Anarchic update news all over the world - 1 March 2017

Today's Topics:

   
1.  zabalaza.net: South African Budget Speech: No Pravin, it was
      not progressive nor redistributive by Shawn Hattingh (ZACF)
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
2.  Montreal Anarchist Bookfair 2017 - Callout for proposals
      (workshops, tables, events)| (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
3.  anarkismo.net: Greece, Fascism crimped on the road by
      Libertarian Syndicalist Union Ioannina (gr) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
4.  Britain, glasgow anarchists: Glasgow Events Short autonomy
      update (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
5.  France, Alternative Libertaire AL #269, February 2017 -
      content + Editorial (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)


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Message: 1




On Wednesday, the Minister of Finance of South Africa stood up in the circus that passes 
itself off as a National Parliament and without any sense of irony what-so- ever declared 
that the South African state’s budget for 2017 was redistributive and progressive. If the 
Minister was to be believed, therefore, the budget was aimed at making a dent in the 
substantial class and racial inequalities that exist in the country. To back this up, 
supporters pointed out that the tax rate on top earners was raised marginally in the 
budget and people receiving dividends from shares would have to pay 5% more on these in 
tax. Despite this, one word could sum up the idea that the budget presented was 
redistributive and progressive: bullshit. ---- Rather the budget presented by Minister 
Pravin Gordhan was yet again another attack on the working class. What the budget did was 
to favour corporations at the expense of the poor. In doing so, it remained based on the 
neoliberal dogma that has defined South Africa’s post-apartheid politics. In other words, 
the budget was a vivid demonstration of how the state is an instrument and weapon of the 
ruling class that functions to benefit that class. This can be seen throughout the budget, 
including how the state plans to raise money and how it plans to spend it.

In terms of raising revenue, the 2017 budget was in line with all of the state’s 
neoliberal budgets that have been presented for more than two decades. The main class that 
will be taxed in 2017, despite a 4% increase in the tax rate of high income earners, is 
the working class. Through Value Added Tax (VAT), fuel levies, personal tax and sin taxes 
it is the working class that will be the main source of revenue for the state – in fact, 
through VAT even the unemployed pay tax. Corporate tax, Gordhan outlined, will remain at a 
lowly 28%, down from the highs of 30 years ago when the tax on companies was 49%. This 
translates into a situation where the working class pays far higher taxes than corporate 
giants – when these giants are not trying to avoid tax altogether. In fact, VAT on its own 
contributes a far higher sum of money to the 2017 budget than company tax. So much for the 
budget being progressive.

The manner in which the state plans to spend its R 1.5 trillion odd budget also reveals 
the class nature of the state. Much was made about two thirds of the budget supposedly 
going towards supporting workers and the unemployed. In fact, Gordhan crowed about social 
grants being raised in line with inflation. The reality, though, is that two thirds of the 
budget does not go to the poor, whether workers or the unemployed – Gordhan himself 
inadvertently said so.

What Gordhan, rather, revealed was that at least R 500 billion of the budget in 2017 will 
be spent by the state on procuring services and goods. In other words, the budget showed 
that the state planned to spend vast amounts of its funds on tenders and outsourcing. As 
such, it demonstrated precisely how neoliberalism is at the core of the state, with the 
state essentially paying private companies massive amounts to “deliver” services. As such, 
the state is a cash cow for private corporations receiving contracts and tenders – not 
forgetting the state still pays bureaucrats their salaries too over and above this. Of 
course, it is both black and white capital that will be benefiting from this outsourcing 
and tendering. It is little wonder, therefore, that factions are fighting in the ANC to 
control the state – literally the control of R 500 billion in contracts and tenders can 
lead to a great deal of self- enrichment for the winning faction and their cronies in the 
private sector.

