What Organization Are You a Militant / Symphathizer Of?

ICC
Alibadani
Alf
Beltov
EKS
Leo Uilleann
Devrim
mikail firtinaci
AF
The Anarchist Tension

This is as far as we know. Are you a militant or sympathizer of an organization? If you are, which organization?

I do some work in Young Democratic Socialists of Lansing, which is the youth wing of Democratic Socialists of America. I am not particuarly proud about it, but that chapter has a very blurry line and the DSA doesnt meddles in our affairs, so I can still find people to work with.

Also apparently the DSA is having problems with us because all of us are goddamn commies lol (and i destroyed their national organizer in a debate too)

I'm not in anything, nor am I sympathizer for anyone being that I'm isolated.

Currently I sympathize with the ICC and am looking more into their organization.

I've been thinking about joining the AF, but I'm not a member of it at the moment, and probably won't be for the foreseeable future.

Hi,
Yes, both Alf and I are militants of the ICC, but Alibadani isn't, though he's a close sympathiser and has done some excellent work for us translating texts.



B.

Why do you keep making requests to join and then go into hiding? I don't understand why you'd not join an organisation for the "foreseeable future"?

I made one request a while back but was too busy. The last one, abotu a week ago, was sort of started by Haraldur, who was talking to be about it on MSN. I can't really do anything with an organisation right now because I have a lot to do for college and I'm not great at communicating with others "in real life".

I agree totally with TAT. There is no reason to not be in an organisation. For me collage isn't a reasonable excuse, (what will you say when you have a full time job), and not being 'great at communicating' isn't either.

Having said that I don't think this is the right thread for this discussion.

Devrim

Of course there is reason to not be in an organisation. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean, it isn't valid.

Of course there is reason to not be in an organisation. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean, it isn't valid.

Yes, you are right. Let me rephrase that. Those are not reasons not to be in an organisation.

Devrim

What would be the point of being in the AF if I wasn't able to do much off the Internet?

I'm isolated too...not much groups in Florida.

Although once in college I'll think something up.

IF I go to NYC in the future I might join up NEFAC...I don't know.

(Although the AF in the UK and Ireland is interesting...we don't have it here in the US...)

Can someone split this, please, Leo, Cyrotank? From post 7, title it joining an (anarchist) organisation.

Devrim

I understand that the issues you have raised are concerns to you but, without sounding too much of a prick, they aren't issues that can't be overcome if you had the drive to put the ideas you profess to have into practice.

There is absolutely little point in holding revolutionary goals as an objective for future society if you aren't prepared to participate in achieving them.

I totally agree with TAT here. I have a full time job, and a wife. I still manage to make time for the work of the organisation.

Devrim

I'm isolated too...not much groups in Florida.

Although once in college I'll think something up.

IF I go to NYC in the future I might join up NEFAC...I don't know.

(Although the AF in the UK and Ireland is interesting...we don't have it here in the US...)

Johnny, maybe you could start by writing to and opening discussion with organisations that you are interested in. You could sell their press. You might find out that you are less isolate than you think.

Devrim

If your in a small town thats not near New York, Chicago, Detriot, DC or San Fransisco. You pretty much are ineffective. The problem is none of the orgs that have stood the test of time really want to organize isolated individuals. If the isolated individuals try to organize themselves, they don't really know how an organization works, or what is a worthwhile action. I don't see the point of waving signs that no one cares to read, for some issue they believe I'm trying to inflate, or beating up Neo-Nazis who no one cares about. The problem with orgs is ultimately they expect you to move, if you don't, and your a contact your just to sell papers. This is a problem because suppose something were to happen in a small-town, then the paper seller tries to advance the situtation, but can't due to lack of expirience. Then the city milliant comes to the smalltown, and doesn't know anything about the people or the area.

The most I've been able to do is just to talk to people, yes, very micro stuff. I talk to them, and they realize theres more to Communism than what they've been told-- but they don't agree with me right away.

I don't think organizations (and especially left communist ones) have anything against isolated individuals becoming militants. There is a lot someone isolated can do for an organization - a lot more than just selling the press anyway. Being isolated is not an obstacle for participating in the organizational life. One could write for the press, participate in internal discussions (through internal bulletins, if not always face to face) and write leaflets, make interventions and participate in various discussions. I don't think an organization would expect new militants to move - I would prefer having one isolated member in Istanbul, one in Izmir and one in Diyarbakir than having three new ones in Ankara, for example.

Being isolated is not a reason for not being a militant. I even would actually say that in the long run not being a militant of an organization would be the reason of continuing isolation and thus demoralization and cynicism.

Organizations have to start from somewhere in towns they don't have a presence and I'm afraid it's the only remedy of being isolated.

I'd agree with Leo on this one. There are many isolated militants of the ICC and it's not easy maintaining your confidence and commitment, but with the Internet geographical distances are shrinking. We're discussing on here from all over the world after all! Isolation is a barrier to be fought against, not one to succumb to. EK, you're welcome to drop our section in the US a line any time if you want someone closer to discuss with: usa @ internationalism.org. That goes for all of you budding left-commie Yanks!

If you say it is what it is, then okay, I have no hang-ups.

If your in a small town thats not near New York, Chicago, Detriot, DC or San Fransisco. You pretty much are ineffective. The problem is none of the orgs that have stood the test of time really want to organize isolated individuals. If the isolated individuals try to organize themselves, they don't really know how an organization works, or what is a worthwhile action. I don't see the point of waving signs that no one cares to read, for some issue they believe I'm trying to inflate, or beating up Neo-Nazis who no one cares about. The problem with orgs is ultimately they expect you to move, if you don't, and your a contact your just to sell papers. This is a problem because suppose something were to happen in a small-town, then the paper seller tries to advance the situtation, but can't due to lack of expirience. Then the city milliant comes to the smalltown, and doesn't know anything about the people or the area.

I largely agree. I grew up in a small town as well, and politically found myself extremely isolated. Personally, this had been one of the stronger motivations for trying to start RAAN back in 2001ish. I always tried to make that network not only able to cater for isolated groups, but provide activity for these isolated individuals. For example, we had groups holding fund raiser events for groups geographically far away. When I was working with an anarchist-dominated environmental movement, groups on the other side of the US would help us with our media campaign by spreading news about our actions and those of us that were facing jail.

I strongly think that organizations that tend to thrive in cities need to make efforts to reach out to smaller communities. Asking joe-schmoe in small-town USA to participate by writing a leaflet ain't sufficient in my opinion. Being able to network and organize over large geographic expanses is extremely important for any revolutionary group in my mind.

That said, I recently moved to Seattle WA with a much larger population. I'm still new to the city and trying to meet people. I haven't been able to track down any left communist comrades, but I have made friends with the Seattle chapter of the Socialist Alternative (CWI-US) which of course is a Trot group. Their appeal for me right now is their participation in local labor events (not so much their work to elect Nader...).

My time with RAAN is done for now. Though I like the idea behind the network very much, I think many of the affiliates have dug it's grave with their attitudes and actions.

Well, I'm interested in the Free People's Movement as I have yet to see really an ideological alignment other than "Communist". I'm in northern New Jersey, very close to New York City. I'm also interested in NEFAC, but FPM seems easier to join and be active in, since I've seen them do things in NYC whilst NEFAC stretches into Canada and I suspect their action is up there, because it sure as hell doesn't happen around here.