anarchist

A Guide to Picking Locks, Number Two

brittany — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Full disclosure here: I have never, ever picked a lock. I suppose it would be kind of neat to know how to bust into a door with a wafer tumbler lock, but I just never have really experienced the need. An excellent parlor trick, perhaps? A desire to emulate Houdini in a daring escape from the chains of certain death?

For those savvy entrepreneurs who wish to start their own locksmithing business (or channel their inner Houdini), there are many texts available on the subject including Visual Guide to Lock Picking by Mark McCloud and The Complete Guide To Lock Picking by Eddie The Wire. (As a side note, Eddie The Wire is also the author of the Y2K classic, How To Bury Your Goods: The Complete Manual of Long Term Underground Storage. I wish I were kidding.)

So what would the purpose be to own a lock picker’s guide, a tiny, neon pink, pocket-sized book from the publisher CrimethInc? The short answer is, I don’t know. It is pocket-sized, which is convenient for those times where you just really have to get a lock picked and don’t have your hardback version of Modern High-security Locks: How To Open Them by Steven Hampton. My guess is, however, that most folks interested in this book probably are not going to be helping old ladies into their Oldsmobiles. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t really see a locksmith-in-training using this text as an educational device.

Something about the book just didn’t seem right, so I typed in a sentence from the book’s text, and surprise! A Guide to Picking Locks, Number Two is really just a hacked-up, poorly photocopied version of the Eddie the Wire book, The Complete Guide To Lock Picking (available free online). The CrimethInc book has no author information, so I’m not sure if Eddie the Wire was involved in this version or not. Contacting CrimethInc was a hopeless endeavour. Will we ever know the truth? Chances are, probably not.

You can buy the CrimethInc book for four bucks online, but I’m not sure exactly why you would when it is available for free. Use your anarchist instincts, lock pickers! Liberate those doomed mink with a free version of this lock-picking text, and avoid paying the man! Cinch up the strings on your hoodie, and make sure your bandanna is secured tightly around your nose and mouth while you access the book free on your iPad. Also, bring your Slim Jim Universal Lock Out Tool Set and make sure you have Febreeze—because as much as I feel for the plight of the mink, the potent aroma of their musk will be nearly impossible to wash out of your mom’s Subaru Forester.

Written by: Emily S. Dunster, February 12th 2011

Paradoxes of Utopia: Anarchist Culture and Politics in Buenos Aires, 1890-1910

mandy — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Juan Suriano, Chuck Morse

AK Press

In Paradoxes of Utopia, social and labor historian Juan Suriano explores the Argentinean urban anarchist movement at the fin de siecle. Drawing on archival sources, Suriano analyzes libertarian theory and practice in Buenos Aires through an analysis of anarchist books, newspapers, lectures, rallies, propaganda tours, fundraisers, theater groups, songs, rites, symbols, educational projects, and union organizing campaigns.

Suriano situates the urban anarchist movement in Argentina in the context of a rapidly modernizing nation and explores the influence of international anarchist figures and publications on the Argentinean movement. Arguing that historical studies have ignored radical politics prior to 1945, he focuses on explicitly anarchist institutions and publications, distinguishing anarchism from socialist and worker struggles while still acknowledging the relationships and overlap between these movements. He shows the many ways that anarchists in Buenos Aires contested the state, legal system, nationalism, religion, army, and electoral politics through cultural and study circles, alternative schools, radical presses, social events, worker organizing, and direct action.

Suriano describes the rise and eventual collapse of the anarchist movement in Buenos Aires. He outlines the many obstacles anarchists faced, including ideological conflicts, lack of coordination and trust between anarchists, a reluctance to analyze the specifics of Argentinean society, and the eventual marginalization of libertarian politics in favor of the more reformist agenda of socialist and worker groups. He also examines the effects of state repression in the form of Residency and Social Defense Laws, which curbed anarchist groups by criminalizing many of their activities.

While Paradoxes of Utopia outlines and analyzes in detail the political and cultural practices of urban anarchists in Buenos Aires, Suriano’s analysis falls short from a feminist perspective. The book offers tantalizing evidence that women were intricately involved in the anarchist movement as workers, wives, mothers, intellectuals, and comrades, yet he fails to fully consider the effects of women’s roles in shaping the movement. For example, at various points Suriano briefly touches on anarchist ideas concerning marriage and family structure, women’s liberation, sexual equality, and the persecution of prostitutes, but he does not fully explore these aspects of the anarchist movement.

