Russian anarchists in exile organized at Berlin "Anti-War March"

Nov

18

2024

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From de.indymedia

Today, November 17, 2024, Russian anarchists in exile organized a bloc at the "Anti-War March" announced by the liberal opposition. We used this opportunity to:

demonstrate that the Putin regime is opposed not only by liberal forces but also by anarchists,
introduce our agenda and present an alternative to the liberal opposition,
show solidarity with our comrades fighting and dying on the front lines for the liberation of Ukraine,
express solidarity with our comrades in Russian prisons.

Among the slogans on our banners were: "Death to the Empire", "No peace under Russian occupation", "Support resistance against Kremlin", and "Зброю українцям" ("Weapons for Ukrainians").

We reject the liberal myth of a "Beautiful Russia of the Future." The experience of Perestroika has shown that changing the scenery does not bring fundamental changes in the relationship between power and the people. The empire must be destroyed to its foundations, and only then will a different world be possible on the former “Russian” territories.

We find it unacceptable to make concessions to the Russian fascist regime. Ukrainian resistance must be supported until the Russian army is completely expelled from Ukraine. Leaving territories under Russian occupation means condoning the murders, torture, rapes, and plundering of the indigenous population by Russian occupiers.

We consider the support of both military and partisan resistance against the Kremlin legitimate. At this moment, Russian expansion is the greatest evil in the region. A military defeat of Russia offers real chances for the development of social revolutions in Russia and Belarus.

Our comrades are dying on the front lines and sitting in Russian prisons. They have made significant contributions to the fight against Russian imperialism, and we must continue to remind people of their sacrifices.

We cannot name all those who have fallen in the struggle against Russian imperialism, but here are some of their names:

Maxim Naumenko, Olga Volkova, Igor Volokhov, Yuri Samoylenko, Dmitry Petrov, Ruslan Tereshchenko, Marcy, Sergey Ilychenko, Sergey Petrovichev, Roman Legar, Vladislav Yurchenko, Sergey Kemsky.

Our comrades in Russian prisons include:

Viktor Filinkov, Ilya Shakursky, Andrey Chernov, Vasily Kuksov, Alexander Snezhkov, Lyubov Lizunova, Nikita Oleynik, Danil Chertykov, Deniz Aydin, Yuri Neznamov, Roman Paklin, Nikita Uvarov, Azat Miftakhov, Ruslan Ushakov, Alexey Rozhkov, Roman Shvedov, Ruslan Sidiki.

We call on European comrades to join the fight against the fascist Russian regime. For those who claim the need to combat militarism in the current circumstances, we urge you to pay attention to the supply of components to Russia by European companies.

Anarchist Radio Relay League's October Update

Nov

17

2024

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From Anarchist Radio Relay League
November 7, 2024

This is an update of some of our activities for the month of October, 2024.

A demo was held at an Anarchist book fair where we made voice contact with a comrade about 950 miles (~1529 KM) away on the 20 meter band.

We have been joined by new comrades from Australia, northern Europe, the East coast, Southeast, upper-Midwest, and West coast of the so-called “United States”. Among these comrades are people connected with Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. We are forming plans to share knowledge and resources in the near future.

Archive.org was hacked and came back online 12 days later. 31M user accounts and hashed passwords were stolen. This was a pretty considerable disruption to many online activities, including the ability to archive news articles, political commentary, and to fact check claims about – among many other things – Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinian people.

And while this didn’t happen in October, obviously most of us woke up yesterday morning to find that Donald Trump had been elected to be the next president of the so-called “United States”. Whether you voted or not, and regardless of your feelings about the opposition, now is yet again – and still, as always – the time to prepare, and to protect and uplift one another.

Use Signal, use Tor. Build community, grow food, train up, get comms. We protect us.

“It is our suffering that brings us together. It is not love. Love does not obey the mind, and turns to hate when forced. The bond that binds us is beyond choice. We are brothers. We are brothers in what we share. In pain, which each of us must suffer alone, in hunger, in poverty, in hope, we know our brotherhood. We know it, because we have had to learn it. We know that there is no help for us but from one another, that no hand will save us if we do not reach out our hand. And the hand that you reach out is empty, as mine is. You have nothing. You possess nothing. You own nothing. You are free. All you have is what you are, and what you give.”

Shevek, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Leguin

Veins of Ice, Heart of Fire: Late Fall/Early Winter issue is now here.

Nov

16

2024

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From Distinctively Dionysian

Mon cher monde sauvage,

The whirlwind of ink, thoughts, et ferocious wildness pouring into the P.O. box these past two months has been an absolute délice. Each time it is unlocked, there’s a flood of anarchists et wild things—sending their stories, zines, sketches, photographs, their books, their amour fou. Tokens of love and madness. Physical proof that connection au-delà du cybernétique is alive, thriving, et perhaps louder than ever.

