” (Haberkern, 1992, p. xvii) It influenced that wing of Trotskyism which rejected Trotsky’s belief that the Soviet Union under Stalin (and after) was some sort of “workers’ state.” Instead, these semi-Trotskyists held (correctly) that the U.S.S.R. had developed a bureaucratic ruling class which collectively exploited the workers.

My Life as a Dog, I Mean a Teacher

It was the end of the school year for D Track and I was about to go off-track (meaning “go on vacation,” for those working in year-round, multi-track schools).My students’ last day was a Friday in mid-May.Monday was a “pupil-free” day (a day teachers are required to report for work even though their kids are not present). D Track teachers were supposed to work in our rooms, but since another class had moved into mine, I wasn’t able to.

Bruce Augustyniak (Bruce Kala)

Bruce Augustyniak, also known as Bruce Kala, died in Chicago on September 6, 2002. Bruce was a longtime socialist and anarchist who was trained as a scientist and gave up what presumably would have been a lucrative career to be a revolutionary.

Why We Joined NEFAC

We are two members of the collective which publishes The Utopian.

Reaching Out to a Challenging Community Update

How do you organize a grassroots community meeting? Easy, right? Make a few phone calls, send out some notices, pass out some flyers.

Spore-Public Policy is Class Policy

It is a common vision in the U.S. that the government is a neutral entity, standing outside and above the myriad contending forces in society.

Enemies of The Roman Order

One day decades ago, during the Vietnam War, I saw a reference to a book called Enemies of the Roman Order: Treason, Unrest, and Alienation in the Empire.

Reaching Out to a Challenging Community

Imagine that you are fifteen years old and pregnant. You find yourself in a country where you share no common language. You have never seen a health care provider in your life. You know that you want your baby born healthy, and born a citizen of this new country.

An Anarchist Critique of Marxism

Note to readers: This article is the continuation of a piece that appeared in the previous issue of this publication. There I sketched the role of the theory of capital in the Marxian worldview, Marxâ?™s method of investigating capitalism and the initial components of his theory.

Ralph Ellison's Juneteenth and African American Identity

One weakness of much radical thought is its use of abstract, formalized categories and a reductionist method. Radical theories often begin with some area of social existence-the nation and national identity, the system of production and class, race/ethnicity, gender, and others-that they use as a basic category to explain social life.

Anarchism and African American Liberation

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”Words of an Aboriginal Australian Woman.

Something is Rotten in Philadelphia

Mumia Abu-Jamal and a large number of his supporters began early this year calling for his outright release from jail.

Reaching Out to a Challenging Community

Theses on The New Intifada

These were written in October, 2000, shortly after the beginning of the new Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, and were posted on The Utopian web site. Along with the theses, we are reprinting a comment by Wayne Price and my response, which were also posted on the site. Since the theses were written, a good deal has changed. Hundreds more have died. The Barak government in Israel was voted out and a coalition headed by Ariel Sharon took officeâ€”strengthening what I see as Sharon\\\\\\\'s strategy of blocking agreement on the establishment of a truncated Palestinian state.

On the World Trade Center Attack

I took advantage of a day offâ€”and the occasion of Yom Kippur seemed rightâ€”to go to the World Trade Center site. With a friend I approached southward along Church Street and then west to the Hudson River. From these vantage points one is half a mile away and sees the site only through gaps in the buildings; so we circled around and approached on the east side, along Broadway, where one can walk within a few blocks of the ruins. The scene is very grim.

Anarchism as Extreme Democracy

As Marxism, and state-socialism in general, have increasingly been discredited, there has been a tendency for leftists to turn to another tradition, that of the democratic revolution

¿Quienes somos? | Who Are We?

The aim of the Cuban Libertarian Movement (CLM) is to encourage revolutionary antiauthoritarian activism in Cuba, in particular, and on the American continent, in general, with the goal of creating a more effective anarchist movement that can actively participate both in the current struggle of the workers for control over their lives and in the international counter cultural resistance. El Movimiento Libertario Cubano, intenta articular e incrementar el activismo revolucionario antiautoritario en Cuba, de manera particular y en el continente americano en general, con el objetivo de construir un movimiento anarquista mÃ¡s efectivo que participe activamente en las luchas del movimiento real de l@s oprimid@s por el control de sus vidas y en la resistencia contracultural internacional.

San Jose De Las Matas Flag

Aqui les presentamos el primer diseño de la bandera de San Jose de las Matas. Luego de haber investigado y evaluado varios diseños de diferentes banderas del Mundo. El, diseño esta en consideracion los pricipales elementos que nos Representan como materos.