Thoughts on the US Social Forum.

[dutch master]

So the whole premise of this (mostly) ridiculous event was to bring the Left together, share skills, make friends, etc. For the most part, this was a failure, for obvious reasons, but I didn't go to the first one and was very curious what this would be like.

The first thing I noticed is wave after wave of unwashed, smelly, trash-eating anarchists. People who say this is a stereotype have either never been around anarchists, and spend all their time talking about some stupid Krondstadt shit on here, or they are just in complete denial. There were literally thousands of punk-teens in clothing that looked like homeless people died in them, with their facial piercings and constant stink filling the air of Detroit.

The second thing I noticed is the amount of pure nonsense passed off as "workshops." Probably the most hysterical one I read about how to do with using puppets to break through "taboos" of child sexual abuse. Yep, gonna get the masses on board with puppets!

Most of the ridiculous, dumbass Trot groups made an appearance, though the Spartacist League was strangely absent. I suppose they thought better than to waste their time on this, which is a credit to them. Maybe there was a NAMBLA convention happening somewhere else at the same time they had to attend.

RCP gets the award for crazy-but-lovable. These people are so far mentally gone, you can't help but feel sorry for them. I actually bought one of their stupid t-shirts, to wear in an ironic fashion whenever the need arises.

Another thing I noticed is the whole thing seemed like one big cluster fuck. Who plans a march 3 miles from the place where the center is held? What fucking idiot thought this was a good idea, and that anyone would bother attending?

Hopefully it will be atleast another 3 years before the stupid-left feels like they need to force us to go to this type of thing again, to remind us all how absolutely pathetic the Left in America is.

[dutch master]

Who else went to the US Social Forum and got a whiff of the stench?

[Martin Blank]

Who else went to the US Social Forum and got a whiff of the stench?

I live in Detroit, stayed away from Cobo Hall and kept my windows rolled up. :D

[bricolage]

People who say this is a stereotype have either never been around anarchists,
You are right none of us have ever been around anarchists, every time I was round someone who called themselves an anarchist I knew they must have been lying because they were not 'unwashed, smelly, trash-eating'.

[Wolf Larson]

damn those silly anarchists! they're worse than the tea party people! all supporting capitalism and shit.....they need to be more materialistic and support GAP while drinking Pepsi with Lenin logo's on the can. Maybe a Che T shirt?

you're criticizing the most (albeit marginal) viable movement in america. fortunately there's not a bunch of Bolsheviks running amok. i agree though...the anarchist book fair i last attended was rather, well, 'fashionable'. it is a problem....as is collusion with the generic left party system.

the left in america needs to get more radical and less fashionable. there are anarchists who have moved beyond the punk scene.

[Rusty Shackleford]

speaking of anarchist. i noticed 2 types of anarchists at the port of oakland. the stereotypical dirty anarchist, and then the clean more professional anarcho syndicalists(IWW sort)

i talked to the more stereotypical ones and they were a nice bunch. didnt talk theory or anything with them though.

[Wolf Larson]

speaking of anarchist. i noticed 2 types of anarchists at the port of oakland. the stereotypical dirty anarchist, and then the clean more professional anarcho syndicalists(IWW sort)

i talked to the more stereotypical ones and they were a nice bunch. didnt talk theory or anything with them though.
where you there when what's her name was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by a cop a few years back? the west oakland punk scene isn't very political these days, with all of the heroin and what not flowing like water. north oakland and berkeley are different though.

[Rusty Shackleford]

where you there when what's her name was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by a cop a few years back? the west oakland punk scene isn't very political these days, with all of the heroin and what not flowing like water. north oakland and berkeley are different though.


nah i just started getting active this year.

[Hiratsuka]

speaking of anarchist. i noticed 2 types of anarchists at the port of oakland. the stereotypical dirty anarchist, and then the clean more professional anarcho syndicalists(IWW sort)

i talked to the more stereotypical ones and they were a nice bunch. didnt talk theory or anything with them though.


From this: http://www.vintageperiods.com/sites/Phenderson/_files/Image/5%20Anarchists%20March(6).jpg

To this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7sMEjmVILME/Sr7Ya2afgWI/AAAAAAAABEg/BvH8rV-WSm0/s400/anarchist+protest+001.jpg

Wonder who American proleteriat are more likely to sympathize with?

[Proletarian Ultra]

OP is right. Smelly anarchists is more than a stereotype. The ones in my area stink quite badly...but they also do some good union work (with the Teamsters of all people.)

Black bloc kiddies aren't going to be invited over to meet anyone's daughter, but they do make every global economic conference in the first world pretty much useless as a propaganda vehicle. That's a victory for the working class, like it or not.

