Culture of the Red & Anarchist Action Network

[StalinFanboy]

I suppose this would go here. Feel free to move it if need be.
Anyway, in another thread I said I would start typing up articles on RAAN from the Emotional Poverty zine. Here you all go.

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Culture of the Red & Anarchist Action Network



By Nachie

First and foremost, you must rid yourself of the misconception that RAAN is or seeks to become a “revolutionary organization.” Without notable exception, such organizations have without fail betrayed the working class again and again, and sought to impose their own means of control over autonomous movements against capitalism. In addition, the task of creating revolutions has never fallen to organized radical groups, regardless of how valid their analysis. We can create the tools and consciousness for revolution, but never the revolution itself.

Ever organizational format, from federations to affinity groups to raw, unaffiliated individualism has proven itself incapable of doing anything other than strengthen an ineffective dynamic in which small and easily-repressed groups of the committed embark over and over again on their quest to change the world. But the world is never changed by a relatively small but vocal minority or those who actually identify as communists or anarchists; it is changed by the mass action and violence of the proletariat as a class, independent of all political institutions.

Because of this, there is no practical use in creating another “revolutionary organization” just for the sake of having it. We’re not throwing another acronym into the alphabet soup to watch it float. RAAN exists as a way of identifying compatible strands of revolutionary activity, and is not a fixed organization by any definition. The RAANista tendency exists beyond ideological labels, thought it may have originally have originally used them for the sake of easily identifying its points of departure. RAAN can only be seen or analyzed as the totality of autonomous activity done in its name. As these actions grow in number and set precedents, an identifiable tendency of “RAANismo” makes itself apparent and can analyzed as what it is, not claims to be.

To the extent that RAAN is thus an immense dialogue in direct action, it is also its own culture, spawning symbols, praxis, vocabulary, and collective image outside of the predetermined definitions of “anarchism” or “communism.”

RAAN represents a “back to basics” approach that re-examines the creation of social movements and refocuses the attention of the racial back on herself and the surrounding community. Only action, action, and more action can create the credibility we need in order to become a full self-perpetuating autonomous tendency. Only concrete projects of dual power and horizontal infrastructure within the community – beginning with the network itself – can create the space and resources for this tendency to become sustainable.

We know that the most effective means of organization are achieved by gangs and other groups that begin at the street level. We gain comrades not through ideological conversation, but by connection and mutual aid on the personal basis. Groups that overlook this will be doomed to obscurity of the alphabet soup.
We begin with the social alienation of the individual and seek to provide tools with which to dismantle it and build an autonomist praxis that is not merely the combined actions of its affiliates, but also their self-driven contributions to RAANismo on a cultural level.

Because the network upholds mutual aid as its most important principle, it creates within itself a culture of trust and respect through commitment to fundamentally revolutionary praxis; Autonomy and the total exclusion of authoritarians and reformists. RAAN is therefore an immensely diverse project that since 2002 has created a real “alliance” of revolutionary tendencies on the ground and on its own terms: meritocracy of action, collective empowerment, and a “no bullshit” policy springing directly from our culture of collective discussion and designed specifically to combat the lethargy of “activism.”

We are not “activists.” We are a street-level tendency of anti-political radicals who have chosen to fight for their lives and construct an offensive engine the creation of community power and infrastructure through our daily recreation of what has come to be called “RAANismo.”

The practical benefits of this methodology are self-evident. We need committed street crews who are ready to throw bodies behind projects and make them work. Never must our ides be separate from their practical application and the functional unity that it breeds.
Above all, the culture of RAANismo means that we reject the artificial imposition of strict procedures and guidelines for our coordinated revolutionary association, and the forms we adopt should rise directly from material conditions in each regions, and only a self-identified and sustainable autonomous culture can achieve this.

Taken from Emotional Poverty #3

[ernie]

I've been meaning to ask a RAAN member about this for a while, but I haven't gotten around to it. Since you brought up RAAN, I figured I might as well ask...even though it has little to do with what you posted.

In your experience, how do RAANistas feel about veganism/animal rights? I realize that it's not a "requirement" (whatever that means) to be a vegan to join RAAN. However, I've heard (from more than one person) that RAAN members who aren't vegetarian or vegan are treated as -- for want of a better term -- second class citizens. Is there any truth to this? I realize there is no "official stance" or "party line", but there must be some sort of consensus.

I think I remember reading in RAAN's website (a long time ago) that veganism was an important part of the organization. Do you have any documents that discuss all this in detail? I'd look myself RANN's website but it seems to be down at the moment.

