Short memoir of 2nd wave anarchism in NYC
Sep 29 2007 04:14
Found this while searching for info on Bookchin's Anarchos group...
http://www.ainfos.ca/ainfos336/ainfos27055.html
Really neat personal account. I'd also like to see more on the bridge between 2nd and 3rd wave anarchism, particularly covering organized social anarchism. I heard there was something coming out about the Anarchist Communist Federation (US) but I haven't heard much recently.
Sep 30 2007 04:20
#2
16beaver group is new to me
Oct 2 2007 14:03
#3
Quote:
circleamatt writes:Really neat personal account. I'd also like to see more on the bridge between 2nd and 3rd wave anarchism, particularly covering organized social anarchism. I heard there was something coming out about the Anarchist Communist Federation (US) but I haven't heard much recently.
Help me out here, what are the 2nd & 3rd waves of anarchism?
On the ACF, I'm slowly writing an article in real drbs and drabs. More from a personal perspective, but with lots of stuff on the ACF.
Prior to the 1970s the anarchist links are pretty thin. There were the ethnic groups still hanging on. A post WW2 attempt to revive anarcho-syndicalism was made by the "New Trends" group. The Retort group. There was the Libertarian Book Club in the late 1940s and the Libertarian League, late 1950s-mid 1960s. The anarcho-pacifists and the Catholic Worker types and the rise in interest by some in SDS.
Bookchin put of "Anarchos" and made some efforts to reach out to folks in SDS ("Listen Marxist!" being his manifesto of the day). "The Match" actually started as a newspaper of the Arizona chapter of the Student Liebrtarian Action Movement (SLAM). SLAM was sort of a left-right amalagation of anarchists (left-wing) and left-wing libertarians breaing out of the conservative/right wing Young Americans for Freedom. These latter folks would be considered today the forerunners of the so-called Libertarian Party (sic).
Perhaps more later.
Gotta run.
Oct 2 2007 15:15
#4
If you find stuff on or about Anarchos let us know here on libcom. Thanks!
Oct 2 2007 16:36
#5
Ditto New York Federation of Anarchists. The only other evidence I've ever seen of their existance is a photograph in the upstairs conference room of the War Resisters League building in New York.
Oct 3 2007 05:02
#6
I'm no fan of Bookchin, but here's an article he wrote for the original SDS's "New Left Notes" on "Anarchy & Organization: A Letter to the New Left", January 15, 1969
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_Archives/bookchin/leftletterprint.html
An interesting link is that of the "Libertarian Forum" http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/lf/lib-forum-contents.html
This was the publication of Murray Rothbard and Karl Hess. In spite of being on the right-wing of the libertarian scale, the LF has some interesting and topical pieces of it day (1960s). Carries some stuff on SDS and some anarchists.
Oct 15 2007 03:43
#7
2nd wave anarchism is generally considered to be the tendencies that emerged after the end of the Spanish Civll War (marking the end of the first wave) or with the destruction of the Cuban anarchist movement, depending on your preference. To my knowledge, it began in the US with the small but well-publicized resurgance of the IWW in the early 60's (with new members from the Beat and Surrealist scenes) and the Solidarity group in the UK. 3rd wave is a little more hazey, but is generally understood to be anarchism since the fall of the USSR, during which time it's become defined beyond merely a subcultural phenomanon and become more relevant in broader social movements.
But of course, there's that platformist pamphlet that claims 5 waves.
Oct 15 2007 04:52
#8
...with themselves as the pinnacle of Creation of course...
Oct 25 2007 00:31
#9
Ok, here's the "Five Waves" article which was mentioned above:
"FIVE WAVES: A history of revolutionary Anarchist Communist mass organizational theory & practice"
http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=1550
At the time this was posted, I wrote the comments below. Let me briefly supplement the comments by saying that, I recognize the perspective from where the author is coming from. Having "come of age" (politically) during the end of the "forth wave" and extremely active during the "fifth wave" I believe there's some (comradely) differences of opinion between my good comrade and myself.
Briefly, by the mid-1970s there was a rebirth and reinvigoration of many sections of the anarcho-syndicalist IWA. Many of us younger militants, looking for an organized expression of anarcho-syndicalism began the process of rebuilding the IWA and building IWA Section's---sometimes in places where the IWA never had a Section (like the US for example).
While there's no doubt that the some of the organizations mentioned in the arctile were often youthful and dynamic, same could be said for many resurgent IWA sections. In England, for example, I would say that when the old SWF gave way to the DAM, one of the most dyamic, active and engaging movemenets came about. Clearly the DAM was the largest libertarian organization in the UK for some time. Same for the German I-FAUD, which later became the FAU. Similiarly with the comrades of the French CNT. Likewise with many of the smaller sections: youth, action and lively press prevailed.
So this whole thing with the waves..... as with each wave that receeds, another one comes in. So let the big kahuna waves of class struggle anarchism come crashing down on the capitalist class; the State and all petty piss-ant bureaucrats!
As the Haymarket Martyr Adolph Fischer said: "Hurrah for Anarchy!”
"An observation
by mitch Wednesday, Nov 9 2005, 4:29am
wsany@hotmail.com
Quite interesting.
...