The absence of women in Suriano's analysis does not seem to indicate that they were not involved in anarchist theory and practice. He mentions in passing the existence of an Anarchist Women’s Center and newspaper (Women’s Voice), women’s involvement in tenant strikes and social events, and the renown of several female anarchist lecturers and intellectuals. While dealing with archival sources can limit the scope of analysis, it does not appear that women’s role were completely obscured from the historical record. The lack of analysis regarding women's involvement in Paradoxes of Utopia points to the need for more studies on the role of women in radical social movements.

Despite this critique, Paradoxes of Utopia has a great deal to offer readers interested in historical and contemporary radical politics. Indeed, many of the difficulties faced by the anarchists in urban Argentina a century ago sound surprisingly similar to those that arise in radical social movements today: splintering based on ideological differences, state repression, lack of resources, high turnover, and competition with reformist social movements. This well-researched study is a valuable read for those interested in Latin American history, anarchist theory and practice, and labor movements.

Written by: Traci Yoder, September 25th 2010

Come Hell or High Water: A Handbook on Collective Process Gone Awry

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:02:00 +0000

By Delfina Vannucci, Richard Singer

AK Press

Mahatma Gandhi famously urged his followers to “be the change you want to see in the world.” It sounds so simple: Be kind, listen well, mediate conflicts, and treat all living things with respect. But as anyone who has ever worked in a community or civic organization knows, power plays are common and Gandhi’s counsel is easy to ignore.

Delfina Vannucci and Richard Singer’s Come Hell or High Water is a pocket-sized pamphlet meant to help anarchist organizers avoid the pitfalls endemic to social change efforts. The lessons are clearly written—and supplemented by hilarious line drawings. They’re also applicable beyond anarchist circles. Indeed, this practical manual offers easy-to-follow guidelines that can be applied to all kinds of situations, from the workplace to the affinity group.

For example, anyone who has ever participated in a so-called collective has seen how difficult it is to share power. Time and again, we see a charismatic leader rise to the top, becoming the de facto spokesperson and decision-maker, while everyone else scurries to assist him or her. Despite lip service about all members being equal, in practice, this rarely if ever happens. “When the ideal of egalitarianism is allowed to flounder unattended to,” Vannucci and Singer write, “it can devolve right back into the patterns that most of us knew in our lives outside of collectives: Hierarchy, mistrust, looking out only for oneself, and sometimes even underhanded scheming.”

Their solution? Pay attention to process, encourage debate, be sure all individuals and factions get a chance to air their positions, and then vote. While consensus is important, they conclude, voting allows dissenting opinions to be recorded and lets all sides vent their ideas before a final tally. They also offer a check list of behaviors that erode participation: Tolerating people who act exasperated or impatient, as if less-popular members are wasting the group‘s time with questions or contending opinions; slandering a member of the group behind his or her back between meetings; using intimidation tactics to keep opposition at bay; condoning behavior that lets a few activists act wounded or victimized by criticism; making oneself indispensable and not sharing information; treating others as though they are silly or stupid; and injecting fear by projecting dire consequences if things are not done a particular way.

While concrete examples of these practices—and how they destroyed a collective or came close—would have made the pamphlet even stronger, anyone who has attempted to plan an action, organize an event, or create something new will recognize the destructive demeanors outlined in Come Hell or High Water. Making the Diva or Dictator aware of his or her actions—and making clear that such behavior is unacceptable—Vannucci and Singer write, is key to developing a new paradigm. They also argue that collective process doesn’t mean that people have to agree with each other 100 percent of the time. Instead, learning how to disagree without rancor and engaging in civil discourse despite disagreements is a good starting point in recasting the world. As Gandhi made clear, progressive advancement requires imagination and creativity to envision alternatives to capitalism, war, oppression, and hierarchies.

