Welcome

In memory of Leah Feldman

About us

The principal aim of our Future Nexus webzine is to focus on the diverse cutting-edge ideas currently emanating from the Anarchist milieu. All of the articles featured here are for the purpose of education. We hope to inspire viewers with the spirit of Anarchy. We endeavour to open their minds to the prevailing wasteland that surrounds them and, instead, offer insight into a future of their desire.

Future Nexus supports the Anarkismo statement

A New World in Our Hearts

“We are going to inherit the earth. There is not the slightest doubt about that. The bourgeoisie may blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world, here, in our hearts. That world is growing this minute.”

Buenaventura Durruti

No Pretence

Basics of Anarchism by Ann Arky

Ask the average person on the street what they think of “anarchists” and they’ll all probably say something like “chaos” “violence” “mayhem” or some other negative expression. Ask them what they have read of anarchist history or anarchist theory and they will probably say “nothing.” So where did they get their opinions? Obviously they got those opinions from the propaganda organ of the state and the corporate greed machine commonly called “the media”. Why should the media give anarchists and anarchism such a bad press?

Could it be because they see anarchism as the greatest threat to their desire and ability to rule over and exploit the people of this world? The state is a hierarchical structure set up to control the people and legislates to protect the wealth of the corporate greed machine. Anarchism is a non-hierarchical system of sharing and mutual aid to the benefit of all in society, the two are totally incompatible. The corporate greed machine works to exploit the population and drag all the wealth up to a privileged few, it puts a price on everything and excludes all those who can’t pay the price, be it healthcare, housing, leisure, services or the necessities of life. Anarchism seeks to see to the needs of all in society and for society to be shaped by all those who take part in that society.

The state/capitalist/corporate system produces an ever widening gap between rich and poor, plunders and rapes the planet in an endless drive to increase profits to the shareholders of the corporate beast. Anarchism seeks sustainability through a system based on free association, voluntary co-operation and mutual aid. Given a choice why choose to be exploited, why choose to struggle for the benefit of the privileged few, why sell your children into poverty? We can produce enough to see to the needs of all on this planet, the reason we don’t is not lack of resources it is simply that the system says “NO”, there must be profit in every action, profit for that greedy privileged few who control the corporate greed machine.

We accept a system of winner take all and to hell with the hindmost, our compassion and commonsense surely demand we look at the alternatives. It is only commonsense to attempt to break the downward spiral of the corporate driven consumer juggernaut that destroys the environment and creates the illusion that happiness comes in pretty packaged boxes, at a price. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to try to create a better world of peace and freedom from deprivation for all. Anarchists point the way, anarchism is the tool.

LCAP 2009

Greek Lessons by Patrick Murtagh

On December 6, 2008 it was not a dark and stormy night when the shot rang out, but it soon became so as a police bullet killed 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos. Not that such incidents are unusual. According to a spokesman for the anarcho-syndicalist Greek ESE “dozens of Greeks have been killed by the police” since the end of the military dictatorship in 1973. What was unique was the response, perhaps indicative of the harder times that we have entered. Within minutes the news spread across the country via cell phone, and informal groups of friends had gathered to protest the murder.

Protest turned to riot, and for some weeks the conservative government of Greece teetered on the brink of defeat. Dozens of universities and high schools were occupied. Working class demonstrations and a one day general strike coincided with the student revolt. The government was saved, not by its own efforts but rather by a loss of nerve on the part of the socialist PASOK and the communist KKE who ended up criticising the insurgent students and the left-socialist Syriza more than they did the government.

The events didn’t occur in a vacuum. Decades of student militancy have garnered widespread public sympathy since 1973. Tactics such as university occupations are almost routine. Then there is the general state of the Greek economy and society. Youth unemployment and underemployment are endemic and growing. The government has come to be widely seen as both corrupt and incompetent. While recklessly accumulating public debt (foreign debt was estimated to total 93.9% of GDP in 2008) the state has been demonstrably generous to its corporate friends. In various social conflicts over the past decade the state has sometimes emerged victorious, but often has been forced to back down in the face of popular movements.

Few of the factors that underlay the revolt in Greece are unique to that country, aside from the existence of a relatively large and militant anarchist movement. It is no wonder that European governments openly worried about the spread of such revolts to other countries. The Greek insurgents attempted to spread the insurrection internationally, using media events and the same cell phone tactics that had proven successful locally. The response was widespread – perhaps hundreds of sympathy actions worldwide – but distinctly poorly attended.

