I walked by a TV in a bodega a few weeks back, and what did I see? A story on CNN about a(nother) luxury development in New York City; this one featured private vehicle elevators to carry you and your beamer to a palatial condo overlooking the Hudson from West Chelsea, and was designed by an architecture firm whose other down-to-earth projects include Abercrombie flagship stores in NYC, LA and London, and an estate outside Majorca, Spain. The city had just given developers the go-ahead, and construction of "200 Eleventh Avenue" is now underway.

To say the least, I was appalled when I saw that story. The monument to gluttony on 11th Avenue arrives at exactly the same time that thousands of families are losing their homes in NYC as part of the subprime lending crisis now sweeping the country. A comparison to the days of robber barons and penniless paupers couldn't be more apt.

At the December 6th rally downtown, people came out to voice outrage over the murder of Sean Bell, the near deadly assault on Joseph Guzman and Terrence Benefield, and the now routine police cover-up and calls for calm. The crowd was vehement and diverse, with elected officials, activists, and the community out to demand a change "or else." The analysis wasn't limited to simple outrage: speakers talked about the history of racist police violence in the city, the relationship between the NYPD, Iraq, and Oaxaca, and called for the ouster of top cop, and mayoral hopeful, Kelly.

Firmness in Principles, Flexibility in Tactics

Anarchist Responses When Elected Governments are Overturned

What should revolutionary anarchists do when an elected government is overturned by a right-wing coup? I am thinking, for example, of the 2002 coup in Venezuela against President Hugo Chavez. This was carried out by a section of the military forces together with most of the capitalist class. It was backed by the U.S. government and other U.S. institutions. Some of the U.S. support was overt (immediate recognition of the new regime) and some covert (channeling money to the plotters beforehand). However the coup was soon reversed due to several factors: pressure from Venezuelan workers and the poor, support for Chavez by many lower-level military, and international pressure by other South American governments. Chavez was helped by the knowledge of many governments and businesspeople that he was not really anti-capitalist, despite his radical rhetoric.

The US Social Forum planning meeting for the Northeast region is taking place on Dec. 9th and the Global Nets WG is sending two delegados. Its my opinion that anarchists, specifically pro-organizational NYMAAish types, need to take part in this for several reasons.

I started out biking from Brooklyn to Union Square to catch this months critical mass bike ride. Saw a friend on the bridge. "I'm heading off to Seaport to see Ted Leo". "Cool, I'm going to Critical Mass." "Have fun." "Later". I made it to Union Sq north by 7pm. Chilled for an hour listening to the Rev Billy give his shpiel with the Hungry Marching band behind him. Flyers galore, beautiful bikes and beautiful people too. About 30 scooter cops on Union Sq. east waiting. Another batch on broadway waiting to snatch us. Fuck it. Let's go.

Lessons of the Israeli-Lebanese War by Wayne Price

The Anarchist Debate About National Liberation

The war between Israel (with full backing by the U.S.) and Hezballah (and the rest of Lebanon) is over--temporarily. “Temporarily” because no major issue has been settled, particularly Israel’s colonialist role in the Middle East. Meanwhile the war between the U.S. and Iraq has intensified, while the Iraqi sectarian civil war also increases. The U.S.-Afghanistan war continues. And there is good evidence that the Bush administration intends to attack Iran. Peace is not at hand. The Left, such as it is, has taken a range of positions on the Israeli-Lebanese war, as part of its positions on the Middle Eastern wars in general.