ANARCHIST LITERATURE:

NEW FROM RED LION PRESS:

Hot off the presses from Larry Gambone of Red Lion Press. New titles to grace your library. Here's the info from Larry's Porkupine Blog.

@@@@@@@@@@

The View From Anarchist Mountain


It has been a busy year for me, publishing wise. First The Impossibilists, with my own Red Lion Press, then Nature of Human Brainwork was brought out by PM Press. Now I have two more to offer.
The View From Anarchist Mountain, 199 pages, $16.00 is a collection of my writings over the past 20 years on anarchism, society and history. It is available from AK Press. (For Canadians, order from me at redlionpress@hotmail.com )


Bill Pritchard – Revolutionary Socialist is a 36 page pamphlet that goes for $4.00. Pritchard is best known for being jailed under a bogus conspiracy charge in the aftermath of the Winnipeg General Strike. He was also a militant of the Socialist Party of Canada, the editor of its newspaper, The Western Clarion, and a founder of the OBU. After the demise of the SPC, he was an early member of the CCF and was Reeve of Burnaby for a number of years. Later in life, he returned to the “Impossibilist” socialism of his roots.

“Bill Pritchard – Revolutionary Socialist” - was taken from a talk he gave in 1973. It describes his adventures - and often hilarious misadventures – as a pioneer Socialist on speaking tours of Western Canada more than 90 years ago. He reminisces about a host of fascinating characters and also gives crucial eye-witness evidence about the murder of Ginger Goodwin. It is available so far, only from me.

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-SOUTH AFRICA:

UPDATES FROM ZABALAZA BOOKS:

The South African Zabalaza Books may be the best online source for downloadable anarchist pamphlets in the world. Here, from the Anarkismo site, is the latest update on their offerings.

@@@@@@@@@@@@
Zabalaza Books Update - 7 January 2010:
As of 7 January 2010 the Zabalaza Books website has just been updated with the following:

Labour Section:

* Workers Without Bosses: Workers’ Self-Management in Argentina by José Antonio Gutiérrez
Various Section:

* Obama’s Imperial War: An Anarchist Response by Wayne Price

* The U.S. Deserves to Lose in Iraq but Should We “Support the Iraqi Resistance”?: A US Anarchist’s Opinion on the Iraqi War by Wayne Price

* The Palestinian Struggle & the Anarchist Dilemma and... Lessons for the Anarchist Movement of the Israeli-Lebanese War: The Anarchist Debate about National Liberation - 2 Essays by Wayne Price
Women's Liberation Section:

* The Not Very ‘Natural’ Oppression of Women by Aileen O’Carroll

* “How Can I Be Sexist? I’m an Anarchist!” by Chris Crass

* Men, Sexism and the Class Struggle by Men Against Sexist Shit (M.A.S.S.)
Leaflets Section:

* Neighbourhood Associations: A Personal Experience by Larry Gambone

* Religion and Revolution by Wayne Price
Posters Section:

* Rampant Robbery or... how Mr. Capital gets his daily bread (new updated version)
Related Link:

http://www.zabalaza.net/zababooks/x_latest_updates.htm

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

TWO NEW ITEMS FROM THE KATE SHARPLEY LIBRARY:

The Kate Sharpley Library is a British publishing house . Their latest efforts, both a pamphlet and their Bulletin focus on Soviet repression of anarchists. Here's the description from the Anarkismo site.

...........................

Bolshevik repression of Anarchists:
Two new publications from the Kate Sharpley Library
The Kate Sharpley Library are pleased to announce two new publications dealing with Bolshevik repression of Anarchists: An eyewitness account of the 1921 hunger strike in Moscow; and a special double issue of "KSL: Bulletin of the Kate Sharpley Library", dealing with Anarchists in the Gulag, prison and exile under the Bolsheviks.
Bolshevik repression of Anarchists: two new publications from the KSL ;
1. New pamphlet:
A Grand Cause: The Hunger Strike and the Deportation of Anarchists From Soviet Russia by Grigorii Petrovich Maksimov (G. P. Maximoff)with a biographical essay by Anatoly Dubovik, translated by Szarapow.

