confidence, courage, connection, trust

Sono uno, ma non sono solo
E la mia casa è il mondo
E la mia forza è proprio che

Scava sotto la tana per cercare i compagni e farne casa
Più la tana si allarga più il suo cuore si scalda, terra sana
Da cui nascere ancora, come rete, non sarà più sola

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“repression is inevitable, or avoiding it at all costs isn’t worthwhile. regardless of the struggle, if it’s taken far enough it will become a struggle against the police, those defenders of the world as it is. if we take as a starting point that we will avoid repression at all costs, then we will only use forms of struggle approved of by the police, which makes it pretty much impossible to build collective power capable of transformative change. if we don’t accept these limitations, then we need to be prepared to face repression.” (p.7)

scotland’s trade unions; political groups such as the scottish socialist & green parties; stand up to racism; living rent – without exception they only use forms of struggle approved by the state and its police. in doing so they expose themselves as defenders of the world as is.  

this malaise is deliberate. many activists & sympathisers are thirsty for building an autonomous society free from capitalism; racism; gender – ecological exploitation at every level. the status quo’s beneficiaries – capitalists, politicians, businesspeople, the bourgeoisie – reassert themselves through diverting this energy into dead-ends like parliamentarism; trade-unionism; any single issue ‘-ism’ that stymies people’s rage at the world they’re forced to accept into blunt unthreatening activism. 

our action must be threatening; sharp; intersectional; internationalist – revolutionary.

it is possible to minimise the risk of repression while engaging in more direct action and building a solid network. these bankrupt organisations use standardised technological connectivity like instagram and whatsapp to encourage laziness amongst activists whilst maintaining tight control over the means of communication. navigating these traps requires a combination of learning, discipline, and practice—a process that gradually replaces the conditioned behaviors and false legitimacy of these established groups. they want us to communicate a certain way via certain platforms; in order to break free from their political orbit we must forge our own path.

the first step in building autonomous momentum in scotland outwith the milquetoast milieu of pre-existing ‘left’ groups is understanding how to do so safely. to this end we republish this guide on security culture.  

“security culture refers to a set of practices developed to assess risks, control the flow of information through your networks, and to build solid organizing relationships.” (p.3)

the tradition of anti-parliamentary political radicalism in scotland has currently foundered on the rocks of placard-waving collaborationism with the state. there is another way and the road has already been paved by international movements. we join them on the march for a world without borders; capitalism; gender; race; work – for a world of internationalism and lucid camaraderie.

take care of yourselves and of the revolution to build.