The WSM is 25

national | anti-capitalism | news report

Sunday September 06, 2009 14:44

by Kevin Doyle

wsm_ireland at yahoo dot com

The Workers Solidarity Movement is twenty-five years old this autumn. A quarter of a century ago anarchists in Ireland came together to establish an organisation to promote and fight for our ideas.

WSM meeting in 1986

What exactly is our aim? Well, to put it directly, we want to change the world so that we can live in a society that works on the principles of participatory democracy, real equality and full human freedom. In other words we want to build a classless society where there is no division of people into order-givers and order-takers – that is what anarchism stands for.   

We are sometimes told that this a lofty aim, perhaps even impractical. We don’t agree. In the last century the workers’ movement came close to achieving what anarchists want on a number of occasions. One fine example was Spain in 1936/37 but there are others.

How we get to an anarchist society, how it will become possible, is completely tied to how we fight on the issues that affect us now. This has always been the anarchist movement’s strength. We are a movement of people like you, affected and angry about the same issues. We simply want this: to organise to win.  

Twenty-five years ago in Ireland, it was hard to find much information on anarchism, let alone meet with other anarchists. The ‘left’ at that time was dominated by moderates from the Labour Party and those who espoused the idea that the Soviet Union was the sort of society we should aim to create! Yes, you are right, it was strange back then. The WSM was set up as break from this straightjacket.

We rejected the idea out of hand that socialism has anything to do with curtailing people’s freedoms (as was clearly the case with the old Soviet Union). We felt it was important for the left in Ireland to realise was that there is a bigger tradition of rebellion and socialism. This is the ‘libertarian’ or anarchist tradition – a working-class movement that celebrates individuality, diversity and free expression as well as the struggle for change.   

Since the foundation of the socialist movement, we have always been opposed to the idea that meaningful change could be brought about any minority. We want democracy or course – who doesn’t – but the Dáil or Stormont have little to do with democracy, they are just about choosing a small group of rulers. You will never find anarchists standing in those elections.  

As anarchists, the WSM argues that the most effective way to win any struggle is through our own power, by using ‘direct action’. What exactly is that? Well direct action is the idea that we are collectively strong and that if enough of us act together we can bring the necessary change.

A good example of direct action that the WSM was centrally involved in was the defeat of the Water Tax in the Dublin area. We argued that people should defy the law and not pay the tax. This is what masses of us did and the Councils were powerless! We won.  

When the WSM was founded, we had just a branch in Dublin and the beginnings of one in Cork. We were small – determined mind, but small. Now, today, there are three WSM branches in Dublin alone, one branch (probably soon two) in Cork, a branch in Belfast – and we hope to have a branch in Limerick later in the year.

There are also WSM members and supporters across the country, in Sligo, Derry, Buncrana, Drogheda, Dundalk, Wexford, Tralee, Forkhill and Killarney to name just a few places. It seems fair to point out that there are very few big working class struggles that go on anywhere on this island that don’t see us involved in some way. This is a big step forward - a breakthrough.  

A massive achievement for us has been our newspaper – this one that you are reading! It has gone from a circulation of 1,000 to 10,000. It could be a better paper and it could be bigger but all that is just a matter of time and more resources. 

Alongside Workers Solidarity, the WSM has produced hundreds of different leaflets, magazines and posters over the years. Moving with the times too, we now have a big internet presence – see wsm.ie.

Membership wise we began with just five – yes five – and now there are just over sixty of us. Membership means agreeing with a general set of ideas about what we stand for; agreeing on a plan of action to spread anarchism; and giving a small amount of money to support the running of the WSM.

We organise ourselves democratically and twice a year we meet in conference to decide on policies and priorities. Over the years these priorities have seen us commit ourselves to a host of important campaigns. We have fought in our unions against ‘partnership’ with the bosses; we have campaigned for divorce and abortion rights; we have been involved in combating racism and sectarianism.

It would be wrong to suggest that it has been a cake-walk getting this far. When the WSM was formed in 1984, we didn’t realise how bad the recession was going to be – emigration was rampant and there was a lot of demoralisation. Here in Ireland we had to contend with ‘Partnership’ and constant imposition of an agenda on the shop floor that encourages passivity. But we dug in nonetheless and held on.  

Crucially, during this first quarter century, we have always been sure about our ideas - not just about our ultimate goal but just as important, about the relevance of our methods. Time and again in our activism, we have won respect and support because we are prepared to stand side by side with people in struggle. So it should be.  

At 25 the WSM remains clear about our objective. We intend to be part of a movement that makes a revolution. What we intend to do now is to take the next steps: to grow even bigger and stronger. Doing that of course is not solely up to us. As much as anything we need your assistance: think about getting involved, think about fighting back with us! We have a new world in our hearts. 

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Comments (13 of 13)

Is this a Happy Birthday?

by Marxist

Sun Sep 06, 2009 16:22

So the biggest achievement the WSM see for themselves is their paper and an increase of membership to a massive 60 in 25 years! Wow! Just the things they'd criticise groups like the SWP for concentrating on...

At the end of the day, the WSM has never been a threat to the state, been orientated to working class communities or had any effect on the political life of this country.

not orientated towards working class communities?

by Godot

Sun Sep 06, 2009 16:34

Presumably, as a self-defined Marxist, you're aware that class is a relationship. The 'working class' isn't confined to a pathologised group that lives in council estates & claim the dole. Recent reports suggest that it may even be possible to both be working class and have an iphone. True story.

achievement

by Broom

Sun Sep 06, 2009 16:39

Maybe a membership of 60 puts the WSM in the same league as the Seventh Day Adventists. Regardless of small numbers the anarchists can claim to have done some imaginative campaigning on local and national issues. They have a flair for arresting poster design and are the only left group to match Coir-Youth Defence in the matter of imaginative communication with the general public.

