I appreciate Kristian Williams’ pamphlet, both the thought put into it and the challenge it represents. I learned a lot from its history, and in particular gained insight into the behavior of anarchists I meet today. Williams traces some practices of contemporary US anarchism back to pacifism, looking at how contemporary anarchists unthinkingly accept much of that philosophy. In my view, that influence led to the movement prioritizing providing comfort to its participants, rather than organizing to change the circumstances that led to the discomfort they feel with society in the first place. This emphasis accepts the inevitability of capitalism and is therefore a strategy to live within its parameters. But I don’t think capitalism will allow us these spaces. Instead, it has to be overthrown and not allowed to come back.
Lessons for a New Generation of Organizers: A talk with David Ranney, author of Living and Dying on the Factory Floor
The Institute for Anarchist Studies (IAS), together with the Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU), presents David Ranney, author of the new book Living and Dying on the Factory Floor: From Outside In and the Inside Out (PM Press, 2019). David will be speaking at the AFSCME … Read more