Today's Topics:
1. Placement on recent developments in Brazil By APO (Greece)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. freedomn ews: Winter Editorial: Persuasive Pessimism
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. France, Alternative Libertaire AL - AL and CGA release:
AL-CGA rapprochement: appeal to revolutionary groups (fr, it,
pt)[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. afed.cz: Poland: Striking refugee centre cleaners win (ca)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
One of the main timeless projects of the anarchist movement was that of international
solidarity. In the modern globalized environment of capitalism, this particular project
looks more relevant than ever. That is why we felt it was important to stand up for the
recent (28/10) victory of the right-wing candidate Bolsonaro with the Liberal Social Party
in the elections in Brazil, but also to be sworn in as president (1/1), while expressing
solidarity to the struggling pieces of the Brazilian people. ---- With more than 50% in
the richest regions of the country (the southern and southeastern states) and with an
electoral base mostly made up of men with higher incomes, Bolsonaro has a general tendency
to conservatism. With provocative "all-embracing" statements of the press that "it will
end all activisms" and that "all the left have to be rifled", it prolongs its aggressive
attitude towards the movements and fighters. Characteristically, in his first statements
after his election, he described the movements of the homeless and the peasant farmer as
"terrorist", showing his dispositions early on the poorest and most oppressed layers of
Brazil. This attitude is accompanied by sexism, homophobia and more general racism against
women's sex, members of the community, indigenous peoples, and blacks. The movements,
along with minorities, are therefore the permanent objectives of a policy that includes on
its agenda the militarization of public life, the strengthening of relations with the US,
and a series of neo-liberal measures, such as the reduction of pensions, the abolition of
labor law, collective agreements and public insurance, measures that will be accompanied
by a more general privatization policy, certifying a wider class and social aggression of
state and capital.
This aggression is embodied in both the Bolsonaro election, which clearly represents the
primacy of the fascinating, non-revolutionary role of the fascist regime and the intensity
of racist and fascist violence. From a power administrator, a politician - and a former
military - assumes the military dictatorship of the 1964-85 era and the torture and
assassinations that he committed, and on the other, the entire social groups are at the
target of the system, both paramilitary and fascist impact groups. More specifically, in
2017, 445 people (one every 19 hours) were murdered on the grounds of sexual orientation,
30% more than in 2016. Blacks, even though they account for 8% of the total population,
are the top of the list of homicide victims 71%. Gender violence is also on the rise, as
of the 4,539 murders of women last year, 1,133 were related to their sex. Recent examples
of these phenomena include the growing attacks by Bologna's fans shortly before the
election culminating in the murder of Mohamed Katoed in the city of Salvador and the
assassination in March of Rio de Janeiro by Maríelle Franco, what the fascists hate: it
was black, lesbian, feminist and left.
But the Bolonicosian electoral victory is also a recapitulation of a different strategy
from the Brazilian capital and the change in its relationship with the state. Since 1930
the development of the domestic economy has been the state's main tool, with the country's
largest industries being under state control. Despite the return of the democratic regime
in 1988 ("New Democracy"), this relationship did not change, but instead created new
political conditions. The objective was to enter state agencies and businesses and hunt
state aid (legal or illegal) for all political forces. Thus, as the politicians were
elected with parties without a clear ideology and line having the above aims, governments
used this incentive to govern on the basis of a politically disparate majority
(presidencialismo de coalizão). The result was the continuation of a hypertrophic state
where corruption was diffuse and the interplay between state and capital was clearly
blatant. With the rise of Lula's Labor Party in 2003, a small portion of all this
profitability was used for social benefits to the poorer strata. The outbreak of the
global financial crisis in 2008 could not have affected Brazil. At the same time that the
Car Wash scandal broke out, the Temer government voted bills that would take back social
benefits and overwhelm the repressive powers of the state.
Brazil is currently redefining the roles of ruling sovereignty both internally (including
illegal capital such as narco industry) and externally in its relations with the US and
the role of the country in relation to the other states Latin America. In order for this
transition to be able to deepen and extend the exemption regime, the powers of the state
machine are growing and becoming more and more penetrating into the social body, while
class antagonisms are compounded by a large part of the population sinking into poverty
and misery. A course that is the product of the form of the modern capitalist system
itself and is not determined by the party in power.
That is why the issue is not the choice between a social democratic model or even a model
with the state as the key player in the economy and a neo-liberal management model. Both
have diffident corruption, increasing and upgrading the powers of the police and the
repression of the oppressed and the fighters. The question is the total rejection of the
state and the capitalist system as sources of injustice, poverty, wars. An outline of the
new cabinet is enough to demonstrate the "changes" that are taking place in Brazil's
political landscape.
