No one should raise the stars and stripes on the 4th. The proper flag to raise on the 4th of July is the black flag of anarchy. – Nick Manley The Fourth of July commemorates the anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, a document which the anarchist must view with mixed emotions. The document’s…
Paul Cockshott, the author of Towards a New Socialism, is essentially a NazBol. Everyone seems to ignore this, and I have no idea why. He is quite open about his hatred of gay men, sex workers, immigrants, and trans women — and his policy proposals are filled with horrific implications and unworkable ideas. This isn’t…
I’m mostly writing about morality because I would very much like to stop writing about morality. I say this because morality is, ultimately, a social construct — which isn’t to say that it’s nothing, but is to say that it’s malleable. It’s a feeling. You can’t whip out a morality-o-meter and measure morality. Even further,…
Trust is the backbone of not just economies, but also the social fabric more broadly. With it, new worlds are possible, and without it, collapse is inevitable. Trust is built on dynamic and complexly layered reputations. We each have our own methods of building trust, and different communities have their own systems for developing reputation….
American vanguard parties have not been doing well lately. The International Socialist Organization (ISO) voted to dissolve itself, over what would once have been nothing but a “routine” rape scandal — though, hilariously, a splinter of a splinter of their party continues to try to run their newspaper. The LA Red Guards started a fight…
Thanks to everyone who participated in our May Poetry Feature. We’ll be moving away from poems for a bit, but look out for future special features and poetry projects! The breadth of corruption has eclipsed the surreal arms of enforcement and tendons of steel Enforcers are charged with societies care and they stomp…
Cascadia, Cascadia. What is there to say about this complicated movement? I suppose I should start by explaining what it is, and what it isn’t. After all, there are quite a lot misconceptions out there. Bioregionalism is not, on paper, nationalism in a green hat. Cascadia was originally largely an anarchist project, coming out of…
In the 90’s, the anti-(corporate) globalization movement was at the forefront of the conversation in radical political circles. From the Carnival Against Capital to the Zapatistas to the Battle in Seattle, the fight against global capitalism raged on. This battle raged on side-by-side with the fight against sweatshop labor with protesters targeting companies like Gap…
After 9/11, the United States did not only aim to overthrow the government of Iraq. Its Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, sought to overthrow the governments of seven countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and finally — Iran. Predictably, these are countries whose governments were not on ideal terms with the United States, Saudi…
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. I was born defiant from the beginning, religion a brief reprieve and then to my surprise hell for eternity. I saw death, strife, war, disease and power as my enemies, no god ever answered. A Calamity. An early note of peace ran through…
Now I want to preface this essay by stating the fact that I am, by and large, against the usage of single-use plastic goods. We absolutely need to transition away from such things as fast as possible, and should look for functional alternatives to all such goods. But, that’s the key word: functional. Truth is,…
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. locking talk on haute cuisine means of squeeze sequester session in lessons descended from heaven epiphany sitting in the plastic order territory through ‘tis trough business degree sipping tea content so forgetting hints at difference in clinch hitters mystic sits hocking sunflower language pangs in…
Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri have all come under fire recently for their passing of various –extremely restrictive and possibly unconstitutional– anti-abortion laws. The goal of such laws –it is claimed– is to curb abortion rates, preferably to zero. The problem is, however, that prohibition has never worked to achieve such goals….
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. I could make a color chart For the melodies we sing But I’m sure there’s no piece of art For the comfort which you bring Harmony and passion could kill a king Tearing down these walls they built And arriving as this being…
Bitcoin Pizza Day passed again recently and with it came the expected wave of posts reminiscing about how far the world of cryptocurrency has come since that fateful day when Florida Man sent 10,000 of his magical internet money overseas all for a couple of pizzas. Of course, cryptocurrency has always been touted as a…
Before I begin, I suppose I should mention that I am an American. I will be, for the most part, addressing issues within the American left. Within that perspective is a recognition of my home country’s disastrous role in interventions across the world, and the large footprint that American military activity has left on other…
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. pick ply plumb lungs from empty attic static attack addicts on half racked grief from thief in their solace state has haphazard lack luster map maker she hits finished slits across concrete constables and rips a thick lap victory vein in her golden hair stains…
The meme of “no ethical consumption” under capitalism is, on first impression, entirely correct. Anyone with a systemic analysis of capitalism knows that the big structural problems are the result of entrenched interests that maintain their status through the use of violence. Problems like climate change, planned obsolescence, poor working conditions, and factory farming are…
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. Something caught within your throat this morning, As I listened in, Some roughness at the ragged end, Trying to begin. And as we try another day, I hear the wheeze increase, I hear the fear and pain and grief, Like instruments at play….
The following is part of the 2019 May Poetry Feature at C4SS. I feel the grasp of your hand as it releases me. I fall & fall for what feels like forever. Landing in my own reality. We’ve got mind, body, and soul; seven billion people trapped in a claustrophobic foxhole. Spinning & spinning &…