On a positive note, I see the Puppet Underground workshop was cancelled. Were they seriously going to have those f***ing puppet people there? No joke, I've had at least three people tell me they dropped out of antiwar marches because the puppets creeped them out. Wouldn't call them the most committed activists so maybe no big loss, but I think it still says something important. I'll personally pay airfare and hotel for a flying column of Sparts to disrupt any puppet workshop next year.

[KurtFF8]

Wow the OP has quite an odd/selective view of the USSF in my opinion.

Firstly, I didn't really notice a high percentage of anarcho-punks who like to dumpster dive as a political act. At least not in comparison to trade unionists, socialist groups, etc. etc. The idea that the forum was comprised of mainly "a bunch of smelly punks" is a report you might find on Glenn Beck's show, but to most who actually attended the conference: this is just absurd.


The second thing I noticed is the amount of pure nonsense passed off as "workshops." Probably the most hysterical one I read about how to do with using puppets to break through "taboos" of child sexual abuse. Yep, gonna get the masses on board with puppets!

So out of hundreds of workshops, you happen to pick out a ridiculous workshop that (according to an above post) was even canceled.

You leave out workshops like the "Conversation with Grace Lee Boggs and Immanuel Wallerstein", "Cross Border Dialogue with the Zapatistas", "Marx vs Keynes", A workshop about plant occupations put on by the union who occupied the Doors and Windows factory in Chicago

Just a small sample of the actual valuable workshops that went on. These lead to conversations amongst leftist groups and further connections between them. After all, how can a convention of over 15,000 people not lead to better "networking"?


Another thing I noticed is the whole thing seemed like one big cluster fuck. Who plans a march 3 miles from the place where the center is held? What fucking idiot thought this was a good idea, and that anyone would bother attending?

Are you serious? The CIW's Farm worker Freedom march was over 21 miles! And apparently over 10,000 people disagree with your assessment, and did bother attending:
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/23/over_10_000_march_in_detroit

I also challenge you to watch that clip and come back and tell me that it was "a bunch of smelly anarcho-punks" I have a feeling that groups like the Domestic Workers Union would also disagree.

Yes there was no shortage of people laughing at the RCP (and they certainly had quite a presence) but doesn't that happen at RevLeft or any other Leftist event?

Of course the USSF had some problems, but that, to me, isn't a consequence of the organizing of this event, but the US Left itself.

I doubt anyone thought that a "unified front" would come out of this. But what it did do was bring many together fighting for (for the most part) the same causes and have them interact, network, plan, strategize , and move forward.

Not only is the OP's assessment here not helpful and dismissive, but it doesn't reflect (in any way) the same experience that I, and thousands of others, had at the USSF.

[mcg]

I went to most of those forums, dialogue with the Zapatistas, Immanuel Wallerstein and Grace boggs! Some of it was interesting, the bits on south America, the one about oil politics in Nigeria, the report from the revolution in Nepal, even David Shweickarts talk about a socialist state.

It was a cluster fuck though. No transportation, no idea what was going on, no food, etc... The left was widely divided and weak. Personally, I'm not half as bothered by the Anarchist youth going all counter culture with dirty clothes, bikes, etc... At least their angry and different, if maybe undirected. Mostly, I just wish I was as cool and free as them. I was more bothered by the religious groups or the stupid indigenous rights bit. I mean, I drove for two days to get there and first thing I have to do is listen to some native american telling me about mother earth for two hours!? RCP was hilarious though and I like talking to Trotskyists. The thing I guess I was most disappointed about though was the lack of support/planning etc... for the G-20 protests in Toronto. There should have been a hundred buses ready to bring 10 thousand U.S. activists right from the forum to those protests. As it was I went by myself disgusted by most of the U.S. left.

[KurtFF8]

No transportation, no idea what was going on, no food,

There were shuttles to and from every place where the USSF was taking place. As for lack of public transportation, that's more a problem of the kind of development of the city of Detroit, no the USSF.

As for food, there was some overpriced food at Cobo, some nearby restaurants (some a little further), cheap youth lunch, etc. etc. The USSF could have cost quite a bit more if they had to provide food too.

And what do you mean no one had an idea of what was going on? There was a 120 page packet with room numbers, event times, local info, etc.


I drove for two days to get there and first thing I have to do is listen to some native american telling me about mother earth for two hours!?

I know, the NERVE of the USSF for allowing one of the most oppressed groups in the history of North America a venue to have their voices heard and help lead a "People's March." They shouldn't have wasted your time talking about people like Leanord Peltier either, right?


RCP was hilarious though and I like talking to Trotskyists.

Of course


There should have been a hundred buses ready to bring 10 thousand U.S. activists right from the forum to those protests.

Why?


As it was I went by myself disgusted by most of the U.S. left.

It was an event to help rebuild the US Left. You can't start rebuilding it without facing it the way it currently is.