The new super-ministry of finance is taken over by Paulo Ghentz, a Chicago School graduate
and a Chicago Boys partner, rapporteurs of the neo-liberal doctrine, Chile's first test
animal on Pinochet dictatorship. The Ministry of Agriculture is taking over Teresa
Cristina da Costa, who was the leader in the parliamentary bill for the release of the use
of toxic pesticides, while for her electoral campaign she received donations from 12 big
farmers in the agro-industry. We can not link this to both the recent Bolsonaro statements
on the climate agreement and the growing deforestation of the Amazon forest, the main
oxygen lung for our planet. At the same time, Hon. Lorenzoni, who is associated with the
agro-industrial group Cosan , will be appointed Minister of the Presidency , and he
recently confessed that he got $ 100,000 from the meat export colossus companyJBS and are
facing charges of bribery and Odebrecht . Relationships with the big capital of the
country are clear, as is the involvement in various kinds of scandals. Even for the new
Minister of Justice, Sergio Moro, who led the car wash case and the first Lula coroner's
conviction, capitalizing politically on his role, there is evidence of possible illegal
funding for his election campaign.
The other face of the upcoming government is of course repression, racism, ultimately
totalitarianism. Minister of Defense is taken over by retired General Fernando Azevedo and
Silva, a former army chief who described the 1964 coup as a "movement." Also, the head of
the Security Council has been appointed by Augustus Elena who defends the absolute freedom
of the army and police to kill and has characterized the demarcation of indigenous lands
as "a threat to national sovereignty." And, of course, we can add the recent police
invasions to universities under the pretext of the new law against party propaganda, which
was accompanied by teaching rooms, downloading anti-fascist banners, even banning
anti-fascist events.
In response to the rising popularity of Bologna, the Labor Party has proclaimed
"anti-fascist unity" and can be saved (in their alliance include the Brazilian Communist
Party). Movements known by social democracy aimed at restoring or staying in power. Not
only do the social democrats in no way represent an anti-fascist force, but rather pave
the way for fascist raid when using nationalism to promote broader interests and when
hitting movements with fascist striking groups. In this case, they hoped that anti-fascist
statements and reinforcement of the old left-wing division would erase the scandals,
corruption and the profound speculation of its governments. Ultimately, they created false
dilemmas for the Brazilian people, as the battle against fascism is part of the ongoing
confrontation against the state and capital for total liberation. This is because fascism
is a child of the capitalist system and has a toolkit to rescue it every time.
And the truth is that previous center-left governments have methodically promoted the
"public order" agenda by criminalizing the poor through their growing enclaves (especially
the black population) and militants through the growing repression that culminated in the
adoption of the new anti-terrorist law by Roussef, at the same time as the role of the
army within the country, but also with regard to the geopolitics of the continent. At the
same time, the Class Reconciliation Agenda collapsed miserably, removing social rights,
political freedoms and public benefits, things that have been conquered by decades-long
labor struggles on a world scale.
For our part, even though we are and are thousands of miles away, we express our
solidarity with the struggling pieces of the Brazilian people, fighting against the
brutality of the capitalist system and modern totalitarianism. A barbarity that is a
reality in the world, even if it is expressed in a different way in the world. They can,
however, set up mounds against the increasing attacks of state and capital and the fascist
threat. Our duty is to strengthen international solidarity, to organize and fight against
power, capitalism, fascism and nationalism, horizons and compasses of social revolution,
anarchy and libertarian communism.
Libertatia - collectivity for libertarian communism - membe
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Message: 2
It is a truism to say that we live in interesting and scary times. With far, or alt-right,
groups gaining ground, influence, and increasingly real political power everywhere we
look, Brexit looming over all of us in the UK and beyond, thousands of people dying on the
Mediterranean Sea while desperately trying to reach the safety of Fortress Europe. ----
Children are being kept in prisons for the crime of being born to the wrong parents,
climate change is affecting us all, rapists are being elevated to the supreme court of the
US, fascists have been unashamedly marching across both bigger and smaller cities,
anti-migrant, bigoted and xenophobic sentiments have been growing under the pretence of
"freedom of speech." It is easy to conclude that there is no point anymore in our
struggles and that we have lost for, at least, the foreseeable future. If not forever.
However, please allow for some optimism. Whilst the fact that we, as the left, are losing
ground, sadly might be true, we strongly believe not all hope is lost and it is up to us
where we go from here. Now it is time to up our activist, or just decent human being, game.
After all, most lasting changes in this world originate in the time of crisis such as the
one we are experiencing today. Obviously, our struggles and organising were never an easy
task, and likely it will soon become even more difficult. But, for the first time in
decades, what we say and what we do might actually matter: provided we know what we are
doing and are open for new ways to organise and relate to society.
Despite the gloom and difficulties of today's world, It is our duty to take advantage of
the current state of affairs in our organising and political and social struggles.Most
good organising doesn't come from great ideas only. It comes from the urgent necessity of
change recognised by wide parts of our society. This necessity has became apparent to
almost everyone who isn't high enough on the social ladder to just ignore the general
situation of the world and get on with their trouble-free lives.
One of our problems is that our opponents seem to be very good in taking advantage of this
situation in order to promote their ideas. They are the ideas directly opposing ours: they
want isolationism, they want strong national states, they don't want migrants, women,
black and ethnic minority people and other groups as their equals. They are very good in
convincing large parts of the population that their only hope is to follow them while they
are trying to get their old mythical world back. They are even better in getting some
parts of the population to mistake losing their privilege for losing their rights.
