Renewing the Anarchist Tradition

There is a meeting planned for November 2nd to 4th and they are currently accepting ideas for presentations (deadline 1st Sept) see link

cryptome.org...

Thought I'd post as may well be interesting - Prices start from $45 and no I have no link with this and i don't care if you go before anybody accuses me of touting for business



```````````````````
Removed 'All Caps' in title

[edit on 1/8/07 by masqua]

Hey thanx for sharing this. I wish I could go.

This is how things should be organized in the real world. People getting together and debating issues until a compromise is reached which makes everyone happy.
Instead we get this illusion of democracy where 51% of the population decides what the minority 49% should do.

I think we can agree that the majority doesn't know what the hell it's doing...lol

Renewing the anarchist tradition by embracing the money that holds us down ? Don't make me laugh !

1. Registration and five meals (for locals and
others not requiring housing): $45 to $65
2. Registration, five meals, and 2 nights in
shared dorm room: $105 to $125
3. Registration, five meals, and 2 nights in
single dorm room: $155 to $180

Oh ya, I know TONS of anarchist with $200 dollars to spare. WTF.



[edit on 1-8-2007 by discomfit]

Don't be silly just because someone is an Anarchist it doesn't mean people are going to give them everything for free. How do you think they should pay for their meals and a room?

We live in the real world too you know, and we're not so naive to think you can live within a capitalist society without using money. They are not coercing anyone to attend, no one is forcing anyone to hand over cash. They are not profiting from this. Maybe the hotel they use is, but what can you do? I'm sure they arranged the best deal they could. If people don't want the food and board they can take their own, and pitch a tent somewhere.

I think you are under the impression that all Anarchists are spiky haired punks who live in squats and collect unemployment. That's far from the truth.

Even in a Anarchist society things won't just be free, that's a big misconception.

[edit on 1/8/2007 by ANOK]

Originally posted by ANOK
Don't be silly just because someone is an Anarchist it doesn't mean people are going to give them everything for free. How do you think they should pay for their meals and a room?

We live in the real world too you know, and we're not so naive to think you can live within a capitalist society without using money. ...

Even in a Anarchist society things won't just be free, that's a big misconception.

I'm not new to this "anarchist" thing. Here's an idea, don't rent a freaking room - camp outside. Squat in a park, sleep in your car. There are many "free" alternatives.

It's not unusual to ask for donations but to up front say you gotta pay between $50 and $200 FREAKING DOLLARS is insane. I'd never go to this based on that alone AND the fact that I don't have the luxury cash laying around for such ventures.

Anarchist love the barter system so bring something to barter. Some home grown vegetables, some clothes to donate, stuff like that is A LOT more along the anarchist tradition than asking for exorbitant entry fees.

There are LOTS of alternatives, to pretend there are none is shameful !

Originally posted by discomfit
There are LOTS of alternatives, to pretend there are none is shameful !

What entry fees? The money is for food and board, that's it. It's your choice whether you want to use that service they offer, so I see nothing wrong with it. A commercial hotel is not going to take your home grown vegetables in exchange for a room. Bartering is fine and dandy but this is the real world.

Who is to say what is 'more along Anarchist traditions'? Who made the rules? That is what ruined the UK Anarcho movement in the 80's, people started trying to tell people how they had to act and what they had to do to be an Anarchist. That is not Anarchist tradition (whatever that is).

I am my own authority, if I want to pay someone for food and board it's my choice. As long as my actions doesn't directly coerce, oppress, or exploit someone it is within my Anarchist traditions (whatever that is).

No one is pretending there are no alternatives, but not everyone has a garden to grow food. Not everyone wants to sleep in a tent. If I so choose I can live in a mansion, I wouldn't, but that would not be un-anarchist at all. Selfish maybe if I had a whole mansion to myself.
Unless you buy into the punk rock version of Anarchism with self imposed rules of how you should act and dress and think, now that is NOT Anarchist tradition (whatever that is).

I don't have the cash to go either, sleeping in a tent or not. But I don't see anything wrong if someone can afford it to pay for the service offered.
Like I said before I'm sure the organisers, if they could, wouldn't charge you at all. But someone has to foot the bill, however much we hate that fact. That's just the reality we live in unfortunately.
If they were making a profit off of it then it would be a different story, but I highly doubt they are. Whoever organised this is using there own time and energy to do this and not asking for anything in return. They could have just left it all up to the participants to find there own food and lodgings, I'm sure it would save themselves some effort.

And no one is coercing anyone to use this service. It's not stopping you from attending the event if you make your own arrangements.

You say sleeping in a car. To me owning a car is more destructive than being asked to pay the going rate for lodgings and food. By owning a car you are directly contributing to war, capitalism, oppression, exploitation, pollution. Is that along Anarchist traditions? How's you thumb? Need some tips?
Th service the are offering has to come from somewhere, and bartering is cool, but try finding a hotel that will do that. Try finding a store that will let you barter for food. You've got to be practical.

Originally posted by ANOK
What entry fees? The money is for food and board, that's it. It's your choice whether you want to use that service they offer, so I see nothing wrong with it. A commercial hotel is not going to take your home grown vegetables in exchange for a room. Bartering is fine and dandy but this is the real world.

Yes, and in the real world bartering is not uncommon.

Originally posted by ANOK
Who is to say what is 'more along Anarchist traditions'?

The history of the anarchist movement for one.

Originally posted by ANOK
No one is pretending there are no alternatives

The title of this thread is "Renewing the Anarchist Tradition", then I see something about fees _starting_ at $50. That's quiet high.

Originally posted by ANOK
You say sleeping in a car. To me owning a car is more destructive than being asked to pay the going rate for lodgings and food. By owning a car you are directly contributing to war, capitalism, oppression, exploitation, pollution. Is that along Anarchist traditions? How's you thumb? Need some tips?
Th service the are offering has to come from somewhere, and bartering is cool, but try finding a hotel that will do that. Try finding a store that will let you barter for food. You've got to be practical.

Read your own post. I was talking about anarchist bartering with one another, not with stores or hotels or anything else. You were preaching to me about "the real world" then you proceeded to tell me about how owning a car is a bad thing.

The real world pretty much demands that one own a car. Unless you live somewhere with reasonable public transportation there is no option. Bicycle you say ? My family lives 30 miles away, a 60 mile round trip. I walk to the store, I often walk to the grocery story but in the real world it's not very feasible that I walk back from the grocery store lugging 10 bags of heavy groceries.

My entire point revolves around the idea of this thread being called "Renewing the Anarchist Tradition" and going straight into asking fees for something.