[mcg]

I tried to use the shuttle system. The first day it just didn't exist. The second day it was an hour and a half late. Thursday was pretty good. Friday there were no shuttles to the leftist lounge or back. Saturday there were again no shuttles. Also there were no shuttles going regularly between Cobo and Wayne State U. Twice I tried to go to Jimmy Johns and they we're out of bread. The supposed food court consisted of shishkabab's and grilled meats. I waited an hour without service at the Thai place on Woodward. Finally, the plenaries we're always long out of order and confusing. I know these are petty little concerns and I'm not really that bothered but they did make the forum harder to enjoy.

Secondly, just because the Native Americans have been oppressed doesn't mean we should be tolerant of their religious mumbo jumbo. I'm all for helping them economically, appreciating their history, music, etc... When Native American's realize and admit that their oppression is part of a larger pattern of oppression, I'm willing to ally myself with them. When they realize their religion is nonsense, I'll give them intellectual respect. I'm not tolerant of Christian mumbo jumbo either or any other religious nonsense. What would the reaction to a protestant sermon have been? Peltier has my support though.

Finally, all the talk at the forum was of action. The G-20 protests was a chance to take decisive action and we didn't. Suck :(

[dutch master]

Shuttles took me from my hotel to the Leftist Lounge and back just fine. It seemed to be the only time I could actually rely on them.

[Pawn Power]

So the whole premise of this (mostly) ridiculous event was to bring the Left together, share skills, make friends, etc. For the most part, this was a failure, for obvious reasons, but I didn't go to the first one and was very curious what this would be like.

The first thing I noticed is wave after wave of unwashed, smelly, trash-eating anarchists. People who say this is a stereotype have either never been around anarchists, and spend all their time talking about some stupid Krondstadt shit on here, or they are just in complete denial. There were literally thousands of punk-teens in clothing that looked like homeless people died in them, with their facial piercings and constant stink filling the air of Detroit.

The second thing I noticed is the amount of pure nonsense passed off as "workshops." Probably the most hysterical one I read about how to do with using puppets to break through "taboos" of child sexual abuse. Yep, gonna get the masses on board with puppets!

Most of the ridiculous, dumbass Trot groups made an appearance, though the Spartacist League was strangely absent. I suppose they thought better than to waste their time on this, which is a credit to them. Maybe there was a NAMBLA convention happening somewhere else at the same time they had to attend.

RCP gets the award for crazy-but-lovable. These people are so far mentally gone, you can't help but feel sorry for them. I actually bought one of their stupid t-shirts, to wear in an ironic fashion whenever the need arises.

Another thing I noticed is the whole thing seemed like one big cluster fuck. Who plans a march 3 miles from the place where the center is held? What fucking idiot thought this was a good idea, and that anyone would bother attending?

Hopefully it will be atleast another 3 years before the stupid-left feels like they need to force us to go to this type of thing again, to remind us all how absolutely pathetic the Left in America is.

This reads like a strange piece of propaganda.

It is really hard to identify the Social Forum with any particular social group, ideology, or organization because it was so broad and inclusive. Because of this it was entirely overwhelming. The Forum defiantly had its faults but what is written above does not address them- it is more of a shallow and aesthetic critique of an apparently anti-social sectarian.

Upwards to 25,000 people flooded Detroit under a banner of social justice, people power, and radical change. I question the politics of someone who sees this, in a time of reaction (state sponsored racism in Arizona, etc.), as a "failure" in creating a revolutionary movement. One of the most well attended workshops was a discussion with Grace Lee Boggs and Emmanuel Wallenstein, where the topic was dismantlement of hierarchy in the creation of political and social revolution. What kind of person comes to space like the Social Forum and reports back with such a bizarre and hateful message? - an saboteur or at best, a fool.

[dutch master]

Oh please, I am far from the only person who thought exactly the same thing.

[Raúl Duke]

an saboteur or at best, a fool. Perhaps he's only playing the "devil's advocate" or some other form of iconoclastic role by posting this. It's not a sin to be critical of the left from within the left. We should view all things critically without rosy-tinted optimism or religious-like dogmatism.

[KurtFF8]

Perhaps he's only playing the "devil's advocate" or some other form of iconoclastic role by posting this. It's not a sin to be critical of the left from within the left. We should view all things critically without rosy-tinted optimism or religious-like dogmatism.

No question that we should be critical. I even have a few decent criticisms of the Social Forum, but I wouldn't denounce it, and the amount of "criticism" of the USSF in this forum is laughable.

[KurtFF8]

Also, I suggest this article by Upsidedown World if you still think it was just "abunch of dumpster divers talking about bullshit"

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/international-archives-60/2571-us-social-forum-a-mechanism-for-change