[StalinFanboy]

Like you said already, there isn't an official stance, but I haven't heard of non-veggie RAANistas being treated lesser for it. I've hung out with Nachie, and he didn't care at all that I wasn't a vegetarian.

This is from the Principles and Direction:

RAAN supports and encourages all those who have made efforts towards matching their lifestyles with their revolutionary goals (that is, those who have refused to take part in the horrific system of animal consumption). However, we recognize that only a social revolution can dismantle the systematic murder and torture of all animal life, and that in itself the lifestyle choice of veganism is not revolutionary. RAAN also supports all attacks on the meat industry, which represents one of the most brutal and exploitative sectors of the capitalist system.


All of this should not be taken to mean that RAAN is made up entirely of vegans, or that only vegans are welcome in it. "


This pamphlet is also referenced in the section of the P&D on Animal Liberation. http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/3909/beasts/index.html

[KC]

I am RAAN.

[ernie]

"...All of this should not be taken to mean that RAAN is made up entirely of vegans, or that only vegans are welcome in it. "

I don't get it. How could RAANistas welcome into their organization somebody who is participating in the "horrific system of animal consumption"? It seems to me that, by their own ideology, they should consider meat-eaters as reactionary as those who exploit humans.

I guess my question is: what's the rationalization for accepting non-vegetarians in RAAN, while maintaining that eating animals is akin to murder?

[ernie]

I am RAAN.
Joking?

[black magick hustla]

I am RAAN.

no i am RAAN

[Niemand]

RAAN supports and encourages all those who have made efforts towards matching their lifestyles with their revolutionary goals (that is, those who have refused to take part in the horrific system of animal consumption). However, we recognize that only a social revolution can dismantle the systematic murder and torture of all animal life, and that in itself the lifestyle choice of veganism is not revolutionary. RAAN also supports all attacks on the meat industry, which represents one of the most brutal and exploitative sectors of the capitalist system.


All of this should not be taken to mean that RAAN is made up entirely of vegans, or that only vegans are welcome in it. "

:rolleyes:

That horrific system is let us evolve into what we are today. Were it not for eating meat our brains would never have developed to what they are now. Becoming a vegan will only hinder human advancement. Animals eat animals, get over it.

Sorry, unrelated rant, but I just can't stand vegetarians.

[StalinFanboy]

I don't get it. How could RAANistas welcome into their organization somebody who is participating in the "horrific system of animal consumption"? It seems to me that, by their own ideology, they should consider meat-eaters as reactionary as those who exploit humans.

I guess my question is: what's the rationalization for accepting non-vegetarians in RAAN, while maintaining that eating animals is akin to murder?
I'd say the support of attacks on the meat industry is more important than not consuming animal products.

But honestly, I don't know. Being a non-vegetarian has never been an issue for me.

[StalinFanboy]

:rolleyes:

That horrific system is let us evolve into what we are today. Were it not for eating meat our brains would never have developed to what they are now. Becoming a vegan will only hinder human advancement. Animals eat animals, get over it.

Sorry, unrelated rant, but I just can't stand vegetarians.
Do you have proof of this?

Not trying to be a dick, but that was a pretty strong statement.

[ComradeOm]

We are not “activists.” We are a street-level tendency of anti-political radicals who have chosen to fight for their lives and construct an offensive engine the creation of community power and infrastructure through our daily recreation of what has come to be called “RAANismo.”This brief paragraph sums up just why I find it very difficult to have any kind of respect for RAAN or similarly inspired networks/collectives/tendencies/whatever*. Even in a very poor article these two sentences stand out for their blatant contradictions, extreme hyperbole, and dense use of buzzwords. The end result is simply inane bullshit. Really, what does this paragraph mean?

I don't intend to be overly harsh here - for some unfathomable reason I've actually gotten along well with RAAN members in the past - but this reminds me of journals or business brochures (or Stalinist proclamation!) that rely on meaningless jargon to compensate for a lack of content. The most damning thing that I can say about this piece is that you could probably half its word count by stripping out the superfluous adjectives and paragraphs. Although throwing in much needed footnotes (define an "activist", how are the benefits of your organisation "self-evident", etc) would probably bring the count back up

*Well, one of the reasons at least ;)

[ernie]

This brief paragraph sums up just why I find it very difficult to have any kind of respect for RAAN or similarly inspired networks/collectives/tendencies/whatever*. Even in a very poor article these two sentences stand out for their blatant contradictions, extreme hyperbole, and dense use of buzzwords. The end result is simply inane bullshit. Really, what does this paragraph mean?
I think you are being unnecessarily harsh. While the paragraph you quoted does seem obscure on its own, it's perfectly comprehensible (and fits in well) when reading the whole document. Anyway, I think I understood the document quite well.

