Re: [ox-en] Re: [ox] Theses about the relation between the Oekonux project and the remaining world
- From: Rich Walker <rw shadow.org.uk>
- Date: 17 Oct 2003 02:52:10 +0100
On 7 Oct 2003, Rich Walker wrote:
I was at an ATTAC workshop at the London Social Forum last weekend. I
would say that, if they were representative of that movement, then they
differ from almost all the others that were there in having a buy-in to
an underlying political/philosophical platform, and that they believe
small reforms to capitalism are "all" that is needed.
There are a lot of different people, from different political viewpoints,
participating in Attac, but there is a sense of convergence around some
points of political points of agreement, more than just a few bullet
points a political action program. Attac is first and foremost an
organisation that works for social justice by means of 'small' reforms of
the existing system. However, this does not mean by any means that
everyone participating in Attac see these 'small' reforms as an end-point,
but many of us believe the battle for such 'small' reforms to be a process
of educating the public that another vision of the world is possible,
desirable and that not everything is hopeless in face of the neoliberal
juggernaut.
Yes, I guess the fact I spent the morning at a WOMBLES workshop kind of
coloured my perspective. The people in Attac seemed to be from the
upper-median group - those with much more to lose in a more
significant change in the world.
The problem with lots of visions of another world, like socialisms and
Oekonux, is that most of them concern themselves with the end-state only,
as in, 'this is where we want to end up', while leaving the largest
question of them all, 'how do we get there', alone or (in the case of many
revolutionary socialists) up to the deus ex machina of some total
revolutionary event that just changes everything.
Absolutely. This is why I suggest that we should dismiss all routes to
change that do not go through a legitimate political party with a
definite route to social transformation through electing political
animals in suits to political roles. Indeed, in Britain, the Terrorism
Act actually defines terrorism as seeking political goals outside
political parties - and we must not support terrorism...
I am quite fascinated by the apparent fear of being associated with 'the
left'.
As a no-work anarchist by nature, I'd be horrified to be associated with
the Left, since as far as I can tell, most of the Left seems to want
people to work... Then again, I'd be horrified to be associated with the
Right, the Liberals, the Catholics, the Muslims, the Krishnas, the
Bhuddists, or any other organized hierarchy preaching man's subservience
to mythical doctrine.
cheers, Rich.
This is hardly new.
It is prevalent also in organisations like
Attac, and widespread in the 'movement of movements' in general. I must
add: A lot more so in the North than in the South. So when it was argued
that Oekonux should not associate with the social forum because the forum
is too 'left', I found that oddly ironic. Remindeds me a little of that
famous Monthy Python scene from 'Life of Brian'...
- Per
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rich walker | technical person | Shadow Robot Company | rw shadow.org.uk
front-of-tshirt space to let 251 Liverpool Road |
London N1 1LX | +UK 20 7700 2487
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