Today's Topics:
1. [Santa Maria-RS] 2nd edition of the Group of Anarchist
Studies Espertirina Martins By ANA (pt) [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. Greece, Call to police trial for torture of arrested
anti-fascist motorists By APO (gr) [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. wsm.ie: Workers Solidarity Movement position paper on Sex,
Gender, and Sexuality (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. France, Alternative Libertaire AL spécial de juillet-aout
Slum of Bobigny: A reprieve ... and a victory (fr, it, pt)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Ruptura Colectiva (RC): Libertarian communalism and
self-government in Syria (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. US, black rose fed: We need resistance not cooption: On
Trump's transgender military ban By CRS (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. wsm.ie: Workers Solidarity Movement position paper on
Patriarchy (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
We at the FAG in Santa Maria very modestly invite all libertarian militancy of our city to
the second edition of the Group of Anarchist Studies Espertirina Martins. ---- In the
first edition held in the second half of 2016 over 6 meetings, we approached through texts
known to the libertarian field the theme of the Anarchist Political Organization. This has
proved to be very fruitful and has given us the challenge of continuing to study
collectively for more and more terms to increase our theoretical capacity in the analysis
of what is being lived and to better choose the path of a political practice that produces
advances towards a socialist and libertarian society. ---- In this second edition, and
there will be others, we will deal with the study of a complex subject, quite
controversial and important for those who have a pretension to rupture with the system of
capitalist domination and exploitation: the SUBJECT-REVOLUTIONARY, that is, which class,
which Social classes, which subjects and social movements can sustain the process of
rupture? Here's the theme.
To study, therefore, to fight and create Popular Power!
For a Front of the Oppressed Classes!
Registration, free and until August 10 by e-mail; Fagsm@gmail.com . The first meeting will
take place on Saturday, August 12 at 3:00 p.m., the site of this and other five, which
will take place biweekly, in addition to the material for study and the methodology we
will divulge through electronic correspondence.
Libertarian greetings!
Fms.it fms.it
------------------------------
Message: 2
Call to police trial on torture of arrested anti-fascist motorists: Monday 31 July 2017, 9
am, Evelpidon Courts ---- On Monday, July 31, the delusional cops of the DELTA and IPKE
squads are tried following a prosecution of the arrested anti-fascist mopeds in September
2012, both on the road during the police assault on the protest, and later in prison of
security. ---- At that time, the fascist athletes had attacked comrades and comrades
demonstrating against the racist pogroms of the Nazi gang. To St. Panteleimon and to
solidarity with immigrants. The arrest of the 15 fighters and later the prosecution of six
additional comrades, the beatings suffered in GADA, the brutal assumption by the cops that
the data and photographs of the arrested are surrendered to the golden dawn, and the cover
and legalization of torture by The political leadership of the police and the domestic
media, are indicative not only of the cooperation between the police and the paratroopers
(which led and at the same time was revealed by the murder of Pavlos Fissas), but also of
the wider treaty that fed it et: this institutional fascism,
Five years on, we stand on the side of comrades and comrades who will be in the courts,
and there is a fight against tolerance, silence and oblivion. A battle about the ongoing
conflict between the world of power and the world of struggle is a matter of today.
From the collapse of Petros Rallis, which at the end of May eight non-paper immigrants
suffered a violent beating in the aliens because they complained about their 10-month
imprisonment and were finally jailed from the concentration camp of Moria in Lesvos that
in July, dozens of migrants and immigrants hit and arrested by riot police when protesting
against their confinement, to the streets of Thessaloniki where the July 19 antifascist
anarchist march was attacked by riot police, with their rage focused on one of the
demonstrators ... no attack on the militants, the oppressed and exploited will be left
unanswered .