To understand the scale of outsourcing in the state, it should be noted that even the 
disbursement of social grants is outsourced, currently to a private company called Net 1 
(The Constitutional Court ruled this contract to be illegal, but the Department of Social 
Development could clearly care less). The profits of Net 1 in 2017, or its successor, will 
come out of the portion that the state has allocated to social grants in the budget. 
Naturally, the contract Net 1 has from the state is extremely lucrative: being in the 
region of R 10 billion. Nonetheless, Net 1 not only makes money from this contract from 
the state, it also fosters loans onto grant recipients and deducts the repayments directly 
from their social grants. Life is great for the private company that gets the contract to 
disburse the state’s social grants; which is clearly why Net 1 is fighting tooth and nail 
to hold onto it. Of course, Net 1 is only one of the corporate parasites that will benefit 
from the R 500 billion in tenders and contracts the state will

hand out in 2017; there are plenty of others and they are just as vile as Net 1. It is, 
however, not only through the R 500 billion that the state will spend on outsourcing and 
tenders that capital will benefit from in 2017 budget. The state will also be assisting 
corporations in other ways, for example, by spending R 4.2 billion on corporations through 
supporting Special Economic Zones. Likewise the state said it will spend R 240 billion of 
its budget on what it terms economic affairs and agriculture. No doubt large chunks of 
this will go to assisting corporations, includuing through improving infrastructure for 
them in terms of rail and roads – to lower the costs of exports, and hence, create more 
profit.

The finance sector too will get a nice big slice of the budget pie in 2017; lest anyone 
thought it would be left out. Gordhan revealed that the state would spend R 169 billion on 
paying interest on its overall debt of R 2.2 trillion in 2017. The main holders of this 
debt – often through bonds – are local and international financial corporations. This 
means a substantial chunk of the state’s budget will be funnelled to the finance sector.

Crucially in class terms, it was also outlined during the budget speech that the state 
would only be transferring 9% of the budget to local governments. Yet it is local 
governments that are responsible for delivering basic services, including water and 
sanitation, to the working class. Under neoliberalism, national governments have reduced 
the transfers of funds to local governments. The aim of this has been to ensure that 
national governments are attractive to speculators (i.e. financial corporations) that buy 
government bonds. By decreasing the amount of funds transferred to local governments, 
national governments on paper reduce their debt ratios and deficits. One thing that 
corporations like are states that have low debt ratios and small deficits, it tells them 
any default is unlikely and therefore buying such states’ bonds are a good investment. So 
national governments under neoliberalism have shifted the cost burden of funding the 
delivery of basic services onto local governments to lower national government debt ratios 
and budget deficits. In turn local governments have to themselves borrow in order to 
supply basic services – also usually through private outsourced companies – and implement 
cost recovery mechanisms. Added to this, they often skimp on maintenance and indeed 
delivery where they can to save money. For the working class this has massive negative 
consequences – it drives up the costs of basic services and it leads to the quality of 
those basic services declining. This is part of the reason why municipal services are in a 
shocking state in South Africa and why working class communities are erupting in protest. 
In the 2017 budget, the transfer of only 9% to local governments means that only crumbs 
are filtering down to working class townships because speculators need to be pleased. It, 
therefore, means too that the working class people in the townships can continue to expect 
poor quality and expensive basic services, despite paying the bulk of the taxes.

The reality, therefore, is that the 2017 budget is not redistributive towards the working 
class nor is it progressive. Rather it is a standard neoliberal budget, delivered by a 
state that benefits the ruling class – white and black capitalists and top state officials 
– and that is controlled by that very same class. Far from addressing the plight of the 
working class (and the black section of working class in particular), the budget is rather 
attempting to entrench their pauperisation so corporations’ profit margins can grow even 
fatter.

https://zabalaza.net/2017/02/25/2017-south-african-budget-speech-no-pravin-it-was-not-progressive-nor-redistributive/

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Message: 2



[Please share widely in your networks] ---- [fb event: 
www.facebook.com/events/194308067720936/] ---- [en français: www.salonanarchiste.ca] ---- 
Montreal Anarchist Bookfair 2017: ---- Callout for proposals (workshops, tables, events, 
theme rooms) ---- The deadline for proposals is SATURDAY, APRIL 1, before 11pm (April 15, 
2017 for Festival of Anarchy events). ---- - Workshop Proposals ---- We encourage your 
workshop proposals for both days of this year’s Bookfair (May 27 or 28, 2016). You can 
submit workshops that are: i) introductions to anarchism (reminder: introductions to 
anarchism, not introductions to other topics) or ii) workshops on other topics related to 
anarchism that explore an anarchism-themed topic in some depth (reminder: topics related 
to anarchism that explore an anarchism-themed topic in some depth, not just a generic 
social justice topic).

