MONDAY MAY 1ST: 5 Things We Can Do

Vote Todd. Give Todd your money. Todd is the answer. At the center of it all. If anything happens, it must revolve around Todd. When Todd notices something that doesn't revolve around Todd, all it takes is a few weeks of manipulation and everything pops into proper orbit.

Todd has also been very active in countering anarchist-inspired misinformation that tries to glorify the sailors at Kronstadt who were in actuality agents of the white reaction and Wall St.

Sorry, certain anarchists may be a bit outspoken at times, but why respond with calling anarchists "agents of misinformation"?

The Green Party does present an alternative to the Republocrats two-sided single party system we currently have in the US, but we are also allowed to hear other options besides the gradual shift to the left policies of the moderate Green Party reformist platform. Anarchist positions do not advocate a state sponsored solution, and this may be difficult for many people to support. Maybe we all are convinced by the capitalist party platform that requires a statist approach to survive. The usual scare tactic is that without a beneficial state to support the people, we'ld all turn into a bunch of rowdy cannibals and create a "Lord of the Flies" economy where the strong dominate the weak. That's what the statists want people to belive anyway..

Ironically that isn't what happened when indigenous peoples lived together in communities. Certain ideas indicate that many indigenous societies were based on what moderd society would describe as some form of anarcho-communism, including enough anarcho-libertarianism to prevent the suffocation felt by amny of the archaic Soviet state..

This is more complicated than the above sentences, so maybe some outside reading can help. Here's a suggestion;

http://www.greenanarchy.org/

The issue is not electoral politics vs. non-electoral politics or statist politics vs. non-statist politics. The issue is being a brazen leech vs. not being a bazen leech. You can play party politics without being a brazen leech.

um, the statement about anarchists was meant to point out how todd c's political leanings are rooted in the leninist/bolshevik model of supplanting real revolutionary practice with a bunch of professional representatives of humanity, often violently crushing revolutionary power in the process of "building Communism"

You guys are no better, you just use different rhetoric.

To the previous poster, who are you referring to?

The original criticism referred to the ISO and Todd. You know, it
is not only anarchists that have problems with the ISO and Todd.

FUCK THIS GREEN PARTy SHIT!!!


WE NEED A [RE(A)L] REVOLUTION NONE OF THIS REFORMIST or LENIST BULL SHIT!

I really admire Todd Chetien for being on top of this from the beginning!

The evil war in Iraq will end, and AMERICA will be free and transformed -- and it will be many thanks to our brown-skinned brothers and sisters who will shout SHOUT SHOUT for HUMAN DIGNITY !!! this May 1st!

Earlier this year i attended a political prisoner solidarity ''then and now '' . Former members/political prisoners from The Black Panther party, American Indian Movement, Vietnam Vets against the War, etc. Some interesting presentations . But what was off-putting was the heavy handed way the event was handled . First there was a $15 cover . Not request . You had to pay the full amount or you weren't admitted . People were ''excluded for lack of funds ''. No exceptions the dour faced cadre stated impatiently . Then no open discussion . Card questions only . (Like at the Ward Churchill event at the Women's bldg in 2005 . When questioned why , one of the groups leaders said ' We don't want Ward to have to deal with hostile questions "' ) Later on that evening a 80 something Holocaust survivor heckled a few times . '' Security '' surrounded him and only when others in the audience pointed out how tricky it could be to manhandle a elderly life long radical in ill health . Typical '' Stalinist '' or '' Trot '' activity ? Not quite . The group in question was, not the I.S.O. or R.C.P., but the ''anti-authoritarian '', '' Freedom Loving "' Anarchist (organization, business , or both ? ) A.K. Press! Hundreds were there and witnessed the above . But strangely no denunications on Indybay .

ISO Goes All the Way with Capitalist Greens
http://www.icl-fi.org/english/wv/866/isogreen.html

thanks Todd for all the fun. good to see that your dreams as a young man are coming true. a jesse jackson for the 21st century

Denunciations of capitalism from that quarter are indeed dubious at best. They seem to be doing just fine with their own capitalist venture.

Furthermore, with a "Trot" or "Leninist" or [pick your brand of red] group, at least you know what's up. Someone made a decision, someone stood by that decision, someone is accountable to a membership for that decision.

With these anarchos, the rules drift down from the clouds, wash up from the sea, who knows? The use of power in an anarcho group is at best obscured and at worst, downright mystical.

They hide their power structure, and then insist it doesn't exist. If one insists it does.... well, our octogenarian found out what ensues-- either actually, or metaphorically.

It is time to say enough to this kind of hypocrisy. Failing to further fund it would be a start. So would be critical intervention, things like:

* Think about it, talk about it!

* Demand accountability form anarchist leadership!

