Anarchist & Radical Book Club discussion

Anyone interested in a summer group read?

What would you like to read and discuss as a group? What have you been excited to get started on? Conversely, what has you intimidated and needing a nudge or support to get through?

Because of our international participation, it's helpful to suggest books that are online, or at least widely available.

Post-Chomsky, and because it's summertime, I think we should read some fiction. Here are my two suggestions:

B. Travern The Death Ship : http://libcom.org/library/death-ship-... (Or, some other B. Travern book, I haven't had a chance to read him yet). Here's the goodreads info on it: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57...

Or I'd love to re-read Ursula K. LeGuin's The Disposessed, available here: http://theanarchistlibrary.org/librar...
Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Mythmakers and Lawbreakers: Anarchist Writers on Fiction by Margaret Killjoy has some great suggestions for fiction. You can download an online version of the appendix, which compiles a huge list of anarchist fiction ("Stories that explore anarchist societies," "Stories that fictionalize anarchist history," "Stories that feature sympathetic anarchist characters," "Stories that Feature Anarchists as Villain") from Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness.

Hello!

Just curious if a title has been chosen?

Thanks in advance.

No, because in an anarchist society, if you want something done, you need to do it. Suggest a book or let us know you are excited about one already suggested!

this is just a short essay by elisee reclus, but in this an election year, at least in america anyway, it's worth a read.

in so many ways, it's as relevant today as when it was written back in 1913.

here's the link if you want to check it out:
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_...

but it's a short one, so i'll just post it here:

WHY ANARCHISTS DON'T VOTE, BY ELISÉE RECLUS

EVERYTHING that can be said about the suffrage may be summed up in a sentence.

To vote is to give up your own power.

To elect a master or many, for a long or short time, is to resign one's liberty.

Call it an absolute monarch, a constitutional king, or a simple M.P., the candidate that you raise to the throne, to the seat, or to the easy chair, he will always be your master. They are persons that you put "above" the law, since they have the power of making the laws, and because it is their mission to see that they are obeyed.

To vote is befitting of idiots.

It is as foolish as believing that men, of the same make as ourselves, will acquire in a moment, at the ringing of a bell, the knowledge and the understanding of everything. Of course it is so. Your elected person shall have to legislate on every subject under the moon; how a box of matches should or should not be made, or how to make war; how to improve the agriculture, or how best to kill a tribe of Arabs or a few Negroes. Probably you believe that their intelligence will grow in proportion to the variety of subjects they have to give their minds to; but history and experience teaches otherwise.

The possession of power has a maddening influence; parliaments have always wrought unhappiness.

In ruling assemblies, in a fatal manner, the will prevails of those below the average, both morally and intellectually.

To vote is to prepare shameful treachery and traitors.

Electors do certainly believe in the honesty of the candidates, and this is to a certain extent existing while the fervor and the heat of the contest remains.

But every day has its to-morrow. As soon as the conditions alter, likewise do men change. To-day your candidate bows humbly before your presence; to-morrow he will say "pish" to you. From a cadger of votes he has turned to be a master of yours.

How can a worker, enrolled by you amongst the ruling class, be the same as before, since now he can speak in terms of equality with the other oppressors? Look at the servility of any one of them, written all over his face, after paying a call to a "captain of industry," or when the King invites him to the ante-chamber of his court !

The atmosphere of the "House" is not for deep breathing; it is corrupt. If you send one of yourselves in a foul place, you must not be surprised afterwards if he comes back in a rotten condition.

Therefore, do not part with your freedom.

Don't vote!

Instead of intrusting the defence of your interests to Others, see to the matter by yourselves. Instead of trying to choose advisers that will guide you in future actions, do the thing yourselves, and do it now! Men of good will shall not have to look long in vain for the opportunity.

To put on others' shoulders the responsibility of one's actions is cowardice.

Don't vote!

well i don't know about you, but i think it's high time i read the shock doctrine by naomi klein

anyone in?

One of my favs. I support reading and discussing this!

Millicent wrote: "One of my favs. I support reading and discussing this!"

cool. just read the line today, "no, they're not blind. they're evil. they see just fine." referring to those who seek to capitalize off of the suffering of another, ie the events following hurricane katrina.

i don't need any extra incentive to loathe our corrupt, unjust and immoral economic arrangement, but i can already see at this early stage, this book will in all likelihood infuriate me!

we will allow all manner of harm to be caused to people, the environment, and nonhuman animals in order to serve the capitalist economy which we have falsely elevated to such a degree of high importance. in the same way, the nurses allowed dr. cameron's torture experiments to continue on patients because they believed they were taking part in something beneficial for society at large.


it kind of brings to mind that line from thelma and louise, "in the future, when a woman's crying
like that, she ain't having any fun!"

Another book that might be interesting for this group at some point is Green is the New Red, by Will Potter which highlights how certain sorts of activists, e.g. environmental, animal rights, got labeled as 'terrorists' by the government and consequently were given enhanced punishments for property crimes.

Kevin wrote: "Another book that might be interesting for this group at some point is Green is the New Red, by Will Potter"

yes, i agree! i forgot all about that book.

just put it on my "to-read" list.

i remember seeing will potter on democracy now last year when he and others were discussing the movie "if a tree falls". a documentary about extensive logging in the pacific northwest, the earth liberation front, and environmental activist daniel mcgowan's trumped up charge of terrorism involving a fire at a lumber company in oregon. good movie.

here's the link to that interview:

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/21...

I put up a poll with all the books suggested here. Perhaps we could read the top fiction and nonfiction? The poll ends August 10th.