Rebel Alliances: The Means and Ends of Contemporary British

497 Pages·2016·35.4 MB·English

Rebel Alliances: The Means and Ends of Contemporary
British Anarchisms
by Benjamin Franks
Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy, May 2000 (with
corrections made October 2000)
Rebel Alliances: The means and ends of contemporary British anarchisms
This thesis examines, classifies and evaluates the tactics and organisational methods
of British and Irish anarchist groups, which operated in the period 1984-1999
(although reference is made to groupings and events outside of this period). The
thesis explains how class struggle anarchism, which was a minority trend even within
the libertarian milieu, has developed into a significant and lively (anti-)political
movement. This thesis examines recent groups through their own publications and
their accounts of their recent actions.
Previous studies have attempted to assess anarchist methods through either liberal or
traditional Marxist categories. This thesis develops a mode of assessment that is
consistent with the methods of evaluation used by anarchists themselves. This
prefigurative ethic is used to build up an ideal-type of anarchism that is consistent
with the main characteristics of libertarian theory.
Anarchist prefiguration - which demands that the means must be synecdochic in
relation to the ends - requires that the oppressed become the agents who bring about
change. Oppression is irreducible to capitalism alone, but in most contexts, economic
oppression will be a significant force in the creation of the oppressed agent's identity.
Anarchists' preference for 'direct action' captures their commitment to the means
being in accordance with the ends, and the primacy of the oppressed in resisting their
oppreSSIon.
The anarchist ideal is used as a standard to assess the operations of existing anarchist
groups. Consistent with prefiguration, anarchist organisation and tactics have to be
multiform and flexible, without strategic priority being given to any single
organisation or structure. Anarchist tactics must also involve a variety of oppressed
subjects, while undermining hierarchies of power. It will be shown that certain
organisational methods associated with anarchism; such as old style syndicalism is
incompatible with the prefigurative ethic. Similarly certain organisational structures,
often dismissed as inconsistent with anarchist principles, such as temporary small
groups carrying out selective propaganda by deed, can, under certain conditions, be
consistent with anarchism.
The growth of class struggle anarchism is shown to be a result of its prefigurative and
multiform organisation and its corresponding diversity of tactics.
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
NOTIINGHAM
Rebel Alliances:
The Means and Ends of Contemporary British Anarchisms
Benjamin Franks
Acknowledgements
This thesis was originally begun in September 1991,
it has taken over nine years to complete.
Nonetheless, it is this, the last page to be
consigned to paper, which has proven the most
difficult to write. There are so many people to whom
I am deeply indebted, for their love, friendship and
patience - that it is difficult to know where to
start. This brief section already runs the risk of
appearing like the Oscar night acceptance speech of a
particularly neurotic actor. There are also the
concerns of overlooking those who have made
significant sacrifices - and of naming those who
would prefer to remain anonymous. In listing people
there is the additional hazard of those at the top
being considered of greater importance than those in
the middle or end, so except for the first few names,
everyone else is listed in reverse alphabetical
order. I have to start, however, by thanking my
parents Susan and David Franks for their constant
support, love and hot food. Second, I must
acknowledge the exceptional help provided by my
supervisor, Dr Jon Simons. His relevant and good
humoured advice was pertinent, if not always welcome.
My gratitude to the following is also quite beyond
words:
Rowan Wilson, Kathy Williams, Millie Wild, Bill
Whitehead, Mark Tindley, Claire Taylor, Robert Smith,
Simon Sadler, Helen Rodriguez-Grunfeld, Sarah
Merrick, David McLellan, Brian Leveson, David Lamb,
Richard King, Sarah Kerr, Rita Kay (z"l), Adenike
Johnson, Benedict Jenkins, Natalie Ireland, Rebecca
Howard, Steven Hanshaw, Jim Hanshaw, Bill Godwin, Tim
Franks, Esme, Suzanne Cumper, Mike Craven, Larry
Chase, Russell Challenor, Ian Bone, Mark Ben-David
(z"l), Carolyn Ben-David, Trevor Bark, Clare Bark and
thanks also to the participants at the WEA current
affairs courses Derby (1997-2000) and Nottingham
(2000), students on the Certificate in political
Studies at the Department of Continuing Studies,
University of Nottingham (1997-2000), fellow staff
members at Blackwells University Bookshop, Nottingham
University (1997-1999), the domestics at Dudley Road
Hospital (1991-2) and my friends In numerous
anarchist and Leninist groups.
Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter One: History of British Anarchisms 19
Foreword 20
1. Problems in Writing Anarchist Histories 21
2. Origins 24
3. The Heroic Period: A History of British
Anarchism up to 1914 25
3.1. The Age of Terror 28
3.2. Workers Arise 32
3.3. Propaganda and Anarchist Organisation 37
3.4. Ideological Differences in Class
Struggle Anarchism 40
4. Anarchism During the First World War,
1914 - 1918 43
5. The Decline of Anarchism and the Rise of the
Leninist Paradigm, 1918 - 1936 46
6. Decay of Working Class Organisations: The
Spanish Civil War to the Hungarian Revolution,
1936 - 1956 49
7 . Spring and Fall of the New Left, 1956 - 1976 54
7 . 1 . Changing Constituency 55
7 .2. Alternative Revolutionary Subjects 59
7 . 3. Tactical Responses 65
7 . 4 . Fall of the New Left 71
8. Punk and DiY Culture 75
9. The Revival of Class Struggle Anarchism:
The Miners' Strike to J18, 1984 - 1999 82
Chapter Two: Anarchist Moral Theory and
Practice 100
Introduction 101
Part One: The Prefigurative Ethical Framework 102
1. Against Ethics 102
2. The Prefigurative Ethical Method 105
2.1. The Means-Ends Distinction 108
3. Consequentialism 110
3.1. Prefiguration Versus Consequentialism 111
3.2. Anarchist Consequentialism 113
4. Deontology 116
4.1. Deontology and Contractual
Relationships 119
4.1.1. Anarcho-Capitalism and Liberal
Anarchism 119
4.1.2. Free Contracts 121
4.2. Liberal Anarchist Deontology 122
4.3. Anarchism Against Deontology 124
Part Two: Direct Action 127
Introduction 127
5. Direct Action: Means and Ends 129
5.1. Direct Action and Agency 132
5.2. Practicality and Direct Action 134
6. Constitutional Proceedings Versus Direct
Action 136
6.1. Abdication of Power 139
6.2. Creating New Masters 142
6.3. Misdirected Sites of Power 144
7. Symbolic Action and Direct Action 150
8. Direct Action and Violence 156
8.1. Identifying Violence 159
8.2. Violence and the Working Class 163
8.3. Tactical Violence 168
Chapter Three: Agents of Change 172
Introduction 173
1. The Anarchist Ideal: A Concept of Class
Agents 175
1.1. Agents in Anarchist Propaganda 182
1.2. Decline and Rise of Class Within
British Radicalism 184
2. Leninist Models of Class 190
3. Gorz and the Non-Class 199
4. The Processed World 202
5. The Extension of Class: The Social Factory 206
6. Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality 212
7. Antagonisms and Solidarity 224
Chapter Four: Organisation 230
Introduction 231
1. Anti-Organisation 237
1.1. The First Form of Spontaneity:
Chaosism 239
1.2. Second Form of Spontaneity:
Organisation Only in Revolutionary Epochs 245
1.3. Third Form of Spontaneity:
Organisation by Oppressed Subject Groups 250
2 . Formal Structures: Leninist Organisation 252
2 . 1 . Strategic Weaknesses 253
2 .2. Paternalism 255
2.3. Authoritarian Structures 256
2.4. The Invisible Dictatorship 259
3. Contemporary Anarchist Structures 262
3.1. Centralism and The Platform 263
3.2. Federalism and The Manifesto 268
3.3. Networks 270
3. 4 . The Closed Cell 271
3.5. Open Cells 277
4. Workplace Organisation 281
4.1. Syndicalism, Anarcho-syndicalism
and Trade Unionism 284
4.2. Against Workplace Organisation 288
4.2.1. Workplace Groups as Reformist 289
4.2.2. The Vanguard 290
4.2.3. Privileging the Industrial
Worker 294
4.3. Syndicalism and Other Forms of
Organisation 296
5. Community Organisation 298
5.1. The Structure of Community Based
Groups 301
5.2. Environmental Groups: Tribes and
Communities 303
5.3. Internet Co-Ordination - The Global
Community 306
5.4. Community and Workplace Organisation 311
Summation 313
Chapter Five: Anarchist Tactics 315
Introduction 316
1. Revolution 318
1.1. Anarchist Ideal of Revolution 321
1.2. Temporary Autonomous Zone 324
1.3. Rebellion 327
1.4. Insurrection and Riot 329
2. Industrial Activity 337
2.1. The Mass Strike 338
2.2. Sabotage 342
2.3. Machine and Product Breaking 344
2.4. Strike 346
2.5. Industrial Boycott 348
2.6. Occupation 349
2.7. Go Slow & Working Without Enthusiasm 354
2.8. Work to Rule 355
2.9. Refusal to Work 358
2.10. Absenteeism and Sick-In 362
3. Methods of Propaganda 363
3.1. Propaganda By Deed 364
3.2. Propaganda By Word 368
3.3. Situations 387
3.4. Pranks and Stunts 388
4. Community Sabotage and Criminality 396
4 . 1 . Vandalism and Hooliganism 399
4.2. Theft 402
4 . 3 . Boycott 405
4 . 4 . Squatting 409
4 .5. Communes 413
5. Atypical Anarchist Tactics 416
5.1. Constitutional Activity 417
5.2. Overproduction 420
5.3. Hyperpassivity and Disengagement 423
Summation 426