Saturday, May 31, 2014

Lines in Sand

At The Anarchist Library website you can read (and download) the zine Lines In Sand: Three essays on identity, oppression, and social war – By Peter Gelderloos (link available by clicking on the title).  Here is a bit about the zine from another website (uh, I forget which one).  Peter Gelderloos offers criticism in two directions.  This zine tackles both anarchists who categorically reject “identity politics” as well as activists who embrace the anti-oppression ideology and close off paths to revolution.

This is a bit from the introduction:  There is a line that divides many people whose struggles I respect. I won’t name this line or define either camp, to avoid entrenching them, and I don’t know of any fair definitions that have been put forward by any of those involved in this antagonism. Most of us are familiar with the strawmen that litter this battlefield, though. Those on one side are guilty of “identity politics,” those on the other are “privileged” or “dogmatic.” 

I found this writing to be thought provoking, and it contributed to my thinking about engaging in social struggle with others, particularly when interacting with folks that come from different places, in some regards, and similar places in other ways.

Well, enough of my somewhat inarticulate writing right now...go read the zine and check out the other offerings at the site.

And at SubRosa we also have paper copies of this and other interesting zines.  Yup, it's true.

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