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 Wednesday September 30, 2015 03:09 by Anarkismo Network
The Anarkismo Network
The international Anarkismo Network, which brings together class struggle anarchist organisations from more than a dozen countries in both the global South and North, and has relations with far more from across the globe, has noted with great surprise and concern the recent accusations by AK Press that Michael Schmidt is a fascist working undercover to infiltrate the anarchist movement.Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article. As a network Anarkismo has not taken sides, and will not accuse the accuser or the accused before there is more information and all the evidence has been presented.[Italiano]
Statement from Anarkismo on the AK Press accusations against Michael SchmidtThe international Anarkismo Network, which brings together class struggle anarchist organisations from more than a dozen countries in both the global South and North, and has relations with far more from across the globe, has noted with great surprise and concern the recent accusations by AK Press that Michael Schmidt is a fascist working undercover to infiltrate the anarchist movement [1]. Michael Schmidt has been a regular and long-standing contributor to Anarkismo.net and, in the past, has sat on its editorial and delegates groups. If these accusations are proven to be true Anarkismo will take immediate and appropriate action to ban him from posting on the website, as well as to guard against any possible future infiltration. Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article. As a network Anarkismo has not taken sides, and will not accuse the accuser or the accused before there is more information and all the evidence has been presented. Both sides will have to explain themselves thoroughly first and be available for answering any serious questions about the information. However, we must be clear that we feel the way in which AK Press has dealt with the matter is irresponsible and prejudicial, judging and condemning Michael Schmidt without presenting any evidence, and without allowing him the right to defend himself, or to respond to the article before making the public announcement of 25 September 2015. Both sides must be given a fair chance to have their say. The Anarkismo Network therefore demands that the alleged “incontrovertible evidence” be released by AK Press with immediate effect, and not to refer us to the journalist: since AK Press itself has endorsed the position, it must take responsibility for the proof. We furthermore demand that AK Press unconditionally and explicitly state, also with immediate effect, that its allegations refer to Michael Schmidt alone, and not to any publishers, co-authors, editors, left organisations or currents with which Michael Schmidt may have been associated.
We urge AK Press to publish Michael Schmidt’s official responses on its newswires and sites, as we believe that he has the right to defend himself [2].
The Anarkismo Network
1. http://www.anarchistnews.org/content/michael-schmidt-author-black-flame-white-nationalist-trying-infiltrate-anarchist-movement-ak 2. https://www.facebook.com/AKPress/posts/10156169461510249
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The Anarkismo network has already published a statement that it would wait until all parts of the accusations by Reid Ross and Stephens were published, as well as the answers of M. Schmidt, before making any judgements on the case. Now that this has been forthcoming, as well as two more responses by Reid Ross, we are issuing a second statement to make public our intentions regarding the present situation.
This is a solidarity Statement For Rojava from an old group that is reviving itself somewhat: Neither East Nor West-NYC
We are very pleased to be able to congratulate you on the realisation of your First Congress as a specific anarchist political organisation. In light of the disbanding of the Federación Anarco-Comunista Argentina we believe that this is a very important step both for our shared especifista tendency as well as for the development of anarchism in general, both in Argentina and the region. Anarchist Women attending to the Young Women Conference, in a small village Amara which is in Urfa (Kurdistan), made a speech on the resistance in Kobane, the effect of women on this resistance and women's freedom struggle.