Anarchist Collaboration "Circle of Fire"
member of the Anarchist Political Organization - OS.
http://apo.squathost.com
------------------------------
Message: 3
Collectively agreed by the July 2017 National Conference ---- 1. Introduction ---- 1. This
paper outlines the WSM's view on sex, gender, and sexuality, as they relate to their
common link of patriarchy. ---- 2. Sex and Gender ---- 1. Depending on a child's assigned
sex, they are expected to fit into a certain role in society, i.e. to be a certain way and
be treated a certain way. ---- 2. To better understand this phenomenon a separate concept
is needed, ‘gender', which is related but different to sex. ---- 3. At a first
approximation, sex refers to a person's anatomy while gender refers to all the other
traits that are expected to go along with that. So sex refers to things like genitals,
hormone proportions, chromosomes, gonads, while gender refers to personality and
behaviour, less about reproductive anatomy and more about mind and expression.
4. Traditionally sex and gender are treated as the same thing, e.g. the female sex, the
female gender. However, it is instructive to treat them as separate ideas.
3. Sex and Gender are Socially Constructed
1. These gender roles are considered to be a natural fact of life. It goes that boys and
girls are a certain way because they're biologically different, most notably having
different brains.
2. At the same time it's considered a ‘normative' fact of life, men and women should be a
certain way because that's right.
3. However, these expected roles aren't natural at all. Neither are they ethical
requirements. These gender roles are human inventions. Gender is a ‘social construct'.
4. What society expects from people of a certain gender varies according to time and
place. Within the Chambri tribe in Papua New Guinea for example women are considered the
dominant gender and function as the primary suppliers of food for their families, a
reversal of what we see in western societies.
5. We note that sex is also socially constructed. It is ultimately inseparable from
gender. The entire sex classification process is political, and the categorisation of sex
into male/female categories which are unavoidably connected to gender roles means it is
not at all like using some neutral way of categorising and understanding human
reproductive anatomy. A person whose gender is different to their assigned sex is
perfectly correct and has the greatest right to assert that their sex and gender are
actually the same. This does not change the physical facts of their anatomy, it is a
political act counter to patriarchal society.
6. We see this starkly in the case of intersexism, the oppression of intersex people, when
intersex people's bodies are deemed to be ‘wrong' because their reproductive anatomy
doesn't fit into a rigid two-category idealisation. The ‘solution' is often that doctors
perform surgery to make their bodies better fit that idealised sexual pair of male = XY
chromosomes, penis, testes, high androgen, etc, and female = XX chromosomes, vagina,
ovaries, high estrogen, etc.
7. Generally, parents accept the sex classification of their children at birth and rear
them according to society's expected gender roles.
8. The way our parents, other relatives, friends, teachers, the media, partners, passersby
on the street, and everyone we encounter everyday in society, shape us from birth, through
childhood, adolescence, into adulthood, and beyond, is called ‘socialisation'.
9. As intensely social organisms, humans are heavily influenced by the people around us.
10. When we appear to fit into our expected roles it is not because they are natural or
biologically inevitable but because we have either been socialised to be that way (for
instance ‘males wear blue and don't express their feelings'), or we actually don't fit the
role but are perceived to because of patriarchal ideology (for instance ‘females are less
intelligent').
4. Gender Roles are Complex and Coercive
1. Gender roles are astonishingly complicated and rigid. Based on the label male or
female, a person is expected to look and talk a certain way, have certain character traits
and inclinations, and have certain mental and physical abilities.
2. That complexity can't be over-emphasised. Our personalities, behaviour, and bodies, are
mapped out by society according to our assigned sex down to the finest details. As just
relatively few examples, certain tiny facial expressions are considered ‘feminine' or
‘masculine', as well as tones and volume of voice, colours, gestures, hobbies, opinions,
body shape, and name.
3. Neither can that rigidity be over-emphasised. Although, despite the fact that the
traits which make up these two roles are expected to be rigidly obeyed they are often
shifting and contradictory.
4. If the person does not fit that role, there will be retribution. Someone who attempts
to deviate from this will be considered a freak, even ethically bankrupt, and/or can face
ostracisation, bullying, legal and economic discrimination, assault, murder, and jail
depending on circumstances.
