Issue #7 Correspondence - Root & Branch

Dear friends,

In response to your request for feedback, I would like to limit myself to one point regarding Paul Mattick's remarks on violence and nonviolence [Interview, Root & Branch 5]. When Mattick states (on p. 35) that the bourgeoisie "does not allow the workers to choose between non-violent and violent methods of class struggle", I think he expresses a common but mistaken opinion long ago refuted by the historical development of methods of struggle. Out of the growing literature on nonviolent struggle, I need only refer to Gene Sharp's The Politics of Nonviolent Action (Boston: Porter Sargent, 1973), which in over 800 pages of well researched text establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that nonviolent action is a technique of struggle capable of winning victories against the violence of state and bourgeoisie, and that these methods have been resorted to frequently, not only with principled nonviolent leadership, but also innumerable times in the spontaneous activity of working people.

There is certainly room for debate on the role of nonviolent campaigns in the revolutionary movement and on the feasibility of a nonviolent strategy for revolution. I and my comrades in Movement for a New Society look forward to increasing discussion of these issues in libertarian publications; but, it is essential that such debate be informed.

In solidarity,

Bob Irwin

[hr]

Publications of Interest to readers of Root & Branch :

Synthesis
P.O. Box 1858 San Pedro, CA 90733

The New Socialist
Box 18026 Denver, CO 80218

Spartacus
5, rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie Paris 4, France

Collegamenti
Per l'organizzazione dretta de classe Gianni Carrozza C.P. 1362
50100 Firenze, Italy

Marxiana
C.P. 5, Bari-Palombaio 70036 Italy

Red Menace
P.O. Box 171 Station D Toronto, Ontario Canada

Now and After
A World to Win, P.O. Box 1587, San Francisco, CA 94101

[hr]

Available from Root & Branch :
Root & Branch Pamphlet 1 : Workers Councils, by Anton Pannekoek. $1.00.
Root & Branch Pamphlet 6 : Portugal : Anti-Fascism or Anti-Capitalism ? $1.50.

Root & Branch 5 : contains an interview with Paul Mattick, and articles on the new workers' movement in Spain, the "revolt against work", and the Ehrenreich class theory. $1.50.
Root & Branch 6 : contains articles on the obsolescence of economics, CIO history, trade unions, and Rosa Luxemburg. $1.50.
Paul Mattick, Marx & Keynes : Limits of the Mixed Economy. $3.95.
Please add $.50 per item to cover postage and handling.

[hr]

We regret to say that the Root & Branch book is out of print, as are all issues previous to number 5. To be sure to get all future issues, subscribe.

Rates

Domestic - $6.00/4 issues $2.00/copy
Foreign - $8.00/4 issues $2.00/copy

Let us know which issue you want your subscription to start with (5, 6, 7, or 8).

Root & Branch Box 236, Somerville, MA 02143