Welcome to Now it’s Time

July 22, 2010

Here are the posts I have on the site, organized by subject.  They have been written over the span of a few years.  I don’t update this blog too often as I am not a prolific writer.

Anarchism

  • My relationship to struggle right now – Although I am deeply committed to this project—the project of creating a world which is reasonable to live in—I have lately found myself more often a cynical observer than an active member.
  • Why anarchists need to pay attention to management literature – How the Left can learn from the substantial knowledge and evidence amassed by the capitalist classes in their drive to make profit.  Their own literature, when viewed through the eyes of the anti-authoritarian Left, can clearly be seen to support our economic ideas.
  • Revolutionary Stripes – Here is a picture I drew a while back as an illustration of how movement building works.  Is it too simple? Definitely.  Is it a useful teaching and thinking tool? I think perhaps so.
  • Tactics and strategy – Here is  the text of a couple of little essays I wrote in the comments when someone posted a link to some anarchist fighting. Debating tactics outside of the context of goals and strategy is useless. I think the real debate being had is of those latter points.
  • Stating the obvious – A little rant about anarchism.
  • Rules for Radicals – A book review.
  • Underpants anarchism – But what does South Park have to teach us?

Gender

Trans isn’t radical

A series of posts taken from an essay I wrote after immersing myself in reading the trans cannon. So much of it seemed overly self-congratulatory because the authors felt like trans and genderqueer were “radical” and “revolutionary”. Having a deep respect for both these words and their history I found this hard to stomach and here is some of the reasons why.

While I have tried to make these stand on their own, they were written as one giant essay, some of which isn’t posted yet.  So if something doesn’t make sense that might be why.

  • Gender challenge – The thesis I am disputing here is: Trans challenges assumptions from the culture at large regarding the foundations of gender, which is a central component of the network of oppression.
  • Administrative reforms – About the paperwork side of trans.
  • Medical magic – Reforms we demand of the medical system do little to prefigure or create any sort of new health care model. In this post I compare the trans health care movement with the feminist health movement, and suggest ways trans folk may be able to build on their successes.

Humour & Jokes

  • Attentat! Newsheet – A joke newsletter I wrote about Ottawa Anarchists.
  • Which lane are you in? – A song I wrote riding my bike in the city…
  • Parody of “Baby, I’m an anarchist” – In which I defile the expression of lifestylist smugness
  • Scared of government – A few TPFD comics I stole.
  • Design for Anarchists – (Or, How to stay in the anarchist ghetto) I have been meaning for years to write something for anarchists about the basics of design. But I felt that there are already such copious materials out there that if anyone cared to look there’s no reason why anything I wrote would be too special. I figure the problem is more with people not caring. So knowing that anarchists don’t tend to like to do as they’re told I am employing a bit of reverse psychology… oops I gave away the trick before the show.

Labour

Other


A bit about General Strikes

December 16, 2011

I have noticed talk all over of General Strikes. I thought folks might appreciate a bit of reading on the subject

Lucy Parsons: The General Strike: The Strike of the Future (1905)

William Trautmann: The General Strike (1912)

The General Strike that didn’t happen: a report on the activity of the IWW in Wisconsin

Tim Acott: Think it Over (2011)

Obviously I am a fan of Recomposition Blog. ;) The people who write for this site are all on-the-ground workplace organziers with the IWW, most (all?) of them have many years of experience organizing radical, direct-action, democratic unions.

I’m also going to say that if you are serious about organizing any kind of job action, you would do well to gt in touch with the IWW Branch nearest you. In most places the IWW is one of, if not the only, organization doing this kind of organizing. The IWW runs “Workplace Organizing 101″ trainings which are said to best the best in NA. Also it is one of the only unions which does not immediately seek certification votes upon organizing.

That’s a whole separate topic, but the short of it is this: in most jurisdictions certified unions, union leaders and/or workers can be fined (BIG money) or jailed for participating in (or even advocating) any job action which does not follow some very specific rules. And I guarantee you the General Strike is outside those rules (look up your local laws re “double picketing”). This is why at the end of the day the leadership of trade unions will be very reluctant to endorse or assist in any way. I read a couple of articles recently that discussed this point:

No strike clauses hold back unions

West Coast Port Shutdown Sparks Heated Debate between Unions, Occupy

So if you want to organize anything like this, you have to go to the base. Which is difficult, I’m not going to lie. But realistically it’s the only choice we have.

Anyway if anyone else has any good resources to add I’m sure they would be welcome. There seems to be a tremendous amount of interest in this. Which is wonderful, frankly.


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.