Grigorii Petrovich Maksimov (better known to western readers as G. P. Maximoff) was Secretary of Russia's Anarcho-Syndicalist Confederation and editor of Golos Truda (The Voice of Labour). He experienced at first hand the Bolshevik repression which crushed other revolutionaries and subordinated popular revolt to party dictatorship. This is his story of the 1921 hunger strike in which some of the leading lights of Russian anarchism staked their lives in a desperate gamble to expose Bolshevik repression – and win their freedom.This text comes from his indictment of the Bolshevik regime The Guillotine at Work: Twenty Years of Terror in Russia (1940). It has been footnoted by the Kate Sharpley Library to throw the light on the stories of other Russian anarchists as part of our Anarchists in the Gulag, Prison and Exile Project.

Contents:

*Introduction

*Gregory Petrovich Maximoff (1893-1950) by Anatoly Dubovik, translated by Szarapow

*The Hunger Strike and the Deportation of Anarchists From Soviet Russia

*I The sickness and death of P. A. Kropotkin

*II Kronstadt events, arrests

*III The Taganskaya Prison

*IV The confinement was to be long

*V All decide to declare a hunger strike

*VI Cell no. 4 on hunger strike

*VII We are released

*VIII We are deported

*IX We start out

*X Stettin Prison. We are no more Czechs

*Appendices

- Trotzky's reply

- An agreement between the committee of the foreign delegates and the Bolshevik government

- A ray of light from Moscow

- To the workers of the world

ISBN 9781873605745 Anarchist Library #20£3 (£2 to Kate Sharpley Library subscribers)Some review copies are available.
2. Special double issue of "KSL: Bulletin of the Kate Sharpley Library"

This issue of the KSL Bulletin includes a Latvian anarchist's view of Moscow in 1918, a tribute to Khodounov, one of the anarchist activists killed by the Cheka in the raids there in April 1918, texts on two Italian anarchist victims of the Bolshevik regime, a letter from Efim Yarchuk, (author of "Kronstadt in the Russian Revolution") and a new biographical essay on Alexei Borovoi, one of the most important anarchists who stayed, and died, in Russia. Leaving the Soviet Union, we finish off with a review of the memoirs of Polish anarchist and 1944 Warsaw Rising survivor, Pawel Lew Marek.

Contents:

*Trouble in Moscow: From the life of the "Liesma" ["Flame"] Group by "R", [Janis Birze (Remus)] (courtesy of Philip Ruff)

*Otello Gaggi: Victim of Fascism and Stalinism by Giorgio Sacchetti (translated by Paul Sharkey)*A Letter From Francesco Ghezzi (courtesy of Luc Nemeth from the Lazarevitch papers)Francesco Ghezzi: Italian Anarchist in Vorkuta, From "Bollettino Archivio G. Pinelli" (Milan) (translated and adapted by Paul Sharkey)

*Efim Yarchuk on the Anarchist Red Cross (1924) from "Behind the Bars", published by the Anarchist Red Cross

*New pamphlet : "A Grand Cause : The Hunger Strike and the Deportation of Anarchists From Soviet Russia"

*One of the Bandits (In Memory of Comrade Khodounov) from "Uralsky Nabat", reprinted from "The Guillotine at Work"

*Alexei Borovoi (from individualism to the Platform) by Anatoly Dubovik, translated by Szarapow.

*Letter from Memorial"

*On the edge of life: Memories of an anarchist 1943-44" by Pawel Lew Marek [Review] by Admiral, from "Inny Swiat", trans S.

