An analysis of the attacks on French public sector strikes in 2007. The irony of supporters of capitalism urging a levelling down, at least for workers.
(more…)Category: France
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Nicolas Sarkozy: A mandate for class war
When change means more of the same. On Sarkozy’s election and claims that his is a French Thatcher. Appeared in Black Flag No. 226 (2007)
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Louise Michel: “If you are not cowards, kill me!”
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A review of a book on that remarkable anarchist activist, Louise Michel. Sadly marred by an obvious, and utterly unnecessary, bias for Marxism, it fails to do justice to her ideas and her life. -
Review: How we shall bring about the revolution
A review of a classic of French revolutionary syndicalism. Essential reading for anyone wanting to find out about its ideas on social change. It appeared in Anarcho-Syndicalist Review No> 78 (Winter 2020) and before that, Freedom
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The 1848 Revolutions: An Anarchist Perspective
This is a write-up of a talk I gave at the Sparrow’s Nest Archive in Nottingham on 23 June 2018. The talk was advertised by the following text:
(more…)The Revolutions of 1848 remain the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history. While remembered as essentially liberal in nature, aiming at ending the old monarchical regimes they were also note-worthy for the advent of the industrial working class as a factor in social struggle. So as well as political change, the social question was raised while the events of 1848 shaped the ideas of Marx and Proudhon. So on their 170th anniversary, we look at the 1848 revolutions and their lessons for today.