Cecil | 05.09.2006 23:49

The decline of the anti-globalization movement in the US and the amazing surge of support by anarchists after the devastation of hurricane Katrina suggests a new political and tactical alignment is possible in North America. We propose that anarchists need to work with the peak oil, permaculture and bioregional communities to better prepare ourselves for this new alignment.

Anarchists need to learn from our permaculturalist comrades the skills that will enable us to help people who most need aid during times when the state and capital refuse to offer it. We need to learn to create sustainable autonomous zones that can seriously challenge the power of the Government and the Capital.

From Infoshop, submitted by Anonymous
 http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060903181020182

The decline of the anti-globalization movement in the US and the amazing surge of support by anarchists after the devastation of hurricane Katrina suggests a new political and tactical alignment is possible in North America.

Anarchists did an admirable job in infusing revolutionary ideals, tactics and discourse into the anti-globalization movement. Traditional reformists campaigns (e.g. anti-sweatshop) and mainstream unions (e.g. teamsters) were enticed to accept diversity of tactics, consensus, decentralization based on affinity groups and other core anarchist principles. We were able to tie these limited campaigns into our greater critique of the state and capital, while exposing many diverse folks to the ideas and dreams of anarchy. The latest antiwar (perhaps better described as anti-Iraq war) movement has been a failure for the North American anarchist movement, despite some serious efforts by San Francisco anarchists. Co-opted and manipulated by authoritarian front groups and non-revolutionary coalitions, the last anti-war movement quickly rejected many of the principles and un-learned the good practices that made the anti-globalization movements so dynamic and effective in this country. Convergences, trainings, skill-shares, spokes-councils, medical clinics, legal support teams, and free kitchens, disappeared overnight. Participation in the anti-war rallies became the atomizing, choreographed experience of leftist around the globe, where people were bused to the rally, walked around waiving their pitiful signs pre-made by one of the front-groups, listened to some tedious empty speeches, and then got back on the bus to return home content with the fulfillment of their democratic duty.

The aftermath of the State’s debacle in New Orleans following Katrina showed that there is still an active presence of anarchists in this country. Spontaneously groups moved to New Orleans and worked in their own communities to provide solidarity. Anarchists were the first to enlarge the critique of the government’s poor response bringing in questions of race, class, environmental justice and the militarization of the state aid. There are still hundreds of anarchists working and agitating in and around NOLA (New Orleans). The anarchist response featured the best practices of the anti-globalization movement (and core anarchist principles): skill shares/trainings; consensus; decentralized organizations; highlighting the inter-connectedness of oppressions, DIY work ethic and convergence.

Ironically there are perhaps more anarchists now than during the anti-globalization period, despite the relative lack of public resistance from anarchists. There are definitely more anarchist projects today than even a year ago: periodicals and zines; infoshops; community centers; web-sites; collective houses; farms; etc. but little in the way of active resistance to the State or Capital. This lack of visibility and inspiring actions has caused many anarchists to despair and feel that the “movement” is on the decline. Yet anarchists haven’t disappeared since 9/11, we are still working in our communities and launching new projects but there is a definite need for us to refocus our efforts.

We propose that anarchists need to work with the peak oil, permaculture and bioregional communities to better prepare ourselves for the new alignment that the response to Katrina has suggested. Our current relationship with the “permaculture communities” (including here all the sustainability, peak oil, environmental and energy crisis orientated groups and individuals) is similar to the relationships that build the success of the anti-globalization movement (relationships with anti-sweatshop campaigns, rank & file unionists, Earth Firsters, etc.). Most permaculturalists are liberal/leftists and many share our beliefs even if they do not call themselves anarchists. For the most part they are politically involved on the local level and opt for an alternative as opposed to a confrontational model for dealing with the State and Capital. This comes from a relatively privileged position most permaculturalists have with mainstream society. There has even been a creeping “green capitalism” strain in many eco-villages and permacultural communities. The peak oil and other crisis oriented folks tend to take a more radical and critical view of the State and world-wide Capitalism; however, their efforts have mostly been academic or marginalized. We believe these people are our natural allies in the new alignment. They possess an impressive infrastructure and useful skills and tactics for dealing with crisis in a sustainable way. Together we can show people that there are alternatives to rebuilding Babylon and that in crisis lays an opportunity to effective resist the deadening power of the State and Capital. Furthermore permaculturalists are our natural allies because we share many core organizing principles including: emphasis on skill share; DIY work ethic; horizontalism (sometimes); concern for the environment and consensus-based models of decision making. We believe that by combining our resources, ideas, dreams and passions we can genuinely challenge the hegemony of the State and Capitalism, especially in contested areas following inevitable crises. We know these crises will disproportionately affect poor and disenfranchised communities, communities anarchists have been working with for decades. Anarchists can provide an essential bridge between the sustainable philosophies and skills of the permaculturalists and the communities where these skills can be most effective in creating a new and sustainable world.