Subscriptions to "KSL: Bulletin of the Kate Sharpley Library" for one year (4 issues) are UK:£3, Europe:10euro, USA: $5, Institutions: £20. Friend rate (bulletin and all other publications): £25/ $40 Back issues can be read at: www.katesharpleylibrary.net -Kate Sharpley Library, BM Hurricane, London, WC1N 3XX

Kate Sharpley Library, PMB 820, 2425 Channing Way, Berkeley CA 94704, USA

(see also:) http://gulaganarchists.wordpress.com/
Related Link: http://www.katesharpleylibrary.net

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-EDMONTON:

BLACK CAT PRESS CATALOGUE NOW ONLINE:

For about 30 years now Edmonton's Black Cat Press has been fighting the good fight with weapons mightier than the sword. Now they have a website where you can order their titles. Drop in to the link above to see their wares. The physical location is:

Black Cat Press

4508 118 Avenue

Edmonton, Alberta

T5W 1A9

phone # 780-448-0519

fax# 780-424-0796

email, info@blackcatpress.ca

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT- QUEBEC

MOUVEMENT ANARCHISTE DU CANADA-QUÉBEC:

BROCHURE-CRITIQUE ANARCHISTE DU PROGRAMME DU PCR(QUÉBEC):

PAMPHLET- ANARCHIST CRITIQUE OF THE PROGRAM OF THE PCR(QUEBEC):

The following announcement originally appeared at the Québec City blog Voix de Faits. Voix de Faits is a platformist blog produced by members of NEFAC, the North Eastern Federation of Anarchist Communists. The PCR (Parti communiste révolutionnaire) is a Maoist outfit "formally" only a year old, though it has a longer prehistory of "pre-party" formations. NEFAC in Québec has cooperated with this party in a peripheral fashion in terms of jointly sponsoring at least one demonstration.

This may seem like a rather strange thing for an anarchist group to be doing, but it can be explained by the rather unique history of Québec leftism. In past decades Québec was actually the locus of what was probably the strongest Maoist tendency in the developed world. At one point there were no less than 3 major Maoist groupings in the province, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that the province of Québec held more Maoists than all of the continent north of the Panama Canal. It even contributed what may be something unique in human history, an intelligent Maoist whose intelligence went beyond low reptilian cunning. Gilles Duceppe, present leader of the Bloc Québecois in federal politics, was once a Maoist, though his present politics are far from such.

All this is in the past, and Québec's Maoists have undergone decline just as Maoism has worldwide. Yet, the wider the grin of the Cheshire Cat the longer it takes to fade away. In the rest of the developed world (and almost all of the developing countries) having contact with Maoists is not just a matter of "ethical contamination". It is even more a matter of common sense in that any such alliances make those who collaborate with the Mickey Mao Club look either as morally bankrupt as the Maoists or as silly as them. It's hard to say which is worse, but any political movement would be well advised not to make alliances that make them look either immoral or silly. In Québec, however, there is just enough of a Maoist residue to make them seem like desirable allies. Molly is of the opinion that, outside of leftist circles, the correct public perception-in Québec as elsewhere- of what Maoism is all about should dissuade anarchists from allying themselves with such a political current, but she can see how the situation might look different within Québec.

In any case, anarchism, of course, is nothing like Maoism. The NEFAC comrades in Québec have produced a pamphlet to explain the differences. The pamphlet is available for reading at the NEFAC website. The English translation of the announcement follows the original French one below.

.....................................

Brochure -Critique anarchiste du programme du PCR (Quebec)

Ils sont anticapitalistes et antinationalistes, boycottent les élections et l'Etat,se disent communistes et révolutionnaires. Ils sont très critiques del'institutionnalisation des mouvements sociaux et conspuent les leaders de la gauche réformiste. Dans les manifestations, ils sont souvent masqués et n'hésitent pas à recourir à l'action directe. A priori, les maoïstes du Parti communiste révolutionnaire (PCR) sont proches des anarchistes. Et pourtant? Un fossé sépare nos conceptions du monde et de la stratégie révolutionnaire

.==> une brochure éditée en mai 2008 à partir de textes publiés sur le blogue Voixde faits et de nouveau matériel.

