Impressions of Rojava: a report from the revolution

Click here to access article by Janet Biehl from Reflections on a Revolution. 

Every once in while in history we find examples of revolutionary societies that inspire real progressive people, people looking for social solutions to deal with the myriad problems facing societies in today's capitalist ruled world. We are now seeing reports (see this and this) of such developments in the tiny autonomous area of Rojava which is formally a part of Syria.

Normally in such conflicted areas, radical experiments are compromised by the needs of security from outside threats as happened in the Soviet Union following the 1917 revolution, and to a lesser extent in Cuba following their revolution in 1959. Such compromises do not seem to be happening in Rojava. Although Biehl makes references to problems, she doesn't list any--I wish she had.

In nine days we could not possibly have scoured Rojava for all problems, and our interlocutors candidly admitted that Rojava is hardly above criticism....

This excellent report--there are hints of more to come--reminded me of some speculations I had after reading about the Soviet revolution in the excellent book entitled The Prophet Armed (v.1) by Isaac Deutscher. In the chaos of the aftermath the Bolsheviks were faced with invasions by Western capitalist armies, counter-revolutionary insurrections from within, widespread hunger, epidemics, a devastated country ravaged by WWI, etc. I have speculated that the very understandable mistake that Trotsky made as commander of the new Soviet army was to fall back on what he regarded as the only form of organization that an army could have to secure the revolution while facing foreign armies: the traditional rigid hierarchical structure. Deutscher wrote on page 416:

The task...to be accomplished was to centralize the Red Army and to establish single command. Trotsky went on to disband the Red Guards and the partisan detachments. The incorporation of the partisan units proved unsatisfactory, because it infected the regular detachments with the 'guerrilla spirit'. .... He insisted on the organization of the entire army into uniformly constituted divisions and regiments.

This I think was a fatal mistake that had many future adverse consequences for the success of the revolution. Although it did secure the revolution for the immediate future, it was in a distorted bureaucratic form which led to its corruption and ultimate deterioration into bureaucratic ruling class government.   

An alternative would have been to supply local sympathetic revolutionary populations with arms, training, and political education. Whether this alternative could have been successful under such chaotic conditions in 1917 is debatable, but I think it was necessary to keep the revolution alive and sustainable.

This alternative appears to be operational in Rojava's revolution. Should this alternative survive and thrive, I will not only have a confirmation of my speculation; but of far more importance, there is promise of a successful revolutionary model that the rest of the world's majority can follow.

The dangerous myths of ‘anti-extractivism’

Click here to access article by Federico Fuentes from Climate & Capitalism.

The narrow extractivism/anti-extractivism counter position has been used to foster divisions among social movements, weakening the unity needed for radical change to achieve radical change.

There is ample evidence to show that foreign governments and NGOs have been working to stoke, rather than resolve, tensions among the regions’ diverse social movements. Such forces are happy to promote “anti-extractivism” if it serves to bring down popular governments and roll back changes.

This website has now produced two other views on this issue in a current article entitled "Two views of ‘extractivism’ and ‘buen vivir’". 

Disaster communism part 1 - disaster communities

Click here to access article by "Out of the Woods" from Libcom.

In part one of this three-part article, we look at the concept of disaster communism as it relates to the communities of solidarity and mutual aid typically formed in disaster situations.

This series appears to be very timely given the fact that we humans face a future filled with disasters due to the accelerating destabilization of the climate. 

Ruling classes have successfully dominated societies since the advent of civilization. The current capitalist class in their limitless hubris, or maybe a hardcore addiction to power and profits, thinks it can control nature, that they can come up with a technological fix that will allow them to continue to exploit nature on our finite planet. Whereas we humans seem too willing to submit to domination and exploitation by our fellow humans, nature will not tolerate abuse and will always rid itself of creatures who violate, or cannot adapt to, her laws.

Interviewed: David Harvey on Rebel Cities

Click here to access article by Chris Carlsson from Shareable. 

