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Recent articles by José Antonio Gutiérrez D.
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Monday January 31, 2011 06:33 by José Antonio Gutiérrez D.
The great revolts shaking the Arab world in Yemen, Algeria, Tunisia and now Egypt have caught everyone by surprise. They are, without a doubt, one of the most significant events of our time sending clearly out there the message that no place on this world is doomed to be some imperialist-backed-dictator's playground. Extraordinarily authoritarian regimes like that of Ben Ali were shown completely powerless in the face of a united and determined people on struggle. The people carrying these rebellions are youth, workers, unemployed, the poor, who are right now shaping the face of the region, sending cold shivers to the cliques sitting in Washington and Tel Aviv. Not all the weapons amassed by the Mubarak regime, not all the US military aid have had the power to stop the protest from growing. They are showing the might of the people and the working class when they come together, they are showing the political capacity of ordinary people to build organisms of dual power with a clear libertarian instinct and they are proving the world that we are in an era of revolutionary change. We have had a quick dialogue with our comrade and friend Mazen Kamalmaz in Syria, editor of the Arabic anarchist blog http://www.ahewar.org/m.asp?i=1385 who talks about the importance of this splendid political development. The Arab world is on fireDialogue with a Syrian anarchistIt seems that all of a sudden massive waves of protests are shaking the foundations of long standing oppressive regimes in the Arab world... were there any signs that these protests could happen? That is one of the interesting things about this revolutionary wave spreading in the Arab world, it struck exactly when almost no one was expecting it. Few days only before the mass demonstrations in Egypt, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, declared the Egyptian government to be stable, and now nothing is stable in the area: the masses are on revolt and everywhere the repressive regimes are expecting the worst. There are things in common to these big incidents, which went unnoticed to the regimes, the statesmen and even the intellectuals, such as the anger which was there, hidden, silenced by the repression of the States, the poverty and unemployment that were on the rise everywhere… but the governments, local and western alike, thought that this anger could be kept under control... we now know how wrong they were. What's the significance of the flight of Ben Ali in Tunisia? It is only the first step of the cascade to follow. It meant that people, revolting people, can defy the repression and win. It is very early to talk about the final solution yet, it is still all too complex now, but the people got to know their real power and are still in the streets, so the struggle is still open to many possibilities. Where is the revolt spreading to? What countries are now facing massive rebellions? Now we can say with confidence that anywhere could be next. Maybe Algeria, Yemen and Jordan are hot spots for revolt, but we have to keep in mind that an Egyptian revolution would have a great impact everywhere, beyond the worst expectations of all the dictators and their supporters anywhere. 4. What's the actual implication of a revolution in Egypt, the second largest recipient of US military aid in the world? Egypt is the biggest country in the Middle East and its strategic role is very important. It is one of the main pillars of the US Middle East policy. Even if the old regime could survive for some time or even if the new regime would be pro-American, the pressure of the masses will be always there from now on. In a word, the US, the main supporter of the current regime, will suffer badly due to the revolt of the Egyptian masses. What's been the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in these protests? What's been the role of the old guard of the left? One thing that is very important about these demonstrations and rebellions is that they were totally spontaneous and initiated by the masses. It is true that different political parties joined later, but the whole struggle was to a great extent a manifestation of the autonomous action of the masses. That is true also for the Islamist political groups. Maybe these groups think now that any election could bring them to power, but with revolting masses in the streets this is difficult, I think that the masses will actively refuse to submit again to any repressive power, but even if this could happen, people will not accept this time to be just subjects, most of all with fresh euphoric memories of the peak of freedom they won by their own struggle. No power could that easily force them to submit again to any kind of repressive regime. Another thing you have to keep in mind is that with revolutions people will be more open to libertarian and anarchist ideas, and liberty will be the hegemonic idea of the time, not authoritarianism. Some of the Stalinist groups just represent the ugly face of authoritarian socialism… for example, the ex-Tunisian Communist Party participated alongside the ruling party of Ben Ali in the government that was formed after the overthrow of Ben Ali himself! Another authoritarian group, the Tunisian Workers Communist Party, participated actively in the demonstrations, but could only expose its contradictions: it called at the very moment of Ben Ali’s escape to form local councils or committees to defend the revolt, just to retract very soon and call for a new assembly and government. In Egypt it is almost the same happening, there are reformist left groups, such as the National Progressive Unionist Party (or Tagammu), and some other groups of revolutionary authoritarian leftists. I cannot tell exactly about the role of anarchists and other libertarians - there is a growing council communist tendency beside our anarchist one - due to lack of communication with our comrades there, but I have to stress what I’ve said before: that these revolutions were made mainly by the masses themselves. In Tunisia, the strong local trade unions played a big role in the late stages of the revolt. I want to talk in more detail about the local committees formed by the masses, which are one of the most interesting manifestations of its revolutionary action. In the face of the looting started mostly by the ex-secret police, people formed these committees as really democratic institutions, a real competition to the power of the ruling elite and its authoritarian institutions... in Egypt now there are two governments; the local committees and the Mubarak government that is hidden behind the tanks and the rifles of its soldiers. This is happening in a region that is used to dictatorships and authoritarianism… that is the great thing about revolutions, that they transform the world so fast. That doesn't mean that the struggle has been won; on the contrary, this means that the real struggle has just started. To summarize, what's your view on the current events? what do you think they simbolize? This is the start of a new era, the masses are rising, and their freedom is at stake, the tyrannies are shaken, it is for sure the start of a new world. |