À lire sur: http://www.nefac.net/fr/node/2384

...............................

Pamphlet-Anarchist Critique of the Program of the PCR (Quebec)

They are anticapitalist and antinationalist, are boycotting the state elections , they say they are communists and revolutionaries. They are very critical of the institutionalization of social movements and the corruption of the leaders of the reformist left. In demonstrations, they are often masked and don`t hesitate to resort to direct action. A priori, the Maoist Communist Party Revolutionary (PCR) are close to anarchists. And yet? A gap separates our conceptions of the world and the revolutionary strategy.

==> A booklet published in May 2008 from texts published on the blog Void de Faits and new material.

To read it see:

http://www.nefac.net/fr/node/2384

AMERICAN POLITICS:

FALSE HOPES VS REAL CHANGE:

The following announcement from the Anarkismo board is about a new anti-election pamphlet produced by the American Unconventional Action network. The pamphlet is basically for use in campaigning against the upcoming American elections next November, but it has relevance to other times and countries.

............................

"False Hopes vs. Real Change":

by Unconventional Action Voter Deregistration - Unconventional Action

New Publication Presents Anarchist Perspective on 2008 Elections and Direct Action

Unconventional Action announces the release of a new publication and election year outreach tool, demanding radical change outside of the empty promises of politicians!

"The president represents our whole country, whether you like it or not – if you don't vote, you can't complain..."

As radicals who struggle to express our power and our voices through direct action, not just voting, how do we respond to the reasons like this that prompt our friends and neighbors to vote, in spite of widespread disillusionment with politics? We may dismiss the 2008 presidential elections as simply another useless media spectacle, and in doing so miss a key opportunity to address how war, race and racism, global warming, and other issues play out in these national debates. On the other hand, we may even feel the temptation to capitulate to the pro-voting consensus... after all, times are desperate. But can we find a way to engage with the increased political dialogue prompted by the presidential elections, while neither ignoring them nor accepting their validity as a path to liberation?

Now, Unconventional Action announces the release of a new publication and election year outreach tool, demanding radical change outside of the empty promises of politicians!"False Hopes vs. Real Change: An Anti-Partisan (Beyond) Voting Guide to the 2008 Elections" argues passionately for direct action in the face of war, environmental destruction, militarized borders, and the alienation of American life - while exposing how politicians profit from these crises even as they claim to offer solutions to them. Beyond merely telling people not to vote, this colorful, engaging eight-page newspaper offers concrete examples of how to participate directly in resisting oppression and creating alternatives to voting. By responding directly to many of the reasons why people who are disillusioned or cynical about politics continue to vote, the articles explore how our most empowering options for participation exist outside of the ballot boxes. The writers examine the possibilities of direct action, collectives, mutual aid, and anarchy, analyzing their potential as tools to move beyond the constraints of voting, party politics, capitalism, and government. Highly recommended as a tool for explaining anarchist critiques of elections and voting, and for building momentum towards the 2008 Republican and Democratic National Convention protests. Copies are available for free via mail, or can be downloaded in PDF form from www.unconventionalaction.org.

For more information or to request copies of "False Hopes vs. Real Change", please contact:

Unconventional Action Voter Deregistration

PO Box 494

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

falsehopeorrealchange08@riseup.net

"...The president can only claim to 'represent' us in the absence of passionate, visible resistance outside of the electoral process. So long as we confine our participation to voting and accept a system that delegates our power and agency to representatives, we are accountable for whatever crises our government creates, because of our failure to resist them. But when we directly challenge the authority they claim to hold over us, we rupture the illusion that politicians, or anyone else, can speak on our behalf. If we've handed over responsibility for our society and our own lives to our rulers, then we can't be surprised when they act in their own interests instead of ours, as they always have. If ALL you do is vote, you can’t complain!