–> For full information about making a workshop proposal, visit: 
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/workshops-2017-call-for-proposals

The deadline for all workshop proposals is Saturday, April 1, 2017 before 11pm.

- Tabling at the Bookfair

The Anarchist Bookfair includes booksellers, distributors, independent presses and 
political groups from all over Montreal, Quebec, North America, and abroad. This year, 
there will be Bookfair tabling on TWO days – Saturday, May 27 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, 
May 28 from 10am-5pm. Tabling will take place in TWO spaces that are located across from 
each other: the Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier (CCGV) at 2450 rue Workman and the Centre 
d’éducation populaire de la Petite-Bourgogne et de St-Henri (CEDA) at 2515 rue Delisle.

–> For full information about requesting table space, visit: 
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/workshops-2017-call-for-proposals

The deadline to request table space is Saturday, April 1, 2017 before 11pm.

- Festival of Anarchy Events

The entire month of May comprises the Festival of Anarchy, with diverse anarchist-themed 
events occurring at different venues in Montreal. The Bookfair collective compiles a 
Festival of Anarchy calendar, but we count on you to organize the actual Festival of 
Anarchy events. Get in touch to reserve a date for your event in May or early June 
(calendar dates are “first come first served”).

–> For full information about reserving a date for the Festival of Anarchy calendar, 
visit: 
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/festival-of-anarchy-2017-callout-for-proposals

The deadline to submit Festival of Anarchy events is April 15, 2017 before 11pm.

- Theme Room Proposals

A theme room brings together related workshops and presentations in one space for a series 
of workshops between 11am to 5pm. Some examples of previous theme rooms include: 
Anti-Racist Struggles Theme Room (2016), Autonomous Media Room (2016), Kids, Caregivers & 
Comrades Theme Room (2016), Autonomous Media Room (2015), Anti-Canada Room (2015), 
Autonomous Media Room (2014), Kids, Comrades and Caregivers Theme Room (2013), Autonomous 
Media Room (2012), Anarchist Families Room (2012), Autonomous Media & Technology Room 
(2011), Indigenous Solidarity Room (2010), Anti-Capitalist Resistance Room (2010), 
Anarchist Parent’s Discussion Room (2010).

–> For full information about making a theme room proposal, 
visit:www.anarchistbookfair.ca/themeroomproposal

The deadline for all Theme Room proposals is Saturday, April 1, 2017 before 11pm..
-------
Mark your calendars …
MONTREAL ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR 2017

Two days: Saturday, May 27 & Sunday, May 28
 From 10am to 5pm on both days

The Anarchist Bookfair will take place in two buildings across from each other in Parc Vinet:
- Centre d'éducation populaire de la Petite-Bourgogne et de St-Henri (CEDA), 2515 rue Delisle
- Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier (CCGV), 2450 rue Workman
A short walk from Lionel-Groulx metro.

[fb event: www.facebook.com/events/309287516133558/]

No gods, no masters, no bosses, no borders.
FREE. Welcome to all!
For anarchists, and people curious about anarchism.

-> Participants from all over Quebec and North America, booksellers and vendors, 
workshops, films, discussions, kids' activities, art exhibits and more!
-> Part of the month-long Festival of Anarchy held throughout May 2017 at venues and 
locations all over the island of Montreal.
-> During this year’s Bookfair, tabling will take place over two days: May 27-28, between 
10am and 5pm.