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Contre la guerre au Kurdistan irakien, contre la traîtrise du PDK Meurtre de Clément Méric : l’enjeu politique du procès en appel North Africa | Community struggles | en Fri 29 Mar, 04:10 The Egyptian streets are stronger than the polling booths 18:46 Fri 05 Jul 0 comments Two and a half years after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian streets have spoken again. Mohamed Morsi has been ousted after a one-year reign and four days of demonstrations on an unprecedented scale in the history of the country. The Egyptians have reminded the world that an election is not a blank cheque which leaves representatives free from all constraint. [Français] [Castellano] [Italiano] [Ελληνικά ] Morocco: A January of revolt and repression for the new government 18:53 Wed 15 Feb 0 comments The struggles of the Moroccan people have continued with force during the month of January. Labour struggles, peasant struggles, the unemployed, the Amazigh [Berber] movement, the struggle in support of political prisoners and against the impunity of the dictatorship, all over Morocco, people are expressing their unease over the situation and the need for profound, real change. The February 20 Movement is demonstrating in the streets and preparing the first anniversary. [Castellano] Tunis: International meeting on the struggles 19:12 Fri 14 Oct 0 comments An international meeting was held in Tunis from 30 September to 2 October in which the CGT participated. The meeting was organized by Tunisian comrades from the Popular Liberation Front of Tunisia. [Castellano] The unemployed movement in Tunisia: an unstoppable process 17:25 Mon 25 Apr 0 comments Young people have been at the forefront of the revolution. Mohamed Bouazizi, whose death sparked off the revolt, was one of those educated young people who were rotting in villages with no prospect for the future. But these young people today are organizing themselves. More than 100 local branches of the Union have been created since February, when it was legalized, and so far it has gathered 45,000 members, male and female. [Castellano] In the heart of Tunisia. Thala: the occupied police station 04:45 Sun 24 Apr 0 comments The second instalment of a series of reports from a couple of CGT members visiting Tunisia. Here, the author visits the town of Thala in northwestern Tunisia, a town where the people's protests led to the town's police taking to their heels. [Castellano] [Tunisia] The Committees to Safeguard the Revolution - the example of Bizerte 22:31 Thu 21 Apr 0 comments Since 14th January numerous committees to safeguard the revolution have been set up in many places throughout the country, with a variety of forms, constitutions and functions. This report is of a meeting with the Bizerte committee and gives an excellent idea of the work they are doing. [Castellano] The voice from the streets is clear: the revolution in Tunisia has just begun 21:08 Thu 21 Apr 0 comments Avenue Habib Bourguiba is a hive of activity. The hum of debate rebounds on all sides. From the steps outside the Municipal Theatre, the megaphone is passed from hand to hand. People talking, shouting, freely stating that the revolution must go on. Ben Ali has not gone away: his political police, though hidden, is still at work, his web of corruption is still in place, his people from the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) are still there, though today mixed in with various political parties and are preparing for the right moment to return to power, which they never really left. [Castellano] Support to the Egyptian men and women repressed by the police! 21:49 Thu 03 Feb 0 comments Long live the struggle of the Egyptian people! Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen... 22:10 Wed 02 Feb 0 comments The wave of protests which began in Sidi Bouzid on 17 December continues to grow. Sparked off by a gesture of despair by Mohamed Bouazizi, it is giving hope for a better world to millions of people in a growing number of Arab countries. After the riots in Algeria and Libya earlier this month, now is the turn of Egypt, Jordan and Yemen to see extensive social movements... [Français] Tunisia: the revolution is not over 05:56 Thu 20 Jan 0 comments Our organizations affirm their full solidarity with the struggle of the Tunisian people for freedom and social justice and our support for militant anti-capitalist Tunisians. We condemn the attitude of the Western States and more generally their political classes, both right-wing and social democratic, who have always actively supported the authoritarian power of Ben Ali. [Français] more >>What kind of democracy for the Arab world? Mar 15 2 comments Reflections on the significance of the current Arab revolts and their implications for revolutionary theory, particularly with regard to the debate on democracy and popular power. [Castellano] [العربية] [Català] [Ελληνικά] [Italiano] The protests in North Africa: What's happening? Jan 14 0 comments The protests against the high cost of living, unemployment and corruption have been growing since the end of the year throughout North Africa, spreading through both Tunisia and Algeria in more and more cities and involving more social sectors, to the extent that the situation in both countries has become extremely unstable - much to the concern of the United States and the European Union... [Castellano] [Deutsch] The Egyptian streets are stronger than the polling booths Jul 05 AL 0 comments Two and a half years after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian streets have spoken again. Mohamed Morsi has been ousted after a one-year reign and four days of demonstrations on an unprecedented scale in the history of the country. The Egyptians have reminded the world that an election is not a blank cheque which leaves representatives free from all constraint. [Français] [Castellano] [Italiano] [Ελληνικά ] Support to the Egyptian men and women repressed by the police! Feb 03 AL 0 comments Long live the struggle of the Egyptian people! Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen... Feb 02 International Secretariat 0 comments The wave of protests which began in Sidi Bouzid on 17 December continues to grow. Sparked off by a gesture of despair by Mohamed Bouazizi, it is giving hope for a better world to millions of people in a growing number of Arab countries. After the riots in Algeria and Libya earlier this month, now is the turn of Egypt, Jordan and Yemen to see extensive social movements... [Français] Tunisia: the revolution is not over Jan 20 Anarkismo 0 comments Our organizations affirm their full solidarity with the struggle of the Tunisian people for freedom and social justice and our support for militant anti-capitalist Tunisians. We condemn the attitude of the Western States and more generally their political classes, both right-wing and social democratic, who have always actively supported the authoritarian power of Ben Ali. [Français] |