When were you ever offered a choice about whether or not you wanted to be ruled at all, rather than simply voicing an opinion about which ruler is best suited to appropriate your power? We didn't consent to this system, and we refuse to validate our own disempowerment - but instead of just complaining, we can take back responsibility for our own liberation by acting directly to interrupt injustice and creating different ways to live."-from "False Hopes vs. Real Change"
http://www.unconventionalaction.org

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM ZABALAZA BOOKS:

Zabalaza Books, the online literature service of the South African Zabalaza Net organization, is perhaps the best online source for anarchist literature in the world. With a wide selection of material, all in downloadable pdf format the South African comrades provide an extremely useful tool to the world's anarchist movement. Here is the announcement of the latest updates to their site. Check it out to see what Molly means about the richness of their efforts.

...................................................

Latest additions to the Zabalaza Books site as of 30 March 2008
Anarchism Section:

* The ABC of the Revolutionary Anarchist & On Revolutionary Discipline by Nestor Makhno (New Layout)

* Anarchism and Anarchy by Errico Malatesta (New Layout with missing footnotes added)

* A New World by the Class War Federation (New Layout)
African Resistance History Series:

* Anarchism and Revolution in Black Africa by Stephan P. Halbrook (New Layout and Zabalaza Introduction added)

* Africa, Nationalism & the State by Sam Dolgoff
African Anarchism Section:

* Freedom for All: An Introduction to Anarchism (New Layout)

* African Socialism: An Anarchist Critique (New Layout)
Women's Liberation Section:

* Anarchist Revolution and the Liberation of Women by Martha A. Ackelsburg (New Layout)

* Feminism, Class and Anarchism by Deirdre Hogan
Revolutionary History Section:

* The Spanish Revolution: Anarchism in Action (New Layout)
Economics Section:

* Anarchism Communism: Its Basis and Principles by Peter Kropotkin (New Layout)
Various Section:

* The Irrational in Politics by Maurice Brinton (New Layout)

* Anarchism and Violence by Errico Malatesta (New Layout)

* You Can't Blow Up a Social Relationship: The Anarchist Case Against Terrorism (New Layout)* Pleasure Not Duty (2 Essays on inter-personal relationships)
Leaflets Section:

* Rethinking Crimethinc

* Towards More Effective Political Organisations: The Role of Leadership in an Anarchist Society

Also don't forget, if you haven't got your copy already, the new issue (#8) of Zabalaza: A Journal of Southern African Revolutionary Anarchism is available for download.

Zabalaza #8 includes the following articles:

- Asgisa: A Working Class Critique

- Now is the Winter of Our Discontent: SA Public Sector Strike Stokes the Fire of Popular

-Class Unity and Reveals “Communist” Weakness- The 2010 World Cup, the Neo-liberal Agenda and the Class Struggle in South Africa

- Students and Staff Protest University Privatisation

- A Short History and Introduction to the Anarchist Black Cross

- Vigilante Farmers Want Refugee Camps on the Borderland

- Swaziland: The Royal Assassination of Our Dear Comrade

- Europe, Africa and the Neo-Liberal Strategy of Co-Optation

- Blood, Water & Oil: Fallacies of the Darfur War

- The Congo’s Dilemma: Why the Congo is yet another example why we have to rethink our political system

- A New Guantanamo in Africa?

- Misrepresentation of Self-Management in the Caribbean

- Some Thoughts on Theoretical Unity & Collective Responsibility

- Clarity on What Anarcho-Syndicalism Is

- Towards an Anarcho-Syndicalist Strategy for Africa

Yours for a truly free humanity,

Griffin

on behalf of Zabalaza Books
http://www.zabalaza.net

PUBLICATIONS:

KATE SHARPLEY LIBRARY:

NEW PAMPHLET: EMILIO CANZI: AN ANARCHIST PARTISAN IN ITALY AND SPAIN:

Just published by the Kate Sharpley Library, a collection of articles devoted to Emilio Canzi, Italian anarchist, who was a key figure in the partisan struggle against fascism in the Piacenza region. Canzi was born on march 14 1893, fought in the First World War and joined the Italian anarchist movement in the 1920s. He helped train the Arditti del Popolo (Peoples' Commandos) who fought against Mussolini's blackshirts. In exile he agitated against fascism and fought it in the Spanish Civil War. Captured by the Germans in 1940, interned in Italy, he escaped to play a major role in the partisan struggle in his native Piacenza. He became head of the partisans of the XIIIth Zone, but was 'removed' by the Communist Party. After escaping them he returned to fight as "just another partisan". Just after liberation he died after being hit by a British Army truck.

As Finzi says, Canzi always fought on the side of freedom, and his story sheds a little more light on the role of anarchists in the resistance to fascism. Originally published as 'Dossier Emilio Canzi' in a supplement to A Rivista Anarchica. See the Kate Sharpley website for more details on this and their other publications.

SEE SHARP PRESS: A VIRTUAL VISIT:

Molly recently had occasion to visit the website of Chaz Bufe's See Sharp Press. It's been a long time since I've looked there, and I also forgot what a fine site it is. Since its foundation in 1984 See Sharp has published over 25 books and over 40 pamphlets, some of them true gems. From classics of history on little known libertarian movements such as 'Cuban Anarchism:The History of a Movement' and 'African Anarchism:The History of a Movement' to sorely needed correctives to the less savoury aspects of North American anarchism such as 'Listen Anarchist', 'You Can't Blow Up a Social Relationship' and 'Anarchism Versus Primitivism' it's all there.

The publishing areas of See Sharp are truly catholic in scope. They do not just books and pamphlets but also tee shirts and bumper stickers such as the George Bush one pictured above. The subjects include politics, music, AA and other self help groups, atheism, anti-pseudoscience and parrots. Yes, parrots. Every political publisher should have at least one quirky field that gives evidence that they are not total robots, and Bufe's interest in parrots serves this function very well.

The site also has an extensive collection of texts on line that you can read for free. Some of these are from the list of published books. If you want a printed copy you can order them by phone or online at the website. The cost of shipping, however, prevents See Sharp from accepting such orders from outside of the USA. You can, however, still order them by mail at the address given on the website.

This site is well worth a browse for the variety of its offerings and their quality. It presents a rational and attractive form of anarchism that many would do well to emulate. Molly was especially taken with one of the online texts "George Bush's Christmas Carol', a takeoff of the Dickens classic. Tricky Dick Nixon makes an appearance in the same role as the ghost of Marley played in the original. Other gems available there include the Food Not Bombs handbook, 'Anarchism:What It Is and What It Isn't', 'You Call This Freedom' and 'Design Your Own Utopia'.

Once more: See Sharp Press http://www.seesharppress.com

CUBA 2007: SPEAKING WITH THE CUBAN LIBERTARIAN MOVEMENT (MLC):

There's an interesting recent article over at the Anarkismo.net site. This comes from the Russian newspaper Situation via the Russian anarchist site Avtonom . A Spanish version has been published in El Libertario #50. El Libertario is the organ of some anarchists in Venezuela. The website of the Cuban anarchists in exile is at http://www.mlc.contrapoder.org.ve/ .

Q: Fidel Castro is in his last throes. Who do you think will rule Cuba after his death ?

A: Fidel Castro is not dead yet, but even if he reappears his role as leader of the revolution and chief of government is over. Raul has for now inherited the dictatorship but with his brother's disappearance it's unlikely that he can exert power for long. Many factors indicate the opposite.

Q: Do you think Fidel is a dictator, yes or no ?

A: Somebody who's been in power for almost half a century, violently crushing any opposition may be considered as much of a dictator as Stalin.

Q: What was Fidel's policy with respect to other left movements (anarchists, Trotskyists,etc.) ?