Written by: Eleanor J. Bader, April 2nd 2010

The Little Black Book of Grisélidis Réal: Days and Nights of an Anarchist Whore

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Jean-Luc Hennig, translated by Ariana Reines

Semiotext(e)

Writing a review for a book like The Little Black Book of Grisélidis Réal is not a simple task by any means. On the one hand, I want to be as straightforward as possible and simply give my impressions of this one particular piece of writing without going into the issue of prostitution and whether or not it degrades women. On the other hand, it seems impossible not to when taking into account the fact that Réal was a world-famous and revolutionary “whore” and writer who argued that prostitution was not only a choice, but a free-will decision. In my opinion, all sweeping generalizations ever do is discount legions of women whose experiences don’t fall in line with a particular argument; it’s as if they’re being told they don’t exist. So I stay out of it the best I can, though I am supportive of sex workers—no matter the circumstances or choices that led them to their line of work.

For such a fascinating title, The Little Black Book doesn’t pack much of a punch. The book is basically a series of interviews between Réal and journalist Jean-Luc Hennig, as translated by Ariana Reines. Réal’s “whoring” is discussed in great detail, though none of her anarchist activities are. She mentions writing papers and being politically active quite casually several times, though it’s usually only in reference to one of her clients asking about papers she has posted on her bedroom walls. The last portion of the book is quite literally Réal’s little black book, in which she’s written down the names of all her customers, what they’re into sexually, what they look like, and how much they pay her.

Nothing that Réal says in the interviews is politically charged in any way; there are no arguments about prostitution, no defending of her life’s work. For the most part, it’s just account after account of client after client. Did you know that many men secretly like getting a finger up their ass when receiving oral sex? Did you know that men need to be pampered and mothered and showed affection when seeing a prostitute? Yes, no? Don’t care? Me either. I was hoping to get a feel for this woman, the famous Grisélidis Réal who was a survivor and took to prostitution in order to support her children; who earned her living on her back until she was in her sixties.

But you never really get a sense of her; just hints of her personality. I would have liked to learn more about her opinions on her work and her life and less about her depressing decades long relationship with a severely abusive man and the boring sex she endured for years with men who Réal believed simply needed to fulfill their sexual desires—because apparently sex with a woman is a God-given right, and men will be damned if they go without.

In several interviews, Réal contends that the men that come to see her have something wrong with them; that normal men do not go to see prostitutes. She says that prostitution is lonely, heartbreaking work. She says that “fundamentally what [men] want isn’t to hurt you or kill you or bore you; what they want is for you to be nice” so in turn the women “must be totally amorphous, emptied of their substance, emptied of all their strength…” I don’t know why a women would defend and even champion a line of work and lifestyle that requires that of women, but then, prostitution is a complicated issue. After reading The Little Black Book of Grisélidis Réal, I can say—mysterious anarchism aside—that Réal was a complicated woman.

Written by: Tina Vasquez, March 4th 2010

Suffled How It Gush: A North American Anarchist in the Balkans

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:01:00 +0000

By Shon Meckfessel

AK Press

Suffled How It Gush is so beautiful it may as well be a novel. The confident, fast-paced prose is history, politics, memoir, travel guide, and a call to action all in one—and all seeping with deep humanity. Shon Meckfessel takes us along on his trips backpacking through the Balkans and ex-Yugoslavia one country at a time, from Slovenia and Croatia through Romania and Albania.

As one may expect from the book’s title, the author allows his anarchist leanings to shine through both in his conversations with others and his choice of lodging and cultural events (numerous punk shows, moshing, and political groups). But despite Meckfessel’s opportunity to take sides as he explores the history, ethnicities, and political activism of a vast and complex region, he zooms in on individual struggles and lays open different views to allow his audience to make up its own mind. (Note that the fact that I agree with a lot of his perspectives may be tainting my opinion.)

This multi-layered book is a pleasure to read—the anecdotes, political analyses, clashing cultures, adventures, long nights, endless cigarettes, flowing beers, jokes made between people who barely speak the same language, dance parties, and other gems are regaled in a warm and colorful manner. That’s not to say that some aspects of Meckfessel’s accounts aren’t heartbreaking and disturbing: Roma refugees ignored and abandoned by the world, racism, sexism, extreme poverty, persecution, and violence abound. We hear the stories of those entrenched in these situations first-hand.

Meckfessel makes evident his sympathy and respect for the myriad denizens he meets through the ephemeral yet intricate portraits he paints of them. There is nothing impersonal about this book. Meckfessel shreds many of the barriers often placed between reader and writer, letting us in on his intimate musings and trepidations. The book’s pages are laden with photos of parks, vendors, graffiti, refugees, his anarchist friends, and curious objects to help the reader delve deeper into his narrative.

