Volunteering at the local anarchist co-op bookstore?

[RadioRaheem84]

Would this be a great option to mingle with leftists? I hardly have an outlet to do so outside of revleft. But there are a couple of things that make me feel a bit uneasy to jump at the opportunity:

Too much lifestyle-ism. There are buttons and posters every where about how meat is murder, fair trade is great (it is but not a solution), vegan-ism is awesome, etc.

The weekly movie they were going to watch was Money as Debt, which in my opinion, is a right libertarian movie that spews all the Federal Reserve conspiracy theories.

They only had one book on the Spanish Civil War, a couple by Chomsky, and one by Michael Parenti (which I know he is not anarchist). But hundreds on organic gardening, how to live on trash and digging for stuff in dumpsters, and stuff on how to live an uncompromising lifestyle.

When I suggested they order some great films like Matewan, 1900, Reds, Wind that Shakes the Barley, etc. they looked at me like they had never heard of these films.

There was also a ton of progressive-left liberal stuff in there. Local rags in there that were good, do not get me wrong, but hardly any real hitting Marxist-left publications like Monthly Review! No labor news, nothing.

Considering all of this, there is also the Trotskyist ISO group in town that meets at the local uni, the CPA-USA group that meets every Sunday. But that's about it. The rest are Democrat-aligned progressive groups.

Would it be OK to volunteer at the co-op?:confused:

[Enragé]

Well if its a CO-OP you working there would also give u some influence in how the place looks like no? U can discuss with them, suggest stuff, and if u make good personal friends u can just start watching the movies u suggested with them and if they like it suggest they get it in the store.

And well, no harm in passing by the trots and the CP in addition to that. U can do both, no?

point is really, you're never going to find a group of people who u agree with completely. U might find individuals in those groups tho, but then first u need to make contact with the group.

[-A-kRud-A-]

Would this be a great option to mingle with leftists? I hardly have an outlet to do so outside of revleft. But there are a couple of things that make me feel a bit uneasy to jump at the opportunity:

Too much lifestyle-ism. There are buttons and posters every where about how meat is murder, fair trade is great (it is but not a solution), vegan-ism is awesome, etc.

The weekly movie they were going to watch was Money as Debt, which in my opinion, is a right libertarian movie that spews all the Federal Reserve conspiracy theories.

They only had one book on the Spanish Civil War, a couple by Chomsky, and one by Michael Parenti (which I know he is not anarchist). But hundreds on organic gardening, how to live on trash and digging for stuff in dumpsters, and stuff on how to live an uncompromising lifestyle.

When I suggested they order some great films like Matewan, 1900, Reds, Wind that Shakes the Barley, etc. they looked at me like they had never heard of these films.

There was also a ton of progressive-left liberal stuff in there. Local rags in there that were good, do not get me wrong, but hardly any real hitting Marxist-left publications like Monthly Review! No labor news, nothing.

Considering all of this, there is also the Trotskyist ISO group in town that meets at the local uni, the CPA-USA group that meets every Sunday. But that's about it. The rest are Democrat-aligned progressive groups.

Would it be OK to volunteer at the co-op?:confused:
Bound Together Books here in San Fransisco isnt like that at all. There's also Revoloutionary Books in the East Bay which is communist. Over by the UCB campus.

Bound Together is a great store and they put on some good events. There's always going to be lifestylists in both the communist andanarchist 'factions'. Best to just go volunteer and poke fun at the lifstylists. They're everywhere. In fact, the last book fair they put on was messed up by vegans who decided to throw a mace pie in the face of a critic. Next even i'm wearing a meat suit.

Also, I think if more of us chose to join a union job in the trades we could advance socialism more so than taking a plush job after graduating from university. There needs to be more socialists in the work place.

[ComradeOm]

Would it be OK to volunteer at the co-op?:confused:Sure, why not? It probably won't be the most productive way to spend a few hours, and it's almost certainly not going to contribute to any revolutionary cause, but its your time to spend and there's certainly nothing wrong with it

[Wanted Man]

Walk up to all of them (the anarchists, the ISO and the CP) and see what's what. Don't stay in the safe zone (Revleft) forever. Be bold. :p

[Os Cangaceiros]

There was also a ton of progressive-left liberal stuff in there. Local rags in there that were good, do not get me wrong, but hardly any real hitting Marxist-left publications like Monthly Review! No labor news, nothing.

Did they have hard-hitting intellectual journals like Fire To The Prisons, at least?

[Paulappaul]

Considering all of this, there is also the Trotskyist ISO group in town that meets at the local uni, the CPA-USA group that meets every Sunday. But that's about it. The rest are Democrat-aligned progressive groups.