A: In regards to the Trotskyites this question belongs to those who continue to romantically believe in Lev Davidovich. Some Cubans from that sect went into exile due to the repression following the death of Che Guevera. Anarchists were persecuted from the very beginning when some of our comrades were expelled from the unions; afterwards death, prison or exile was the medicine prescribed by the government against the Cuban anarchists.

Q: Brother Raul doesn't look like a strong politician. Is that so ?

A: He doesn't just seem weak, he is weak. He inherited the rank of Chief of the Cuban Army and Castro's successor in 1959 as he was the only person the dictator could trust. He has always been accustomed to taking orders from his brother, and when his brother is gone he will not have the power he now has. For now he has delegated some sort of committee that in reality runs the government due to his brother's incapacity. With the dictator gone Raul will be left alone in a country that crumbles slowly and urgently demands political, social and economic change. Raul is incapable of filling Fidel's shoes, and we can't rule out a violent popular uprising against the regime. At least it seems in Washington that they expect the worst and are preparing for these events.

Q: The history of the Cuban anarchist movement is unknown in Russia. How long has it been around ? How did it start ?

A: We should not be surprised that little is known about the Cuban anarchists event though Frank Fernandez left information in Moscow and Granada; but maybe it was with a different group. We recommend Frank Fernandez' book (in English) for more information.

Q: Except for your website we have found this other site http://libertario.lautre.net/ , but it doesn't work. Is there any other libertarian group in Cuba besides you ?

A: We don't think so, unless they have created another in Cuba.

Q: What is your relationship with the Cuban Communist Party ?

A: We maintain no communication nor relations with the PCC (Cuban Communist Party).

Q: Is change possible in the Cuban political situation after Fidel's death as happened in Russia between 1989 and 1993 after the fall of the USSR ? In that case how would the politics of the MLC change ?

A: It might be a possibility, but we can't answer the question for now. Political change implies a change in strategy, but the initial tactics will be dictated by our possibilities.

Q: What is Cuba's political structure today ? Soviet republic ? Dictatorship ? Something else ?

A: Cuban political structures were copied from the Soviet state in 1960. A constitution was drafted in 1976 which was a copy of Stalin's 1936 constitution and is still in force.

Q: Today's Russian elite are able to stay in power by grabbing control of oil and gas. What keeps Cuba's economy alive today ?

A: Today Cuba's economy is kept alive thanks to the free Venezuelan oil that Chavez sends and also because of the money sent to Cuba by Cubans in exile and also because of tourism.

Q: Are there many Cubans unhappy because Cuba is socialist ?

A: Over 10% of the population lives abroad. Inside Cuba there is a very weak civil opposition, but it's impossible to make a formal declaration by those opposed to the system. we can only site statistics of those Cubans who apply to emigrate (almost a million) and not because Cuba is socialist, but because it's a dictatorship outside of time and space, too long and too boring.

Q: How does the everyday citizen live ? Can they travel freely in and out of Cuba ? Can you criticize Castro ? Can any Cuban buy a car for his family ?

A: The everyday Cuban lives in poverty and with little hope of improvement unless there's a change of system, as happened in Russia and Eastern Europe. It is forbidden to leave the country and even travelling from one city to another puts you under surveillance. It is forbidden to criticize Castro as he represents the government, national sovereignty, the economy,etc.. Any criticism is very dangerous, and after a stern warning you can be thrown in prison, accused of counterrevolution. It's practically impossible to buy a car, although there's a black market salaries are too low. Only government or army functionaries have access to this type of transportation.

MOLLY NOTES: The article in Anarkismo has provoked a vigorous debate. Go there to follow it. For further information go to the short Wikipedia article on the Cuban Libertarian Movement. Some other sources available online include Sam Dolgoff's 'The Cuban Revolution: A Critical Perspective', the pamphlet 'Cuba: The Anarchists and Liberty' by Frank Fernandez, and also by the same author the book 'Cuban Anarchism: The History of a Movement'. If you want to order a print copy of the book it's available from See Sharp Press.

