Everything For Everyone: a Small Demand Call for an Anti-Capitalist Force at the DNC protests

08/25/2008 - 18:00

Unconventional Action has called for the organizing of a Black Bloc-style gathering for the evening of August 25th at 6 PM. This call for action sprung up on the DNC Disruption 08 blog July 5th.

"On August 24-28, the ruling elite and their defenders will converge in Denver Colorado, in an attempt to recuperate the gains of global social movements and produce another myth of progress. Lip service to global warming, the economic crisis and the war will endow them with the magic to spread amnesia across the hearts and minds of North America. In an ironic destruction of illusions, those who manage statecraft will make material the wet dreams of the politicians that haunt such movements—pitting anti-racist struggles and feminism against eachother in a battle for political power. Behind the closed doors of the Pepsi Center, history will continue—and as predicted, it will be banal and terrifying.

Outside those doors, however, so many will exclaim, smash and sing a harmonious “no.”
We have little time for poetry; we have little patience for progress. We will go home to our communities after this Summer, and it is in our communities that the effects of the broadening ecological crisis, the crash of the economy and the implementation of security-as-a-way-of-life will take hold. Whether it is the right wing of capital or the left wing of capital, capitalism will continue to structure our lives and dissolve every inch of autonomy we carve out.

To the contrary of the common narrative of defeat and despair, we notice that it is also in these communities that our affects take hold. It is within these circuits of support—both material and emotional—that we produce ourselves as powerful. We go to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and to the Republican National Convention in Minnesota’s Twin Cities with this epiphany in mind.

Everything for Everyone: A Small Demand
On the evening of August 25, the night of the Democratic Party’s fundraising events, we will manifest ourselves not as a focus group but as a force: Against capitalism and in solidarity with those who fight against policing on a daily basis, (in memory of Paul Childs and Frank Lobato both murdered by the Denver police); against the destruction of the planet and for our own needs for a total transformation of society. At 6 p.m. gather as a Black Bloc at Civil Center Park in downtown Denver. Wear black tops and blue denim bottoms. Bring flags and banners. Be materially prepared. We do not seek a mere march against capitalism but rather a communication mechanism to inquire of others a modest question: “We want everything. Do you?”

For the destruction of capitalism and the state,

—A precarious workers-council of Unconventional Action, and comrades from the West Coast, Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, East Coast, the UK, and Europe"

Good luck to all those who attend.

well...

Well, this thing seems to have turned out even worse than I assumed it would. Fancy language does not make a riot. Dressing up convention protests with ultra-radical sounding theory looks embarrassing next to what actually happened in the streets.

"we will manifest ourselves not as a focus group but as a force"

A "force" that was toyed with and arrested by police, then easily redefined by liberals and leftists. This "anti-capitalist force" becomes, so quickly, a group of 'non-violent protesters' picked apart by cops.

Did y'all really think it would turn out any other way?

I don't think it will happen, but maybe people will reflect on the stupid trajectory of actions like this and move on to something else more creative and critical. Develop radical theory and practice that acknowledges scale and effect, that isn't just hollow sloganeering and voluntarism.

hollow criticism

"I don't think it will happen, but maybe people will reflect on the stupid trajectory of actions like this and move on to something else more creative and critical. Develop radical theory and practice that acknowledges scale and effect, that isn't just hollow sloganeering and voluntarism."

Seems like "voluntarism" is another one of those smearwords that are thrown around when someone doesnt like what somebody else is doing. It has lost all its meaning. Acknowledges scale and effect? What does that mean? No action should be taken unless the majority agrees?

hollow?

Voluntarism is not a meaningless smearword. Activist campaigns/protests/propaganda carried out in an effort to "catalyze" working class resistance are a clear example of voluntarism. Voluntarism is seeing yourself as the spark or button-pusher who can activate class struggle with your actions or words (in this case, catalyze a riot).

Acknowledging scale and effect would mean, in this case, acknowledging that there was no way for an event resulting from this call to constitute itself as an "anti-capitalist force". It means stepping back from what one could nicely call an overinflated sense of agency and power.

As far as I am concerned any pro-revolutionary activity must only be undertaken with a clear perception of a likely positive outcome. The assessment of possible outcomes takes the place of vague and fervent hope (which otherwise dominates activism) because finally what determines what will happen is not down to an individual or group's 'willing' it to happen but the standing of the relation of different forces in a particular locality. The group aims to impact this relation and bend things to their (and the proletariat's) interest... This is no easy task, something akin to trying to win at a fairground game.

Where there are numerous conflicts, and a general sense of 'something in the air', a specific undertaking has a much higher chance of success if pursued in a disciplined goal-orientated manner – but where these reinforcing factors are absent, the group's action will simply disappear amongst the general indifference.

Then who does?

So who does catalyse working class resistance then? It just happens by itself? Eveybody start resisting at the same time? Somebody has to start it.

can you please move to russia

can you please move to russia or china PLEASE!!

don't move to china or russia

we need people who can open and constructively critical or radical action and movements.

alienation and fragmentation are perhaps two negative things which radicals, i include myself, are good at and which prevent mass movements from growing. let's commit to each other's growing edge and risk pushing each other in praxis, but not to china or russia!

the dnc is certainly a concentration of powerful people, institutions and corporations, but it is less clear to most people in the united states. we need radicalize as many people as possible through conversations, empowering actions and through witnessing fascist tendencies of the government.

for those in denver, the demonstrations have rejuvenated the obvious dialogue on free speech versus law & order by our mere presence. the question perhaps is, knowing this and how many people not in denver are unlikely to understand the sloganeering without context, how do we collectively radicalize and bring more people into our movements, coalitions, autonomous groups (however you perceive it to be) ?

i want to hear what people think! engage me, engage each other, engage strangers.

--in unity with respect and an open mind--