5. Gender Inequality - Sexism and Transphobia
1. Male and female gender roles are gravely unequal. Those assigned female at birth are
put in a subservient position, while those assigned male are put in a relatively dominant
one. This process is called sexism.
2. According to patriarchal ideology, females are innately inferior to males. Females are
among other things thought to be less intelligent, creative, strong (mentally and
physically), and funny.
3. Females are expected to be submissive to males, including fulfilling their sexual
desires, doing their housework, and raising their children.
4. However, as mentioned there is an additional factor, as those who transgress gender
roles face punishment.
5. Many people fundamentally don't relate to the sex and gender they were assigned at
birth. This categorisation feels particularly wrong, out of place, and oppressive.
Instead, some other gender is appropriate.
6. ‘Trans' people are those who were assigned one gender at birth but are actually another
gender. Some, for example, are assigned male but are girls / women. Some are a gender
other than one of the standard pair - the ‘binary' of woman (girl) or man (boy) - being a
third gender, no gender, multiple genders, or frequently shifting between genders. They
are called ‘non-binary' or ‘genderqueer'.
7. This is relatively complicated because human personalities, and hence genders, aren't
so absurdly simplistic and uniform as to fit neatly into two categories.
8. Others, who feel relatively comfortable with the sex and gender they were assigned at
birth, are called ‘cis'.
9. A person does not necessarily enjoy the dominant social position of cis males because
they were assigned male at birth. Trans people are oppressed for not being ‘proper males
or ‘proper females'. Thus it is not clarifying or helpful to say that trans women (or
genderqueer people assigned male) experience male privilege.
10. Trans men do not have the same experience of the world as cis men because of
transphobia. Though some can avoid sexism the fact that they have to live in a transphobic
society must be taken into account when assessing their relative advantages as males.
11. The oppression and marginalisation of trans people is called transphobia.
12. Patriarchy dictates that trans people can't truly exist, since there are only two
genders, and they are fixed biological facts. Therefore, being trans is considered a
mental illness, a form of delusion or sexual perversion, or at best an attempt to seek
attention.
13. Patriarchy is in a sense oppressive for cis men in that the expected male gender role
can be damaging to them, especially psychologically. This is sometimes called ‘toxic
masculinity'. However, this is not at all to say that cis men suffer equally under
patriarchy, cis men overall are privileged in it.
6. Sexuality
https://www.wsm.ie/c/sex-gender-and-sexuality
------------------------------
Message: 4
The land allocated to Romanian families for five years along the rue de Paris in Bobigny
has made it possible for the social integration of its inhabitants and inhabitants.
Despite its success, it is being called into question for political reasons. ---- In 2012,
under the pressure of a collective of solidarity and teachers mobilized to educate
children, the communist town hall allocates an industrial wasteland along the National 3
to a few Romanian families, present in the commune since Years despite several expulsions
from their successive shanty towns. Minimum facilities (water, showers, electricity,
toilets ...) are installed in exchange for an occupancy allowance, which families have
always been keen to pay each month. An association is mandated to accompany the families
towards the common law: papers, work, housing ... Since that time, neither the conditions
of occupation nor the number of residents have changed. Some families have found
accommodation. All were able to take advantage of this secure stability to regularize
their situations with recourse to the status of self-contractor for several scrap dealers.
And the piece of land that will eventually accommodate the construction of new homes is
still not concerned with the renovation of the canal banks. No urgency therefore to break
a net of insertion. But the IDU took the town hall in 2014 with in its ten promises of
campaign the expulsion of the families installed in shantytowns. This is done for two
other zones, despite the long mobilization of the field of the Eggcups, for example, Which
has resulted in some results for families. The expulsion is more difficult to justify in
the case of the Rue de Paris, because the occupation was initially contractual with the
town hall, until this turnaround.
