(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #235 - Antisocial policies: Against social destruction, off again bases (fr, pt)

The current social climate is difficult for the revolutionaries. Right-wing policies of 
the government, the rise of the extreme right, gloom and divisions on the front of the 
struggle, the situation seems close to stagnation. Yet, anger does exist, and it is all of 
us to achieve its target to raise the real enemies of employee-es. ---- Holland and his 
government do they lack of "authority"? That is the question constantly asked by talkative 
parrots of the bourgeois press, designed as the "setbacks" series of this government. 
However, they are misleading. The socialist government declined only meet its capitalist 
friends with tax, cap high incomes, movement Pigeons, nuclear, layoffs, etc.. On the other 
hand, it increases the duration of pension contribution for employee-es, provides tens of 
billions of euros to employers, employers legalized racket (Ani) and continues its racist 
policies against Roma and immigrant-es . Strong with the weak and weak with the strong, 
that the political line of the government of haves and cowards.

Activism increasingly difficult

Yet, despite the worsening social situation and anger that extends across the country, the 
revolutionary struggle to be heard. Struggles multiply (against layoffs, against the 
reform of school rhythms) but are scattered and do not weigh much face capitalists.

Since 2010, mass demonstrations in the country were those of the right and the extreme 
right against marriage for everyone. Opposite, major initiatives are struggling to gather 
outside of the fight at Notre Dame-des-Landes. Not to mention starving protests against 
the last pension reform, protests against racism and against the unemployment of 7 
December are fully revealing: the event for thirty years the Equality March has gathered 
that 2000 people, while against unemployment and precarious no more together with an 
essentially public activist.

Faced with this extreme right ahead without that one is able to actually measure it. This 
increase is based on the destruction, isolation, discouragement, class division caused by 
the capitalist policies and is legitimized by racists and nationalists of all kinds of 
political speech class politician. Provided this increase is also the inability to weigh 
and revolutionary struggles that are developing and unifying victorious.

Social and revolutionary left today faces challenges that we must overcome. Impoverishment 
and degradation of living conditions, articulated significant defeats at the battles (such 
as the movement of the 2010 pension) make activism more difficult. It is no coincidence 
that, beyond the strictly political reasons, many organizations have experienced crises in 
recent times. In collectives and organizations, the temptation often oscillates between a 
sectarian withdrawal, refusal to compromise and the fact proclaim unity without actually 
building (there are countless collective or calls to demonstrate more signatories than 
activists or demonstrators). These changes only lead to exhaustion activist through 
routine and ritual initiatives that can generate little enthusiasm.

Red caps and large caps

In fact it is difficult to mobilize beyond activist circles (formally organized or not) 
and even the "unitary" initiatives fail to mobilize more than that. Dispersion and 
increasing division reflected in the fact that different initiatives are supported by the 
same core militants or otherwise by competing initiatives on the same battlefront. Yet not 
everything is black and behind these alarming findings, tracks emerge, roads emerge.

The so-called "red caps" mobilization paradoxically opens interesting possibilities. It 
was too easy to reduce the manifestations of November interclassist a caricature. The 
event of November 2 was a call from an employment committee to defend the thousands of 
employee-es-es Breton dismissed, particularly in the food. It was not until late October 
that bosses and big farmers have attempted to retrieve the event into a mobilization 
against the eco-tax. In fact, the composition processions could surprise with employee-es 
and employers. They forget that the bulk of the protesters was the employee-es, 
unemployed, employees angry against the social situation.

Avoid dispersal

The against-fires were weaklings, even ridiculous. The Inter-call November 23, 
r?publicaniste approach and without claims, was a flop. The latter is perfectly indicative 
of a "unitary" approach without background, without dynamics, without lens.

Revolutionaries had understood and had chosen to occupy the land. On 30 November, when a 
new manifestation of the Red Hats in Carhaix, a worker procession was formed and brought 
together more than a thousand people, showing that it was better to confront the employer 
and false recovery, not flee. If there were so many people in these events it is because 
today deal with employer policies are needed initiatives can both unite the base but also 
to provide a fighting face and opportunities direct action.

Mobilizations in Britain are not only interesting, of course. Other initiatives and 
struggles offer ways forward such as the unitary event Nov. 6 at Orleans against dismissal 
at the initiative of trade unions. And the development of anti-fascist collective unit in 
many cities.

Basic work

Or the fight against the reform school rhythms that meets unions and parents. There is no 
secret, mobilizations are built on dynamic where the unit is not a vain word, but the 
result of work at the base, activists meetings compromise between each other in the 
service of unity and militancy class. In the same vein, it is important to reinvest the 
tools that are mass struggles associations, collectives and trade unions that are the most 
capable tools to conduct this work of construction of a class field.

Finally, it is also prioritize certain mobilizations to prevent spreading. Social maturity 
coming months, as the reform of unemployment insurance, the fight against layoffs or 
strikes women looming for March should be an opportunity in every city, build wide and 
unit initiatives.

Tristan (AL Toulouse)