Introduction

Ableism: A term used to describe discrimination, prejudice, or bias against individuals with disabilities.

Gender queerness: Gender queerness is a concept and identity that falls under the broader umbrella of non-binary gender identities. It challenges and rejects the traditional binary understanding of gender as solely male or female. Instead, genderqueer individuals may identify with both genders, neither gender, or a different gender entirely. Here are some key points to understand about gender queerness:

  • Fluidity: Some genderqueer people experience a fluid gender identity, meaning their gender identity can change over time or in different circumstances.
  • Beyond the Binary: Genderqueer identities are diverse and can include identities like bi-gender (identifying as two genders), agender (lacking a gender or being gender neutral), and more.
  • Personal Expression: The way genderqueer people express their gender can vary widely. Some may choose to present androgynously, some may present in ways that are traditionally associated with men or women, and others may choose an entirely different form of expression.
  • Preferred Pronouns: Genderqueer individuals may use a variety of pronouns. This includes he/him, she/her, they/them, or other neopronouns such as ze/hir.

Zapatistas: The Zapatistas, officially called the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), is a revolutionary leftist group that originated in Mexico in 1994. The group is named after Emiliano Zapata, a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution who advocated for land reforms and the rights of peasants. Here are some key aspects of the Zapatistas:

  • Indigenous Rights: A significant aspect of the Zapatista movement is its emphasis on the rights and autonomy of indigenous peoples in Mexico. Much of the EZLN’s membership consists of indigenous people from various ethnic groups.
  • Form of Struggle: After the initial 1994 uprising, the Zapatistas transitioned from a traditional armed struggle to a more peaceful, grassroots, and civil resistance. They prioritize community-based initiatives and projects over direct military action.
  • Autonomous Municipalities: The Zapatistas established “caracoles” (snails) and autonomous municipalities in Chiapas. These areas are governed by local assemblies and function outside the traditional political system of Mexico.
  • Subcomandante Marcos: One of the most well-known figures of the Zapatista movement is Subcomandante Marcos (also known as Subcomandante Galeano since 2014). He served as the movement’s spokesperson and is recognized for his writings, which mix revolutionary theory with poetic and mythical elements.

Black blocs: The term “black bloc” refers to a tactic often used by protesters, rather than a specific group or organization. Participants in a black bloc wear all-black clothing and cover their faces with masks or bandanas to maintain anonymity, create a unified presence, and avoid identification by law enforcement or surveillance.

Occupy Wall Street: Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was a protest movement that began on September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City’s Wall Street financial district. It was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters and subsequently spread to cities across the United States and around the world. The primary slogan of the movement was “We are the 99%,” which highlighted the increasing income and wealth inequality in the U.S., drawing attention to the concentration of wealth in the top 1% of the population.

Here are some key aspects and outcomes of Occupy Wall Street:

  • Goals and Grievances: The movement was largely about economic inequality, corporate influence over the democratic process, and the perceived failures of Wall Street and big banks, especially in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Protesters also voiced concerns about issues such as student loan debt, foreclosures, and the influence of money in politics.
  • Leaderless Structure: OWS was deliberately leaderless and used a consensus-based decision-making process. General Assemblies were held where participants could discuss issues, make decisions, and plan actions.
  • Encampments: Inspired by the initial occupation of Zuccotti Park, similar encampments sprang up in various cities around the U.S. and the world. These became sites of community, discussion, and often faced police evictions.
  • Impact on Discourse: While OWS did not have a specific set of demands or a unified platform, it significantly impacted public discourse. Concepts like income inequality and the “1%” became more mainstream topics of discussion in the media, among politicians, and in everyday conversations.
  • Criticism: The movement faced criticism on various fronts. Some felt that the lack of a clear set of demands or a centralized leadership made the movement ineffective. Others believed that certain actions or behaviors by protesters detracted from the movement’s broader goals.
  • Legacy: While the encampments and direct actions associated with OWS dwindled by 2012, the movement’s broader impacts can still be seen. It influenced subsequent social movements and brought attention to economic inequality, which remained a significant topic in subsequent political campaigns and policy discussions.
  • Connection to Other Movements: OWS shared tactics, ideas, and personnel with other movements and causes, such as Black Lives Matter, the Fight for $15 (a campaign for a higher minimum wage), and even the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns of Senator Bernie Sanders.

 corporatocracy: A system in which power effectively rests with a small, elite group of inside individuals, sometimes from a small group of educational institutions, or influential economic entities or devices, such as banks, commercial entities, lobbyists that act in complicity with, or at the whim of the oligarchy, often with little or no regard for constitutionally protected prerogative.

Principal: Power that isn’t really justified by the will of the governed should be dismantled.

