Anarchist discussion evening - Monday 5th April

by Joe Wed Mar 31, 2004 17:50

Thessolonki got a lot of attention at the time because of the violent police assault on the black bloc demonstration. But as well as this demonstration there were a second anarchist demonstration that the speaker took part in organising. I think he is also going to talk about how the whole event effected the Greek anarchist movement.

by Leader Wed Mar 31, 2004 17:59

If Anarchism is meant to have no leaders who decided the venue, time and booked the room?

The fact is that Anarchists do have leaders but unlike other groups their leaders are not accountable to their membership.

by Joe Thu Apr 01, 2004 13:41

I guess you must have to ask your leader when you need a piss if you find even booking a room needs someone to order you around.

http://struggle.ws/ws93/leader38.html

by Anarcho boi Thu Apr 01, 2004 21:16

Who booked the room and who decided the time and venue of the meeting?

Why are these people not democratically accountable??

by James - WSM Thu Apr 01, 2004 22:14

"Who booked the room and who decided the time and venue of the meeting?"

The Dublin branch decided collectively, in consultation with the speaker, the time.
Then one of us implementated the decision, can't remember who, probably the secretary.

"Why are these people not democratically accountable??"
They are. If whoever was supposed to book the room didn't s/he could be recalled. The entire group took the decision so obviously we are accountable to ourselves!

"If Anarchism is meant to have no leaders who decided the venue, time and booked the room?"

You are waging a campaign against your own misunderstanding of anarchism. If one person or a clique insisted that we have a discussion on this topic at this venue and IMPOSED the decision, then we would have leaders. As it is, somebody suggested and the rest of us discussed it. It's part of real life, like deciding which pub to go to. Somebody has to be first to suggest a pub, but as long as they don't have the authority to impose their wishes that is all it is: a suggestion.

"The fact is that Anarchists do have leaders but unlike other groups their leaders are not accountable to their membership."

Nope every decision is open to be decided by the group as a whole. And everybody who is delegated to do a particular task is open to recall if they aren't doing it right. So that's immediate accountability, unlike waiting for agms or general elections etc. You might like to read "Democracy is undemocratic": http://www.anarchism.ws/writers/anarcho/democracy.html, on the off chance you've picked these badly thought out criticisms from Trotskyites .