The Radical Post is an Anarcho-Socialist Facebook page which features a wide variety of commentary from different politically oriented individuals started up by Nick Kappos of the Harsh Noise project Hex Phosphorus. We here at The Infidel Netwerk thought it'd be interesting to share some of the posts and thoughts from the news feed for your viewing pleasure.
Note: None of the views posted below are representation of the views of The Infidel Netwerk or it's members (other then possibly Nick's). This is purely for educational and entertainment purposes.
You can find the Facebook group at the following link, follow for the latest updates on all the postings:
Gwendolyn Iris on "Limiting Protestor Rights"
The new administration wants to limit our right to protest regardless of how we protest. Blaming each other for anti protest legislation is faulty and quite dangerous. If there was ever a time for a respect for a diversity of tactics, this is it.
Annoynomous on "The Peronism Comparison"
Seeing these union bureaucrats snivel before Trump makes me wanna read a bit more about the economic protectionism of say, Peronism in Argentina. Trumps Right wing populism makes overtures to working peoples concerns, but we know that this is a classic con. Trump is a con man like the fascists and right wing populists of the past.
M.G. on "Milwaukee Post Women's March"
Here's what I've seen from a lot of Milwaukee people since the Women's March: 1. The march was primarily for or about white women, even though it was co-led and attended by women of color, 2. Many of the white women who attended it haven't yet attended other marches, so where have they been? and 3. White people need to go do their own work and work on themselves and among other white people. Often, these points are made by sharing the perspectives of some women of color - instead of the perspectives by other women of color and others who called for participation in the march and now call for building from the march and bringing more white people into movements. I seriously wonder: How do people expect to get bigger and possibly win anything? 1. If women of color co-led and attended the march, why share the "skipping the march" narratives, instead of the calls for participation? Considering the diversity of thinking of people of color in general and on this topic, that says more about the politics of the person sharing that narrative than anything else. 2. If people are out for the first time, why not invite them to come to the next march? None of us were born fully-formed activists. We were radicalized over time and by particular events and through political education - on our own and because of others. This is a moment for a lot of people. 3. If white people are inherently racist and held back by their white fragility, white privilege, etc., wouldn't their self-work and work among their family be re-inforcing these things? I think about myself and other white people differently than this (via the work around how racist ideology is created and re-created, a la Barbara Fields and others), but I agree political education on racism, race and racial justice is absolutely necessary - but who's going to help make that happen? Call-outs haven't been very effective on their own, and racial justice education has to go deeper than white fragility and white privilege talk. All of this gets at why I felt so disheartened back home. We just can't build - because new people and potential new people aren't radical, woke, or knowledgeable enough to join us. I haven't been above all of this, but I've since heard other perspectives that I hadn't heard in Milwaukee. So many people of color (and white people) are calling for multiracial organizing and a politics of solidarity that includes class but does not minimize the fight against identity oppression. So many people are calling for a politics that looks for common interests and builds from there - again, while specifically not minimizing identity oppression and putting the fight against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc. up front. Again: How do we expect to grow and someday win? We definitely won't grow or win as long as we can't or won't build from the imperfect place we're at right now.
Nick Kappos on "Jesus And Pacifism"
Not that I need the churches approval....but not even Jesus was an absolute pacifist.
You might recall him making a bull whip by tying prayer cords together....hemp rope and small beads, giving it some weight and something heavy and solid for use as a weapon. He went to the temple to confront the bankers/money-changers, starting smashing the place up, flipping tables over, and beating them with his prayer cord bull whip.
That is what any good person with compassion would do when the least of our people are being oppressed by tyrants of one kind or another.
Nick Kappos on "The Snake March"
Nov 2nd 1999, huge protests were organized against the WTO. To this day, people talk shit about the 'snake march' where black clad protesters broke away from the main event and selectively damaged the property of corporate assets who were involved or benefiting from WTO and World Bank policies. It has been claimed that these protesters 'ruined it' for everyone else, provoking the police to attack an otherwise peaceful protest.
The truth of the matter is that before the snake march it was the main protest that was blockading delegates from reaching the event and making enough noise to be heard from within. It was the main 'peaceful' sit in which was being violently attacked. Words like 'terrorists' were being used to describe the primary event where people locked arms without fighting back.
The idea behind the snake march was not that thousands of dollars worth of damage to glass and paint was in any way more important than disrupting the WTO meeting, but the snake march was part of a strategy to get the police to chase the black block instead of attack the non-violent sit in. They were basically putting themselves at risk so that others would be more safe.
The snake march did not provoke or agitate the police to attack the protesters. In accordance with the St Paul Principles, those tactics were separated in time and place. They did not provoke the police then hide behind civilian protesters to put them in danger. They marched away and lead the police away from the main event to keep people safe.
The main non-violent protest was already being violently attacked. It was excessive and the footage of police brutality would probably disturb a lot of people if you have not seen it before.
After the snake march, not only did it give the main protesters a break from the brutality against them, but suddenly they went from being called terrorists in the media to being praised for their non-violence as everything was blamed on those black clad protesters who 'ruined it' for everyone.
Nick Kappos on Anarchist And Fighting For Living & Working Conditions
Ironically*, back when people were working 80+ hours a week and living in multi-story slum apartments that would collapse and kill everyone, it was the Anarchists and other socialists who were pushing for laws like safe working conditions and buildings being up to code. This is while they were living under a state that had no such laws limiting the wealthy ruling class, only laws to keep the poor masses in line.
Ultimately the Anarchists do not believe that these things come from the state at all but from our own organized power to make and enforce such demands against those who would rule over us.