The anarchist historian Rudolf Rocker (a German socialist, 1873-1953) said

For the Anarchist, freedom is not an abstract philosophical concept, but the vital concrete possibility for every human being to bring to full development all the powers, capacities, and talents with which nature has endowed him, and turn them to social account.

First, what is a syndicalist. A syndicalist is someone who supports or is involved in syndicalism, which is a type of economic and political theory that advocates for the control of industries and businesses by worker unions. The basic idea behind syndicalism is the belief that workers, through their unions, should own and manage industries, rather than being controlled by private owners or the state.

Key aspects of syndicalism include:

  1. Direct Action: Syndicalists often believe in bypassing political systems and advocating for change through strikes, boycotts, and other forms of direct collective action.

  2. Workers’ Self-Management: Workers should manage the workplaces, making decisions that affect them directly rather than having those decisions made by capitalists or distant bureaucrats.

  3. Anti-Capitalism: Syndicalism is inherently anti-capitalist as it opposes the private ownership of the means of production for profit.

  4. Solidarity: A strong emphasis on solidarity among workers, believing that all labor has a common interest against the exploitative nature of capitalist society.

  5. Federalism: Syndicalism promotes a federated structure of organization, from local to regional to national and international levels, with decision-making power remaining as local as possible.

Syndicalism was particularly influential in the early 20th century and played a significant role in labor movements in Europe, notably in Italy, France, and Spain, where it was linked with large-scale social and political upheavals. It is less prominent today but still exists as a current in labor and leftist movements around the world.

Rocker would take for granted that

the serious, final, complete liberation of the workers is possible only upon one condition: that of the appropriation of capital, that is, of raw material and all the tools of labor, including land, by the whole body of the workers.

Anarcho-syndicalist are convinced that a Socialist economic order cannot be created by the decrees and statues of government, but only by the solidaric collaboration of the workers with hand and brain in each special branch of production; that is, through the taking over of the management of all plants by the producers themselves under such form that the separate groups, plants, and branches of industry are independent members of the general economic organism and systematically carry on production and the distribution of the products in the interest of the community on the basis of free mutual agreements.

Such ideas had been put into practice in a dramatic way in the Spanish Revolution.

The Spanish Revolution of 1936 was a profound social upheaval triggered by a military coup against the Second Spanish Republic, which had been grappling with deep political instability and socioeconomic unrest. This period, marked by an audacious experiment in social and economic transformation, arose in the context of a country deeply divided. On one side were the Nationalists, consisting of conservative elements like monarchists, large landowners, the Catholic Church, and the fascist Falange, led by General Francisco Franco. On the other, stood the Republicans, a heterogeneous group that included liberal bourgeoisie, socialists, communists, and anarchists. Years of escalating tensions between the wealthy elite and the working classes, a succession of failed political reforms, and the influence of rising European fascist movements had primed Spain for conflict. The attempted coup fractured the nation, with various regions holding out as strongholds of resistance, particularly Catalonia and Aragon, where anarchist and socialist groups were most influential. As the Republic scrambled to contain the rebellion, a vacuum of power enabled radical left-wing elements to assume control of cities like Barcelona, implementing far-reaching collectivization policies that saw factories, utilities, and farms taken over by workers’ collectives.

This radical restructuring of society unfolded amidst a brutal civil war that would last until 1939. Workers, armed and organized into militias, not only fought on the front lines against the Nationalist forces but also transformed the rear guard into a laboratory of social innovation. Land was redistributed, industries were self-managed by employees, and many societal structures were reorganized according to libertarian socialist principles, particularly those championed by the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) and the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI). However, the revolution was marred by internal conflicts, as the diverse Republican factions had conflicting goals and ideologies. The Communist Party of Spain, backed by Soviet aid, sought to stabilize the Republic and undermine the anarchists’ influence, leading to intra-Republican strife that culminated in the violent May Days of 1937 in Barcelona. Meanwhile, the Nationalists steadily gained ground, aided significantly by military support from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while the policy of non-intervention adopted by democratic powers effectively isolated the Republican forces. The internal dissension, coupled with the steady advance of Franco’s forces, spelled doom for the Republican cause. By 1939, the Nationalist victory had snuffed out the revolution, and Franco established a dictatorship that would endure for decades, rolling back the revolution’s reforms and ruthlessly suppressing any remnants of opposition.

Devolution in the context of US politics refers to the process of transferring powers and responsibilities from the federal government to state or local governments. It’s a concept often associated with federalism, where power is shared between the national government and the states.

Devolution can take various forms, such as the delegation of specific policy areas (like education or transportation) to state governments, or the allocation of funding with fewer federal restrictions, allowing states more autonomy in how they use those resources.