Ultimately, Suffled How It Gush is a love story. The author reminds us that many strangers are generous, trusting people who can easily become dear friends, and that humility and love—or at least humor and good will—are everywhere despite corruption, discrimination, and suffering. In the midst of bombings, Meckfessel’s friend Andrea tells us that Belgrade was full of people partying and enjoying life in any way they could because, “You see, when you finally decide you have nothing left to lose, only then you are free!” Beauty is everywhere, the author suggests—you just have to open your eyes to see it.

Written by: Natalia Real, January 10th 2010

2009 Slingshot Organizer

admin — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:01:00 +0000

By Slingshot Collective

It all started for me in 2007. That was the first time I put my daily activities in order with the help of the Slingshot Organizer. We're coming up on year three of my making use of this invaluable resource (produced thanks to the efforts of Berkeley, California's Slingshot Collective volunteers), and I cannot imagine going a day without it. The Slingshot Organizer has become an integral part of my life, and I anticipate the release of each new one with the glee of a child counting down the days to her birthday.

My first organizer was their squat perfect-bound day planner, described in a number of places as “pocket-sized.” I'd say you could wedge it in to the back pocket of your pants, or perhaps a jacket pocket. Most t-shirt pockets are going to be too small, though. Per advice offered on the Slingshot website, I plastered the front and back covers with clear packing tape to protect them. For the rest of the year I filled it full with every one of my many obligations. There were so many of them, in fact, that in 2008, I upgraded to the larger spiral-bound day planner. Before I continue, please know that, while this review is based on the spiral-bound day planner, I think they're both great, so buy yours based on your own needs.

Day planning pages are divided with Monday through Thursday on the left page, and Friday through Sunday on the right. Some pages have image themes, and if you look closely you'll find nifty hints and inventions doodled in the margins of certain days. My favorite suggestion involved a charcoal grill, a hairdryer and some bricks to create a fire-free BBQ grill; use caution. Every day includes important dates from traditional, radical, and anarchist histories; for example, on my birth date (6 September) in 1974, “Housing occupations and barricades in Rome lead to legalized squatting.” There are also mentions of holidays both religious (Kwanzaa, Easter, etc.) and secular (Buy Nothing Day).

Every organizer is the same, but different; that is, there are certain elements repeated that nonetheless vary from year to year. Right at the beginning there's something that you won't see in any of the day planners you'd find at your local corporate office supply superstore: a menstrual calendar. That's right, folks. Monitor your menses at the same time you're scheduling your next monthly mountaineering meeting!

Items specific to the 2009 Edition include Critical Mass riding guidelines, “Basic Sewing Stitches,” “Self-Defense Tips,” “How To Start a Food Not Bombs Group,” and my personal favorite, “Know Your Trannies.” Other features are a worldwide radical contact list, an annual reading list, a measurement conversions table, a phone directory, as well as blank pages just itching to be filled. The Slingshot Organizer is chock full of so much radical advice and knowledge that you'll wanna keep it—and learn from it—long after the planner's year has passed.

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, December 27th 2008

Songs From Under the Sink

admin — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:59:00 +0000

By Mischief Brew

Fistolo Records

Mischief Brew describes the 14-track album Songs From Under the Sink as a “collection of anthems, ballads, marches, love songs, hate songs, and lullabies” written over five years, from 1997 to 2002. It is a “lost LP,” resurrected or “finally brought up from the cellar-or, from under the sink.” These descriptors help identify this album as being a non-identifiable hodge-podge of sorts, with a variety of distinct sounds. Some are “hot and spicy, some are just as fresh as the day they were written, and others may have passed their expiration date a bit. But that’s what happens when you clean out your cupboards.”

That sounds just about right. From the opening track “Thanks, Bastards,” with its raspy vocals and jabs at the political establishment, to the forceful lines “Fuck the city, burn it down” on “Save A City” to the jaunty sounds on “Gratitude and Thanks” and “All Our Comrades” and a folksy version of “Midnight Special” complete with cowbell – this album is the whole spice rack and then some. The lyrics on this album are politically charged throughout, but are heartfelt and not didactic. Most if not all of the songs are about some kind of rebellion, be it against The State or a state of things.