You may want to skip the introduction by the publisher of Shareable, Neal Gorenflo, by scrolling down to Chris Carlson's first question: "Who did you write Rebel Cities for?". In his introduction Gorenflo goes to great pains to explain why he is featuring Marxist views at his website and to reassure readers that it is okay to read such material ("Harvey stands for something as American as apple pie.") This is probably necessary for many US progressives who have been subject to so many decades of anti-Marxist thought control; however, for those of you immune to such indoctrination, this reassurance is unnecessary.

I don't agree with all of Harvey's views, but they do provide much food for thought. One place where I take exception is what I regard as an incorrect conception of the capitalist state (he approves of some elements of it) and that some coercive state organization needs to be maintained in his vision of the future: views which is revealed in this quote from his book and his answer to Carlsson's followup question:

[Harvey quote] "How can radical decentralization — surely a worthwhile objective — work without constituting some higher-order hierarchical authority? It is simply naïve to believe that polycentrism or any other form of decentralization can work without strong hierarchical constraints and active enforcement."

[Carlsson] Do you think the state, currently a wholly-owned project of “the existing democracy of money power,” can be made to serve other interests than capital accumulation and economic growth?

There can be higher levels of coordination without a hierarchical system of enforcement. "Hierarchy" is by definition a centralized command structure that serves and answers to the highest level, to people who constitute a ruling class. That's the way the Soviet Union was constituted and its command structure served the interests of the nomenclatura. It appears that Harvey cannot imagine a command structure that is directed from the grassroots to the highest coordinating bodies.

The Gutsy Food Sovereignty Movement Helps Shape Policy And to Rekindle and Model Democratic Principles at Work

by Olga Bonfiglio from her blog. 

She reports on some local efforts in the US, Africa, and Canada to take back control of the production, distribution, and consumption of food from corporations. 

Food sovereignty means that people have the right to decide what they eat and to ensure that food in their community is healthy and accessible for everyone.... It also means that producers receive a fair price for their products and that local family farmers and fishers should have the first right to local and regional markets.

With this mission in mind, food security advocates have been successfully changing food policy not only in the United States but all over the world. 

Stories Of Belonging [article of the month]

by Helena Norberg-Hodge from Counter Currents. This month's must read! 

The article contains so much wisdom that it needs no commentary from me. 

Realising that it's not human nature that is to blame, but rather an in-human system is actually inspiring. Looking at the bigger picture in this way is essential to effecting long-lasting change; it can also help us to realise that the same economic policies that are breaking down community are destroying our environment. As more people become aware of this, we are seeing broad-based support - from social as well as environmental movements - for a fundamental shift in direction.

Also, you may want to visit a related website to learn more about the organization she is connected with and to access similar articles and information.

Backwardass Townies, Chicken Littles, and Learning New Tolerance

by Kathy McMahon from her blog, Peak Oil Blues. Some down-home, practical advice about connecting with others and building community.

It is my belief that whether we build our lives in a post-peak oil world in-place or move to another location, we are going to be faced with building closer relationships to the locals.

These kickstart actions can engage folks in your local community!

from Radical Relocalization. Some great suggestions about how to start localizing in your area.

10 Top Techy Tools for Easy Sustainable Eating

from Food Freedom. Good sources of information on how to eat well and support local food producers.

Going green in the kitchen can be one of the biggest ways to reduce your impact on the planet. Luckily, in our tech-savvy world, we have access to some great online and electronic tools that help us eat more eco-friendly without adding any hassle to our daily lives. Here are ten resources that will help you make your kitchen an earth-friendly and incredibly appetizing place to hang out.

Regional, Not Local, Sourcing May be the Solution to Our Broken Food System

from Politics of the Plate. 

It has all but become an article of faith that sourcing food locally is the most sustainable alternative to our current global food production system. But there is a growing body of evidence that local may only be part of the answer.