I'd say Seomra Spraoi is the anarchists' best achievement so far.

by A

Sun Sep 06, 2009 17:34

I admire the resolve of the WSM, I don't know any of their members but my interest in anarchism was certainly maintained by reading WSM publications.

Anarchist ideas became more common after the explosion of information on the web. I know that is how I learned about it.

Godot

Sun Sep 06, 2009 18:04

I'm sure most members of WSM neither live on council estates nor claim the dole.

''Regardless of small numbers the anarchists can claim to have done some imaginative campaigning on local and national issues. They have a flair for arresting poster design and are the only left group to match Coir-Youth Defence in the matter of imaginative communication with the general public.''

Great, anarchism must be around the corner! Smash the state me arse!

Sun Sep 06, 2009 18:49

"Great, anarchism must be around the corner! Smash the state me arse!"

When it comes to anarchism, why do marxists feel they have to go on the offensive?

Re: marxist and working class

by Conor McCabe

Sun Sep 06, 2009 19:29

"I'm sure most members of WSM neither live on council estates nor claim the dole."

Marxist, the majority of the Irish working class doesn't live on council estates nor claims the dole. And if that's your view of the Irish working class, then you need to meet a few of them, instead of just reading about them.

yo marxist

by Gaz B - wsm (pers cap)

Sun Sep 06, 2009 19:33

Marx wasn't exactly a fan of the state, his ultimate (stated) aim was the creation of a stateless society based common ownernship of the means of production. WSM has never argued that 'smashing the state' is a solution to anything in itself, never mind claims that the prospect lies just around the corner.

To alledge that WSM has never been 'orientated towards working class communities' demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what class is (plus it neglects WSMs involvment in community campaigns, such as those against water charges, which are mentioned in the article above). Income, occupation or education are not determinants of class, yet can be used as general indicators of class relations. Class is a relationship based largely on ownership of the means of production; the division into 2 opposing classes - owners and non-owners - and the relationship between them, is a driving force behind most exploitation and conflict. The problems currently faced by Irish society are not simply the result bankers, speculators or NAMA, but rather are largely a result of antagonistic social relations.

Occupation, profession, income & education can be all used as determinants of neo-Weberian 'socio-economic status' or social stratification. The problem with this as an analytical tool (although it can be useful) is that it treats each category in isolation, rather than explaining the antagonistc relationships.

Accusations typically tossed around about not being 'orientated towards working class communities' are largely based on outdated Dickensian and Vicotrian notions of working class. Some WSM members may have MA's, work in offices, wear shirts & ties or have iphones, this this doesn't mean that they're somehow 'less working class' than people standing in dole queues - it's not a case of scoring prole points.

WSM members & the vast majority of Irish society stand on one side of the class divide; to suggest that they're 'not orientated' towards themselves and the issues they face is bizzare. If they're not orientated towards working class communities,what communites/who are they orientated towards?

It's about changing things

Sun Sep 06, 2009 19:56

''WSM members & the vast majority of Irish society stand on one side of the class divide; to suggest that they're 'not orientated' towards themselves and the issues they face is bizzare. If they're not orientated towards working class communities,what communites/who are they orientated towards?''

I'd say they're orientated to themselves - the WSM, and have no connection to any genuine working class movement.

Gaz, I never stated what the definition of class was. But I'd say more people have a sense of class consciousness in their communities than they do in their workplace, as is the result of the nature of the Irish economy. i.e. not industrialised.

If leaving out communities and any bourgeoise definitions of class you seem to think I have, where do the WSM have influence with working class people? And what is the WSM's 'relationship' to the working class?

Sun Sep 06, 2009 20:43

I'd say they're orientated to themselves - the WSM, and have no connection to any genuine working class movement.

What is a 'genuine working class movement' in Irish society at the moment?

It's not a case of 'here's WSM on one hand, here's the working class on the other' - WSM members are working class. Over the last while members have been involved in campaigning against the pubilc levy, cutbacks in the community sector, solidarity campaigns for workers in Subway, Visteon, Waterford Crystal, Thomas Cooke & Dublin Dock, the re-introduction of third-level fees, cutbacks in education at primary & secondary levels, Seomra Spraoi, RAG, Choice Ireland, Rossport anti-fascism, disputes in their own workplaces, NAMA, the Lisbon Treaty etc

Most of those issues have a common underlying cause - class relations. Class is not something which simply exists in an industrial workplace. Unfortunately, there isn't a class movement, widespread class consciousness or a 'class for itself', for a variety of inter-related historical, political and macro-economic reasons.

The size of WSM comparative to the working class as a whole is tiny. The influence that an organisation of 60 members can have on it's own is always going to be limited. http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93882

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/identity-po...tter/

Read some Marx Marxist

by another marxist

Tue Sep 08, 2009 03:34

"Marxist" the anarchists seem to have a far greater understanding of Marx than you. I advise you to start reading.

These anarcho-punks are mysterious!

by Rua

Tue Sep 08, 2009 09:47

Just a quick message of support to the WSM, I think the left in Ireland would be a lot weaker without you; as they say, size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that counts, and the WSM, with a small membership certainly does that!

Happy Birthday WSM

by Ciaron O'Reilly

Tue Sep 08, 2009 09:57

Happy Birthday WSM
"Solidarity" is your middle name
Y''all certainly make Ireland a more interesting place
All the best for the next 25
Ciaron
Ausralia

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The WSM is 25

Comments (13 of 13)