Some of you send along un petit peu d’argent, covering not just your zines but gifting others, et others send art crafted in fire: manifestos, journals, flyers, words of defiance so rich. Your creativity is a preuve éclatante that the anarchic spirit cannot, will not, be tamed. And oh, the artwork—paintings, illustrations, photographs that defy description, each whispering, “I am out here, too! Let’s be wildcats together!” ;) Every piece makes me blush, grin, et want to linger. Rebellion is always better with a touch of the sensuous.

But I digress—revenons à nos moutons. Let’s get to the update: the Late Fall/Early Winter issue of Distinctively Dionysian, ‘Veins of Ice, Heart of Fire: The Winter of Me, the Edition of Extremes’ is complete and printing. It’s a jewel, glimmering with egoist decadence, iconoclastic passion, et all, the whispers and roars of the wild. C’est un rêve rebelle.

As always, if in the U.S., send $15 for the issue—or send things on the principle of mutuality, and we’ll exchange. (If outside of the U.S., factor in the shipping cost yourself (*thick booklet) & send it along to our PO BOX; you may also trade on the basis of mutuality. ) :

Distinctively DionysianPO BOX 1332,

Astoria, Oregon, USA,
97103

 

Late Fall/Winter I/II: Veins of Ice, Heart of Fire. The Winter of Me, an Edition of Extremes.

As mentioned, the Late Fall/Early Winter issue of Distinctively Dionysian, ‘Veins of Ice, Heart of Fire: The Winter of Me, the Edition of Extremes’ is complete and printing. This Early Fall/Winter issue is thematically linked with the next issue, so part one of two issues focusing on so-called madness et hysteria, and “extremes” (up for interpretation- yours truly’s direction with “extremes” is ice-cold truths et beauty, always beauty.. other’s here have quite a different take – you choose!)

Submissions for the second issue are open. This next one is for the true enfants terribles. As always, a love letter to those who refused to conform, who chose the sublime over the sane.

*While Distinctively Dionysian remains egoist-informed and individualist, no isms are found here: anarchists, iconoclasts, and free-spirited wild-things bursting forth from the creative nothing are all encouraged to add their voices. Bring your most daring, your most untamed..!

Alors, mes amis rebelles, keep writing, keep creating, keep pouring your beautiful defiance into envelopes and mailboxes, but mostly in the world around you, untethered et always unrepentant.

XXOO

Yours,

~ F

Donald Trump’s Tariff Fantasies

Mel Gurtov

 November 20, 2024
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Image by Darren Halstead.

Tariff Man

Donald Trump thinks the world of tariffs. “Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented,” Trump said in September at a town hall event in Michigan. On another occasion he said “tariff” is the most beautiful word in the English language. Hmm. And he really has had a love affair with tariffs. After all, they mark his entry into national politics. Back in the mid-1980s, his one big gripe was the trade deficit with Japan. Then China became the target, and while president, Trump kept raising tariffs with China in the belief China would bend a knee and surrender. It didn’t, and Biden has been stuck in a tariff war ever since.

Vice President Kamala Harris referred to her opponent’s tariff policy as a “Trump Tax.” She’s right: Several independent studies have found that the new tariffs, if implemented, would raise costs for the average middle-class family anywhere between $1,350 and $3,900 a year. The reason is simple: tariffs are usually passed on to the consumer by the importing company—unless, of course, the company wants to eat the tariff cost. Yet Trump and Vance, either out of pure ignorance or for political gain (or both), insisted that the exporting country pays. Referring to Harris’ claim, Trump said: “She is a liar. She makes up crap … I am going to put tariffs on other countries coming into our country, and that has nothing to do with taxes to us. That is a tax on another country.” In September, he repeated the claim during an interview with Fox News: “It’s not a tax on the middle class. It’s a tax on another country.”

Vance chimed in that when Trump was president and raised tariffs on Chinese goods, “prices went down for American citizens. They went up for the Chinese but they went down for our people.” Totally wrong. In fact, the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing opposed Trump’s tariffs precisely because US importers would have to pass along higher prices to consumers, making their goods less competitive. But Trump wasn’t listening.

Promises and Realities

The longer the presidential campaign went on, the more promises Trump made about the wonders of high tariffs cuts. He proposed extending the 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits. All that may sound great, but they all mean lost revenue that will have to be made up somehow. He has also said the tariff revenue could pay for a child care initiative. And CNBC reported that he was floating the idea of replacing the federal income tax with tariff revenue. Millions of people may no longer have to pay an income tax, he said. Fantasies.

