Opinions on CrimethInc?

[ChangeAndChance]

Yeah, we're doing this thread again.

I read some of the previous threads on CrimethInc from nine years ago and I wanted to know what our current user base thought about the notorious "ex-workers collective" with irksome lifestylist leanings. So what do you lot think? Still bullshit or have they gotten any better?

[Sasha]

I would say their writing improved a lot since they dropped the fetishation of dumpster diving.

[Palmares]

This is what I said in an old similar thread last year:

Ah, the 'ol Crimethinc discussion...

I can't deny, when I was younger, I was fairly into them. I must make it clear, I never read Evasion, nor do I have any interest in doing so. I read Days of War, Nights of Love, which was inspiring along lifestylist lines. Over time I did become critical of them, but I think my analysis and understanding of them on some level gained more depth when I went to the US and attended one of their yearly gatherings (which no longer happen - another story altogether).

In a way, alot of the things that critics say about Crimethinc rang true at this gatherings. Lifestylist, ultra-PC, etc. But what I didn't really think about is the fact that Crimethinc isn't just some small group of people with the same ideas. There was infact quite a diversity of ideas, though quite diametrically opposing it seemed at times. This experience, also made me realise quite an obvious point, one, the writers of their publications have changed over time, or even the politics themselves. I can even see certain different poltical tendecies in different publications.

I even remember hearing this self-reflection of some crimethinc members about the older publications, which are famous for the lifestylism. They basically said, they never meant to say that lifestylism was revolutionary, but this point seemed to have been overwhelmingly lost on many folk who read these publications.

So I recognise that reading this stuff had a positive affect on me, and I won't pretend it didn't, because it's easy to bash them. Just like pretending I didn't grow up listening to nu-metal...

I haven't got alot of interest in reading their stuff anymore, but I'll still give credit where credit is due.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.p...31&postcount=4


That said, I'd like to quote The Garbage Disposal Unit for a more up to date opinion:

Unfortunately, CrimethInc. went from Lifestylism to Insurrectionism with only a very brief time in between with which to publish decent political materials.

That said, "Expect Resistance" and "Work" are both great introductory anticapitalist works, combining clear inventive writing, beautiful layout, and a broad simplicity that avoids the pitfalls of ideological hairsplitting that are too common on the left (neither book will provide you with a detailed analysis of the Soviet Union). If every teenager were gifted copies, it would be for the better.

Issue eight of Rolling Thunder is also pretty decent.

As for less overtly political material, I absolutely love "Off The Map" - the adorable journals of two young women hitch hiking in Europe. It manages to avoid everything that made "On The Road" utter garbage.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.p...99&postcount=6

[Os Cangaceiros]

"Stone Hotel" was alright. It was a collection of amateur poetry that a guy who was doing a stint in jail for armed robbery sent Crimethinc about his experiences in prison.

[Creative Destruction]

i dug their novels. Evasion was an influence on me in high school. i still refer back to The Anarchist Cookbook for some diy projects. i liked the hand-written notes that they sent out in the mailing packs. the people i spoke to from the Salem collective seemed to be pretty cool. i'm fond of them because of nostalgia mainly, so i consider them one of the more tolerable lifestylists.

[Futility Personified]

I bought a copy of Rolling Thunder at the anarchist bookfair and quite enjoyed it. As a practical non-participant in anything, it seemed quite honest about the productivities and pitfalls of organisation, had some quite interesting articles in on a number of issues also.

I'm not sure what number it was, but having heard about them being redundant lifestylists on here, the quality of the publication really surprised me. If their current incarnation is consistent with what I read, then best of luck to them.

[BIXX]

Some of their stuff in interesting, but a lot of it isn't my thing (that said they say some kickass shit).

[Bala Perdida]

I've only read the cook book. I find it useful for diy too.

[Ehakamanda]

I actually enjoy their podcast and find it to be informative. Their stickers and whatnot are not too shabby either.

[Terror]

The only publication I've read from them is Expect Resistance, which I stumbled upon while aimlessly browsing through books in the local library. After reading it, I basically decided to get organized, so I guess that's a pretty decent rating of the book. At this time, I could identify with many of the observations about society in the book, which made me realize that I wasn't just a crazy misanthropist.

[Kassad]

They're cute and sentimental for those going through a cute and sentimental phase. I believe it was libcom.org that slammed them quite rightly for having lifestylist politics. Their Days of War, Nights of Love actually has some amusing comics in it, but you kind of get what you expect when you meet their supporters in person. I've never met someone claiming an affiliation (they'd laugh at the term, mind you) to CrimethInc who knew anything about the group that extended beyond that particular state's boundaries. Hell if I know who actually handles their website, publishing, etc.