This year marks the 140 year anniversary of the first anarchist International held at St.Imier, Switzerland, in 1872. In celebration of the anniversary an international gathering was called in St.Imier in mid-August. A contingent of Collective Action militants attended the gathering along with thousands of other anarchists from around the world to discuss politics, create new international ties and, of course, have some fun. August saw a gathering of a couple of thousand anarchists from all over the globe in St Imier, Switzerland. This small town was the site of the founding of the Anarchist International in 1872, the gathering was organised to commemorate this event and involved dozens of political, organisational & cultural events. As part of this gathering Anarkismo, the international network that the WSM is the Irish section of, held both a European conference and a global gathering. [Italiano] The Black Flame blog has just been updated. The blog collates news, views and reviews of Lucien van der Walt and Michael Schmidt's book, "Black Flame: the revolutionary class politics of anarchism and syndicalism". The Zabalaza Books pages have moved to the new ZB site. On the weekend of 26-27 February 2011, delegates representing organizations from the UK, France, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Ireland and Italy met to discuss how they could work more closely together. [Dansk] [Deutsch] [Italiano] [Ελληνικά] [Nederlands]
In the last few years, Anonymous has gained increasing notoriety for its action against websites, agencies and organizations that promote censorship and control. It has helped spread information and supported protestors demanding freedoms and rights. But the popularity of the movement, the attention it brings along, and the structure it has engendered threaten to push Anonymous away from the decentralized, collective movement it has been. As decisions become more centralized and newcomers jump on the bandwagon, Anonymous risks becoming yet another ineffective reformist group, fueled by well-meaning rethoric but subject to third party interests and paralyzed by its fear of authority... more >>
What if we build it and they don’t come? That was the experience of the left during the crisis - decades had been spent building organisations and a model of how crisis would create revolution but when the crisis arrived the left discovered that the masses weren’t convinced. The expected pattern of crisis leading to small strikes and protests, then to mass strikes and riot and then perhaps to general strike and revolution didn’t flow as expected. Under that theory the radical left would at first be marginal but then as conditions drove class militancy to new heights the workers disappointed by reformist politicians and unions leaders would move quickly to swell its ranks.
For months there has been a heated discussion over charges that Michael Schmidt, author of well-known books about anarchism, is actually a fascist and "white nationalist." Now that the main statements are out on both sides, I have been waiting for an evaluation by some panel of reputable anarchist activists and theorists. As this has not happened, I am publishing my own conclusions.
We, anarchists, are committed to building a society based on self-management and equality. We identify with the analyses and experiences of Mikhail Bakunin, who stated the need for freedom beyond the limited confines of “democracy” – where you are only free to vote on who is next to govern you. Bakunin argued that freedom comes responsibility: this included responsibility to others in the maintenance of this freedom. We need a society based on these principles; an anarchist society which expects from each according to their ability, and provides to each according to their needs.
This pamphlet by the “enigmatic” title “Alpha below zero - Nemesis and new anarchy”, appeared online almost a year ago in Greek language by Anarpsy project. Anarpsy is a project about speech, theory and analysis in the context of social psychology, psychoanalysis, psychodynamic approach and psychiatry through Antiauthoritarian - Anarchist perspective, in order to analyse the reality of social and political phenomena. “Alpha below zero” is the second Anarpsy’s pamphlet. (The first was the “ELthnikismos (ΗELlenicNATIONALISM), - A contribution to the understanding of Greek nationalism”). “Alpha below zero” reflects a shift towards nihilism that exists into so-called neo-anarchists.
The main means of all ruling elites throughout history to force the people to submit to their rule was to recruit metaphysical powers - magic, deities and other kinds of lies to
The Anarkismo network has already published a statement that it would wait until all parts of the accusations by Reid Ross and Stephens were published, as well as the answers of M. Schmidt, before making any judgements on the case. Now that this has been forthcoming, as well as two more responses by Reid Ross, we are issuing a second statement to make public our intentions regarding the present situation.
This is a solidarity Statement For Rojava from an old group that is reviving itself somewhat: Neither East Nor West-NYC
We are very pleased to be able to congratulate you on the realisation of your First Congress as a specific anarchist political organisation. In light of the disbanding of the Federación Anarco-Comunista Argentina we believe that this is a very important step both for our shared especifista tendency as well as for the development of anarchism in general, both in Argentina and the region.
The Black Flame blog has just been updated. The blog collates news, views and reviews of Lucien van der Walt and Michael Schmidt's book, "Black Flame: the revolutionary class politics of anarchism and syndicalism".
The Zabalaza Books pages have moved to the new ZB site. more >> |
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Comments (19 of 19)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19I totally agree with the anarkismo statement and would call on AK Press to now publish / provide the evidence. Michael Scmidt has also responded so the onus is now on his accusers to prove their case or withdraw the accusation asap. The quicker the better, this is extremely damaging to both the movement and Michael himself.
