Love & Rage Federation

[STI]

I was reading the Wikipedia entry on the Love & Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation, and came across something that was really surprising and a bit puzzling.


Originally posted by Wikipedia
From the beginning Love and Rage members showed little regard for anarchist orthodoxies, taking stands in support of national liberation struggles and embracing a white skin privilege analysis of racism in the U.S., as well as arguing for the need for disciplined forms of revolutionary organization. These positions led many critics to accuse the organization of harboring Leninist tendencies.
(emphasis added)

Uh, since when is "white skin privilege" a "Leninist tendency"?

Beyond that, is this article correct? It went on to say


At this time Love and Rage members were very active in doing anti-Klan and anti-Nazi work and in building up Anti-Racist Action (ARA).

So... let me get this straight. This anarchist group embraces a white skin privilege analysis of racism, but is active in Anti-Racist Action?

Is it just me who's confused, or is that whole thing really confusing? Somebody care to clarify? Thanks so much.

[SonofRage]

Originally posted by STI+May 8 2005, 10:45 PM--> (STI @ May 8 2005, 10:45 PM) I was reading the Wikipedia entry on the Love & Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation, and came across something that was really surprising and a bit puzzling.


Wikipedia
From the beginning Love and Rage members showed little regard for anarchist orthodoxies, taking stands in support of national liberation struggles and embracing a white skin privilege analysis of racism in the U.S., as well as arguing for the need for disciplined forms of revolutionary organization. These positions led many critics to accuse the organization of harboring Leninist tendencies.
(emphasis added)

Uh, since when is "white skin privilege" a "Leninist tendency"?

Beyond that, is this article correct? It went on to say


At this time Love and Rage members were very active in doing anti-Klan and anti-Nazi work and in building up Anti-Racist Action (ARA).

So... let me get this straight. This anarchist group embraces a white skin privilege analysis of racism, but is active in Anti-Racist Action?

Is it just me who's confused, or is that whole thing really confusing? Somebody care to clarify? Thanks so much. [/b]
The white skin privelage analysis isn't what people thought was a "Leninist tendency." It was their beliefe in the need for organization. Some Anarchists are very anti-organization and think that the platformist tradition is "Bolshevized Anarchism"

How does their analysis conflict with participation in ARA? I don't follow you there. It makes perfect sense to me.

[STI]

I was confused last night. When I read "They embraced the White Privilege Analysis", I thought it meant "they embraced the view of White Privilege Folks", but after thinking it over, I guess it meant "they embraced the view that whites in America have a special privilege over other races", not necessarily that they should. Can't figure out where my head was at there.

Thanks, though :wacko:

[SonofRage]

When L&R broke up, one of the groups some of the old members formed is called Bring the Ruckus (http://www.agitatorindex.org). They still have that same analysis so they'd be something to check out if you want to learn more. They also have a section about Love and Rage.

[Organic Revolution]

what they mean is that the aknoledge that capitalist society embraces white skined privalige.

[SonofRage]

I think it's a bit more complex than that. They are making the argument that, in the United States, that white supremacy is the "glue" holding the system together. They argue that it is white supremacy which divides workers white workers from other workers and keeps them from seeing the common struggle.

They believe that attacking this white skin privilage should be the primary strategic focus of a revolutionary organization.

see: Bring the Ruckus (http://www.agitatorindex.org/ruckus/btr_statement.htm)

[romanm]

If I am not mistaken L&R was influenced by John Sakai's work Settlers: the mythology of the white proletariat.

It's a great book.

Some of L&R ended up in Freedom Road Socialist Organization,