Category Archives: History

Anarchist, Author, Capitalism, Environment, General, History, Labor

Market Anti-Capitalism: A conversation with Charles W. Johnson

Markets Not Capitalism, edited by G. Chartier & C. Johnson
Markets Not Capitalism, edited by G. Chartier + C. Johnson
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This week’s show features an interview with Charles W. Johnson, an editor and contributor to the new edition “Markets Not Capitalism: Individualist Anarchism Against Bosses, Inequality, Corporate Power, and Structural Poverty”, just out from Autonomedia Press.

Charles is a market anarchist writer from Auburn, Alabama. He is a member of Occupy Auburn, a Research Associate at the Molinari Institute and an alumnus of Auburn University. He has published the Rad Geek People’s Daily weblog at radgeek.com since 2001, and is a frequent speaker and columnist on radical responses to the economic crises, stateless social activism and the philosophy of anarchism.

We discuss definitions of Capitalism, critiques from Left Libertarians and possible market alternatives. We also touch on racism, regulation, and class struggle.

Charles will be speaking about this new compilation at Firestorm Books and Cafe, 48 Commerce St in Asheville at 6pm on Thursday, March 15 (Tyrannicide Day).

http://radgeek.com/gt/2011/10/14/markets-not-capitalism-1st-ed/
http://charleswjohnson.name/

A-Radio Berlin, Anarchist, General, History, Music, Turkey

A (proxy) conversation with a Turkish Anarchist & Metal

March in Istanbul on May Day 2013
March in Istanbul on May Day 2013
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This week’s episode of the final straw features our light-handed curation of another project’s work. We bring y’all an english language interview with a member of a Karakeok Autonome (http://www.karakok.org/), a Swiss-Turkish anarchist grouping related to the International of Anarchist Federations. The interview was conducted, translated and rerecorded by our comrades at Anarchistisches Radio Berlin. Their work can be found in multiple european languages at http://aradio.blogsport.de . Check them out.

The latter half of the show is metal and crust. This episode features a track from the new Damascus, Syria-based thrash project called Anarchadia, as well as new tracks from SF’s Deafheaven, LA’s Solus and Aberdeen’s Fifteen Dead.

Cheers!

Playlist is available here.

A-Radio Berlin, activism, Anarchist, Antifa, Feminism, gender, General, Germany, History, Labor, Marxism, May Day, Nazis

Black Bloc: The legacy of the Kreuzberg Riots of 1987

May Day in Kreutzburg, 1987
May Day in Kreutzburg, 1987
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This week’s episode of the Final Straw features a conversation on a divisive and spectacular tactic that for many outside of the movement defines what an anarchist is: the black bloc. We speak to a comrade who was present in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin on May Day of 1987 when thousands of autonomous activists (of the Autonomen movement of which our guest was and is a member) and erected burning barricades while physically resisting the state. This date is pointed to by many as the beginning of the tactic as it’s practiced in it’s modern form. We also talk about beginnings of the Autonomen, how it differed from other movements before and after, gender and class in the inflammatory May Day riots in Berlin and more.

This episode was made possible by the comrades at A-Radio Berlin who translated our questions, conducted the interview and sent us transcripts and even overdubbed the audio. Much thanks. Check out their project, as they do at times produce content in English, Spanish and French in addition to their work in German.

The playlist for this episode can be found here

Anarchist, gender, History, Kristian Williams, Prisons, Queer, repression

Oscar Wilde an Anarchist?: An interview with Kristian Williams

Oscar Wilde
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(This Episode Aired on January 29, 2012)

This week’s show features an interview with Kristian Williams, author of the books, “Our Enemies in Blue,” “American Methods” and numerous articles on policing, torture, anarchism, cartoons and much more. Kristian speaks about his in-progress book on the Anarchism of Oscar Wilde, Wilde’s experiences in prisons and his sexual politics.

Find articles by Williams on this and many other topics at www.kristianwilliams.com

activism, Anarchist, Feminism, gender, General, harm reduction, Health, History, Marxism, Police, Prisons, Queer, Racism, repression, Spain, Spanish Civil War

Anarchism in Post-Revolutionary Spain, pt2

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This week’s episode of the final straw picks up where last week’s left off. The features speakers are Ana and Pablo, two anarchists living in Barcelona, and they’ll be discussing the rise and struggle of Anarcha-Feminism in Spain since the social revolution of the 1930’s through to current times. We’ll also be discussing intersections of anarchist struggle and healthcare in the age of austerity and visions of autonomous and anarchist forms of health care. This show also features a scene report of Anarchists in Spain today by Pablo and Ana presents some closing thoughts on struggles to engage in.

Following the discussion, you’ll be hearing some new metal tracks from Brighton’s own Light Bearer. Light Bearer is a 4 album project themed around the fall of Lucifer. Light Bearer shares members with the band, Fall of Efrafa, an epic crust band themed around the novel Watership Down. The 2nd album in the series, Silver Tongue, has just been released by the band to a mediafire file.

