Workers Solidarity Movement

The Spring 2007 issue of Ireland's anarchist magazine Red & Black Revolution. The articles in this issue include

• The politics and reality of the peak oil scare
• Rossport - A Community Fighting Back
• Anarchism, Elections and all that
• The Grassroots Gatherings - Networking a “movement of movements”
• Connolly - A life and a legacy
• Direct Action Gets The Goods – But How??
• Review of Ramor Ryan's book - "Clandestines..."
• Interview with Ana Lopez from the International Union of Sex Workers
• Download the PDF file 

The politics and reality of the peak oil scare
by Andrew Flood & Chekov Feeney
Peak Oil Theory has been around since the 1970s. Some think we have already reached 'peak oil', others think it will happen with the next twenty-five years. The theory argues that when we reach 'peak oil' the rate at which we extract oil from the earth (measured in millions of barrels per day) will reach a maximum and thereafter will start to drop.

Rossport - A Community Fighting Back
by Sean Mallory
As we go to press (early January 2007) the campaign against Shell’s attempts to force a high-powered gas pipeline through the Rossport area of Co. Mayo continues. Here we speak to Sean Mallory, a WSM member who has spent a considerable amount of time at the camp, about his experiences.

Anarchism, Elections and all that
by Alan Mac Simoin
The Workers Solidarity Movement, along with anarchist organisations throughout the world, refuses to take part in parliamentary elections. Is it not downright weird, or even hypocritical, when anarchists claim to want more democracy than anyone else? Is this a rejection of democracy? Alan MacSimoin tries to answer some of the questions that arise again and again.

The Grassroots Gatherings - Networking a “movement of movements”
by Laurence Cox
In practice, the Grassroots Gatherings – and groups linked to them – have become the main (and the only continuous) networking of the “movement of movements” in Ireland. To date 10 gatherings have been held between 2001 and 2005. In keeping with the goal of autonomy and decentralisation, there has been no central committee; at the end of each gathering a group of activists has offered to host the next one in their own area and has got on with organising it in their own way, around an agenda set by themselves and with sometimes very different structures and themes.

Connolly - A life and a legacy
Review of James Connolly 'A full life' by Donal Nevin. This massive volume is obviously the legacy of a long labour of love and many years of research.

Direct Action Gets The Goods – But How??
by Gregor Kerr
This article sets out to examine what is meant by the concept of direct action and also to argue that it is impossible to combine electoralism and direct action, that by its nature electoralism is disempowering, and that real direct action and participation in elections are mutually exclusive.

Review of Ramor Ryan's book - "Clandestines..."
Clandestines consists of a series of stories and reflections culled from Ryan's experience of over twenty years of activism. The result is an entertaining and readable mixture of memoir, political essay, travelogue and literature.

Interview with Ana Lopez from the International Union of Sex Workers
In supporting this kind of initiative of sex workers organizing, you don’t necessarily have to agree with my view that sex work is a legitimate type of work, and that it’s not inherently exploitative

Download the PDF file of this issue

Other issues of Red & Black Revolution