I read more of RAAN's documents. I find it very refreshing for an anarchist group that they seem to be "borrowing" the good parts of Marxism (most notably they seem to be making use of HM in their analyses). If you could just drop the "animal liberation" silliness...

[Enragé]

What have those in the network of RAAN actually done? To judge an organisation/organisation form/network on its validity, use, etc. i need practical examples of what has been accomplished because of this organisation form (or at least hasnt been hindered by it). This vague rhetoric, though it appeals to my inner anarchist so to speak, gives me no clue about how RAAN has been able to impact the working class movement.

Also, your sectarianism sucks, alot. Publishing pamphlets were Lenin gets a head shot on some picture only scares off the good leninists around, and if anything actually appeals to the authoritarian "left" (with their fetish for shooting people they dont agree with). As for veganism, get over it. Untill there are substitutes for meat which at the very least taste as good as real meat, people will be eating meat (having said that, ofcourse alot needs to change in the way animals are treated).

Apart from all this though, i really am interested in the idea of RAAN (question is, does it work - also, its reminiscent sort of of the dutch squatter movement, which had its own infrastructure at a certain point, a shitload of "cracks in capitalism", but they were largely smashed by the state as soon as they posed somewhat of a threat, and weren't able to defend themselves against that since they had isolated themselves to a degree in their cracks [which only got worse after they got smashed, they retreated further up their crack[s])

[Invincible Summer]

:rolleyes:

That horrific system is let us evolve into what we are today. Were it not for eating meat our brains would never have developed to what they are now. Becoming a vegan will only hinder human advancement. Animals eat animals, get over it.

Sorry, unrelated rant, but I just can't stand vegetarians.


Please explain how veganism hinders human advancement, and how human brains do not develop properly w/o meat?

It's not like the human progress solely depends on the consumption of sausage and ground beef...




And this RAAN thing sounds like a glorified Adbusters

[JohnnyC]

Please explain how veganism hinders human advancement, and how human brains do not develop properly w/o meat?

It's not like the human progress solely depends on the consumption of sausage and ground beef...




And this RAAN thing sounds like a glorified Adbusters
I don't think he is talking about present time.There is a theory that human brain developed because of the hunting and eating meat in the past.

http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n13/mente/evolution/evolution06_i.html

[Rawthentic]

lol

[PRC-UTE]

lol

more hippies!

[StalinFanboy]

What have those in the network of RAAN actually done? To judge an organisation/organisation form/network on its validity, use, etc. i need practical examples of what has been accomplished because of this organisation form (or at least hasnt been hindered by it). This vague rhetoric, though it appeals to my inner anarchist so to speak, gives me no clue about how RAAN has been able to impact the working class movement. http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=283&pp=30&page=2 Scroll down to my post.

Various crews also put out zines and pamphlets. Unfortunately, with the Hub being down it is very hard for kids in RAAN to keep in touch, and a lot of what RAAN does is local and community based.



Also, your sectarianism sucks, alot. Publishing pamphlets were Lenin gets a head shot on some picture only scares off the good leninists around, and if anything actually appeals to the authoritarian "left" (with their fetish for shooting people they dont agree with). As for veganism, get over it. Untill there are substitutes for meat which at the very least taste as good as real meat, people will be eating meat (having said that, ofcourse alot needs to change in the way animals are treated). The people in RAAN do not believe in such a thing as a "good" Leninist. We are militantly opposed to all forms of authoritarianism, Left or Right.

[Enragé]

Thanks, i'll check out the info tomorrow


The people in RAAN do not believe in such a thing as a "good" Leninist. We are militantly opposed to all forms of authoritarianism, Left or Right.

Well, then you're flat out wrong, i know tons of leninists (since im in a trotskyite org), and some do have authoritarian tendencies, but those can be kept under a control by the rest of the organisation as long as we stay democratic and open (and continuously strive to become more open and more democratic).

[Yazman]

RAAN supports and encourages all those who have made efforts towards matching their lifestyles with their revolutionary goals (that is, those who have refused to take part in the horrific system of animal consumption). However, we recognize that only a social revolution can dismantle the systematic murder and torture of all animal life, and that in itself the lifestyle choice of veganism is not revolutionary. RAAN also supports all attacks on the meat industry, which represents one of the most brutal and exploitative sectors of the capitalist system.

