Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
by Roxanne Amico
Dandelion Salad
Spiritmorph Studio
Sept. 13, 2010
Earth, Air, Water, Energy, Food, Shelter…. Everywhere I look and listen, I know many of us are thinking and talking about these and how, with so much to attend to, where do we start and how do we work together, with so many in need and with so many talents, and with more of us having great difficulty making it in these times? I found the following interesting…
…For those who recognize the huge variety of problems the eco- (word-origin sourced in the idea of home) -world (ecology being forsaken for “economy”, on the alter of capitalism and imperialism) is facing in the short and long term, and acknowledge the need to work collectively to do something about it, (starting with stopping it!), there’s a terrifically interesting discussion going on at Kasama, regarding defining and shaping a unified revolutionary movement. Stephanie McMillan wrote an essay, and that started a lively exchange including the following *Excerpts* from Stephanie and Mike Ely….
Stephanie McMillan: “… Kasama has a wide variety of people who consider themselves communists (and socialists and others) and/or revolutionaries, who at least want to work for an end to capitalism and imperialism (a basis of unity even broader than what I described above, which defines how to relate to the enemy – a way of relating that I believe is an important dividing line for avoiding getting sucked into a reformist vortex, but a belief clearly not shared by everyone here). Is it possible to achieve any higher level of collective unity than this purely through online discussion?”
Mike Ely: “… I think we need a broad discussion about revolutionary ideas and revolutionary strategies: And I think (like Stephanie thinks) that this discussion should seek to include people who (broadly speaking) want a different society…. I think the point of that is clarification, cross-fertilization, education of an emerging generation of revolutionary activists, and the possible regroupment of collectives and trends…. I think there is a need for different kinds of organization and practice (at the same time) — and I think that the basis of unity of organization will vary (vary by location and vary by time)…. This is not the 1960s, and the experiences won’t repeat. But I believe it is possible to have both collectives of revolutionaries (that bring together people of different ideological trends) and also collectives with higher levels of unity (and more common understandings). And I think the first kind of collectives can (with correct methods and hard work) develop toward the second kind…Discussion needs one level of unity. Common work needs another. Common organization needs another. And all of them are in motion (hopefully) where clarity produces new centers of unity, and new understanding of deepening divergences, and where the whole is situated in the problems and challenges of today (and not in mechanically asserting the dividing lines of previous crossroads)….”
More here: http://kasamaproject.org/2010/09/10/our-goal-overthrowing-the-system-to-end-classes-oppression/
see
Artificial People by Rand Clifford + Thom Hartmann: Are Corporations People?
Do Not Pity the Democrats by Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges: Collapse of American Liberalism + Inverted Totalitarianism
Bob Avakian: What is capitalism? + Isn’t the problem human nature? (2003)
Capitalism: First as Tragedy, Then as Farce
What the Tea Party has in common with the rest of us By Nikki Alexander
What Would Socialism Be Like? by Leela Yellesetty
Born Of The Sun – Egypt (must-see)
Chris Carlsson: Nowtopia + Transition Towns: Learning to build a good life together
The Economy Sucks and or Collapse 2
videos
http://vodpod.com/dandelionsalad/tag/communism
http://vodpod.com/dandelionsalad/tag/socialism
http://vodpod.com/dandelionsalad/tag/capitalism
http://vodpod.com/dandelionsalad/tag/economy
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Thank you for posting this important discussion about unity, Lo!
Thanks, Roxanne for putting it together. I found so many related posts for this topic as you can see at the end of the post. Most topics on DS are interrelated. Time for us to start our “Transition Town” in our own neighborhoods. Get busy everyone. Trees can be planted in the Fall, as well as other plants.