* Explore your alternatives to various anarcho-clubs. Maybe an immigrant or red or community group is trying to do similar things, with less experience and less bullying of one type or another.

Other such ideas most welcome.

Call out the ISO on their bullshit organizing, and rather than deny
that they have a problem, they insist that anarchists have similar
problems, hence it is OK for them to be all fucked up.

The earlier quote about Todd's (and the ISO's, coincidentally) line on Kronstadt is a libellous distortion of the truth.

I have this recorded, so I know what Todd said about Kronstadt verbatim, which was that the reactionary sailors were "...traitor[s] in the pay of Wall Street and the Mikado.”

I can provide a copy of the recording to anyone who wants proof.

Norton

"Call out the ISO on their bullshit organizing, and ... they insist...."


You assume I'm ISO, just because I'm contextualizing criticisms agsinst them by pointing out their partisan nature.

Well... one should treat that like most other assumptions.

Good point.Maybe you aren't ISO.Doesn't change the fact that the ISO is one fucked up organization.Contextualize away.It's so horrible that someone made someone use an index card to ask a question at a talk.They might as well be hijacking movements and milking undocumented immigrants for campaign money.

Funny... that's exactly what non-anarcho critics say about black blocks.

The (pro-bb) anarchist response? "That's the way we organize..." "We have a right to our politics..." &c &c.

Different in particulars from ISO, but same general effect on inter-group relations.

One would think the same general critique might therefore be offered of both leftist groupings, in their political and organizational relations with relatively mainstream things.... things like recent immigrant mobilizations, which largely seek acceptance from society, not its radical transformation.

That's a joke Right. While I have little respect for him or the ISO...this is a new low.

Yep, that's our Todd.

There is a big difference between Black Blocks and what Chreteen is doing. He is seeking recognition (acceptance) from society as the mouthpiece of a movement. Black Blocks aren't seeking that recognition or acceptance. Anyway, are you saying that Chreteen is the equivalent of a black block candidate for Congress? If so maybe these Anarchists should vote for him.

http://WWW.Todd4President.com
If Todd was allowed by his handlers to respond anymore he could end this debate with five simple words: "You're all red-baiting McCarthyites!" And do we really need any deeper analysis than that?
http://WWW.Todd4President.com
Revolutionary politics is like a Twinkie. The Cream is at the CENTER. That cream is the ISO. (Cadre members, this is known as the twinkie defense.) If you anarchists want to effectively generate a critique of capitalism you'll need what every authentic working class movement has: millionaire trust fund donors. AK press? Please. They're a COOPERATIVE and that means cut throat laissez faire at it's most naked (http://WWW.Todd4President.com). I even heard from a reliable source that they hate Holocaust (http://WWW.Todd4President.com) victims. And the Anarchist book fair, I've never seen so many mercedes stretch limos in my life! Really there were more than the Nation of Islam ones leaving our ISO rally at that guy Tookie's vigil. If you want a _true_ revolutionary press, try Haymarket Books, named after the martyrs of Haymarket, who I'm told were all in the ISO!
With the ISO, you _know_ that they are telling you exactly what to think, what to read and not read, and what groups to infiltrate and crush, which by the way they DON'T DO. It's called transparency. http://WWW.Todd4President.com. It's like when a spouse beats you, you know and understand the chain of command, there's no confusion or obfuscation which can lead to hidden authoritarianism. The fact that you can discuss the beatings is the beauty of democratic centralism, and why no one need air time wasting critical views at ISO meetings. I've personally seen it work wonders. Either the party line is internalized or the person who was (verbally) beaten admits they are a red-baiter. http://WWW.Todd4President.com
As for Kronstadt, typical anarchist whining about history, and everyone knows that's in the past! To quote Michael Parenti, "you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette." Infantile Leftist can't make omelettes because babies can't cook and if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen because while the ISO rank and file labor force is unpaid, we DON'T condone child labor. Grow the fuck up!
In Solidarity,
Cadre Mobotu
http://WWW.Todd4President.com

Score one for the legendary anarchist skill of playing word games. What will it actually mean in terms of change in anyone's life? Not much. But isn't it nice to feel so damn superior?

Congratulations. Now, all you need is a few friends, and maybe you can... hmm. Let's see.... commies sell papers. You all could sell some books!! That's very different and non-commie. They march in circles.... you can march in black!

Oh yes, comrades, the differences are becoming clearer all the time... They ignore you. You can call them names! You guys are on a roll!

If I can't have word games I don't want your revolution. Lighten up.

