Are we practising what we preach

[The Boondocks]

As a broad statement, I feel that too few people actually do anything about what they say or believe. I hear all these people at my university, in my neighborhood, even on this website that say things need to change. Most of them even have plans to change our world. From helping the poor to overthrowing the government, and so on, everyone seems to have a plan. My question is, who actually carries out their plans?

I do not intened to say that there are not people out there fighting for equality and sanity. I just want someone to give me some hope. Show me an example. Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done. Prove to me that society isn't all talk and no walk.

[loveme4whoiam]

Well I imagine you would hear people on this website saying things need to change, this being a revolutionary leftist board and all.

Perhaps you are right, but there are loads of people who are active to greater or lesser degrees in class struggle. *Toots own horn* The FPM, of which I am a member, is very active in attempting to bring class consciousness to the fore, as are many other groups. The IWW, the Reclaim the Streets people, there are loads of groups that I've heard of over this site who are active.

Perhaps you might have a browse of the site first and talk to the active people on here before making such a broad statement. Not to say that you are wrong, just that you are not totally right :D

[Lord Testicles]

Clicky (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=31615)

Join an organisation, and I'm sure you'll see lots of people working towards raising class consciousness

[Forward Union]

Replying to Are we practising what we preach

Yes. A lot of members are involved in organisations and the class struggle. Some aren&#39;t for various reasons; not being sure how to get involved, (in which case you can talk to me and I&#39;ll try and help) being isolated (or thinking they are) or outright distaste for getting up off their ass, like Intelligentimate who actually look down on people for taking action. <_<


I just want someone to give me some hope.

Im not sure you should be "looking for a hero" you should be getting involved in the struggle yourself, there are plenty of groups active around the world&#33; - the more the merrier&#33;


Show me an example.

Some places you might want to check out, A list of political organisations (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=31615), Indymedia (http://www.indymedia.org) and anarkismo.net (http://www.anarkismo.net) also; check out the practice and "events and propaganda" sections of this forum.


Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done.

I&#39;ve been involved in a few things. Im a member of a few groups based in the UK, the Anarchist federation (http://www.afed.org.uk) and RAGE collective. I&#39;ve been to sumit mobilisations protesting the G8 and more marches than I care to remember, as probably most leftists have. I&#39;ve also been involved in the taking over of land from the state, economic sabotage, and less dramatic things such as film showings, benefit gigs and street theater...and pleaty of other festive stuff. :ph34r:

[The Boondocks]

I don&#39;t mean to offend anyone, I&#39;m still just getting used to this site. I will read more through this site. I was just curious as to who is actually changing things. That, and I was hoping that somehow through this post I would gain ideas of how to change society. People tell me what they do, I think it&#39;s intelligent, perhaps I will follow suit. Thank&#39;s for the post.

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by The [email protected] 29 2006, 05:35 PM
I don&#39;t mean to offend anyone, I&#39;m still just getting used to this site.
hehe not atall thats what the learning section is for.


I was hoping that somehow through this post I would gain ideas of how to change society.

Brilliant. The thing to remember is, no matter how dedicated you are, you wont be able to make much of a difference on your own. So the obvious suggestion, if you haven&#39;t considered it already, would be to join a group.

http://www.anarkismo.net/attachments/aug2005/grassroots.gif


Anyway welcome to RL. :)

[piet11111]

im isolated and broke.

i think an island with no political anything qualify&#39;s as isolated.

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2006, 05:45 PM
im isolated and broke.

i think an island with no political anything qualify&#39;s as isolated.
where might that be?

[An archist]

I&#39;m going to make a bold statement here, because I believe pretty much everyone on this website is involved in some kind of action to change things for the better.
The problem is that there&#39;s just too damn few of us, so actions are usually small scale (like reclaim the streets, food not bombs, social-centre squatting, ...)
But like other people said: don&#39;t wait for others, get active yourself, go around town hanging posters, hang banners from bridges, raise awareness in your circle of friends.
You&#39;d be surprised about some people: a friend of mine didn&#39;t seme to be a revolutionary leftist type at all, but he went to an antifa demo wth me and did his part in chucking stones at the fash.

[piet11111]

Originally posted by Love Underground+Sep 29 2006, 06:58 PM--> (Love Underground @ Sep 29 2006, 06:58 PM)
[email protected] 29 2006, 05:45 PM
im isolated and broke.

i think an island with no political anything qualify&#39;s as isolated.
where might that be? [/b]
one of the northern islands in the netherlands.
a big distance from Den Haag (where the government resides)

[rouchambeau]

I volunteer at our local middle school.