City dwellers use their green thumbs to strengthen neighborhood bonds in community gardens

from Food Freedom. 

Building local community is a necessary step toward localization of polity and economy that can save us from the ravages (climate change, depletion of energy, degradation of the environment, etc) of globalized capitalism.

The project had support from City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who heard from residents wanting to set up a community garden. Most live in rental and condominium properties without access to yards.

“These gardens have been so popular, we have been trying ways to make it happen,” said Sheehan, who provided $2,000 from her discretionary budget for the Festival Park and Colonialtown gardens. “For me it’s an educational tool. It’s a way to get people active, and it’s a way to build community …. It’s just nothing but positive.”

The Breadbasket of America: New England?

from Civil Eats, original source from The Atlantic Food Channel. 

The article deals with the efforts of New England food outlets to link up with local farmers to produce the grains they need for their food. It is not as simple as it might seem. Read the details.

From Maine and Vermont to New York and Pennsylvania, a growing number of farmers, bakers, brewers, distillers, and food educators are working to create a regional grain network throughout the Northeast.

Where The Food Revolution Begins

from Civil Eats. 

Until all of our students gather around the same table for organic food grown in their own communities, the parents and teachers talking about it are like the adults we can’t understand in a Charlie Brown movie.

States’ rights revival in CA?

from Watchdog. An interesting development in the US:

Political waters are boiling all across America, including California. One of the areas this is happening is the Tenth Amendment Movement, which takes seriously the last of the Bill of Rights, which reads: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Everywhere and nowhere

from Le Monde Diplomatique. 

A change of lifestyle cannot be imposed; it has to evolve from insight, wise restraint and changes in perspectives on social values. In some areas this is already visible: buying food from ever farther away is no longer quite so popular. Local products – especially food – are already showing that nearness has strengths, and can compete with distance. ...People can find more calm in nearness. Bike rides can reveal undiscovered qualities in closeness, in lieu of sitting in weekend traffic jams on the motorway.

These kickstart actions can engage folks in your local community!

by Andrew MacDonald from his blog, Radical Relocalization. 

I've been surprised and pleased at how easily doors open to relocalization efforts. It seems like a series of no-brainers, people doing the obvious. People seem ready to move into action. Perhaps that's because the need for it is real and people realize that! 

The Economics of Organic Farming

from Olga Bonfiglio's blog.

“A community-based system of agriculture is all about relationships,” said Meter who predicts that “over time, communities will choose organic food...because they know the farmer is taking care of the land.”

Meter believes that in general, community-based organic farms make four major contributions: good health and nutrition for the population; a fair distribution of wealth among farmers; connections between people since food is so central to American and ethnic cultures; and the capacity for farmers, not corporations, to decide what foods to produce. 

Local food council develops big plans

from Galesburg.com, a newspaper in western Illinois, US. Hopefully, we in the US are at the beginning of a public policy trend for locally produced and distributed food.

The Knox County Board has officially established a local food council that will work to strengthen and develop local food networks.

The 15-member council will become a non-profit foundation and will work with local growers to help them reach markets for their products and add value to them. County officials hope that over time growth in local food production could create hundreds of sustainable jobs.

The Promise of Decentralization, Localization, and Scale-Free Self-Sufficiency

from The Oil Drum. A must read. I find this article to be one of the most interesting that I've read in some time. It keys into the most crucial issues of our time--how do we survive climate change, peak energy, and a system called capitalism that will destroy human and other life forms if it is allowed to continue in this new environment. Be sure to check out the links in, and the discussion following, the article.

The Surprising Reason Why Americans Are So Lonely, and Why Future Prosperity Means Socializing with Your Neighbors

by Bill McKibben from Alter Net. This is an excerpt from his book, " EAARTH: Making a Life on a Tough New Plane". The author discusses the practical problems and benefits of localizing production [in a capitalist economy] mostly in relation to food.