Change in political color
The court of first instance has already twice canceled in 2017 the request for expulsion
of the owner (Sequano, a mixed economy company whose town hall is a shareholder). A final
judgment in appeal will take place in October but for now the TGI argues the best interest
of families in the right of ownership, a position in accordance with the law and yet
seldom adopted unfortunately. To circumvent these unfavorable court rulings, the mayor
ended a May municipal order requesting deportation within 48 hours for " imminent peril
". Curious way to admit to putting families in danger for four years, since nothing has
changed on the ground ! Or a pitiful maneuver in the hope that the administrative tribal
of Montreuil, known for its favorable judgments to the owners, Open the prefect to the
use of force? The fact remains that this same administrative court, seized by the family
lawyer, suspended the deportation order. A respite, and a new victory for some 150 people,
supported by the teachers of the city and the associations Voice of the Roma, Movement of
May 16, Aset 93, LDH, Mrap etc.
Jean-Yves, (AL 93 Center)
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Bidonville-de-Bobigny-Un-sursis-et-une-victoire
------------------------------
Message: 5
We've published this interview called "Libertarian communalism and self-government in
Syria" made by an internationalist comrade who prefered to remain anonymous, but
encouraging to extend the debate about the Syrian revolution along the world. The main
questions on cultural and political relations (and also the radical differences) between
the Arab autonomous councils that have been formed since the revolution start on 2011, the
Kurdish parties organizative forces and the connotation of try hegemonize the Middle East
conflicts of imperialist countries , In a way to understand all advances and gains of this
armed process for a better life for the most important subject in this scenario: the
communities & people. ---- - Hello, Fatima! Please tell us about the local self-government
the Arabs and Kurds in Syria.
Hi, comrade! I think the local level, through the communes, there is some local autonomy
and self-organization at least to make very local level decisions. But in general what has
happened, most structures and decision making are very top down, PYD led and controlled
(PYD is Kurdish party supporters of Abdullah Öcalan, the Syrian branch of PKK). I think
the question is how to support more radical elements and the energy that has been
unleashed now with Kurdish youth and not support PYD project. The Arab project has been
much more bottom up. It is not party led, but it brings together people from different
backgrounds for practical buisness of self-organizing communities. In this way I find it
more progressive. But there are still big challenges, there is still limited participation
of women in council positions.
- Are you an anarchist or libertarian socialist?
I would have replied anarchist, but I am getting less and less comfortable with ... I
think it is the European anarchism that has put me off this self-identification too ...
there is a blindness and an unwillingness to see problems -or understand context - a very
romantic vision and those of us that try to raise awarness of PYD authoritarism get
slandered as Arab nationalists or jihadi supporters ...
- So can you tell me is there ane self-governments in Syria also in shiaa areas like Fua
or in Latackia Alavite?
It is not permitted by the scheme. In the early years of the revolution there was
organization of committees, bringing together Alawi and Sunni, etc. Activists for protests
etc. But self-government would be impossible.
- How powerful are Arab tribes in the Syrian towns? Do they influence self-government? For
example, in Palestine Homula (arab tribe) has a great impact on the lives of Arab
societies almost everywhere. In Syria is it the same?
Depends. In some areas they are powerful. They often participate in local councils in
those areas.
- What do you think happens if Shiaa coalition (Iran + Hizballa + Iraqi Shiaa + Fatimiyuun
of hazarians + Asad) win the war in the most part of Syria? Is that like Iran's occupation?
I think they will win the war and with the help of the West too in the 'war on terror'.
The Arab areas now being destroyed, from without and within, nearly over and Rojava will
then be targetted. I think we can already talk about Iranian / Ru occupation in large
parts of the country, the regime is finished, it does not exist, it is completely
dependent on outsiders maybe there will be a partition with different groups / powers
having control of different Areas.
- But I am not sure about Rojava permanence, it could be under USA controll more and more.
