Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism (Counter-Power vol 1)

Black Flame is the first of two volumes that reexamine anarchisms democratic class politics, its vision of a decentralized planned economy, and its impact on popular struggles in five continents over the last 150 years. From the nineteenth century to todays anticapitalist movements, it traces anarchisms lineage and contemporary relevance. It outlines anarchisms insights into questions of race, gender, class, and imperialism, significantly reframing the work of previous historians on the subject, and critiquing Marxist and nationalist approaches to those same questions. Lucien van der Walt teaches at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Michael Schmidt is a Johannesburg-based senior investigative journalist. Recent praise for Black Flame : A book with a deeply impressive quality of research, analysis and writing, this very important and much-needed work is an unexpected delight and an excellent piece of work. Mark Leier, Simon Fraser University, author of Bakunin: the creative passion An enjoyable read, from which I have learnt a great dealfascinating, revealing and often startling. Thanks to both and each of you. Alan Lipman, anti-apartheid activist and exile, author of On the Outside Looking In: colliding with apartheid and other authorities A useful and insightful treatment of one of the most fascinating alternatives to industrial capitalism and the modern nation state. At the heart of their scholarship is an effort to provide clarity to a much maligned and misunderstood movement and also to examine it as a social history of ideas that percolated from below as well as directed from above by intellectual giants. The authors are careful to present their analysis in a jargon-free language. Readers will be introduced to influential historical actors from across the globe. A grand work of synthesis. An excellent starting point. Greg Hall, Western Illinois University, author of Harvest Wobblies: The Industrial Workers of the World and Agricultural Laborers in the American West, 19051930, in WorkingUSA Brilliant, a really wonderful book and an outstanding contribution to anarchist theory and history. What does Black Flame get right? Well, almost everything! It is comprehensive, discussing all important issues, people and movements, and the authors do a great job in discussing the ins and outs of our movement and theory, using history to illuminate the ideas and show how they were applied in practice. Do yourself a favour and buy it now! You wont be disappointed. Iain McKay, author of The Anarchist FAQ , volume 1 Black Flame is an outstanding contribution to a modern anarchist perspective. Its view is focused on the working class but also supportive of every struggle against oppression. Besides covering the major controversies within historical anarchism in a fair way, it is particularly unique in examining anarchism from a worldwide perspective instead of looking at it only from a west European angle. I learned a good deal from reading it, and think others will also. Wayne Price, author of The Abolition of the State: anarchist and Marxist perspectives This book fulfills a daunting task. Covering anarchism in all parts of the world and emphatically tying it to class struggle, the authors present a highly original and challenging account of the movement, its actions and ideas. This work is a must for everybody interested in nonauthoritarian social movements. Bert Altena, Rotterdam University, author of Piet Honig, Herinneringen van een Rotterdamse revolutionair Contents 8 Preface: Stuart Christie 14 Acknowledgments 16 Chapter 1 Introduction 18 Our Project 21 Beyond Capitalism: History, Neoliberalism, and Globalisation 22 Rethinking the Broad Anarchist Tradition 27 Social Base and Global Reach 28 What Is the Broad Anarchist Tradition? 32 Insurrectionist Anarchism, Mass Anarchism, and Syndicalism 33 Organisational Dualism 35 War, Gender Issues, and Anti-Imperialism 36 Anarchism and Marxism 37 Before We Start 39 Part 1 Theory and Analysis 44 Chapter 2 Socialism from Below: Defining Anarchism 46 The Meaning of Anarchism: Debating the Literature 47 The Need for a New Approach 54 Starting Again: Socialism, Bakunin, and the FirstInternational 57 Against Hierarchy 60 Against Capitalism and Landlordism 61 Against the State 65 The Rejection of State Socialism 67 Elements of the Social Revolution 69 The Popular Classes 69 Internationalism, Social Equality, and Anti-imperialism 73 Counterpower and Counterculture 78 For a New World 80 Crime and Social Order 82 Anarchism Redefined: Socialism, Class, and Democracy 84 In Conclusion: The Modernity of Anarchism 85 Chapter 3 Proudhon, Marx, and Anarchist Social Analysis 96 Cooperatives, Proudhon, and Peaceful Change 96 A Critical Appropriation of Marxist Economics 98 Marxist Economics and Anarchist Communism 100 History, Progress, and the State 105 The Vanguard and the State 111 State Capitalism and Libertarian Socialism 113 Economic Determinism and the Broad Anarchist Tradition 118 The Anarchist Understanding of Class 121 In Conclusion: Toward an Anarchist Social Analysis 126 Part 2 Strategy and Tactics 134 Chapter 4 Roads to Revolution: Mass Anarchism versus Insurrectionist Anarchism 136 Anarchist Communism versus Anarcho-syndicalism? 