AUT: a rejuvenated communist

["Chris Wright" <cwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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I am relatively new to autonomist politics.  I come out of the U.S. =
fraction of Lutte Ouvriere, Spark.  I have been out of that group for =
over 10 years, but until roughly 1997 I continued to hold onto their =
brand of Trotskyism (with some relatively small differences.)  I left =
the ICU because I felt their politics were damaged by their =
organizational conceptions, but I have since come to see their =
organizational conceptions as one of the more consistent applications of =
Trotskyism.  I began to break with Trotskyism in a fundamental way =
through my studies of racism and white supremacy in the U.S., especially =
work by David Roediger and others.  I have been active in defending =
Mumia Abu-Jamal, and that work brought me into deeper contact with Raya =
Dunayevskaya's Marxist-Humanists (I live in Chicago and know their main =
organizers/leadership.)  That contact opened me up to John Holloway, =
Werener Bonefeld, et al.  Not surprisingly, their work gave me a deep =
shock.  Here was the Marxism I was looking for.  That has led me to =
aut-op-sy, Situationism, Solidarity, autonomism, SoB, the CSE/Capital =
and Class, Aufheben and the rest of the "open marxist" Left.  I have =
also delved deeply into anarchism (which has more of interest to say =
that Lutte Ouvriere or Leninism in general would ever have us believe, =
in spite of my disappointment with its theoretical and political =
weaknesses.)  I am now trying to apply what I have learned (and am very =
much still learning) to my daily political activity.  Defense work of =
the sort around political prisoners like Mumia ultimately leaves me =
feeling unsatisfied and isolated, while I try to live my new-found =
politics in my workplace (I am a network engineer/computer worker.)  I =
am working on an extended analysis of the relationship of =
computerization to class composition today (19 pages down, ? many to =
go...), but I also want to figure out how to function organizationally =
in my new marxism.  I have to say that the U.S., at least in Chicago, is =
BLEAK.  Any ideas?  Any fellow Chicagoans or U.S. communists in the same =
or a similar place?  Anyone want to open a more specific discussion of =
which way forward (since I am new to this list, I apologize if this is =
already a well-worn path.)  End of bio!

In other matters, has anyone seen "The Bad Days Will End"?  It is a new =
council communist/anarcho-communist journal that holds some promise =
politically, but I am not sure what they are trying to do.  Also, for my =
British comrades, is Aufheben still alive (and how can they be reached, =
if so)?  I just read the articles on theories of decadance (Lenin, =
Hilferding, Luxemburg, Bukharin, et al) and I loved it.  Too bad I did =
not find it 5 years ago, eh?  Between Brinton, Holloway, et al, and =
Aufheben, I feel like a communist phoenix.  Alas, being rather more =
human (read: dim) than most, I do not have any automatic answers on =
which way forward and what we need to do.  I am very intrigued by =
aspects of Marxist-Humanism (in spite of everyone, even those who owe =
Raya a great debt, ignoring Raya Dunayevskaya's place in 'open =
marxism'), I find them a little creepy and too politically attached to a =
funky mix of Leninism ("Lenin after 1914-"vanguardism'=3D"the good =
Lenin"), undigested Hegel (regression rather than recognition), and a =
fresh, vibrant outlook on marxism.  But I cannot see joining such a =
group, whatever the merits of individual members and much of Raya =
Dunayevskaya's work.  Being afloat for almost ten years is just too =
much!

Also, has anyone read Negri's new book, 'Empire'?  Interesting and =
provocative if ultimately disappointing and under the foot of what Negri =
used to stand against in marxism.

I know this is a bit of a mish-mash, but I have too much on mymind and =
so I am a bit scattered.  If anyone is interested in the piece i am =
writing, I may have it done in a month or so.  I do not want to post it =
because it will be too long, but I will send to anyone who might find it =
useful or engaging (hopefully it will be a worthwhile contribution.)

Finally, having the anal and deranged mind of an archivist, I have a =
VERY long 'revolutionary reading guide' I have compiled over the years =
(now over 60 pages), which attempts to engage with the vital topics =
within the revolutionary working class movement, both theoretical and =
historical.  I am constantly adding to it and revising it.  It is a pet =
project which I hope to make available to any revolutionaries looking =
for reading on our common concerns.  If any poor soul feels masochistic =
enough or curious enough, I can send a copy for =
use/review/recommendations.  I have listed thousands of books in easily =
accesible political categories for those hungry for ideas and =
information.