Anarchists need to learn from our permaculturalist comrades the skills that will enable us to help people who most need aid during times when the state and capital refuse to offer it. We need to learn to create sustainable autonomous zones that can seriously challenge the power of the Government and the Capital. This is a long term strategy, and time is running out, so we must act with decisiveness and diligence. We must put more emphasis on the contacts we already have within permaculturalist communities and at the same time create new alliances where old ones don’t exist. Anarchists need to support the radical permaculuralists, those who are already fighting against the “co-optation” of their community, those who oppose “green-capitalism” and environmental reformism. It is by working with such radicals that we can hope to connect the local with the global and show that any true alternative will need to be in confrontation with the Status Quo. Soon, as environmental, energy, economic, and political crises loom on the horizon, permaculturalists’ privileged position will be compromised and they will be forced to pick a side in the struggle against capitalism. Through mutual aid and active engagement, relying on the partnerships we’ve built with radical permaculturalists, we will be able to become a force for active change. Together with the permaculturalists we can infuse anarchism with a new vision more powerful than that of the anti-globalization movement, a vision that posits a world to fight for, not just against.

Onwards to Perma-Revolution!

Homepage:: http://resistmuch.com

Permaculture has all the answers 06.09.2006 05:37 It's important to note that unlike "anarchists," the "Anti-Globalization movement," "Peak Oil" and other examples cited, "Permaculture" is not a generic term (for sustainable agriculture) but rather a very specific and extensive doctrine created Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, influenced by the New Age movement that seemed less ridiculous at the time than it does now and operating on the guru system to propagate itself. My first encounter with a Permaculture preacher kid was in Philadelphia. Thinking the word was a generic term, I said something like "you mean like what the Amish people do?" since that's the most well-known sustainable agriculture movement in Pennsylvania. The guy said "No!" like what I said wasn't just wrong but stupid and absurd. And if you believe sustainable agriculture was invented by two guys in Australia 30 years ago, it was. Saying "Permaculture" when what is really meant is post-industrial sustainability is like saying "Catholics" or "Krishnas" when what you really mean is "religious groups," or like saying "Aikido" when it would be more appropriate to talk about "self defense." just ask them always growing without ever getting 06.09.2006 05:46 > Ironically there are perhaps more anarchists now than during the > anti-globalization period, despite the relative lack of public resistance > from anarchists. There are definitely more anarchist projects today than > even a year ago: periodicals and zines; infoshops; community centers; > web-sites; collective houses; farms; etc. The author presents no evidence for any such claims. Just because these projects, these types of projects, are new to the newest cohort of new anarchists who never heard about any of this until a few years ago, doesn't mean they're actually new. There are always new ones popping up, and the old ones are always falling apart and disappearing, and this has been going on for decades. any bigger the solution folks 06.09.2006 07:06 Thank you so much for this inspiring article. It's been awhile since I felt any confidence with the anarchist movement since 9/11. I have to say though, that I believe the reason, or the primary reason the anti-globalization movement declined after 9/11 was because almost nobody within that movement suspected foul-play in the 9/11 attacks. Now that the 9/11 truth movement is just about as powerful as the anti-globalization movement was just prior to 9/11/01, it's time that we once again drop (for the most part) the idea of focusing solely on local/single issue'd activism for the larger goal of uniting traditionally seperate movements into one cohesive force. Infiltration of our movements is also at record levels and it's time that we re-focus our collective energies on weeding out the spooks from true activists for Revolutionary change. It's not too late for us, however the ongoing 9/11 truth-denial that is *still* seen from many anarchists has got to cease once an for all. As an anarchist myself AND a disbeliever in the official 9/11 conspiracy theory, it's high-time that we all drop our egos and unite to combat that beast that WILL sink to any level to expand it's power. If the global elite is willing to lie about everything, why should be trust their official 9/11 fairy tale? Especially one that has gaping holes in it for those who are willing to take a look. Infoshop, for example, is one of the primary examples of this 9/11 truth-denial and it's time that we not criticize, but stubbornly reach out in the hopes that we can all come together in the realization that the global elite is bent on Global Domination (or corporate-military globalization if you prefer) and that we have to prepare for the Final Reckoning which, many believe, is close at hand. It's not too late my Sisters and Brothers, but the hour IS getting very late. We need to act soon. But for us to do this, we have to open our minds to scary possibilties (such as the mounting evidence that not only was 9/11 an inside government operation, but that they are preparing another similar "false-flag" attack on us to further their imperial plans) and unite our movement