THE RISING OF THE MOON:

NEW PDF PAMPHLET FROM THE STRUGGLE COLLECTION:

The Rising of the Moon is a new 40 page pamphlet available as a downloadable pdf from the Struggle collection at http://www.struggle.ws/pdf/andrew/risingmoon.html . You can also read the pamphlet online at http://www.struggle.ws/andrew.html .

The pamphlet is a collection of anarchist articles on the Irish rebellion of 1798 and the 1916 insurrection that led to the creation of Eire as an independent republic. The subtitle is An Analysis of the Development of the Left, Republicanism and Working Class Struggles.

MORE ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS AND EVENTS:

A number of anarchist publications and events have come "on line: in the last few days. The publications first:

A: There is an Anarcho-Communist critique of "Insurrectionism" available as a pdf pamphlet download from the Workers' Solidarity site at http://www.struggle.ws/pdfs/leaflets/insurection/insurrectionUSL.attpPam.pdf . The original site at http://www.anarckismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=5285 gives instruction for downloading this pamphlet outside of North America. All that Molly can hope for is that anarchism grows to the point that the NEXT pamphlet is entitled "Anarchism and Silly Violent Cultism: How We Differ", and that not just anarchists would see the use of such a publication but that it would be "obvious" to a growing movement.

Also the British section of the IAF, the Anarchist Federation, has recently published a new edition of 'Resistance'. This publication can be seen at their website along with a number of interesting pamphlets, some of them available in a downloadable pdf format, like 'Resistance'. Readers are encouraged to subscribe to Resistance to support the efforts of our English comrades. The latest edition of resistance includes articles on the fight in Denmark over the Ungdomshutet squat, a comparative report from KFC workers in both Paris and New Zealand, reports on "unofficial industrial action" and much, much more. Go to the AF site for further details or to download their publication.

Now to the events. The Chicago Anarchist Theory Conference has issued a "final call" for their conference on April 27th to April 29th at Loyola University. They intend to present a wide range of anarchist opinion, including some things that Molly thinks don't deserve the title. For further information look to http://mayfirst.wordpress.org and http://findingourroots.info . The schedule is posted on these sites. Finally, there is a call from anarchists in the Twin Cities area (Minneapolis-St Paul) for visitors and solidarity around the upcoming Republican National Convention in 2008.Their name has been borrowed from anarchists up here in Winnipeg ie the G8 Welcoming Committee. The comrades giver the usual set of rationalizations for their efforts which you can see on their call out, and even if they are "narrow" they still testify to a growth in anarchism beyond what it was two decades ago. One can only hope that the commitment to a "diversity of tactics" will eventually expand to accepting ordinary people who don't think fighting cops and losing every last time is how they would like to spend their leisure.

Molly

NEW ANARCHIST PAMPHLET:RESISTANCE TO NAZISM:
The Anarchist Federation (Britain) has published a new pamphlet, 'Anarchist Resistance to Nazism'. This is an exposition of the historical resistance to fascist tyranny in the 30s and 40s. It concentrates on the resistance to Nazism in Germany and France, telling the story of the 'Edelweiss Pirates' (Germany), the FAUD (Germany) and the Zazous (France) . It also, however, speaks of the British Jewish organization, the '43 Group' who resisted fascism in England and the 'Arditi del Popolo' in Italy. The Italian movement, being one of the largest outside of the Spanish speaking world, put up a particularly vigorous resistance to fascism, and an appendix details to anarchist underground press of the time, both inside and outside Italy.
The pamphlet can be ordered in a print version from the website of the AF. It is available in both html and pdf versions online at the following addresses:
http://flag.blackened.net/af/ace/anarchist_resistance_to_nazism.pdf
http://flag.blackened.net/af/ace/anarchist_resistance_to_nazism.html
http://afed.libcom.org.uk/ace/anarchist_resistance_to_nazism.pdf
http://afed.libcom.org.uk/ace/anarchist_resistance_to_nazism.html