#10: Are The Issues The Issue?
:Eco-defense strategy and insurrection; “Desert” review; prisoner updates
Listen to the Episode — 55 min
Summary
Building on our previous exploration of insurrectionary anarchism, our tenth episode examines how these ideas apply to environmental struggles today, as we share excerpts from a debate about "The Issues Are Not The Issue," a critical discussion of tactics and strategy in eco-defense movements. We also take a look at Desert, an anarchist analysis of climate change and the possibilities for resistance in a world of ecological disaster, as well as sharing updates from prisoners, news from global uprisings, more reading recommendations, and more. {September 19, 2013}
Notes and Links
The debate we excerpted in this episode was catalyzed by “The Issues Are Not the Issue”, a pamphlet that circulated at the Earth First! Rendezvous in July.
Panagioti referred to several past and present campaigns, including the successful fight to stop the Primate Products vivisection lab, the campaign against biotech company Scripps, the efforts to stop the construction of a nuclear power plant in Levy County, Florida, and the “SHAC model” for campaign organizing. He also referred to the famous 1999 WTO protests in Seattle and the anti-FTAA demonstrations in Miami in 2003.
Neal mentioned the ZAD land occupation in France, as well as the North American “free state” land occupations - specifically, check out the Minnehaha Free State and the Cascadia Free State.
The discussion of campaigns and insurrection in Greece mentioned the anti-gold mining and anti-landfill campaigns.
Some of the theoretical ideas that came up included anarchist critiques of the left, biocentrism, criticisms of green capitalism and technology, and of course insurrectionary anarchism.
“Desert”, our Chopping Block review, as well as “Down With the Empire, Up With Spring!”, a previous text that informed its analysis.
As we mentioned, we’re looking for more Ex-Workers to help with the podcast: writers, contributors, audio engineers, researchers, and correspondents. if you want to get involved, get in touch at podcast [at] crimethinc [dot] com.
The brand new CrimethInc “After the Crest” reports, which we’ll discuss in our next episode, on the how social upheavals swelled and receded in Oakland, Barcelona, and Montreal.
Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain’s essay “Days of Tear Gas, Blood, and Vomit” is one of the most entertaining and inspiring pieces we’ve read recently.
Anarchist perspectives on Syria: an interview with a Syrian anarchist, and statements from the First of May Anarchist Alliance and the Wingnut Anarchist Collective in Richmond, Virginia.
From issue #39 of Hors Service (roughly, “Out of Service” or “Out of Order”), a Belgian insurrectionary newssheet: an article translated into English, or the full issue in the original French or Dutch. UPDATE: Issue #40 has just come out, though we haven’t found any English translations yet.
Statement from Pelican Bay prisoners announcing the suspension of the hunger strike
Audio statement on Running Down the Walls 2013, from United Freedom Front prisoner Jaan Laaman
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Statement from grand jury resistor Jerry Koch, who you can write to at this address:
Gerald Koch #68631–054
MCC New York
150 Park Row
New York, New York 10007 -
Prisoners with upcoming birthdays:
Brian Church #2012–0519002
Cook County Department of Corrections
Post Office Box 089002
Chicago, Illinois 60608Brian McCarvill #11037967
Snake River Correctional Institution
777 Stanton Boulevard
Ontario, Oregon 97914–8335
Note: Must have hand-written, non-post office box return addressJorge Cornell
Piedmont Regional Jail
PO Drawer 388
Farmville VA 23901–0388Justin Solondz #98291–011
FCI Loretto
Post Office Box 1000
Loretto, Pennsylvania 15940Joshua Stafford #57976–060
2240 Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
Note: Address card/letter to Skelly.Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974–555
USP Florence ADMAX
Post Office Box 8500
Florence, Colorado 81226Greg Curry #213–159
Ohio State Penitentiary
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd
Youngstown OH 44505–4635