Cooperation

[Jallen]

As far as I know, in Holland at least, there is little to no cooperation between different leftist organisations.
I personally think it is important to have at least some solidarity between the different organisations instead of having seperate groups debating their own ideas internally or regionally.
What are your ideas on this? How does it work in your country? What are your suggestions?

[Forward Union]

As far as I know, in Holland at least, there is little to no cooperation between different leftist organisations.
I personally think it is important to have at least some solidarity between the different organisations instead of having seperate groups debating their own ideas internally or regionally.
What are your ideas on this? How does it work in your country? What are your suggestions?

The question is not one of ideological or moral unity, because if we are not engaged in reality, and only in theory, the idea of linking up with someone we disagree with sees absurd. There is no reason to really do it. However, if we are practically engaged in an active workers movement, the need for industrial unionism, and pragmatic leadership of such a union, would negate those who are communists or moral or supernatural reasons.

The problem is, there is no mass workers movement in the UK for us to engage with. For now, our goal must be to repair the non-political organs of workers power, Unions, Residents and tenants associations, i will work with anyone who is prepared to do this.

[Ravachol]

As far as I know, in Holland at least, there is little to no cooperation between different leftist organisations.
I personally think it is important to have at least some solidarity between the different organisations instead of having seperate groups debating their own ideas internally or regionally.
What are your ideas on this? How does it work in your country? What are your suggestions?

It really depends here in the Netherlands. There is some inter-tendency strife yes but when it comes to various broad-front actions, there is almost always unity. As far as anti-fascism, trade-union work, anti-imperialism and the anti-war movement are concerned, most groups cooperate rather well. The main problem as far as Dutch Anarchism is concerned is:

1. The lack of any theoretical debate or the production of theory AT ALL. It's highly actionist and ad-hoc over here.

2. The lack of organisational structures and the prevalence of the anti-organisational tendency within anarchism, mainly as a result of point 1

3. The splitting of the 'total struggle' (totaalstrijd) for social revolution in 'partial struggles' (deelstrijd) and the drifting apart of groups focussing on partial struggles only, losing track of the total struggle.

4. The complete and utter detachment from class struggle as a result of 3.

The best example of point 3 is, to me, the 'a-political' nature of large segments of the squatter's movement in the Netherlands. Although the very act of squatting is obviously political and rooted in anti-capitalism, the squatter's movement has deteriated to the point where a lot of local squatting groups define their philosophy as 'being yourself, refraining from politics and "economics"'.

What Forward Union stated applies to the Netherlands as well, there is no mass workers movement over here (yet).
The main goal of the revolutionary left over here should be the restoration and/or (re-)creation of organs of worker's politics (I dislike to seperate the political and the economical). Whether this is done by working inside the reformist trade unions and radicalizing them from within or by establishing worker's support groups and workfloor solidarity networks is secondary.

The main obstacle, especially for the Dutch Anarchist movement, is to detach itself from actionism and it's cult-like ritualism (where some actions are nothing more than a ritual to feel one 'has done something for the movement' without any tactical result) and rethink it's goals and strategy. We need to move away from seperated partial struggles and form a coherent movement.