- CALLOUT FOR PROPOSALS (workshops, tables, events, theme rooms): 
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017 (deadline: April 1, 2017)
- WHAT HAPPENS AT THE MONTREAL ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR: 
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/about/what-happens-at-the-bookfair
-------

CONTACT INFORMATION:
-> e-mail: info@anarchistbookfair.ca
-> mail: Salon du livre Anarchiste de Montréal
1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Suite 204
Montréal, Québec H3G 1N1

FOR UPDATES:
-> web: www.anarchistbookfair.ca
-> announcements list: https://masses.tao.ca/lists/listinfo/salon-annonces

SOCIAL MEDIA:
-> facebook: www.facebook.com/SalonduLivreAnarchisteMontrealAnarchistBookfair
-> twitter:  @BookfairAnarMTL

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Message: 3




But if they think this way will halt the social movement, the conquests and fights, 
something they have it wrong. We are willing to help them. Why would understand what it 
was like to shut the door to anti-fascists, to protect Nazi bastards and tribes 
exploiters. You understand and on the good, and in reverse! ---- On February 21, day of 
"liberation" of Ioannina, antifascist-s gathered at the point of deposit wreaths to the 
city center where attending local officials, MPs of SYRIZA and the neo-Nazi MP ASE, 
Christos Pappas. The mixer is their presence, reflects in the clearest way, the ideology 
of national unity that build. An ideology which can only be directed against the interests 
of the working class against the exploited.

The dynamic demonstration took place, expressed the anger of those who do not tolerate the 
presence of fascists, those who do not submit to the semblance of national liberation, 
those experiencing the effects of capitalism. Clearly the fear of power against such 
actions are evident and can only respond with violence, as happened. Dozens of police 
officers, many of whom plainclothes attacked protesters resulting in the production of 6 
persons. The four turned to arrests. One of them seriously injured and transferred to 
hospital after 2 hours! Such was the agony of cops, so deeply affects the fear of 
fighters, not the pulled handcuffs nor when they were on the stretcher. He and this city 
their own Gotzamani, with or without costume. They celebrated last free, they were 
defended with collapsible baton.

Lately, the stance of SYRIZA-ANEL government helps restore the fascists in the spotlight. 
The joint presence of syrizaion with scurfy Kastelorizo, Commissioners parent Oreokastro 
and the police state in Kavala prove. The per local intensification of repression with 
arrests, injuries and arrests in response to every resistance movement coupled with 
sophisticated propaganda media, forms the new, left poverty enforcement landscape always 
synodefeteai escalation of police violence.

But if they think this way will halt the social movement, the conquests and fights, 
something they have it wrong. We are willing to help them. Why would understand what it 
was like to shut the door to anti-fascists, to protect Nazi bastards and tribes 
exploiters. You understand and on the good, and in reverse!

Crushed FASCISTS THE PROTECTORS AND THEIR
SOLIDARITY ANTIFASISTES SYLLIFTHENTES

libertarian unions Ioannina

http://www.anarkismo.net/article/30021

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Message: 4



Hello friends, Here is a small update - remember, if you're putting on an event in 
Glasgow, email us at glasgowautonomyupdate@lists.riseup.net, and we will include your 
event in our next update! ---- And don't forget that there are many regular meetings at 
the Glasgow Autonomous Space, so if you're looking for a project to get involved in, check 
out the events calendar at GAS: http://glasgowautonomous.weebly.com/events.html ---- If 
you'd like to help produce the Autonomy Update, please let us know. ---- 0. Counter demo 
against Anti-Abortion Protest ---- Date: Saturday 25th February ---- Time: 11am-1pm ---- 
George Square ---- Anti-abortion group "40 days for life" are holding a protest in George 
Square on 25th to kick off their month long protest outside The Royal Hospital for 
Children in Govan.

1. Get Together at GAS
Date: Sunday 26th February
Time: 1pm-7pm
Location: Glasgow Autonomous Space (GAS), Unit 11, 53 Kilbirnie Street, Glasgow G5 8JD

All welcome!!

This Sunday will be GAS's first Get Together! On the last Sunday of every month come on 
down to GAS for food, music and a film. Everyone is welcome!

Over the last year, GAS has been transformed from an empty warehouse to a multi-roomed 
magic place for people to come together. As well as offering free meeting space for groups 
struggling against oppression we want to welcome folk to simply socialise!

Rattle Library will officically open - you can see the space so far, look through the 
books and copy the zines!

