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Vitrolles - the logic of the ballot box

This article was translated and abridged from Le Monde Libertaire for Black Flag #211 in 1997. Vitrolles is a town in France whose council was won in elections a few months prior by the fascist Front National. It was the fourth city run by the FN at the time - the others were Toulon, Orange and Marignane.

VITROLLES: THE LOGIC OF THE URNS

Introduction: Why an Everyday manifesto?

commuting.jpg

We outline why we believe that political parties and governments cannot be used to improve our lives, and why we think that the only way meaningful change can occur is if we as ordinary people get together at the grassroots and make them happen.

In practical terms this means that instead of appealing to our leaders for change, or forming political parties to take state power, we make the changes we want – ourselves – and from the bottom up.

20. The Seventies: Under Control?

In the early seventies, the system seemed out of control—it could not hold the loyalty of the public. As early as 1970, according to the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center, "trust in government" was low in every section of the population. And there was a significant difference by

Bangladesh: general strike

A general strike is in force today across Bangladesh.

It was called by the opposition to protest against government manipulation of the voters list, comes alongside threats of a general election boycott early next year. Sunday is a normal working day in Bangladesh.

Women's Suffrage

WE BOAST of the age of advancement, of science, and progress. Is it not strange, then, that we still believe in fetich worship? True, our fetiches have different form and substance, yet in their power over the human mind they are still as disastrous as were those of old.

Living in an election year - A cartoon manifesto

A comic made in the run-up to the 2004 US election, where the two candidates - Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore - stood for pretty much exactly the same policies. Instead of voting, the comic calls on workers to organise together and fight for our own interests.

The System of Communist Representation

Bordiga's critique of the wing of the Italian socialist movement which advocated participation in elections.

In launching our communist programme, which contained the outlines of a response to many vital problems concerning the revolutionary movement of the proletariat, we expected to ace a broad discussion develop on all its aspects. Instead there has been and still is only furious discussion over the incompatibility of electoral participation, which is soberly affirmed in the programme.

Amadeo Bordiga May 1919

First Published: Il Soviet, 13 September 1919, Vol. II, No.38;

Letters to the 3rd International - Amadeo Bordiga

Comintern poster.

Letters from the Central Committee of Amadeo Bordiga's Abstentionist Communist Fraction of the Italian Socialist Party to the Moscow Committee of the 3rd International, November 1919 and January 1920 regarding issues within the Italian Socialist Party around the issues of elections and the Italian war effort in WW1.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/3909/bordiga0.html;
HTML Mark-up: Andy Blunden 2003.

I

Abstentionist Communist Fraction of the Italian Socialist Party
Central Committee
Borgo San Antonio Abate 221
Naples

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