Would it be OK to volunteer at the co-opHonestly I've been in this exact same situation. I ended up volunteering at a Local Anarchist bookstore for about 6 months then realized how lame it was and left. At the same time, I joined the ISO for a couple months till they decided to defend Gulags, the suppression of Kronstadt and the Ukrainian revolt. I still mingle with them ever once in a while.

I've thought about joining the Local Socialist Party, but I don't see it being to different.

My best advice would be to go Union organizing for IWW or another good Union. At least that way you participate in the lives of the Working class, rather then selling them books or wanking off to how great of a revolutionary Trotsky was.

[RadioRaheem84]

I am going to give it a shot even though lifestlye-ism really, really annoys the hell out of me. I had enough of hipster vegans in Austin.

[ContrarianLemming]

What exactly makes you think that because this bookstore supports veganism and fairtrade (like we all do) that this makes it lifestylist?

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

What exactly makes you think that because this bookstore supports veganism and fairtrade (like we all do) that this makes it lifestylist?

:rolleyes: Veganism is a largely irrelevant side-issue struggle for those who are vegans and fair trade can only be described as reformism, trying to rectify some "excesses" of the capitalist order. Where's the revolution, where's the organising; there's none, just a bunch of kids obsessing about personal issues and feeling edgy when they live off trash they find in rubbish containers.

[ContrarianLemming]

for those who are vegans and fair trade can only be described as reformism

You really are an authoritarian socialist arn't you?

[Raúl Duke]

There are buttons and posters every where about how meat is murder, fair trade is great (it is but not a solution), vegan-ism is awesome, etc.

The weekly movie they were going to watch was Money as Debt, which in my opinion, is a right libertarian movie that spews all the Federal Reserve conspiracy theories.

ehhh...

I prefer to be with apolitical/normal people than these people.


to volunteer at the co-op?

is this a worker's co-op?

What kind of co-op takes in free volunteer labor? In this case, it seems hypocritical since every worker in the co-op should be equal (i.e. paid in a wage split in equal parts).

[ComradeOm]

You really are an authoritarian socialist arn't you?There is absolutely nothing "authoritarian" about the above post. Unless you believe that working class and revolutionary struggles are inherently authoritarian?

(Which they are incidentally, but in a completely different sense)

[Bubbles]

What exactly makes you think that because this bookstore supports veganism and fairtrade (like we all do) that this makes it lifestylist?
Veganism has nothing to do with socialism and it's really silly.

[ContrarianLemming]

Veganism has nothing to do with socialism and it's really silly.

Vegans are those which do not wish to use animals for any purpose, including clothing and food.

How is that silly exactly?

And you're right, it isn't connected to socialism..so what? That's not the point, I noted how veganism doesn't mean lifestylism - though the OP suggested otherwise - and I'm told that not wanting to eat other things when it's not necessary is silly?

Or do you think if someone adhers to a philosophy other then socialism theres a problem? I happen to adhere to atleast a dozen different ideologies.


There is absolutely nothing "authoritarian" about the above post.You're right, it's not authoritarian, it was a very stupid post actually. TakaYuki said "veganism" means reformism, am I the only one dumbfounded by this? It spitsin the faces of vegan members of this board.


trying to rectify some "excesses" of the capitalist order. eating meat is a lot older then capitalism bud

God dammit i wanna rage quit this now, this really pisses me off, the humancentric purism and rejection of anything which doesn't talk about class war, is this why we told murray bookchin tp fuck off? Because he said "citizen" instead of "worker"? That counterrevolutionary nonsense, ammi right?

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

I can't understand why anyone on here would use someone's veganism against them, as if a personal diet/lifestyle choice is any grounds for criticism. That is besides the point, many brilliant comrades are vegan, many are not, the point is that their own choice of diet is irrelevant.

Why not volunteer at this place? If its run cooperatively, then you will get a say in what books are on the shelves or what films are played. It can't hurt to try and bring some of your own influence to the place. And I'm sure they wont force you to eat vegan meals...

[meow]

why not volunter? at least you can influence them to other opinions. suggest new material (such as the zine mention above).

you can meet new people. maybe some people think like you but dont have any better place to go? join with them and make discussion group.

whatever else dont be afraid to have fun.

[ComradeOm]

You're right, it's not authoritarian, it was a very stupid post actually. TakaYuki said "veganism" means reformism, am I the only one dumbfounded by this? It spitsin the faces of vegan members of this boardRead it again: "Veganism is a largely irrelevant side-issue struggle for those who are vegans and fair trade can only be described as reformism"

Granted, there's a missing comma there but Takayuki was, as I read it, expressing the opinion that 'fair trade' is reformism and that veganism is "a largely irrelevant side-issue struggle". Which is something that you might disagree with but is certainly not "stupid"

[ContrarianLemming]

Read it again: "Veganism is a largely irrelevant side-issue struggle for those who are vegans and fair trade can only be described as reformism"

Granted, there's a missing comma there but Takayuki was, as I read it, expressing the opinion that 'fair trade' is reformism and that veganism is "a largely irrelevant side-issue struggle". Which is something that you might disagree with but is certainly not "stupid"

My mistake, I assumed it was just bad grammer.