There'll be live music from the incredibly talented Adnan ????? ?????, playing Kurdish and 
Arabic music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_82w8bcHas

*films*

* kids space *

* food *

Facebook event: https://m.facebook.com/events/1856458924629590

Spread the word and see you there!

http://www.glasgowautonomousspace.com

[get in touch - glasgowautonomous@riseup.net]

2. Students Not Suspects Scotland Tour- Glasgow

Tuesday 28th Febuary, 1730-2000

University of Strathclyde Student's Association, 90 John St, G1 1JH

Find out about Preventing PREVENT, and surveillance of students

The impact of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act is normalizing Islamophobia and 
forcing public servants to act as informants. Students taking action are threatened with 
dismissal, arrest and huge court costs. Scottish institutions are under pressure, by the 
government, to produce policies, processes, and procedures to monitor students.

How can we ensure prevent implementation doesn't scapegoat our students?

This event is for anyone interested in resisting the impact of the Prevent duty and 
working together on ensuring the implementation doesn't negatively impact students. The 
speeches and workshops aim to equip students and activists with the knowledge and networks 
to take these campaigns on locally, IN YOUR INSTITUTIONS.

Organised by the Black Students Campaign - NUS Scotland, Federation of Student Islamic 
Societies (FOSIS) and the University and College Union (UCU)

#StudentsNotSuspects

Register here: 
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/students-not-suspects-scotland-tour-glasgow-tickets-31660079149

3. For Theatre and Arts enthusiasts: MEGAPHONE: A new residency for theatre makers of colour
This is a kickstarter project fundraising for this new residency. It runs until March 9th. 
More info at this link: 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/workerstheatre/megaphone-a-new-residency-for-theatre-makers-of-co

Amplify the voices of writers and theatre makers of colour in Scotland.

Megaphone is a new residency which will support new work by artists of colour based in 
Scotland. This residency is about empowering artists and bringing vibrant diversity to 
Scotland's theatre. It's a direct response to the barriers to getting their work produced 
that artists of colour face right now .

This is a chance for us to show solidarity with artists of colour in Scotland and ensure 
that their voices are heard. It is needed now more than ever. We need to stand by those 
communities that are most vulnerable in the current political climate. Your support will 
back three mentored residencies for artists from under-represented communities who want to 
undertake a theatre project. Funds raised will be used to provide bursaries, space, 
mentoring, and production costs. Lack of diversity in Scottish theatre is not a new 
problem, but it is one that is more and more urgent and needs to change now.

Why Scottish theatre needs more diversity:

Scotland's cultural makeup has changed rapidly in the past decade, with immigrant 
communities doubling in size. But we are still to see that change in Scotland's theatre. 
We are not just a box to tick.
We need a platform to tell our stories and engage with all Scottish communities. Bringing 
in "new" stories will bring in new audiences.
We need to hear those stories and we need to see them on stage. Visibility is powerful. 
Megaphone is one step towards making that change.

The three successful Megaphone artists will receive:

A bursary of £2,500 for each project, providing each artist with the chance to develop 
their skills, networks and/or explore a new idea for a piece of theatre.
Three mentoring sessions with a professional artist to help move their work forward.
The opportunity to have an excerpt of their work published in Gutter Magazine, Scotland's 
Magazine of New Writing.
Each artist will receive a week's access to a working space, and the opportunity to have a 
public (or private) sharing of their work. And your support will make that happen.

Who We Are

Megaphone is a partnership between Sara Shaarawi, and The Workers Theatre, who will be 
supporting and producing the residency.

Sara Shaarawi is a playwright, translator and performer from Cairo who is now based in 
Glasgow. She has had her work performed at the Tron Theatre, The Traverse, Village Pub 
Theatre, Platform, and the CCA. Sara also took part in the Playwrights Studio Scotland's 
2015 Mentoring Programme and the National Theatre of Scotland's Breakthrough Writers 
programme. Other credits include dramaturg, performing and translation for One Day in 
Spring (Oran Mor/NTS) and Here's the News from Over There (Northern Stage). She is also 
one of the recipients of the Playwrights' Studio Scotland's New Playwright's Awards this year.