In solidarity
MD
Although I may not share in the politics or traditions of the Anarkismo network, I'd like to reiterate my viewpoint here. Whatever the ultimate outcome might be, as an anarchist, my own allegiance is to openness, fairness, libertarian integrity and principle.
In this spirit, I agree with this portion of your statement:
Read the full Schmidt story with all details here:
https://medium.com/@rossstephens/
I see from link above 3 of 4 statements by the authors who make the claims is now online. But also, let us wait and see what Michael Schmidt does say in response. Then comrades can make an informed view. For now we only have ONE side. But that does not settle the issue.
So, this saga keeps dragging out. Nothing since Friday night, although the others came out every 2 days...
So Schmidt was able to post white supremacist leaning articles here on anarkismo:
https://medium.com/@rossstephens/about-schmidt-how-a-white-nationalist-seduced-anarchists-around-the-world-chapter-3-7d288d84b170#.fumxic11a
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I gather the authors of the critical report of MS is now complete. I am wondering if and when replies by ZACF, Anarkismo and MS might appear?
The statement says "Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article"
Schmidt has not yet responded but has indicated he is working on a response. It would be quite unreasonable of organisations to put forward positions after only hearing one side of the story. There has been more than enough of that already.
Yes, just saw this morning that MS said he would issue a reply. Fair enough. I think there are many of us who want everything on the table so we can come to a determination of our own. And so we can all move on from this unsightly situation.
The following motion was adopted at Anarchist Affinity’s general meeting of 31 October 2015:
I look forward to reading any statement that Lucien Van der Walt or the comrades of the ZACF might put out.
OK, it's November 15, and there's still nothing here at all from Anarkismo, even though all the evidence has been out for a while. Surely you can find it within yourselves to take a stand about this?
I suspect they are waiting for Schmidt's reply which seems reasonable. All the evidence in a court case would be prosecution and defence, not just prosecution. How long did it take from the AK accusation being published until the last of those dramatic essays? A minimum waiting time would be the same I suppose? And then time to hear from ZACF and other 'witnesses'.
The mess is down to the very poor way AK and the writers of the essays handled this. If done properly none of this would have been public until all the evidence was available. The accusation first, evidence later approach was bound to lead to a drawn out process.
Dear Reader, your second paragraph doesn't follow from your first.
Also, the mess is the consequence of Schmidt's behavior, not anything that AK Press or the authors of the exposé are responsible for. The format of the text they wrote is more self-important than necessary, but we should not be complaining about that--we should be critical of the fact that no one else spoke up about this issue before they did, out of all the people who could have said something. If there is any possible defense of Schmidt's behavior, it is certainly not silence, which is what the people around him opted for across the course of several years.
I agree with the Anarchist Affinity statement, and I will be surprised if Schmidt's next statement, or anything we hear from Anarkismo after their long silence, can be anything but more damning of them both.
Anarchism is critical to the survival of humanity at this historical juncture, and deserves better exponents than we are seeing here.
Michael Schmidt's refutation: http://drinkingwithghosts.blogspot.co.za/
Now that MS has issued his reply, can we anticipate hearing from LvdW, as well as the ZACF?
OK, so still nothing from Anarkismo? Schmidt's autobiography came out, and then his critics published a refutation of that, so... Are you really taking no position on this whatsoever?
Micheal Schmidt is an apologist for RKAS.
Micheal Schmidtcries out against blacks rising up against white farmers and supports a “proper Boerestaat" ie a state that caters to white folks in South Africa and while doing so has written articles that paint racist radical pro-apartheid groups in a positive light while only shit talking the moderate ones.
He also hasn't given any good explanation of his covert Nazi-friendly persona.
I speak here as individual, this is not a collective statement. I will not comment on the thread...
I would only make this remark. Anarkismo is a network of 20 organisations. among these 20 organisations, only 7 are english-speaking orgs. All material published in accusation or defense of schmidt has been in english, and that's a lot of text. you understand now the problem we actually face if we want, and we will, to maintain the democratic framework we have inside the network.
that's all
greetings
johnny