Workers Solidarity Movement

On May 24th, 2007, the people of the Republic of Ireland will cast their votes in a general election. This election will be a farce, where the people get to choose between a list of nearly-identical politicians, with identical policies, based on promises that nobody believes. That's what they call democracy. This page presents the WSM's basic anarchist criticism of elections, along with a bit of satire directed towards the electoral farce.

Anarchism, Elections and all that

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 ...more

In Defence of Electoral Apathy

People's apathy, particularly young people's, towards elections is normally presented as some sort of failing in civic responsibility. However, indifference towards the outcomes of elections is actually a sensible position to have - it recognises that the emperor has no clothes. ...more

Remember the vote to give away our gas?

DO YOU remember when we voted to give away the €51 billion Corrib gas field to Shell and Statoil? No, well maybe you remember the day we voted to join the Iraq war by allowing US warplanes to re- fuel at Shannon? Or the time we voted to give tax breaks to private hospitals for the rich? It’s amazing how few decisions we are allowed to take. We do get to vote in the very occasional referendum and about a dozen general elections in an average lifetime, and that’s it. more

Anarchism and Elections Archive

A large archive of articles about anarchists and elections, including previous campaigns that anarchists have run during past elections. ... more