Hey everyone,
Nice to see some critiques and fun jabs at Todd's lame self serving post. I agree that it's intentionally misleading to suggest that Todd or the ISO are somehow a key factor in the May 1st General Strike. It looks like immigrants themselves have been a far more effective organizing force than any of the parties, unions, or sectarian groups on this. I also agree with people here who have indicated that neither the ISO or any self proclaimed anarchist leaders are beyond criticism. I have to say though, I've found anarchists much more able and willing to voice criticisms in their organizing meetings than people in an ISO cadre or ISO front group meeting. This is probably obvious to most. While the anarchists can be exclusive too, they tend to have a lot of overlap via genuine connections in the community. In contrast, the ISO approaches working in coalitions in a very insular and controlling manner, very often alienating non-ISO people, and attempting to dictate operational ideology as a singular unit (although the ideological basis of a group's actions they attempt to "steer" is usually covert, brought in from the outside ISO fraction group), which is why they've built up the mountains of resentment we see on the net and in our everyday conversations with people.
For anyone interested I collected a bunch of links and articles critical of Todd and (mainly) the ISO at this site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toddchretienfanclub/
It is a closed site so all the posts are by me, mainly to function as a resource/bulletin board online. Feel free to say this shows I'm an authoritarian, but I openly participate in discussion with anyone who is interested in critiquing my views, and encourage any critique, or not. The "fanclub" site is more a collection than a forum.
Anyone interested could post this link on their sites or in posts. I think that is why Todd posts his links so much, to up his google rating. It would be nice to see some criticisms up higher, like even on the first page of links on a google search. Maybe this is technogeeky stuff, but it seems important to me.
Dave

Maybe word games are all you got, and without them, you don't got no revolution at all.

Just a thought.

"Lighten up."

Have a nice day!

start quote:
...I've found anarchists much more able and willing to voice criticisms in their organizing meetings than people in an ISO cadre or ISO front group meeting. This is probably obvious to most.
end quote.

Reply: Oh really? Guess you missed all this:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1808579.php

Start quote:
While the anarchists can be exclusive too, they tend to have a lot of overlap via genuine connections in the community.
end quote.

Oh really?

Well, I can't disprove it, so I guess it must be true...

What was your link supposed to prove? I'm not persuaded by the claim that the anarchist book fair was a capitalist money making venture. Who were the waged workers from which surplus value was extracted from their labor? Where was the capitalist owner of the fair that reinvested the surplus value into variable and more constant capital in a for profit venture in order to expand production and crush competition? What I saw was a lot of people either giving away stuff, selling at cost, and many more people selling stuff at a loss trying to get some good critiques, theory and analysis into the hands of people there. I was at a table that was dealing with the Oakland General Strike of 1946 among other topics, and none of us identify as strictly anarchists. We had a great time and made lots of connections with other revolutionary minded people, many of whom take part in actions that go beyond the safe liberal or vanguard centered anti-war marches put on by authoritarians. And plenty of people went to both the march and the book fair anyway, which is why the book fair crowd got a lot bigger late in the day.
If you have to ask why an ANSWER or ISO dominated march or rally is a mostly bad thing, you probably haven't given much thought to what form the movements take or what the foreseen ends are, thinking perhaps that as long as a lot of people went "success" is achieved. I agree with you that it is hard to measure exactly what effects a march may have on future organizing, and I don't claim to know, but I do know some history, and some of the history in particular of the ideological roots and actions of the various groups under scrutiny here. I'm speaking as someone who used to defend ANSWER peace marches a few years ago. It was my experience in ISO front group Students Against War, and having to deal with the awful duplicity of ISO control freaks that changed my mind, and sent me to the bookshelf to read more ultra-Left critiques of the Bolsheviks, and more of the history of the Left. Believe me, none of the ISO members were willing to look at any of the ideas I was examining, none of which eminated from their right. Any and all dissenting ideas were methodically crushed. It was just so plain to see the types of bold manipulation tactics used to bring everyone in line rather than ever having debates or deep discussions that didn't have to end by voting support on the ISO agenda point on the notepad at the front of the room within a ten minute time limit. Once I got away from that I found that there was a whole world of other revolutionaries in the Bay Area, people willing to discuss and hash out ideas, and read books together, and disagree on things while finding common ground on which to act.
And this idea that it is the only the authoritarian groups who get things done? It's nonsense. This May 1st boycott is the perfect case in point! The 2003 spontaneous anti-war marches, while they were not perfect, were also carried out with no vanguard group at the helm. Theory and critical thinking are needed. Working class solidarity is needed. Creativity is needed. Power tripping self-deluded "leaders" who run for senate on a capitalist party ticket are not needed.
Lastly, I don't even buy the anarchists versus Marxists line (and as a friend has said to me, most of the Trotskyists in groups like the ISO don't seem to be much into Marx anyway). There are people who have critiques of both you know.
Dave