We’ll also hear a metal track posthumously released from the Austin Texas anti-civ anarchist sludge project, Ecocide. For archives of this and other episodes of the Final Straw, check out radio4all.net and search the show title.

The playlist can be found here

Anarchist, Anti-Civ, Author, General, History, John Zerzan, Marxism

Anti-civilization Anarchism: A Conversation with John Zerzan

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This episode features a conversation with Anarchist philosopher, author and radio host John Zerzan. John has authored six books, including Elements of Refusal, Running on Emptiness and, most recently, Future Primitive Revisited (2012, Feral House). Some of his writings have been recently compiled into Origins: A John Zerzan Reader (2010, FC Press jointly with Black and Green Press). His radio show airs every Tuesday at 7pm EST on 88.1 FM on KWVA radio out of U of O in Eugene, Oregon.

This week we talk about Mr. Zerzan’s critiques of Civilization, Domestication, Symbolic Culture, ecological destruction, Patriarchy and other topics.

John Zerzan.Net

For a nice compilation of writings from Individuals Tending Towards The Wild, check out this link at LBC books or find more info at 325 Magazine’s Website.

activism, Anarchist, Author, Drug War, gender, General, History, Immigration, Police, Prisons, Queer, Racism, repression, Vikki Law

Victoria Law on the Struggles of Incarcerated Women

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This week’s show features a conversation with Victoria Law.

This week we speak to Vikki about the second edition of her book, Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women.” We discuss patriarchy, criminalization & invisibility that is faced by those held in women’s prisons. We also talk about resistance, organizing, support and engagement of those on the inside and about the organizing that formerly incarcerated people do to help their comrades on the inside.

From her PM Press Author’s page:

“Victoria Law is a writer, photographer, and mother. After a brief stint as a teenage armed robber, she became involved in prisoner support. In 1996, she helped start Books Through Bars-New York City, a group that sends free books to prisoners nationwide. In 2000, she began concentrating on the needs and actions of women in prison, drawing attention to their issues by writing articles and giving public presentations. Since 2002, she has worked with women incarcerated nationwide to produce Tenacious: Art and Writings from Women in Prison and has facilitated having incarcerated women’s writings published in larger publications, such as Clamor magazine, the website “Women and Prison: A Site for Resistance” and the upcoming anthology Interrupted Lives.”

activism, Anarchist, communization, Earth First!, General, Grand Jury, History, Labor, PNW, Police, Prisons, Quebec, repression, Security Culture, Student

Montreal Student Strikes (part 2)

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This week’s show features the second part of my conversation with Maria about anarchist perspectives on the student strikes in Montreal,
Quebec. Maria continues to draw the history of this last year of student strikes that have developed into a nascent social strike and talks about the call to help block the start of the next semester in early August of this year

The second half of this episode features music from and about the struggle of Miners against the bosses and the state and for survival and self-determination. The playlist can be found here.

Call Out to
block the next semester
Greve
Montreal

activism, Anarchist, Asheville, gender, General, History, Immigration, Music, Police, Prisons, Queer, repression

What if we could swish AND fight? (2012 Redux of Stonewall show)

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This week’s show is a conversation with Parks (a member of Tranzmission Prison Project) about Stonewall, the cooptation of it’s rememberance in the form of Pride marches, the split of the liberation movement into the pride movement and continued radical struggles.

The playlist for the show can be found here

activism, Anarchist, General, History, Israel, Palestine, repression

Anarchists Against The Wall: Resistance and Solidarity in Palestine (May 20, 2012)

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This week’s show features an interview with Abrasha Blum and Ruth, who work with Anarchists Against The Wall. AATW is a coalition of Israeli Anarchists doing solidarity work alongside Palestinians struggling against the aparthied wall and system in and around the West Bank. As the 45th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War approaches (June 5th-10th), we talk about Zionism, the Settlers, solidarity and how folks can support the popular struggles for Palestinian autonomy and dignity. If you have the ability to help them cover legal fees, check out awalls.org and donate.

An archive of this show, as well as an extra segment on the Birthright Program and the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement can soon be found on www.archive.org by searching the show title.

Other useful links include:
http://www.icahd.org/ – Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions website
http://www.awalls.org/ – Anarchists Against the Wall website
http://www.popularstruggle.org/ – Popular Struggle Co-ordination Committee website
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/ – Alternative Information Centre
http://www.addameer.org/ – Palestinian prisoner and human rights organisation

http://972mag.com/ – daily commentary from West Bank, Israel and Gaza
http://www.taayush.org/ – direct action group supporting Palestinian farmers particularly in South Hebron Hills

http://www.bdsmovement.net/ – In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a call for a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights. A truly global movement against Israeli Apartheid is rapidly emerging in response to this call.

http://boycottisrael.info/ – Israelis supporting the BDS call
http://activestills.org/ – Israeli and Palestinian photography collective
http://www.btselem.org/ – Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
http://punksagainstapartheid.com/ – clue is in the title 😉