into the seemingly unbreakable united force that we were just before 9/11/01. As someone who was part of the anti-corporate globalization movement before 9/11, it's my contention that if we were vigilant concerning the attacks, our movement would never have crippled the way it did, and we wouldn't need to be complaining about the pathetic inadequecies of the current anti-war movement. I love each and every one of you, and it's time that we come back together again. And this time, not let anything break us apart ever again. Hopeful Anarchist _ 06.09.2006 08:21 i don't think mollison and holmgren believe they invented a brand new sustainable agriculture system. it's pretty common knowledge among permaculturalists that modern permaculutre practice is simply a reframing and re-presentation of traditional indigenous practices. mollison himself gives many examples of tropical agro-forestry practiced by indigenous peoples. I feel that the ethics of permaculture go hand in hand with anarchist philosophy and it'd be great to see more happening along these lines. mike great article 06.09.2006 23:28 thanks for posting it. i agree with the above poster that the article is US centric though, not looking at the indigenous practices for sustainability and not looking at the powerful movements in the global south which are definitely part of the "anti-corporate globalization movement" and which are making real changes every day makes this analysis rather narrow. but, as a us centered article, to a us audience, its fair, it could just be deeper. its also important to note that there isn't a strict line of who's an anarchist and who isn't in a world of horizontalists, permaculturists and direct action organizers who believe in decentralization of power. the old concepts of being "in or out" of the party aren't terribly useful, i think. sd@narchist ... 07.09.2006 22:02 ok one... I am an anarchist. But... this isnt fucking news. I believe this doesnt follow the whole idea of Indymedia what so ever. Anarchist _ 08.09.2006 06:10 this isn't news? so what is 'news?' specific events? I'm not that familiar with SD indymedia policy, but i was hoping you could expand on how this doesn't fit in with the idea of indymedia. I'd genuinely like to hear your input. Thank you. mike ecosystem safety net; green anarcho-syndical 12.09.2006 22:21 Si, this article mentions some important ideas. With the upcoming shift in the global/US economy from increased global demand for petroleum dependency and lowered petroleum supply, the petroleum corporation monopolies (ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, BP/Shell/Arco, ConocoPhillips, etc..) tell US people daily that true independence from their petrochemical monopoly is wishful thinking. However, ecology and traditional indigenous nations teach US people that permaculture is a reality more enjoiable and healthier than our present dependecy on corporatist governments like GW Bush regime.. Alternative permaculture (ie., reapplied traditional indigenous ecosystem knowledge) methods of gardening, farming for food, clothes and fuel needs to become reality. Anarchists and permaculture activists certainly have more goals in common than apart, including the anarcho-syndicalists who desire a closed system of industrial manufacture that treats "waste" products as recyclable materials.. Both "reds" and "greens" getting scared into silence by harsh repression tactics from US law enforcement agencies??; "Operation Backfire - We'll do what we can to keep our site updated, but for the most current info on the State's attack on the non-reformist environmental movement, check out the links at the bottom of our special State Repression News section Operation Backfire: The Feds Make a Monstrous Move." more info @;  http://www.greenanarchy.org/ The safety net approach of permaculture to ensures that organic growing practices remain intact and also multiply, the south central community farm in LA is one example of a practicing garden that uses permaculture methods and is tended by indigenous campesinos and their allies.. Help la gente take back the farm for Madre Tierra @!!  http://www.southcentralfarmers.org/ By working in harmony with Madre Tierra we all can become closer to understanding the wealth and bounty of natural food available to people before the coming of imperialism following Cristobal Colon (Columbus) and the 500 years of genocide and ecological destruction from succesive waves of Euro-american workers driven by their colonialist puppet masters.. Euro-americans, African-americans and other working class immigrants frequently dropped out of colonial society and joined the nearest indigenous nation. There was something about the community based sharing lifestyle with one another and with their environment that made life with indigenous nations more enjoiable than life as a slave/worker inside of colonialist US empire.. "The Black Seminoles were free blacks and fugitive slaves who forged a strategic alliance with Seminole Indians in Spanish Florida during the early 1800s.[1] Their ancestors reached Florida through a variety of means, such as escape from American plantations, liberation by Spanish masters, and possibly escapes from early slave ships or exploring parties. While some individual Black Seminoles were fugitive slaves, as a community, they were known as maroons -- a term that describes free and quasi-free blacks who escaped to the wilderness in the New World to create their own societies." more info @;  http://www.johnhorse.com/black-seminoles/faq-black-seminoles.htm anarchy & ecosystems never die I posted it 18.09.2006 23:06 I never said it was news. I thought it was interesting, so I posted it. Cecil e-mail:: cecil@resistmuch.com Homepage:: cecil@resistmuch.com