[Keyser]

Being a squatter myself, I can say that by me squatting, I am on a daily basis carrying out a political act, as I am reclaiming stolen (private owned) property from the parasitic class of property owners/&#39;developers&#39;/the state and using a home for what it should be, that is to provide people with a roof over their heads and to be a space where people can live and have their needs met. Also, by squatting, I am showing others who have considered squatting that you can have a roof over your head without having to beg and turn yourself over to the state (council housing) or spend money on rent or buying a home, which just pumps yet more money into one of the largest and one of the key industries that sustain and fund the capitalist system and the state of horizontal order.

I have also been involved in direct action events, demonstrations, making political graffitti and hopefully in the future I will do a lot more.

[Seafire]

Originally posted by An [email protected] 29 2006, 03:24 PM

The problem is that there&#39;s just too damn few of us....


It doesn&#39;t take many to affect change. It only took 12 to begin toppling Batista (http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/granma.htm), and begin a new period in Cuban history. Numbers are far less important than commitment, and planning.

Seafire

[afrikaNOW]

LOL, squatting and writing graffiti&#33; Long live the Revolution&#33;

You guys are hopeless romantics.

[which doctor]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30 2006, 03:48 PM
LOL, squatting and writing graffiti&#33; Long live the Revolution&#33;
What do you do?

[McLeft]

Well, I sometimes go to the Militant forums. I help the guys sell subscriptions. "spreading" the knowledge, helping the cause. It&#39;s not much tho. :(

[bolshevik butcher]

Is that the american socialist newspaper the militant?

I&#39;m involved in work with hands off venezuela and the Committe for a Marxist International (www.marxist.com) I also do some work in the Scottish Socialist Youth to spread the ideas of marxism and im trying to unionist among school students in Edinburgh just now, most active leftists are trying and making a difference.

[( R )evolution]

I am in various originaztions and I spread my ideas to my peers. But I am still young and I have bigger plans once I graudte from college. (we can only imagine :))

[Entrails Konfetti]

Well what do you expect Boondocks, Revolution has to be in the hearts and minds of the people. The turning point to any sort action of dissent is when it turns into armed defence, and then the people get the idea that the old order will not take to their ideas and that the people will have to bring out change by themselves. If you raise a coup de etat, you could get support of the populace but they won&#39;t really know the theory or ideas behind the whole thing, they&#39;ll just know that the regime of conspirators promises them better living and working conditions.

On the other hand, if you don&#39;t have the support of the populace you look like a bunch nutters who are lacking in any sort hummilty and holding guns to peoples heads, forcing people to do this or that.

All we can do right now is to keep information flowing, and keep the ideas and theory of Communism around. We also have to show those who aren&#39;t Communists what we have learned from the past.

A revolution is an armed action of defence by the people, for the people.

[afrikaNOW]

Originally posted by FoB+Sep 30 2006, 10:20 PM--> (FoB @ Sep 30 2006, 10:20 PM)
[email protected] 30 2006, 03:48 PM
LOL, squatting and writing graffiti&#33; Long live the Revolution&#33;
What do you do? [/b]
Defend the human rights of our people and promote self-determination in our community.

Peoples’ Community Feeding
& Clothing Program


The goal of the program is to inform mostly homeless and hungry people about their human rights under international law and to assist them with organizing around their inaccessibility to those rights. Since the spring of 1996, 4,000 meals have been served to the hungry and homeless in Central Brooklyn along with literature, video and informative discussions that frame housing and food as human rights. The Peoples’ Community Feeding Program serves an average 120 hot, nutritious meals to homeless and hungry men, women, and children twice a month. Year round, articles of clothing are collected and distributed to people who take advantage of the feeding program. We have been able to recycle used clothing to over 200 individuals and families throughout the Central Brooklyn area.


Central Brooklyn Cop Watch

This program recognizes the right of Central Brooklyn residents to live free of oppression and human rights violations, as well as any community’s rights to observe and document abuse. The cop-watch program will establish nightly patrols to observe the police interactions with the central Brooklyn community. The program is conducted in collaboration with the New York City Police Watch Hotline, the Medgar Evers Center for Law and Social Justice and the National Conference of Black Lawyers. The cop watch attempts to prevent incidents of police brutality and misconduct from occurring, document human rights abuses, educate the community about their 4th Amendment Rights as well as their human rights to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention.