In regards to the events of 1968 and the Hot Autumn of 1969, for many comrades of my generation (those who became active in the 1970s) these events were profund. This helped to shape a new generation of anarcho-syndicalists and non-platformist anarchist-communists.
Aside from the rebellions in France and Italy, wildcat strikes were breaking out everywhere in the US.. In Detroit, black workers were self-organizing and challenging both class and race oppression. The question of generalized workers self-organization was again coming to the forefront. It was a time where the premise of the "bread & better" trade union bureaucrats was challenged. Capitalism, racism and regimintation in general was also being challenged.
The demand for workers, community control and self-management were on the table throughout the world.
The revolts in Eastern Europe profoundly challenged the notion that state capitalist marxism equaled socialism. It showed a new generation that this form of socialism could only be enforced by tanks.
Michael confirms a general anarchist view that the fall of Franco in Spain helped to unleash the growth in the international anarchist movement. I think this is only partically true. Spain and the tremendous gowth of the CNT-AIT and, to a lesser extent, the revolutionary events in Portugal helped but by themselves is an inadequate explanation.
I would say that the domestic and world events of 1968 onwards had an radicalizing affect on a new generation of anarchists and libertarian workers. Many of us who later went on to form different organizations, including revived IWA Sections, the ACF of NA and some of the other organizations mentioned in the article.
I look forward to continue regarding this series and perhaps sharing additional comments and observations."
Oct 25 2007 18:43
#10
Black Badger wrote:
...with themselves as the pinnacle of Creation of course...
I think you missed the point. It was a history of specific tendencies and groups that contributed (theoretically, and as an organizing tradition) to the contemporary anarchist currents that idenitify as platformist, especifista, anarchist-communist, etc... and NOT a general history of the anarchist movement. Y'know, kinda like if someone from the IWA-AIT decided to write a history of anarchosyndicalist groups, political thought, precursor movements, etc.
Oct 26 2007 00:55
#11
A few years back I had a pretty good time-line of NYC anarchist organizations. It's still up right here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050211025011/www.anarco-nyc.net/history.html
Wayback machine...thank you Jesus.
My current knowledge of the history of NYC anarchism is WAY more informed now, I just havnt had the time to update those pages, and of course find a new server to host those pages... but the internet archive will suffice for now.
Terry, I have the first two issues of Anarchos if you want some xeroxes. Hit me off line with address.
And I LOVE Bookchin 
Oct 26 2007 01:27
#12
Edited comment:
Boockchin bites. I vivdly recall as he was gaining popularity, he also became rapidly anti-anarcho-syndicalist. I recall the way he also treated Sam Dolgoff, which wasn't too pleasant.
Oct 26 2007 02:00
#13
More importantly, he publicly renounced anarchism several years before he finally croaked.
Oct 26 2007 14:05
#14
Black Badger wrote:
More importantly, he publicly renounced anarchism several years before he finally croaked.
Big deal. I probably renounce anarchism at least three times a week.
I actually like a lot of Bookchin. If you dissect the core ideas of social ecology from its libertarian municipalist and lack-of-class-analysis baggage there's some important insights to be gained. Also, to the old man's credit, he definitely back peddled on his anti-class struggle positions towards the end of his life. I saw him speak a few times in the mid-90s and he was definitely on a kick about "rediscovering Marx" and talking up the class war. You can see some of that in the interviews he gave for the AK Press book "Anarchism, Marxism and the Future of the Left".
Oct 26 2007 15:14
#15
moose wrote:
A few years back I had a pretty good time-line of NYC anarchist organizations. It's still up right here:http://web.archive.org/web/20050211025011/www.anarco-nyc.net/history.html
fascinating stuff. i think the workmen's circle still exists, on 33rd street.
Oct 26 2007 22:01
#16
My point about Bookchin renouncing anarchism has little to do with the fact that anarchism contains flaws and contradictions. Bookchin didn't renounce anarchism because he renewed his interest in the more libertarian strains of Marxism--he was going into a second childhood, growing nostalgic about the Stalinism and Trotskyism of his youth. Adherents to those brands of counter-revolution spout on about "class war" often enough, even though they mean something entirely different from what is usually understood by the regular posters on this forum.
Oct 27 2007 16:16
#17
Fair enough. But regardless of whatever he labeled himself in the end ("Communalist" I think) I'd still argue that his writings fell within the broad scope of left-libertarian thought.
Oct 27 2007 17:00
#18
I dislike Bookchin's pretentious use of the language. But some of his more accessible works, like The Limits of the City and Post Scarcity Anarchism, i did find very thought provoking.
Oct 31 2007 05:40
#19
:
Quote:
STRB wrote: I think you missed the point. It was a history of specific tendencies and groups that contributed (theoretically, and as an organizing tradition) to the contemporary anarchist currents that idenitify as platformist, especifista, anarchist-communist, etc... and NOT a general history of the anarchist movement. Y'know, kinda like if someone from the IWA-AIT decided to write a history of anarchosyndicalist groups, political thought, precursor movements, etc.
Um not really sure about this interpration. I admit I've skimmed the 5 chapters, but I get a different impression. Yes, I get a distinct impression that it is a broader history than implied. It appears to me that this interestiong pamphlet clearly promotes one tendency over another. Surely the author's perogative. I just think it falls a bit short and maintain a somewhat different view (as I wrote above).
Eve's a total wackjob.