in italiano: Qui
With the Spyros Mandylas’ text about the end of his hunger strike, RadioAzione definitely closes the door to the new method of protest – “hunger strike until death”, rotten fruit of the age of fast
communication. Yes, because there will be many hunger strikes until death thanks to the web information.
I’ve always rejected the hunger strike as a method of struggle, but I’ve always respected those who in the past years needed to adopt it for some “x” reason”. Instead of the hunger strike, in which one exposes its own life to risk, I prefer the “kamikaze” who will blow himself up in some barracks.
Like it’s not enough that we are thrown in the dungeons of the State, moreover we help exactly the same State to eliminate us physically.
Therefore, it’s better to try to kill a guard if you want put your life on risk in prison instead of doing the same thing blackmailing the State and asking charity from it.
The blackmail is: what could happen if our own health get worse due to the hunger strike?
In a way it’s like saying: “State, attention! If I die, there will be a mess outside …”. The charity wears the mask of demand with blackmail.
For that reason I don’t think that the“hunger strike”, especially the one which asks the State to be more gentle, is a proper method of struggle for an anarchist.
I understand that is one of the few methods of struggle that can be used in prison but, if we decided to “steal a
candy”, we know very well that the result would be punishment. It doesn’t make sense to complain later.
Even if we’re accused for the stolen candy, but we didn’t do that, we have to assume that we belong to those who would, anyway, like to steal that candy.
In short, we are anarchists and if we don’t decide to spend our life behind the doors of a library, reading books and more or less agree with various theories, the prison will accommodate us, sooner or later.
This will happen because we could be caught in the act or we could be set up. In war the enemies have to be eliminated in any possible way, and in that regard the State is more coherent than anarchists.
I am aware that in this moment, when I’m writing these lines, some comrades in Chile are on hunger strike for several reasons related to their situation, such as isolation, imprisonment etc. But this one is very
different from the hunger strike carried out and ended by detained anarchist in Greece (with the pressure on the new rulers and “friendly” SYRIZA government, to abolish some laws for anarchists).
Like I said before, that is the same method of “struggle”, carried out for asking
something from the State, in the form of blackmail which doesn’t reflect
the anarchist ideas.
Should I stay in silence in front of all this?
Should there exist only statements of ignorant solidarity an no different positions?
As I could see, the criticism hasn’t come only from myself, but from many other comrades too, whose ideas are put (and continue to stay) in the drawer of anarchist respectability.
Mine reflections are just some kind of “reflections”, while those coming from the others are reflections in the true sense…
For my reflections not to be just some kind of reflections, I should write them in a prison cell; and there, yeah, they could become reflections in the “true sense”…
Yes, because whatever comes out of prison is consider truthful, and often whatever comes from outside it’s crap if it disagrees with the uniformity.
The theory says that the critical analysis, especially when it comes from a “non politically correct” side and when isn’t deep enough, it doesn’t hold on the Internet.
One who has a magazine, in paper form, can write his reflections without them to be “some kind of reflections”. So therefore I shouldn’t write my own for the simple reason that because circulating on the Web they are considered “some kind of reflections”?
Must I have a “diploma” or “license” to say what I think?
This reminds me a lot of the method of assembly, where one who isn’t a good “orator” stays silent and never intervenes, and if he would intervene, with his simple and genuine way of speaking, he would be
immediately shushed by a long speech from some good orator.
I don’t have money to print a magazine, and when I used to print it in the past, many didn’t care to leave a donation, despite the fact that it was (minus printing costs) benefit for the anarchist prisoners. However, hundreds of copies were distributed on my own expense, obviously
(obviously?).
Because of that I decided to move my “kind of reflections” on the website, at “almost” zero cost. Therefore, since I don’t have any intention to become “news agency”, I put down my thoughts here.
I keep in mind that Internet is under surveillance, but the papers shouldn’t think they are safe from indiscreet eyes.
Consequently, my considerations are under surveillance as much as those on the paper.
One more thing that I don’t tolerate and that really pisses me off is when I hear, “it’s not the right moment”.
On the basis of which Christian spirit you claim this bullshit?
Only because one decided to transform his own life in a “blackmail-charity” and could be dying, I shouldn’t say everything I think?
Why those who support him may express their thoughts but not the other ones who do not?
Should I stay in silence, waiting him to die, and then send flowers on the coffin and a note of condolences to the family?
No, sorry, I’m all that what can be considered a lucid sick and cynical mind, and I rather say: “Poor comrade, unaware, you who are dying and didn’t understand a shit that you’re doing a favor to the
State…”
I’m not against the suicide, it don’t have the need to be a part of worthless fauna on this shitty planet. I’m not catholic either, to think that committing suicide is a sin.
Suicide is a moment, and many times maybe it passes just a few seconds from thinking to committing it. If I had two minutes to think about it, I would rather drag with me under the ground one of my enemies.
I’ve heard so many times “it’s not the right moment”.
One time it’s not for the demo, next time it’s not for the attack, then it’s not for the
critic, and another time it’s not because someone has a stomach ache.
Couple of years ago someone said: “we go and we come back together”. Many didn’t like this statement and, rightly (from my point of view), it was criticized and transformed into: “I/we don’t wait anyone!”.
“Go and come back together” means that there should be a specific moment for leaving and a specific moment for returning, always united. Therefore, there should exist “specific” moments.
But, who knows which are those right moments?
Usually, they are determined by the leaders… or it’s better to say that they will never exist…
Which means that many have criticized the “go and come back together”, but in fact they are saying “it’s better not say anything and do nothing because it’s not the right moment…”.
Let’s play: “Find the differences”.
From my point of view, one who says “it’s not the right moment”, he suffers, unquestionably, from authoritarianism.
Even this “kind of reflections” about using the “hunger strike” as method of struggle, and especially in its form “until death”, will end up in the drawer of anarchist respectability.
Because the detained anarchist comrades on hunger strike mustn’t know that there are anarchists who think differently; they have to know that all anarchists support them.
As if there are not enough concrete walls, barbed wires and bars to isolate prisoners from what’s happening outside, so even comrades from outside distort the reality.
And, who knows, maybe someone even hopes the comrade on hunger strike dies, so to make a demo and smash the shop windows.
Note: No one is forced to read my reflections, and if they bother you, change the “channel” and you will find the “social peace” for sure.
RadioAzione, 8 May 2015
Translation: RadioAzione [Croatia]