Yes, but USA is aligning with regime more and more if there is a partition, maybe there
will still be a Rojava but I imagine with more central government control.
- Why do you think so?
I do not believe there was ever a 'regime change' plot. Even under Obama, there was a call
for Assad to go, but never to dismantle the regime. Like in Yemen. There was a lot of
rhetoric about supporting the opposition but in reality it was limited, nothing like what
we see for PYD now. The USA was responsible for blocking other countries sending heavy
weapons to FSA (Free Syrian Army). Now under Trump there is an increasing consensus (and I
think in the West more generally) that Assad should stay in the interests of 'stability'
and 'fighting terrorism'. The USA tried to work with FSA to fight ISS on condition they
drop fight against Assad, they did not get hardly any groups to sign up, so they will be
created SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces is a coalition of the Kurdish militia YPG and Arab
militias,
- I have some Arab Militias That information and tribes are fightin wit SDF together today
and there are alot of them.
Yes, of course, there are many Arab groups fighting with SDF. For me, I can not feel
positive about SDF, it is operating as a US proxy force. I think also people make too much
of Arab participation in SDF or PYD structures. It's a political issue here, not ethnic.
(Kurds-like Manbij-, Christians -in Yabrood-, Ishamaili, Kurdish-like, Kurdish, -in
Salamiya-, etc.) Also we have to ask about some of the Arab groups in the SDF. Some of
them are very pro-Assad. The Manbij military council has 2 Arabs on it even members of
parliament regime. I have questions
But of course, there is also a lot of support for SDF from all different groups, they are
fighting Daesh, they are liberating communities from Daesh rule. But I do not think they
will be obidient to PYD all the time ....
Alliances are quickly formed and dimmed in war, based on necessity and what is most useful
at the time. Especially in the North the tribal relations are also very complex and play a
big role. I can not even pretend to understand all of that and the role it plays.
http://rupturacolectiva.com/libertarian-communalism-and-self-government-in-syria/
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Message: 6
If your response to the army preying on poor communities and communities of color, using
poverty as a new draft, is to use that to legitimize the existence of the institution as
an escape from poverty rather than to call for abolition of using poor kids as cannon
fodder for the wars of the rich, you might have some fucked up priorities. ---- The US
military is an imperial one, the army of global capital. Don't join it. Don't defend it.
Especially under president trump where they have gone from killing 80 civilians a month
under Obama to now under Trump 360 a month or at least 12 a day. If you care about black
and brown lives here what about the people of Somalia, Yemen, and Syria? ---- As for the
ban on transgender individuals this is certainly about more than just the military. It is
an attempt to dehumanize trans people while appealing to Trump's reactionary base at a
time when his support is cracking even from sectors on the right. But the response from
those opposed to such targeting of marginalized groups should not be praise for the army
or diversified imperialism. We need resistance not cooption. This praise of militarism is
funneling energy back into a system that causes tremendous amounts of suffering around the
world.
As a final note I also wanted to add that this is why I do not see Trump and those around
him as idiots. This pronouncement seems perfectly crafted to benefit reactionary forces
both in the left-of-center and the right-of-center camps - one side steeped in explicit
anti-trans bigotry and the other cheerleading for rainbow imperialism and the US military.
The effect of this is to attempt to close off structural criticism gives an opening for
arch imperialists to posture as a progressive force.
http://blackrosefed.org/trump_transgender_ban/
------------------------------
Message: 7
Collectively agreed by the July 2017 National Conference. ---- 1. Introduction ---- 1.
This paper outlines the collectively agreed politics of the WSM on the entire oppressive
gender system, herein called ‘Patriarchy' but which might be more technically referred to
as ‘Cis-Hetero-Patriarchy' or ‘Cis-Heterosexual-Male Supremacy'. ---- 2. The purpose of
this paper is to outline what we think patriarchy is, how it has developed, and what
freedom beyond patriarchy would mean. ---- 3. Patriarchy is a highly totalitarian,
ancient, system which regulates our lives in the most private, invasive, insidious, and
extraordinary ways. That control is exerted throughout society at both the lowest informal
personal level, through people we meet in our ordinary daily lives, and at the highest
formal political level, through the state, capitalism, and religious institutions.