[RadioRaheem84]

Look, I am not hating on vegans but I share a lot of Takayuki's sentiments toward it and other forms of lifestyle-isms. I am hoping that they will be cool with the many ideas I have to contribute to an otherwise OK bookstore, I just hope that they do not take their personal lifestyle choices to an extreme and think it's vital to class struggle.

[scarletghoul]

What exactly makes you think that because this bookstore supports veganism and fairtrade (like we all do) that this makes it lifestylist?
I do not support Fair Trade. I completely oppose it, and hope many other users here do.

Look into it more, and you'll see that 'Fair Trade' is just a marketing ploy to make the middleclass peoples feel like theyre doing something good while infact it makes no real differance to the workers on the ground and contributes to their poverty by upholding the system.

[Bubbles]

Vegans are those which do not wish to use animals for any purpose, including clothing and food.

How is that silly exactly?

And you're right, it isn't connected to socialism..so what? That's not the point, I noted how veganism doesn't mean lifestylism - though the OP suggested otherwise - and I'm told that not wanting to eat other things when it's not necessary is silly?

Or do you think if someone adhers to a philosophy other then socialism theres a problem? I happen to adhere to atleast a dozen different ideologies.

It' silly because it's a useless lifestyle based on people inability to handle the fact that we put our self above other species. Veganism is lifestyle, how can you deny that? You just pointed that out pretty clearly when you said that veganism is about choosing a way of life without animal products.

No it's not a problem to have other ism's then socialism per say. But veganism, I have a problem with.

[this is an invasion]

What's wrong with having a lifestyle? Everyone has one.

[MarxSchmarx]

Look, I am not hating on vegans but I share a lot of Takayuki's sentiments toward it and other forms of lifestyle-isms. I am hoping that they will be cool with the many ideas I have to contribute to an otherwise OK bookstore, I just hope that they do not take their personal lifestyle choices to an extreme and think it's vital to class struggle.

listen to meow. They make an excellent point. The only way to combat lifestylism is to engage lifestylists directly. At worst you can hang out with them and help them to realize that not all meat eaters or vaccinated people are schmucks. Ideally you'd make a difference in the organization, those kinds of spaces provide a valuable social service to their community that help keep alternative working class cultures alive.

[Pawn Power]

Would this be a great option to mingle with leftists? I hardly have an outlet to do so outside of revleft. But there are a couple of things that make me feel a bit uneasy to jump at the opportunity:

Too much lifestyle-ism. There are buttons and posters every where about how meat is murder, fair trade is great (it is but not a solution), vegan-ism is awesome, etc.

The weekly movie they were going to watch was Money as Debt, which in my opinion, is a right libertarian movie that spews all the Federal Reserve conspiracy theories.

They only had one book on the Spanish Civil War, a couple by Chomsky, and one by Michael Parenti (which I know he is not anarchist). But hundreds on organic gardening, how to live on trash and digging for stuff in dumpsters, and stuff on how to live an uncompromising lifestyle.

When I suggested they order some great films like Matewan, 1900, Reds, Wind that Shakes the Barley, etc. they looked at me like they had never heard of these films.

There was also a ton of progressive-left liberal stuff in there. Local rags in there that were good, do not get me wrong, but hardly any real hitting Marxist-left publications like Monthly Review! No labor news, nothing.

Considering all of this, there is also the Trotskyist ISO group in town that meets at the local uni, the CPA-USA group that meets every Sunday. But that's about it. The rest are Democrat-aligned progressive groups.

Would it be OK to volunteer at the co-op?:confused:


Yes. I would highly recommend you get involved. If only to open you up to other outlets of organizing in your city.

You have a bunch of good critiques of the info-shop- what better way to understand if they are well founded by talking to the folks who actually work there? Go in with an open mind and listen to the experiences of those who have been working there- maybe they have good reasons to do what they do. Maybe not. Either way, a shitty info shop is always better then revleft! On to the streets!

Let go of your pre-made assumptions and dive in. Let us know how it goes!

[bcbm]

What kind of co-op takes in free volunteer labor? In this case, it seems hypocritical since every worker in the co-op should be equal (i.e. paid in a wage split in equal parts).

they probably don't generate enough profit to maintain a staff of full time employees at a livable wage.

[Sir Comradical]

Yes!! I know what you mean. There is a similar place here in Sydney called Jura Books. I don't mind the fair trade stuff but associating militant vegetarianism with revolution has always annoyed me.