Workers Solidarity Movement

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in Basic Income. Basic Income is a payment from the state to every resident on an individual basis, without any means test or work requirement. Is Basic Income a progressive proposal or does it sound too good to be true?

This panel on Feminist struggles was recorded at the 2016 Dublin Anarchist Bookfair.
 

The 8th Belfast Anarchist Bookfair takes place Saturday and WSM will be there. Call by our stall for a chat during the day.

BABF is at a new venue this year, Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, from Midday

Stalls by Solidarity Federation, Alliance for Choice, Abortion Rights Campaign, AK Press, Art n Anarchy, Anarchist Federation, Anti-Racism Network Ireland, Bundschuh Conspiracy (T-shirts), Die Rex, IWW, Just Books, Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, Workers Solidarity Movement, Queer Action, Rebel County Books.

Alan MacSimoin explains the successful campaign of the 1970's that stopped nuclear power coming to Ireland

You can now view the video of the Defending the Amazon defending life from the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair 

“Marriage equality” represents a victory for conservatives within the LGBT movement in nrrowing and limiting the horizons of ur politics, and for conservative and homophobic social forces in diffusing and recuperating the potential for radical transformative change opened up by the gay liberation movement.

Fionnghuala is calling for a Yes vote but she also argues from an anarchist feminist perspective against the institution of marriage. It is a bourgeois, patriarchal tool which has been used to trap women, our sexualities, as well as to force reproduction and to force a woman to enter into reproductive labour.

While sharing some of my fellow anarchists criticisms' of marriage as a patriachal institution I feel unable to tolerate the existence of laws which blatantly discriminate against queer people.

Of course everyone should have unconditional access to housing food migration etc but until we reach full libertarian communism people have to make complex choices which may include wage slavery or marriage.

We never criticise the personal choices of straight comrades who have chosen to marry often for reasons involving visas, recognition of parenthood or tax.

The fights like marriage equality, which, on it's surface, seems really heteronormative, have the benefit of creating a halo effect and changing a homo/bi/transphobic culture. It makes queer people visible, it brings to light unequal treatment and starts a societal conversation that can and should be taken advantage off.

Can we turn the water charge movements away from the self-destruction of taking the electoral route, can we convince people in large numbers that it is on the streets and in conversations with their neighbours that the battle will be won not in the ballot box?

Over the coming months we need to solidify the message of the twin direct action tactics of blocking meter installation and not paying the bills – the message of people seeing themselves as leaders in their communities in terms of having that conversation – ‘I’m Not paying.  You Shouldn’t Pay’ – retaining the many headed monster and avoiding the false ‘unity’ that involves leadership from above being imposed on self-organising community campaigns