I cannot take seriously any organisation that seriously believes the slaughtering of animals for food is "murder", "horrific," or one of the "most brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism.

[Mindtoaster]

I cannot take seriously any organisation that seriously believes the slaughtering of animals for food is "murder", "horrific," or one of the "most brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism.

I think the fact that they consider it to be one of the most "brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism shows that their members are doing pretty fucking well economically.

[rouchambeau]

I think the fact that they consider it to be one of the most "brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism shows that their members are doing pretty fucking well economically.

What reason do you have to say that?

[StalinFanboy]

I think the fact that they consider it to be one of the most "brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism shows that their members are doing pretty fucking well economically.
So you're saying that animals within factory farms and such are treated just as well or better than people within the working class?

[Mindtoaster]

So you're saying that animals within factory farms and such are treated just as well or better than people within the working class?

I'm saying who gives a fuck about animals, they don't even approach being our equals.

Factory farms are an extremely effective method of agriculture, and will be utilized after the revolution, just as they are now.

You need to get your pritorities straight if you're preaching for a society with the goal of feeding all, while demanding people stop eating whats available.

You shouldn't even be thinking about the welfare of mindless cows while the human race suffers like this

[StalinFanboy]

I'm saying who gives a fuck about animals, they don't even approach being our equals.

Factory farms are an extremely effective method of agriculture, and will be utilized after the revolution, just as they are now.

You need to get your pritorities straight if you're preaching for a society with the goal of feeding all, while demanding people stop eating whats available.

You shouldn't even be thinking about the welfare of mindless cows while the human race suffers like this
Hey fuckhead. Why don't you read my previous posts, and stop putting words in my mouth? I never once said that people need to stop eating meat. There are people in RAAN that make animal rights a priority, and there are those who don't.

And you must be fucking high if you think that factory farms are beneficial to the working class. The reason why they're so efficient is because of the large amount of chemicals and growth hormones used.

[Mindtoaster]

Hey fuckhead. Why don't you read my previous posts, and stop putting words in my mouth? I never once said that people need to stop eating meat. There are people in RAAN that make animal rights a priority, and there are those who don't.

And you must be fucking high if you think that factory farms are beneficial to the working class. The reason why they're so efficient is because of the large amount of chemicals and growth hormones used.

I was referring to the person/group quoted by Yazman, not you in particular.

All factory farming is, is the farming of animals in close density. Its extremely efficient and can be used to feed easily the entire population. However, capitalists recklessly and without proper research use growth chemicals and hormones on the animals without doing any research into what the effects are when consumed by humans. As socialists, we will need to study the hormones and try to ensure we can safely use a method of bio-engineering that does not harm the person consuming the meat.

Thats completely off subject though

[GX.]

I think the fact that they consider it to be one of the most "brutal and exploitative" sectors of capitalism shows that their members are doing pretty fucking well economically.
Meat processing is one of the most brutal and exploitative sectors of capitalism, with staggering rates of death, injury, and workers' rights violations.

[GX.]

Its extremely efficient and can be used to feed easily the entire population.
Not at current volumes without vast damage to the environment.

[Invincible Summer]

Good article on why meat production is inefficient: http://veg.ca/content/view/133/111/

And in the third world, you can't really have factory farms without taking a lot of land that's used as livelihood by the farmers.

I look forward to the day when we can bio-engineer meat. Petri-dish steak, anyone?

[Yazman]

Meat processing is one of the most brutal and exploitative sectors of capitalism, with staggering rates of death, injury, and workers' rights violations.

This indicates problems with the administrative structure of the system rather than problems with meat processing in and of itself. All of those problems can be solved with the dissolution of a capitalist organisational structure and increased investment of time into improving technology used in the industry. Factory farming is far more efficient than any methods previously used to supply meat to a population and we should be utilising it extensively in a post-capitalist society.


So you're saying that animals within factory farms and such are treated just as well or better than people within the working class?

To re-iterate Mindtoaster: forget about the fucking animals! How well they are treated is only important to us so far as it is relevant to the quality and amount of animal-sourced goods produced. Animals are not part of human society and will never be able to exist within it or contribute in any meaningful way to it, nor should specifically human concepts such as "rights" or "murder" be applied to them. I am sick and tired of animals being anthropomorphised.

[BabylonHoruv]

To re-iterate Mindtoaster: forget about the fucking workers! How well they are treated is only important to us so far as it is relevant to the quality and amount of worker-sourced goods produced. workers are not part of human society and will never be able to exist within it or contribute in any meaningful way to it, nor should specifically human concepts such as "rights" or "murder" be applied to them. I am sick and tired of workers being anthropomorphised.