The more I listened to the album, the more impressed I became with the influence of a multitude of musical styles. What you’ll notice is how easy the songs are to listen to, learn the words, and sing along with. If you already know you have a predilection for olde-tyme-folk-punk-Celtic-gypsy-jazz, and even if you don’t, I am willing to bet you will find yourself swaying along to the lullabies and kicking your feet up in celebration for the marches.

Written by: Lillian B., April 14th 2007

B.I.K.E.

admin — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 01:31:00 +0000

Directed by Anthony Howard, Jacob Septimus

Fountainhead Films

In case you thought B.I.K.E. was just a movie about bikes… well, it is, but you might be surprised at the ground it covers. From filmmakers Anthony Howard (Tony) and Jacob Septimus, B.I.K.E. delves into the lives of the members of the Black Label Bike Club in New York City. Access to the Black Label New York subculture is mediated by Tony and his desperate attempts to gain entrance to the elite ranks of Black Label. Both filmmaker and main character, Tony becomes the epicenter of the film. As such, the strongest narrative is about the desire to belong to something in a national culture that stresses both individualism and the proliferation of subcultures.

For Tony, almost nothing is as important as being a member of Black Label, and yet his entrance into the club is consistently withheld. Tony struggles with substance abuse and increasingly erratic behaviors, but his commitment to Black Label seems unquestionably strong – he’s even making a movie. A looming question in the film is why isn’t Tony part of the club? Whatever the reasons may be, it is revealed that even “outlaws” have rules, regulations and serious degrees of exclusivity.

The issues raised in the film run the gamut from class differences to political motives. For example, the New York chapter identifies as being mostly “middle class art school kids”, compared to the original Minneapolis chapter members – some who lived in junkyards. BLBC New York drives to the national Black Label get-together in Minneapolis with their bikes strapped to their Land Rover SUV’s and Mercedes station wagons—a perhaps unintentional irony not explored in the film. Such moments that offer untouched avenues of departure might leave some viewers wanting. Though originally thrown off by the film’s main focus, I found myself caught up in every moment, down to Tony’s tragicomic formation of his own bike club.

If you’re looking for action, B.I.K.E. does have its share of dramatic bicycle screen shots, tall bikes, freak bikes, even jet bikes. I would have gladly appreciated greater digging into some of the more delicate club issues that crop up from time to time, but as it stands, B.I.K.E. provides for both bike enthusiasts and green thumbs a fascinating peak at a distinct and previously unexplored subculture. It doesn’t shy away from intensity, which some might take as melodrama. And for all the difficult questions that can be asked about social systems, it doesn’t attempt to toss out cheap and easy platitudes, instead trusting viewers to mull things over for themselves.

Written by: Lillian B., April 7th 2007

Smash the Windows

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:14:00 +0000

By Mischief Brew

Fistolo

I have truly never heard anything like Mischief Brew. Much of their music pairs such disparate elements as a heavy-metal bassline and a twangy mandolin, and a study of the lyrics reveals a similar discord: an aggressive expression of anti-establishment anger, under which lies a genuine desire to celebrate freedom and individuality. Their music feels at once like a barroom brawl and an intelligent, textured cultural critique.

While Smash the Windows incorporates solid musicianship and strong production, the vocals miss their mark. Erik Petersen growls his way through many of these songs as though he is determined to sound like a true punk-rocker, but he instead achieves a forced and grating melodrama. I picture him onstage in full pirate getup—a skull-tight bandana and crossbones punctuating a faded-black t-shirt. I appreciate the band’s tendency to combine unlikely elements (e.g., heavy metal rasping with a relaxed jazz riff), but I can’t help but think the vocals limit the potential of these songs to appeal to a wide audience.

Nevertheless, these songs are catchy and filled with a youthful sense of rebellion that dares listeners to not sing along. Raucous music and anarchistic lyrics create a powerful combination in the songs that work here, such as “Nomad’s Revolt” in which Petersen instructs us to “kill off Columbus and turn the world around.” “Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell” uses a fun, ska-influenced progression to declare “Satan’s army’s rising up soon/ well if it is, I’m the secretary of No-State.” Though some lyrics seem to stem from an immature or naïve perspective, Smash the Windows is a compelling call to action overall, and its integration of jazz, metal, punk and americana traditions treads some much-needed new musical ground.

Written by: Sarah Hudgens, April 7th 2007