137 The Insurrectionist Tradition 141 Syndicalism: Prefiguring the Future in the Present 146 Against Economism: Direct Action versus "Political Action" 151 Anarcho-syndicalism, Revolutionary Syndicalism, and De Leonism 155 In Conclusion: Building Tomorrow Today 156 Chapter 5 Anarchism, Syndicalism, the IWW, and Labour 162 Bakunin, Sorel, and the Origins of Syndicalism 162 The First International and the First Syndicalists 166 The First Wave: Syndicalism before the French CGT 168 The IWW and Syndicalism 172 De Leon and Connolly 173 The "Glorious Period" of the mid-1890s to mid-1920s 177 In Conclusion: Syndicalism and the Broad Anarchist Tradition 183 Chapter 6 Ideas, Structure, and Armed Action: Unions, Politics, and the Revolution 194 Union Activism, Anarchist Ideology, and Union Bureaucracy 194 Mass Anarchism, Radical Counterculture, and Syndicalism 196 Anarchist Schools and Syndicalist Education 199 Democracy and Direct Action 200 An Iron Law of Oligarchy? 201 Alliances and the Struggle outside the Workplace 203 Defending the Revolution 206 The Question of Power and the Spanish Revolution 211 In Conclusion: Anarchism, Syndicalism, and Counterpower 215 Chapter 7 Dual Unionism, Reforms, and Other TacticalDebates 224 The Antimilitarist Tradition and Popular Revolt 224 Reforms, Laws, and Compromises 231 Boring from Within and Dual Unionism 237 Tactics in Context and Organisational Dualism 241 Syndicalism and Rank-and-file Movements 244 In Conclusion: Reform and Revolution 246 Chapter 8 Militant Minority: The Question of Anarchist Political Organisation 252 Insurrectionist Anarchists, Antiorganisationalism, and Stirner's Ghost 253 Syndicalism and Anarchism without Adjectives 255 Bakuninism, the Organisation of Tendency, and the"Platform" 260 From Bakunin to the "Platform" 266 Rethinking the "Platform" Debate 269 Other Responses to the "Platform" 270 In Conclusion: Militant Minority and Mass Movement 274 Part 3 Social Themes 282 Chapter 9 The Class Character and Popular Impact of the Broad Anarchist Tradition 284 The Case against "Spanish Exceptionalism" 286 Broader Impacts and Infusions 288 The Class Character of the Broad Anarchist Tradition 292 The Broad Anarchist Tradition in the Countryside 295 Behind the Rise of Peasant Anarchism 296 In Conclusion: Labour Movements and Peasant Revolts 303 Chapter 10 Anarchist Internationalism and Race, Imperialism, and Gender 310 Anarchist Class Politics and Race 311 An International and Internationalist Movement 318 Imperialism and National Liberation 322 Anarchists and Syndicalists in Anti-imperialist Struggles 327 Anarchism, Syndicalism, and Women's Emancipation 334 Women, Class, and Counterculture 336 Anarchist and Syndicalist Women's Activism 341 In Conclusion: Class Politics and Human Emancipation 347 Chapter 11 Conclusion to Volume 1 and Prologue to Volume 2 360 Bibliography 362 Index 390 Black Flames Is The First Of Two Volumes That Reexamine' Anarchism's Democratic Class Politics, Its Vision Of A Decentralized Planned Economy, And Its Impact On Popular Struggles In Five Continents Over The Last 150 Years. From The Nineteenth Century To Today's Anticapitalist Movements, It Traces Anarchism's Lineage And Contemporary Relevance, Outlining Anarchism's Insights Into Questions Of Race, Gender, Class, And Imperialism. In The Process, Schmidt And Van Der Walt Significantly Reframe The Work Of Previous Historians On The Subject And, Especially, Question Marxist Approaches To Revolutionary Theory And Practice.--jacket. Introduction -- Socialism From Below: Defining Anarchism -- Proudhon, Marx, And Anarchist Social Analysis -- Roads To Revolution: Mass Anarchism Versus Insurrectionist Anarchism -- Anarchism, Syndicalism, The Iww, And Labour -- Ideas, Structure, And Armed Action Unions, Politics, And The Revolution -- Dual Unionism, Reforms, And Other Tactical Debates -- Militant Minority: The Question Of Anarchist Political Organisation -- The Class Character And Popular Impact Of The Broad Anarchist Tradition -- Anarchist Internationalism And Race, Imperialism, And Gender -- Conclusion To Volume 1 And Prologue To Volume 2. Lucien Van Der Walt And Michael Schmidt. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 349-376) And Index. Black Flame (Counter-Power, Volume 1) is the first of a two-volume set examining the democratic class politics of the worldwide anarchist movement, its vision of a decentralized planned economy, and its impact on popular struggles on five continents over the course of the past 150 years. From anarchism's first glimmers as a nineteenth-century ideology to today's anticapitalist struggles, Black Flame traces anarchism's lineage and contemporary relevance, outlining the movement's insights into questions of race, gender, class, and imperialism. With Black Flame, Michael Schmidt and Lucien van der Walt, both writers and activists in South Africa, have begun what promises to be the definitive synthetic account of the international anarchist tradition. Nearly exhaustive in scope, and rigorous in its scholarly detail, this first volume significantly reframes the work of previous historians and, especially, examines coherent alternatives to Marxist and nationalist approaches to revolutionary theory and practice. An indispensable conceptual roadmap to the history and continuing relevance of anarchist praxis. Preface, by Stuart Christie Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1: Theory and Analysis Socialism from below: defining anarchism Proudhon, Marx, and anarchist social analysis Part 2: Strategy and Tactics Roads to revolution: mass anarchism versus insurrectionist anarchism Anarchism, syndicalism, the IWW, and labour Ideas, structure, and armed action unions, politics, and the revolution Dual unionism, reforms, and other tactical debates Militant minority: the question of anarchist political organization Part 3: Social Themes The class character and popular impact of the broad anarchist tradition Anarchist internationalism and race, imperialism, and gender Conclusion to volume 1 and prologue to volume 2. Appendix Bibliography Index