Anarchism

Anarchafeminism

Anarchist University

by Chuck0

Latest version: 1.0 / December 25, 2001

The Soviet Union may have disappeared ten years ago and Maoist China is no more, but that hasn't stopped little vanguardist communist groupets from running around your community, generally making a mess of everything they get involved in. These groups may go by big names like the International Socialist Organization or the Workers World Party, but they have the same effect on activist campaigns, coalitions, and organizations. At best they can be annoying; at worst they drive people away.

I have often been asked by activists about how these annoying and disruptive groups can be handled. I've been outspoken myself about how these groups operate and what negative effect they have on activism and radical politics. This is a guide based on my experience and advice that I've picked up from other people over the years

There are two important things to remember about these groups. Firstly, they are their own worst enemies. The ISO recruits young people for one reason: they have constant turnover. These groups have kooky processes and individuals. They ask members to spend large amounts of time and cash on the group. Secondly, none of these groups will ever become big in North America or Canada.¹ As long as there are anarchist and anti-authoritarian Left alternatives, activists will gravitate away from these authoritarian, vanguardist groups. Their politics have been discredited by the fall of the Soviet Union and the widespread knowledge of what happened in Mao's China, among other places.

Another thing to remember is that Seattle didn't happen because non-vanguardists spent their time sitting around and complaining about these groups. Thousands of people organized a kick ass week of direct actions which were pretty much free of these groups.

So how does the anti-authoritarian or anti-capitalist activist deal with these groups?

1. Create constructive alternatives - We have found that communities that have lots of anarchist and anti-authoritarian projects are poison to these opportunistic groups. New activists and radicalized people will gravitate towards direct action that is geared toward helping the community, instead of an organization that exists to sell newspapers and recruit more members. If you focus on creating alternatives and/or causing a ruckus for the local elites, and get the word out about it, working people are going to stay away from groups that talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Working examples of your politics speak volumes.
2. Call them on their shit - These groups will often conspire to throw out consensus decision-making in coalition meetings. They frequently will set up groups or "fronts" where their people set the agenda behind the scenes of a "democratic" process. When you see this stuff happening, you can speak up and explain what they are doing. This takes alot of bravery, but it can be incredibly rewarding after other activists see what is happening.
3. Don't replicate their strategies - There is a tendency among some anarchists to replicate the ineffective baggage of the Old Left. Does your paper look as boring as the vanguardists' paper? Are you "talking down" to your readers? Is your group wasting lots of time on mission statements or perfecting your "line"? Are you trying to recruit people to your organization, instead of going out and setting an example by working with other people?
4. Pick your allies wisely - These groups may work on the same issues that you do, but that doesn't make them allies. Remember that they represent the tired, ineffective activism of the past 30 years. They are the ones that sponsor boring rallies and marches. They never did direct action. They have a history of supporting oppressive communist dictators.
5. Kick them out - It's not worth the effort to spend alot of time in coalition groups on getting rid of the vanguardists. However, in smaller groups, projects, and coalitions, you have every right to tell the vanguardists to leave. Freedom of association includes freedom of disassociation.

Notes

1. These types of communist and socialist groups have bigger organizations and influence outside of North America. This guide could be followed anywhere, but places outside of North America have longer traditions of centralized working class organizations. On the other hand, this also means that many people have had negative experiences with socialist and communist governments.

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