The Workers Theatre is a new co-operative theatre company in Scotland working to create 
structures, resources, and space for new, radical performances that engage directly with 
audiences. Each artist receiving a residency will be invited to join us in sharing their 
work at the Workers Theatre's first pop up festival in 2017.

Applying to the Residency

Residencies are open to artists and collectives from a theatre background and across other 
disciplines (including music, sound, movement, film, story-telling, spoken word etc), who 
want to undertake a new theatre venture that explores an exciting, vital idea and/or moves 
forward their practice and learning. We will consider applicants from all levels of 
experience and can be at any stage of their career. The call is open to groups as well as 
individuals.

Residencies are opportunities for the Workers Theatre to support an artist to develop 
their skills and potential or the initial seed of an idea. They are not commissions or 
production opportunities.

Residencies will run from April to June 2017 and we need your support to make them happen. 
Details on how to apply will be added in the coming weeks!

Budget

Bursaries for 3 artists: £7500
Mentor fees for 3 sessions for each artist: £1500
Venue and equipment costs: £600
Cost of rewards for backers: £600
Kickstarter and payment fees: £800
**********
Email future events including name/time/date/location/description to: 
glasgowautonomyupdates@lists.riseup.net
If you know someone who would like to be added to this list then please direct them to: 
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/glasgowautonomyupdates

You can leave this list at any time by sending a blank email to:
glasgowautonomyupdates-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net The Autonomy Update is brought to you 
by Glasgow Anarchist Federation. Visit our blog at: http://glasgow.afed.org.uk

https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/glasgow-events-short-autonomy-update/

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Message: 5



citizenism ; Sovereignist; Rojava ; Aleppo; Cañada Real; COP22; Repression Basque Country; 
Solidarity offenders ; Cathos reacs; Wind energy; Spanish Revolution ---- Edito: The 
soc'-dem ' ---- Full-lights - citizenism: The mirage ---- reformism: What is it citizenism 
name? ---- A harmless strategy against capitalism ---- For the risks of a sovereignist 
drift ---- France rebellious: The dangerous game of Mélanchon ---- International ---- 
Reportage au Kurdistan syrien sur l'économie coopérative: La voie du Rojava ---- Syrie: 
Après Alpe contre tous les tyrans ---- La Syrie otage des criminels des deux camps ---- 
État Espagnol: Résistance populaire à la Cañada Real ---- Maroc: La COP 22 lave plus vert 
---- Euskal Herria (Pays basque): Quand la répression ne s'arrête jamais ---- Social ---- 
class justice: Solidarity is not crime  ---- Police violence: Gender exists, reactionaries 
cathos prove

Ecology
   Industrial Wind energy: A network case

Culture
   Book: "The Russian Anarchists, the Soviets and the 1917 Revolution" Alexandre Skirda, 
editions Spartacus
  Comic "Black Night Brest" Damien Cuvilier, Galic and Kris Bertrand, Futuropolis editions

History
   It was 80 years ago: The French libertarian movement and the Spanish Revolution


Edito: The soc'-dem '

The Social Democracy is dying, but its corpse never ceases to die. Here are the Phrygian 
bonnets and the ideas of Keynes, the republican banquets and the virtuous speeches. They 
have new digital clothes and communication with a background of civic college education. 
Since the disintegration of the anti-globalization movement, there are no longer any 
initiatives calling for the "renewal of politics". But these are often confined to a sort 
of fetishism, this practice of adulation of objects for the symbolism attributed to them. 
A soft eroticism of the Neune Revolution. The final example is the winner of the "digital 
primer" whose program boils down to a litany of advertising concepts: for a "reinvention 
of democracy" and a "responsible industry".

It would thus suffice to oppose virtue and the state to the claws of the vultures of 
capitalism. The latter, however, accept it as well as they agree with vice or 
dictatorship. The important thing being the interest of the ruling class, not morality.

If "citizenship" attracts, it is nevertheless based on real aspirations. They are still 
seeking their way and wager that they find it on the road to revolution.

Alternative Libertaire, January 30, 2017

http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Edito-La-rengaine-soc-dem

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