Beer and Revolution Archives: The Greek Insurrection audio is up!

With the debut of Beer and Revolution "Season Two" last night, featuring Anarchy Magazine contributor and editor Lawrence Jarach, it seemed like a good time to get off our asses and put up some more audio from last year's sudsy symposiums. A couple weeks ago I posted the audio to John Zerzan's presentation at last January's Beer & Rev and this week I finally got around to adding the presentation on the Greek insurrection by Sissy, Tasos and Peter (which was a big hit). Below I've embedded the first part of what was a wide-ranging and very entertaining discussion below.

The more I reflect on the Greek tour, especially having spent some time with them (and quaffed more than a few beers together here and in the Bay) and seeing their presentation twice, I think it is very likely that their visit will be remembered as one of the more remarkable and influential events in recent American anarchist history. Already I have heard the "Cops, pigs, murderers!" chant ring out at more than one anarchist action across the country. In a time where police murder seems more and more the norm, I expect to hear it a lot more. I certainly feel lucky to have had the chance to learn from our Greek comrades about their struggle.

Follow the link back to our youtube page for the rest of it (it's almost two hours total). As usual, to get the full experience, you really need to come to the event. Since it takes place in a very social atmosphere, the sound quality on the recording is not always the best, especially during the q and a. All the more reason to come out and join in the conversation yourself! While you're at our youtube page, check out the favorites section, because there's some interesting talks there that we think are worth checking out. We add to it periodically, so check back from time to time.

Last night's B&R with Lawrence drew a little more than forty people and was a raucous affair. I hope to have that online for your enjoyment in a few days if all goes well. As usual, if you're coming to town or if you're already here and have something that you think may fit in the Beer & Rev format, hit us up. Maybe we can work something out. These are irregular affairs, in that rather than stick to an arbitrary calendar, we do them when we think there's something worth talking about. As of right now, we do have another tentatively planned for March or April. We'd love to do another one (or more) before that, so hit us up if you're interested.

One of the things we want to do with Beer & Rev is to encourage the discussion of anarchist ideas and the development of critical anarchist thinking here in Phoenix, and to do it in a social way that breaks out of the stale lecture model that so often dominates the genre, as well as to challenge ourselves and our ideas. Suggestions, tips, criticisms and comments are always welcome.

The VOID Network reports on their visit to Phoenix

What a pleasure it is to meet new comrades from across the world! This weekend PCWC was lucky enough to share time, beers and plenty of conversation with our new Greek comrades from the VOID Network. We saw them as well as their traveling companion, Peter, off yesterday morning over omelets and pancakes and can't wait to see them again in San Francisco at the end of the week.


The three travelers delivered two interesting presentations while they were here, one on the squatting struggle in Barcelona (something we at PCWC, almost accidentally, had some very exciting experiences with a couple years back), and the other on the Greek insurrection of December 2008, and in Greece generally. Peter and the VOID Network comrades were thoughtful and open to hearing how anarchists and Indigenous peoples here in this part of the world see things and organize.

It was particularly exciting to meet people who were convinced, as we are, that any anarchy in the US -- insurrectionary or otherwise -- must reflect our local conditions and history. We cannot just take anarchist politics, actions and organizing techniques from other cultures and apply them wholesale here. We need an anarchy with American characteristics, if I can use that for shorthand, which analyzes honestly the history of the struggle against capitalism, the state and colonialism here where we live.

We can, however, be inspired by the struggle and tactics of others, and inspired we were for sure. The Greek struggle is a fascinating one, and what the anarchists there have accomplished it truly amazing. There is much to learn from. We were thrilled by the multimedia discussion they led at our Beer & Revolution night on Sunday. In what I think was a great way to start the night, the gathered audience, numbering about fifty over the course of the night, was requested to throw out their questions right at the beginning so that the talk could focus on what everyone wanted to know. This method definitely kept the talk interesting and amusing.

All in all, it was a very fulfilling experience and it is nice to read in their blog that it wasn't a one-way exchange. We, for instance, shared our analysis of the critical nature of white supremacy in maintaining US capitalism and the importance of attacking it as a revolutionary strategy. Likewise, we shared our "Fractures and Fissures" method of intervention and why we use it. For my part in particular, I really found it interesting to hear how Greek anarchists organize within what is a broadly shared cultural experience and how that affects the way they appeal to people.

For those interested in reading about their analysis of their time in town, follow the link below to the blog of the VOID Network, where they discuss in depth their visit, as well as their voyages in general. Very good stuff, comrades!

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Phoenix Arizona // O'Odham Tribe Land / We Are an Image from The Future U.S.A. Tour 2010