Urban Focoism?

[ashtonh]

Would it be possible for an urban foco style strike. How could the focoist escape afterwards to launch more foco attacks. Would many attack at once hoping to start a PPW.

[Dodo]

If I get what you mean, I think it would scare masses off and lead police to easily getting on you, especially in the 21st century. Eventually alienating the working class and creating a confused conciousness.

There had been groups like this throughout the cold war, pretty much all failed. Many died.
These personal movements can easily turn into "terrorism". In addition, it is quiet "petty" bourgeouisie.

An armed people's movement is not the same thing with a bunch of radical arming themselves and attacking...what?

[Lord Testicles]

Would it be possible for an urban foco style strike. How could the focoist escape afterwards to launch more foco attacks. Would many attack at once hoping to start a PPW.

This is really a context sensitive question. It's like asking if a shield wall would work. Where and against what?

For example, you could try and launch a people's war in London but I think it would last about half and hour and it would accomplish nothing other than giving the media a chance to spin you and your ilk as homicidal madmen.

[Thirsty Crow]

Would it be possible for an urban foco style strike. How could the focoist escape afterwards to launch more foco attacks. Would many attack at once hoping to start a PPW.
Devrim once replied in earnest in a way I'd like to now and got infracted. Though, I wasn't even infracted (though when I think about it it might be that it was only a warning) once in more than 4 years so I was really tempted to go for it, but hey maybe not.

So, the answer is no.

Such maneuvers would really add nothing to pushing the tide of class militancy even higher - and in these times there are only few places in the world where class militancy is the order of the day.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Are you talking about being an "urban guerrilla"? If so, the answer is yes, not only is it possible, it's been done. Provisional IRA, Red Brigades, Islamist insurgents, certain South American communist orgs in the 1980's, certain divisions of FARC in Colombia and the NPA in the Philippines, certain Greek anarchist groups, etc.

The track record for such tactics isn't great, though, to put it mildly.

[Psycho P and the Freight Train]

Easy there, Patty Hearst.

[Sasha]

Are you talking about being an "urban guerrilla"? If so, the answer is yes, not only is it possible, it's been done. Provisional IRA, Red Brigades, Islamist insurgents, certain South American communist orgs in the 1980's, certain divisions of FARC in Colombia and the NPA in the Philippines, certain Greek anarchist groups, etc.

The track record for such tactics isn't great, though, to put it mildly.

i think one should differ between insurectionary/vanguardist groups like the RAF/greek anarchists groups/etc etc and armed wings of groups that did have a substantial mass membership like the RedBrigades/provisional IRA/devsol.
Though its interesting to note that even these "mass"groups tend to devolve either (partly) into isolated terrorist groups (devsol into dhkc/p, provo IRA into real IRA etc etc) or(/and?) give up their struggle, disarm and become part of the establishment.
when you are not defending territory (be it actual land or militant factories or occupied spaces) it seems impossible to retain a mass base of support and infrastructure over a continued period.

[ashtonh]

While I am a Guevarist I was wondering if others felt like me, that it would almost be impossible. I believe that in an urban first-world country that foco tactics would best be saved till after the revolution turns violent.

[Comrade Jacob]

Well, it's got a better chance of working than doing fuck all.