As CNN reports, “Trump has said that if elected, he would impose tariffs of up to 20 percent on every foreign import coming into the US, as well as another tariff upward of 60 percent on all Chinese imports. He also said he would impose a “100 percent tariff on countries that shift away from using the US dollar.” Hence, the Trump tax and the higher living costs for the average family. According to the US Customs and Border Protection, “Americans have so far paid more than $242 billion to the US Treasury for tariffs that Trump imposed on imported solar panels, steel and aluminum, and Chinese-made goods.” And that’s with tariffs Trump raised on only 14 percent of imports, not the 20-100 percent he (along with Project 2025) is now promising.

No responsible economist believes that such ideas make sense. Not only will tariff revenue fail by a long shot to cover a falloff in tax revenue or pay for all his other social plans. According to an estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Trump’s proposals would add $7.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Harris’ proposals, by comparison, would add an estimated $3.5 trillion. Twenty-three Nobel Prize-winning economists endorsed Kamala Harris’ economic program, but to no avail.

Weaponizing Tariffs

Trump’s tariffs also have an important strategic dimension. In a word, it’s all about China. Once Trump removes the US from Israel’s war on Hamas and Putin’s war on Ukraine, he becomes free to focus on China, which nearly everyone in official Washington considers America’s number-one national security threat. High tariffs on Chinese imports will complicate their already serious economic situation, since China depends heavily on exports. Close off the US market, as Project 2025 proposes, and Xi Jinping is not only in political trouble at home but must also ponder what an invasion of Taiwan would mean. Or so Trump believes. He has made a head-spinning prediction that China will never invade Taiwan because of the 150-200 percent tariffs he would impose—as well as his belief that Xi Jinping “respects me and he knows I’m f***ing crazy.”

Trump is indeed crazy if he thinks the Chinese are going to kowtow to him because the US is decoupling from China.

In the first place, China is already shifting export markets from the US to the Global South—developing countries, most of which have signed onto China’s Belt and Road loan initiative.

Second, the Chinese government is finally recognizing the limitations of an export-driven economy and has introduced the first of perhaps several financial stimuli designed to meet consumer demands.

Third, China’s policy on Taiwan has nothing to do with US tariffs and everything to do with whether or not the US supports Taiwan’s independence. If Trump decides to cross China’s red line and, in support of the China hawks in Congress, keep upgrading Taiwan’s military and political status, Xi may decide to abandon China’s longstanding policy of peaceful reunification.

Fourth, Trump’s decoupling from China—which will expand upon the Biden policy of restricting advanced technology exports to and investment in China—is moving China further in the direction of self-reliance.

As always, nationalism is a powerful force in Chinese politics. Their leaders have made very clear that they are not going to let the US get away with interfering in China’s development. And if they perceive that what Trump’s tariffs are really all about is promoting regime change in China, we’re in for a very Cold War.

Mel Gurtov is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Perspective, an international affairs quarterly and blogs at In the Human Interest.

“F**k you,” Brazilian First Lady tells Elon Musk

Basit Mahmood 

Yesterday
Left Foot Forward

Musk has had a strained relationship with Brazil’s left-wing government.

Brazil’s first lady has sworn at billionaire Elon Musk at an event on tackling misinformation on social media, ahead of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Janja Lula da Silva, whose husband is President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was talking about the need to combat fake news and regulate social media networks when she made the remarks about the Tesla CEO.

Musk has come in for criticism after taking over X, formerly Twitter, and allowing fake news and extremist content to go unchecked. He is also a close ally of Trump and was recently rewarded for his loyalty by being appointed to co-lead the new department of government efficiency to cut out ‘waste’.

While advocating for tougher social media regulation on a panel about disinformation, Janja Lula da Silva appeared to be startled by a loud noise, joking, “I think it’s Elon Musk.”

She then said she wasn’t afraid of him and added: “F*** you, Elon Musk.”

Musk has had a strained relationship with Brazil’s left-wing government.

Earlier this year, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered a nationwide ban on X, after it failed to name a legal representative in the country and suspend accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

Lula’s Toughest Battle

Ron Jacobs

 November 20, 2024
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Lawfare is a relatively new term. In essence, it is the weaponization of bourgeois law, usually by the right wing. Various US supporters of Donald Trump would argue that his prosecutions also fall under this mantle, despite the fact that he has skated out of almost every attempt to prosecute him so far. However, this essay is not about Donald Trump. God knows there are enough of them on that subject.