Community Education Workshop Series

Education is a major weapon in the fight against oppression. In attempts
to raise political awareness in our community, MXGM sponsors various political education forums. Workshops topics include: Deconstructing Patriarchy, Know Your Rights * How to Deal with Police Confrontation, Goals of Alternative Education, Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, Rap * Racism and the Entertainment Industry, Critical Race and Feminism, The Prison Industrial Complex, and Tenant Organizing. Community workshops provide spaces for the community to discuss and create effective “community-led” solutions.

Political Prisoner Amnesty Campaign

The MXGM works to bring attention to the plight of political prisoners in the United States, such as the recently released - Geronimo Jijaga Pratt and the currently incarcerated - Mumia Abu-Jamal. These political prisoners who are now in jail were political activist, who were targeted and jailed based on government misconduct. We have co-organized mass mobilizations bringing out tens of thousands of people in support of this issue. Additionally, we sponsor Black August a hip-hop tribute and benefit for political prisoners.


and tons of other programs, events and campaigns that i participate in, as well as organize/help organize through the many organizations that i am a part of or show solidarity to.

[norwegian commie]

i think most of the people that swears to change, honestly want to see that cnage forfilled and will therefore do its part in the making. What can be difficult is join or get organised in a place that shares your view

[An archist]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2006, 12:39 AM
The goal of the program is to inform mostly homeless and hungry people about their human rights under international law and to assist them with organizing around their inaccessibility to those rights. Since the spring of 1996, 4,000 meals have been served to the hungry and homeless in Central Brooklyn along with literature, video and informative discussions that frame housing and food as human rights. The Peoples’ Community Feeding Program serves an average 120 hot, nutritious meals to homeless and hungry men, women, and children twice a month. Year round, articles of clothing are collected and distributed to people who take advantage of the feeding program. We have been able to recycle used clothing to over 200 individuals and families throughout the Central Brooklyn area.


Education is a major weapon in the fight against oppression. In attempts
to raise political awareness in our community, MXGM sponsors various political education forums. Workshops topics include: Deconstructing Patriarchy, Know Your Rights * How to Deal with Police Confrontation, Goals of Alternative Education, Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, Rap * Racism and the Entertainment Industry, Critical Race and Feminism, The Prison Industrial Complex, and Tenant Organizing. Community workshops provide spaces for the community to discuss and create effective “community-led” solutions.

Political Prisoner Amnesty Campaign

The MXGM works to bring attention to the plight of political prisoners in the United States, such as the recently released - Geronimo Jijaga Pratt and the currently incarcerated - Mumia Abu-Jamal. These political prisoners who are now in jail were political activist, who were targeted and jailed based on government misconduct. We have co-organized mass mobilizations bringing out tens of thousands of people in support of this issue. Additionally, we sponsor Black August a hip-hop tribute and benefit for political prisoners.
A lot of squatter organisations do exactly those things.

[Matty_UK]

I&#39;m part of the AFed but there&#39;s only one other AFed member in my city and he&#39;s had a kid recently so isn&#39;t up to much, so I&#39;m kinda isolated up in Newcastle and I&#39;m too poor and too much of a wage slave to get involved in other parts of the country.

But locally I work with anarchist groups "whydontyou?" and the Projectile Collective, last thing we did was put on an anarchist film festival that was successful enough to get a mention in The Guardian newspaper&#33;

Also work with some Marxist-Leninists (not a euphenism Stalinists) cos I like what they do, I&#39;m involved in the Fight Racism&#33; Fight Imperialism&#33; picket of Marks & Spencer (dept. store in UK that supports Israel) most recently but we do other stuff, organising protests etc. Went down to Manchester last week at the protest outside the Labour Party Conference to explain to the liberals demanding "Blair Out" that the entire system is the problem not individual politicians.

Also work with TCAR, Tyneside Community Action For Refugees, where we (largely the same people as FRFI with I think one anarchist other than me) organise asylum seekers to resist deportation.

Big problem is though that mild activism is all you can really do in the deindustrialised west, so I can&#39;t really fight capitalism head on without moving to Latin America or South East Asia or somewhere.

(and anarchist groups don&#39;t seem to do very much where I live so I end up working with Leninists all the time-some of whom are decidely strange compared to the anarchists who are pretty sexy)

[bolshevik butcher]

Don&#39;t mean to be a rabid sectarian but I&#39;m surprised to see RCG would do work with anarchists, in my expiriences they&#39;ve been very hostile towards me for being a trotskyist and going against their third worldist &#39;anti-imperialist&#39;/support anyone who will fight an imperialist country including the USSR, Hammas etc. Maybe things are better down south.