Then, incredibly anti-climactically, the Revolution was called off for Christmas. When the New Year arrived the usual militant Greek demonstrations resumed, but without the mass participation and occupations of December. An opportunity had been lost. What happened shows that mass rebellion is possible in a modern state and, given economic conditions, it is almost inevitable. It also showed that modern technology can amplify small scale initiatives into mass movements. It also showed that such movements can be, at best, inspired, never directed. The Leninist dream is over.

It was also demonstrated that such rebellions have to go beyond mere street fighting if they are to lead to anything permanent. The Greeks began this process with their occupations of educational institutions and brief takeovers of media outlets. They were unable to go further, however, because of a lack of response from Greek workers who generally remained passive outside of young workers in the streets. Without such participation, “revolts” will remain limited and inevitably fizzle out with little gained.

Finally, while rebellions are inevitably spontaneous, in the absence of organization and vision they cannot go further to actually change society. This may have been the main reason for the passivity of the Greek working class. Without such a vision and clear ideas on how to achieve it, one cannot depend on any vanguard, whether it is a party or whether it is those most willing to fight in the streets.

May Day by Grethe Christensen

The 1st of May as International Workers’ Day dates back to the struggle for the 8-hour working day in the USA. In 1886 the American Federation of Labour declared that after May 1st, “8 hours shall constitute a legal day’s labour.” Between that declaration and May Day workers all around the United States went on strike to make their employers agree to a shorter work day.

A general strike started in Chicago on May 1st with 25,000 workers striking. After two days the strikers had doubled in numbers. At this stage scabs had entered the scene, causing fights between them and the striking workers. The police moved in and killed six workers. In protest at this a public meeting was held on Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4th. Once again the police intervened by attacking the peaceful protest, and this led to a bomb being thrown (by a person who was never identified). Seven policemen and four workers were killed.

After this the ruling class used the bomb as an excuse to arrest those believed to be the eight most active anarchist trade unionists in the city and accused them of being responsible for the bomb and the riot.

Most of the arrested anarchists had not even been present, which was acknowledged by the prosecutor and there was no evidence that any of them threw the bomb. Despite this the court was determined to find the anarchists guilty and in the end it came up with the argument that the arrested anarchists had “indirectly” killed the cops on Haymarket Square by agitating for a labour uprising at meetings and through newspaper articles This was enough to rule them guilty.

The outcome of the trial was seven death sentences and one of 15 years in prison. Due to an international campaign, two of the anarchists had their sentences commuted from death by hanging to life in prison, but four were hanged and one committed suicide. These five are today known as the Chicago Martyrs.

On the initiative of the American Federation of Labour, the worldwide trade union and socialist movement declared May 1st as International Workers’ Day in honour of the Chicago dead and the struggle for the eight hour day. The first time the day was marked in the USA was in 1890.

The eight hour day began to be achieved in the USA after often bitter struggles. In 1938 it became part of the government’s New Deal and was made a legal days work. There are several things to be said about the history of International Workers’ Day. One is that the trial shows how capitalism is prepared to disobey its own rules of justice when it comes to protecting the interests of the rich and powerful.

Another is that nothing comes from nothing. Workers of the world would have no rights, if they hadn’t been fought for. In Ireland the eight hour workday is upheld by the unions and not the law. Employers can, legally, force you to work up to thirteen hours a day or 48 hours a week. Attacks on our standard of living are part and parcel of life under capitalism.

So long as other people profit from our labour, they will try to make us work harder and longer for less money. Until the day we end the rule of the bosses, we have to stay organised to keep the rights we have gained and win more.

Spain in 1936

Words of Wisdom

“Beware of believing in anarchy to be a dogma, a doctrine above question or debate, to be venerated by its adepts as is the Koran...No! The absolute freedom which we demand constantly develops our thinking and raises it toward new horizons...takes it out of the narrow framework of regulation and codification. We are not 'believers'!”

Emile Henry (1872-1894)

Anti-Copyright

Future Nexus publishes and republishes articles and general information in electronic format with regard to Anarchy and related issues. We only promote materials that are in the public domain or that are anti-copyrighted. Normally this means anything that does not have explicit permission for redistribution unless it is an edition of a work that is more than 60 years old. Occasionally, contributions may have to be refused because of permissions problems, or because the content is not relevant.

Disclaimer

Nothing on this webzine is intended to endorse illegal actions and is for educational and inspirational purposes only.