Library

November 1989: The working class trapped under the Velvet Tricolour

Submitted by wojtek on Jan 15 2013 14:24

Kolektivne Proti Kapitalu's analysis of the working-class and Stalinism's demise in the Czech Republic with the Velvet Revolution.

In 2009, when the pamphlet was originally published, KPK wrote:

The CNT defense committees in Barcelona 1933-1938: An interview with Agustín Guillamón

Submitted by Alias Recluse on Jan 15 2013 00:41

A discussion of the rise and fall of the revolutionary institutions that were the foundation of the Spanish Revolution in the anarchosyndicalist stronghold of Barcelona, the social and organizational context of the anarchosyndicalist movement during the Civil War at the neighborhood level, the conflict between the rank and file militants and the collaborationist “superior committees” of the anarcho-syndicalist union the CNT, the meaning of the “spontaneity” of that movement and the process that led to its destruction at the hands of the republicans and Stalinists.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Spanish Revolution, our friend and collaborator Agustín Guillamón was interviewed by the editors of the website alasbarricadas.org about his latest book, Los Comités de Defensa de la CNT en Barcelona (1933-1938).

Alasbarricadas—An obligatory question: What were the Defense Committees?

The development of class struggle in Egypt

In-depth analysis of the development of capitalism and class struggle in Egypt, from the 1940s until the 1970s. Contains interesting information about mass wildcat strikes and the 1977 food riots as well as their relationship to national liberation movements in the region.

The development of class struggle in Egypt*

Lafif Lakhdar

Anarchists against World War One: Two little known events- Abertillery and Stockport

Submitted by Battlescarred on Jan 14 2013 15:35

A short account of little known episodes in the history of anarchist opposition to World War One

There have now been a reasonable number of publications on British anarchist opposition to World War One- the trailblazing and well-documented book on opposition in North London by Ken Weller, the relevant chapter in John Quail’s book on British anarchism, etc. However, much wore investigation needs to be done.

The poverty of privilege politics

In this text from September 2012 the authors argue that privilege politics may not lead us towards a revolutionary perspective.

Privilege. Now there’s a word we are hearing a lot. The concept and finger-pointing of privilege is coming to increasingly concern us as a problem and a poor semblance within the alternative left. We feel not only embarrassed by the simplicity of this undisclosed and undefined overarching theory but concerned that it further leads a stagnant movement down more dire dead ends.

Moving towards solidarity - Laurie Penny

Transphobic feminism makes no sense, argues Laurie Penny.

For decades, the feminist movement has been split over the status of trans people, and of trans women in particular. High-profile feminists such as Germaine Greer, Jan Raymond and Julie Bindel have spoken out against what Greer terms "people who think they are women, have women's names, and feminine clothes and lots of eyeshadow, who seem to us to be some kind of ghastly parody".

The Raven 17: Use of land

Issue of The Raven journal about the use of land in capitalist society. Reproduced for reference.

The Raven: anarchist quarterly

Partial online archive of The Raven, a quarterly anarchist review published by Freedom Press for 43 issues from 1987-2003. In general the journal was very poor, so we reproduce it for reference only.

Published online with the kind permission of Freedom Press, from whom you can also purchase hardcopies of The Raven, as well as many other far superior texts! http://www.freedompress.org.uk/

She’s just not that into you - Nina Power

Nina Power's critical review of Tiqqun's Theory of the Young-Girl.

How best to describe the colonization of the body at this particular juncture of capitalist life? Much recent theorizing has focused on a kind of war of affects where depression, euphoria and other states of being are read not merely as signs or symptoms, but as directly produced by (and productive of) particular economic relations.

Guillaume-Schack, Gertrud (1845-1903)

Submitted by Battlescarred on Jan 13 2013 17:02
Gertrud Guillaume-Schack

A short biography of the "Anarchist Countess" Gertrud Guillaume-Schack, active in the Socialist League.

Gertrud Guillaume-Schack was born on 9th November 1845 in Uschütz,Silesia. In this period the village counted 1.365 people and was the most populous in the Rosenberg district. Gertrud’s father was the Graf (Count) Alexander Schack von Wittenau who owned a 1787 hectare estate .Her mother was Elizabeth Countess of Königsdorf.