[Matty_UK]

Originally posted by bolshevik [email protected] 2 2006, 09:29 PM
Don&#39;t mean to be a rabid sectarian but I&#39;m surprised to see RCG would do work with anarchists, in my expiriences they&#39;ve been very hostile towards me for being a trotskyist and going against their third worldist &#39;anti-imperialist&#39;/support anyone who will fight an imperialist country including the USSR, Hammas etc. Maybe things are better down south.
I&#39;m far far north mate, northenmost city without being Scotland....where are you from incidentally?

I get on well with the people in the Revolutionary Communist Group and don&#39;t act overtly sectarian so I guess they&#39;re fine with it. Guess I&#39;m just charming. ;) Seem lovely people the ones in Newcastle too so may be more tolerant; they also seem to consider anarchists naive but well meaning while they consider Trotskyists.......less favourably.

(TCAR has another anarchist in I think but that&#39;s seperate to RCG-many of the refugees who play the most integral parts in the organisation are more or less apolitical, most of them are religious even, so that is forced to be more tolerant)

[The Boondocks]

Just because I didn&#39;t think anyone would actually reply, to all the people who have contributed ideas and other such useful tidbits of information for me, I thank you. Just seeing that not only are there people who are making a difference, but are also helping others to do the same, gives me great hope for the future of the world. Hell, even for the future of my kids (whenever those little demon spawn surface) :D

[SPK]

Originally posted by The [email protected] 29 2006, 12:22 PM
Show me an example. Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done. Prove to me that society isn&#39;t all talk and no walk.
My last period of activism, where I was actually helping to organize and build actions, was from about mid-2002 to early this year: mostly antiwar stuff. I backed away, because the movements are now mostly weak in the usa, and it wasn&#39;t clear to me where the next upsurge (one where I could play a proactive and constructive role) would come from or what the next ideological shift would be (the last one, i.e. the anarchist currents, seems to be a dead letter at this point). So right now, I&#39;m just a participant -- going to demos, talking to people about politics, and so on.

[ahab]

Originally posted by SPK+Oct 2 2006, 11:13 PM--> (SPK @ Oct 2 2006, 11:13 PM)
The [email protected] 29 2006, 12:22 PM
Show me an example. Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done. Prove to me that society isn&#39;t all talk and no walk.
My last period of activism, where I was actually helping to organize and build actions, was from about mid-2002 to early this year: mostly antiwar stuff. I backed away, because the movements are now mostly weak in the usa, and it wasn&#39;t clear to me where the next upsurge (one where I could play a proactive and constructive role) would come from or what the next ideological shift would be (the last one, i.e. the anarchist currents, seems to be a dead letter at this point). So right now, I&#39;m just a participant -- going to demos, talking to people about politics, and so on. [/b]
it does kinda seem like a &#39;dry spell&#39; per se huh, all the ortests i&#39;ve been to lately have all been really peaceful, one only ahd 3 cops&#33; i actually felt kinda embarassed that this is what is &#39;activism&#39; now

[Blue Collar Bohemian]

I&#39;ve been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.

[rioters bloc]

Are we practising what we preach

yes.


Who ACTUALLY fights for their cause

me.

[afrikaNOW]

Originally posted by Blue Collar [email protected] 4 2006, 05:03 AM
I&#39;ve been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.
What will spraypainting do?

[Iroquois Xavier]

Originally posted by afrikaNOW+Oct 4 2006, 06:16 AM--> (afrikaNOW @ Oct 4 2006, 06:16 AM)
Blue Collar [email protected] 4 2006, 05:03 AM
I&#39;ve been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.
What will spraypainting do? [/b]
what will ridiculing people from the leftist ideology do?

[rebelworker]

Though I see what your getting at Africanow, tagging can be an important part of political culture.

Im part of a neighborhood anti racist committee, and tagging is a big part of what we do.

Political Murals and visible anti racist slogans help build a culture of resistance in a community. The Nazis pain their racist bullshit around and we make sure to cover it and maintain more visibility.

As for alot of the other posts, revolution is not about demonstrations, its about long term community and labour organisation.

It seems like many of you are students so Im not sure what eactly you might be able to get out of what Im gong to say but eductaion and resistance at your workplace or community level is far more importnt that the odd demo and scuffel with the police.

Organise meeting and campaigns about things that affect your community, the type of things that africanow listed are excelllent.

Fight for affordable housing, stop police brutality, opose racst groups or individuals. Support local strikes or union drives, organise against the war and recruitment.

These are the kind of things that will eventually build a united working class capable of confronting the state and capitalist system.