While it may look like a hopeless task, we ought to at least try, as hard as we can, to
direct the current of change the way we want it to go. It is now when we ought to promote
our ideas and actions. It is now when we ought to speak with those around us to find out
how, and where, we are going now. Clearly, this work will not be easy and certainly not
pleasant or speedy.
While we often find ourselves in a defensive mode, there are many groups and individuals
doing great work in an attempt to create a better, just world based on anti-authoritarian
left principles. Many of them don't say it like that, but this doesn't matter: they are
still more than worthy of our attention and support.
While the big traditional trade unions may be losing their influence and find themselves a
little too irrelevant for the modern world, there are other older and newer organisations
gradually taking charge and gaining influence and attention.
In the UK, there is a not too well reported, but ever growing struggle for decent wages
and decent employment: fighting against the so-called gig economy. Women all over the
world are pissed off and fighting for their rights, often reaching out to their counter
parties across national borders. Anti-gentrification struggles are gaining more and more
attention. So are numerous environmental groups.
Our latest issue of Freedom is partly dedicated to such groups and individuals. From the
amazing United Voices of the World union going from strength to strength with their
successful and unorthodox strike actions, through the Solidarity Federation doing their
bit with their workplace organiser training days, IWW Couriers Network organising all over
the country, kids campaigning for prisoners' rights, and many others showing us that there
is indeed a space and need for grassroots organising.
And that, however difficult it may be, it needs to be dealt with right here, right now.
After all, it is not called struggle for nothing.
https://freedomnews.org.uk/persuasive-pessimism/
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Message: 3
Libertarian Alternative (AL) and the Coordination of Anarchist Groups (CGA) began a
process of rapprochement in February 2018. This process continues and, for the moment, is
bearing fruit. For our organizations, now is the time to expand this common approach. ----
We have made several common observations : the camp of the workers is now weakened by the
multiple attacks of the capitalists. The repressive arsenal put in place seeks to weaken
our mobilizations. The strategies of the revolutionaries, when they are adapted to the
coordinates of the period, always struggle to be heard by the greatest number. Faced with
these gigantic challenges, the social and trade union movement remains not only a
fundamental bulwark, but is also the crucible of a possible counterattack on the path of
emancipation.
It is our responsibility to create and recreate strong organizations, to structure the
current which claims both the class struggle and incarnates it from a libertarian point of
view. After several formal and informal meetings, AL and CGA recognize their multiple
points of convergence and their ability to build this organization together. But this will
obviously not be done by making a clean sweep of the past, or what made AL, or what made
the CGA.
A joint conference is planned for the month of June 2019. Our goal is not only to merge
our organizations. It is also to offer the possibility of reuniting libertarian communists
and social anarchists in a new self-managing, anti-capitalist, anti-racist and
anti-patriarchal organization. And even beyond: to present an organizational alternative
for many and many revolutionary activists or the social movement in search of a new
political expression.
The preparation of this congress will begin in January 2019. We propose to associate the
isolated revolutionary groups who wish it. For this you can contact AL and / or the CGA at
the following addresses:
relations.exterieures@alternative.libertaire.org
external relations@cga.org .
Gathered today, we can only be stronger to build another solidarity future, egalitarian
and libertarian.
January 9, 2019
Libertarian Alternative (AL) and the Coordination of Anarchist Groups (CGA)
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Rapprochement-AL-CGA-appel-aux-groupes-revolutionnaires
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Message: 4
Cleaners at a refugee centre near Warsaw have scored a major victory after bosses agreed
to all their demands over contracts and working rights. ---- The workers were employed at
Debak refugee center through a firm called Sadar but not all of them had proper contracts
and thus did not receive proper vacation, sick pay or social security payments. In
December the workers, organised with the anarcho-syndicalist ZSP union, decided to take
action, confronting the boss and demanding both payment for everything they would have
been entitled to under a proper contract and direct employment through the centre instead
of working through an outside company. ---- At first the company reacted by hiring a
lawyer to threaten ZSP and by putting pressure on the workers, but they did not give up.
In late December, they decided to hold a picket in front of the company office, which
happened to be located in the private residence of one of the owners. During the picket,
the workers read out how much money they were owed and posted the demands. The owners then
called to set up negotiations for the next day in which they promised to pay everything
and informed the workers that they gave up the contract for cleaning the center.
The agreement was that all parties would meet after the holidays and after New Years', the
workers were in fact paid everything they were owed. The union is very happy that nobody
backed down and the conflict was won through these actions.
ZSP again points out that such abuses are common and calls on public institutions to give
up outsourcing jobs which can be done through direct employment. We also point out that
the same company has won other public tenders and problems exist in other places they
provide cleaning services. Public and private institutions that use such services should
pay much more attention to what is going on with the people working there through outside
companies.
We are glad that this victory can show other workers that they needn't be afraid to stand
up and fight for their rights. So many employers abuse the fact that people are so
desperate for work and that the system turns a blind eye on cheating workers. It's time to
put an end to this! Time to organise!
This article first appeared at the ZSP website http://zsp.net.pl/victory-cleaners
https://www.afed.cz/text/6928/polsko-vitezstvi-uklizecek-z-uprchlickeho-tabora
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