4. Sexism, transphobia, homophobia, biphobia, and intersexism, are joined together in this
single oppressive gender system.
5. Feminism is the movement and ideology which seeks to replace patriarchy with an equal
and free society. The WSM is a fundamentally feminist organisation.
2. The Rise and Fall of Sex and Gender
1. At the core of patriarchy is that human babies are assigned something called a ‘sex' at
birth.
2. This is done without the consent of the child.
3. In many societies only two categories are accepted as standard: ‘male' and ‘female'.
There is one marginalised category: ‘intersex'.
4. Sex is assigned based on the genitalia of the newborn child. In most cases if the child
has a penis, ‘he' is called ‘male'. If they have a vagina, ‘she' is called ‘female'. Some
intersex children have genitalia that deviate from the norm, both a penis and a vagina for
example, but not limited to this. The doctor, or other, decides whether they will be
called ‘male' or ‘female'.
5. For most of human history the difficulty in controlling fertility and the strong
relationship between work and physical strength made gender categorisation a fundamental
aspect of all societies. Quite often there were more than 2 genders but always most people
were clearly categorised as being either men or women and this often had a huge impact on
what role in society they could play, in particular in the aftermath of the agricultural
revolution class systems developed where many legal aspects from inheritance to the degree
of personal independence allowed were strongly tied to assigned gender - very often women
were literally made the property of men. In less authoritarian societies there were routes
where people could escape their gender assignment but that was seldom easy. In other
societies attempts to do so resulted in violence and perhaps death.
6. Today we live in a society where it's completely possible to control fertility through
a wide variety of technologies - childbirth can be a choice. It is also one where
industrialisation and automation means 20 physical strength is increasingly irrelevant for
labour. We have however inherited that older system which sees gender, and in particular a
binary gender distinction, as something completely fundamental in a way that hair colour
or height is not viewed.
7. It may continue to be a scientific fact that genitalia differ but there is nothing
scientific in insisting that this difference - which is seldom actually visible - should
define every aspect of our lives from cradle to grave. Blue toys for boys and pink toys
for girls is not science, neither is the idea that toys can only come in one of two colours.
8. Faced with this modern reality we see on the one hand a doubling down in the attempts
to impose a rigid gender division by the old institutions, in particular the catholic church.
9. On the other hand technology and the general advance of the struggle for freedom has
opened up a space in many societies where a broad revolt against that rigid binary gender
segregation has exploded. Increasing numbers are openly rejecting the gender they were
assigned at birth. But also even an overwhelming majority of those assigned female at
birth would deny that assignment should have any influence on where and how they can work,
socialise, etc. From the perspective of life determination the broad revolt against the
gender binary is something that already involves the majority.
3. Abolishing Patriarchy
1. Patriarchy is supported and spread by capitalism and the state. Therefore it is
necessary to tie the struggle against patriarchy to the struggle against capital and state.
2. We must seek unity within the working class across divides of gender and sexuality, as
we ultimately have more in common than not. However, it is vital not to assume that just
because we are all working class that we are automatically equal.
3. While gender has its root in an arbitrary correspondence between anatomy and other
personal traits, the aim is to eliminate the coercion behind gender and not necessarily to
entirely eliminate the idea of gender itself. That is to say a society liberated from
patriarchy is one where gender, including sexual orientation, is freely expressed and
doesn't carry any privileges or penalties. However, at that point gender would likely fade
into obscurity.
4. As both women's and queer / LGBTQIA liberation are ultimately products of the same
oppressive gender system, we strive to build a movement where women and queers join in a
common struggle for freedom from patriarchy.
https://www.wsm.ie/c/patriarchy
------------------------------
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