:)

[Idealism]

Sorry to get further off-topic.


To re-iterate Mindtoaster: forget about the fucking animals! How well they are treated is only important to us so far as it is relevant to the quality and amount of animal-sourced goods produced. Animals are not part of human society and will never be able to exist within it or contribute in any meaningful way to it, nor should specifically human concepts such as "rights" or "murder" be applied to them. I am sick and tired of animals being anthropomorphised.

By that logic, you sound like a stormfronter.




To re-iterate (Blank) : forget about the fucking Jews! How well they are treated is only important to us so far as it is relevant to the quality and amount of jew-sourced goods produced. Jews are not part of human society and will never be able to exist within it or contribute in any meaningful way to it, nor should specifically human concepts such as "rights" or "murder" be applied to them. I am sick and tired of Jews being anthropomorphised.

I dont mean to imply that jews are some how inferior or in anyway unequal. Im just pointing out the nazi-like unsympathetic argument he
made.
EDIT: I dont mean to say that speciesism=nazism, because animals are "inferior" in terms of intelligence and several other categories, though, what I'm saying is nazi-like, is acting on that speciesism in such away that you say animals are completely worthless and were made for nothing more than human consumption. I am fine with people that eat meat and other animal products, just not people who think that animals are so worthless as described above.

[The Douche]

Really for as much as RAAN is cried about on revleft whenever it is brought up, this is all you fools can talk about? Veganism/vegetarianism? So nobody cares to debate the actual politics of RAANismo, just a minor point in the P&D where it is stated that the animal question needs to be adressed by the radical community? RAAN doesn't even take an official stance on the issue...

FUCK.

[Jack]

I'm saying who gives a fuck about animals, they don't even approach being our equals.

Factory farms are an extremely effective method of agriculture, and will be utilized after the revolution, just as they are now.

You need to get your pritorities straight if you're preaching for a society with the goal of feeding all, while demanding people stop eating whats available.

You shouldn't even be thinking about the welfare of mindless cows while the human race suffers like this
Hey, fucko, if you want to chastize us while claiming that producing meat will help feed everybody, get it through your head that it takes 10lbs of grain to produce 1lb of meat. You know what we could do with that extra 9 lbs?

Feed everybody....

[Enragé]

^We can already feed everybody, this doenst happen because thats not 'efficient' according to capitalist standards (i.e u cant make a profit)

factory farms are not effective, they are infective . The reason the current swine flu is so hard to treat is cuz it consists of several different flu viruses binded together, which is a result of pigs being kept in shitty conditions, close together, full of anti-biotics. So, for our own sakes, we need to treat animals better.

[x359594]

...Animals are not part of human society and will never be able to exist within it or contribute in any meaningful way to it...

What about guide dogs for the blind, mice catching cats?

[ls]

I agree that animals need to be treated better, but certain ideas about making animals equal to humans and never eating meat which are, to be fair, quite prevalent in anarchist circles do annoy me (Idealism's comparison of speciesism to nazism is a typical example of this idiocy).

Anyways, some organisations don't have much propaganda out there and do lots of good work, some have loads and do none. It all really depends on what actual work RAAN does, why not link us some?

[BabylonHoruv]

There we go. RAAN members pride themselves on being action based. I'd like to see some links to actions taken by RAAN crews, or cells, or collectives, or whatever.

[Mindtoaster]

There we go. RAAN members pride themselves on being action based. I'd like to see some links to actions taken by RAAN crews, or cells, or collectives, or whatever.

They glued some parking meters and even torched a cop car once. They then wrote long winded self-glorifying blog posts about both actions.
:rolleyes:


Sorry to get further off-topic.


By that logic, you sound like a stormfronter.




I dont mean to imply that jews are some how inferior or in anyway unequal. Im just pointing out the nazi-like unsympathetic argument he
made.

:laugh:

Yeah except Jews are human and animals aren't

[AvanteRedGarde]

They glued some parking meters and even torched a cop car once. They then wrote long winded self-glorifying blog posts about both actions.


Sounds just like a more extreme version of what anarchists always do.

[AvanteRedGarde]

if they're not devolving into lifestylism that is.

[The Douche]

There we go. RAAN members pride themselves on being action based. I'd like to see some links to actions taken by RAAN crews, or cells, or collectives, or whatever.

There is a short list in the history section here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_&_Anarchist_Action_Network