In Latin America, lawfare has been mostly used to try and eliminate leftist opponents who operate within the confines of bourgeois law. Probably the best known use of this tactic is when Brazil’s far right government of Jair Bolsonaro employed it against Brazil’s former president Lula. A brief description of these attempts goes like this. Various elements of the mainstream media in Brazil published stories that suggested Lula had laundered money and illegally owned property. These charges were then brought to the legislature by opponents of the Left, who then employed an ambitious right-wing prosecutor to fabricate charges of corruption. Although the charges were somewhat fantastical, the right wing media were able to convince the public via what we now call fake news that there was genuine substance to the charges. In July 2017, Lula was convicted on charges of money laundering and corruption in a trial that could best be described as questionable. He spent 580 days in prison. He was released in 2019, and his conviction was nullified in 2021 by the Supreme Court. The same ruling also annulled all other pending cases against him. He fought the charges hard. His supporters backed him in the streets and in the courts.

A book titled Lula: A Biography was recently translated into English and published in 2024.

Written by journalist Fernando Morais and originally intended to be a history of Lula’s first presidency, it became a history of the ultimately fraudulent legal attack on Lula that put him in prison. In fact, the book opens with a riveting description of Lula’s arrest. Subsequent chapters discuss the lead-up to the arrest before Morais turns the reader’s attention to Lula’s childhood, eventual involvement in the union movement, and his rise to the presidency of Brazil. Morais’ approach is one that reads like a true crime story. Politics and power and the multitude of scenarios that combination can create populate the text. One is in Lula’s prison cell while he ruminates and plots his release with lawyers, advisers and friends. The excitement of a union hall filled with workers determined to prevent Lula’s arrest should he ask them to do so jumps from the page. As a former local union president, I was reminded of those moments when the membership truly realizes their power and stand poised to act should the situation require it. Likewise, I could feel the tension between the lines of battle-ready police as they faced an equally battle-ready crowd of protesters. The descriptions of these moments are contrasted with tales of family hardship and lamented love that evoke equal amounts of the emotions appropriate to those circumstances.

Still, this is a story, a history, of politics. Working class politics in an economy where exploitation and super-exploitation were the norm; where the state was rarely democratic and its laws were enforced by a code that emphasized subordination and enforced class division in favor of the ruling elites. In short, a capitalist dream and a worker’s nightmare. Once Lula had worked for a few years and began to understand why unions were not only useful but necessary to a life even slightly beyond mere survival, he dedicated himself to the union movement, defending workers’ existing rights and constantly fighting for less inequality and more working class power. Indeed, it was when he realized that the composition of Brazil’s national legislature was close to one hundred percent from the ruling class, that he decided to enter the electoral arena.

It’s never an easy task to get elected in a system designed to keep the class one represents out of power. As most readers probably understand, it is this design that informs every legislature in the capitalist world, with that in the United States being the most restrictive in that regard. When Lula first ran and the military and the capitalist class ran Brazil, the US Congress was arguably still less representative when it came to the working class of the United States; it’s even less representative of the US working class now. Lula was not successful his first run, but eventually garnered enough respect and popularity that he was elected president as a candidate of Brazil’s Workers Party—a party he helped found.

Like I mentioned previously, the author Morais has written his biography of Lula in a tight, suspenseful manner, keeping the reader riveted to the story unfolding with each page. In one moment the reader finds themselves in a massive protest, police pushing against the crowd anticipating an outburst from the disciplined crowd. In another section, one is locked in with Lula in his cell after his arrest in what was a vain attempt by the government to end a massive strike. There are vignettes of Lula’s family life—as a poor youth trying to scrape a living for his family and maybe occasionally attend school. We are brought into political debates within the union membership and its leaders. Lula and his faction work hard to keep the demands of the membership front and center as different political factions push for their own agendas. Usually, Lula and his associates succeed in keeping the union focused on worker demands. In turn, the union membership grows. A true sense of workers’ power begins to take shape. Despair is replaced by hope and actual progress in terms of salaries and working conditions. The next step is to change social conditions; to make the needs and hopes of the workers and other oppressed sections of the Brazilian economy the law of the land. Of course, the reaction from the propertied and monied class is relentless and angry. Gathering their forces, they enlist their own politicians, law enforcement, the military and the pressure of foreign interlopers from the Global North. The battle is joined. Ultimately, Lula is arrested and convicted on contrived charges. This is where the book reviewed here begins.

Ron Jacobs is the author of several books, including Daydream Sunset: Sixties Counterculture in the Seventies published by CounterPunch Books. His latest book, titled Nowhere Land: Journeys Through a Broken Nation, is now available. He lives in Vermont. He can be reached at: ronj1955@gmail.com