Chris Wright

Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies =
and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search =
out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the =
side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, =
that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns =
without a rival.  -- Frederick Douglass

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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I am relatively new to autonomist politics.&nbsp; I =
come out=20
of the U.S. fraction of Lutte Ouvriere, Spark.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have been =
out of=20
that group for over 10 years, but until roughly 1997 I continued to hold =
onto=20
their brand of Trotskyism (with some relatively small =
differences.)&nbsp; I left=20
the ICU because I felt their politics were damaged by their =
organizational=20
conceptions, but I have since come to see their organizational =
conceptions as=20
one of the more consistent applications of Trotskyism.&nbsp; I began to =
break=20
with Trotskyism in a fundamental way through my studies of racism and =
white=20
supremacy in the U.S., especially work by David Roediger and =
others.&nbsp; I=20
have been active in defending Mumia Abu-Jamal, and that work brought me =
into=20
deeper contact with Raya Dunayevskaya's Marxist-Humanists (I live in =
Chicago and=20
know their main organizers/leadership.)&nbsp; That contact opened me up =
to John=20
Holloway, Werener Bonefeld, et al.&nbsp; Not surprisingly, their work =
gave me a=20
deep shock.&nbsp; Here was the Marxism I was looking for.&nbsp; That has =
led me=20
to aut-op-sy, Situationism,&nbsp;Solidarity, autonomism, SoB, the =
CSE/Capital=20
and Class, Aufheben and the rest of the "open marxist" Left.&nbsp; I =
have also=20
delved deeply into anarchism (which has more of interest to say that =
Lutte=20
Ouvriere or Leninism in general would ever have us believe, in spite of =
my=20
disappointment with its theoretical and political weaknesses.)&nbsp; I =
am now=20
trying to apply what I have learned (and am very much still learning) to =
my=20
daily political activity.&nbsp; Defense work of the sort around =
political=20
prisoners like Mumia ultimately leaves me feeling unsatisfied and =
isolated,=20
while I try to live my new-found politics in my workplace (I am a =
network=20
engineer/computer worker.)&nbsp; I am working on&nbsp;an extended =
analysis of=20
the relationship of computerization to class composition today (19 pages =
down, ?=20
many to go...), but I also want to figure out how to function =
organizationally=20
in my new marxism.&nbsp; I have to say that the U.S., at least in =
Chicago, is=20
BLEAK.&nbsp; Any ideas?&nbsp; Any fellow Chicagoans or U.S. communists =
in the=20
same or a similar place?&nbsp; Anyone want to open a more specific =
discussion of=20
which way forward (since I am new to this list, I apologize if this is =
already a=20
well-worn path.)&nbsp; End of bio!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>In other matters, has anyone seen "The Bad Days Will =

End"?&nbsp; It is a new council communist/anarcho-communist journal that =
holds=20
some promise politically, but I am not sure what they are trying to =
do.&nbsp;=20
Also, for my British comrades, is Aufheben still alive (and how can they =
be=20
reached, if so)?&nbsp; I just read the articles on theories of decadance =
(Lenin,=20
Hilferding, Luxemburg, Bukharin, et al) and I loved it.&nbsp; Too bad I =
did not=20
find it 5 years ago, eh?&nbsp; Between Brinton, Holloway, et al, and =
Aufheben, I=20
feel like a communist phoenix.&nbsp; Alas, being rather more human =
(read: dim)=20
than most, I do not have any automatic answers on which way forward and =
what we=20
need to do.&nbsp; I am very intrigued by aspects of Marxist-Humanism (in =
spite=20
of everyone, even those who owe Raya a great debt, ignoring Raya =
Dunayevskaya's=20
place in 'open marxism'), I find them a little creepy and too =
politically=20
attached to a funky mix of Leninism ("Lenin after =
1914-"vanguardism'=3D"the good=20
Lenin"), undigested Hegel (regression rather than recognition), and=20
a&nbsp;fresh, vibrant outlook&nbsp;on marxism.&nbsp; But I cannot see =
joining=20
such a group, whatever the merits of individual members and much of Raya =

Dunayevskaya's work.&nbsp; Being afloat for almost ten years is just too =

much!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Also, has anyone read Negri's new book, =
'Empire'?&nbsp;=20
Interesting and provocative if ultimately disappointing and under the =
foot of=20
what Negri used to stand against in marxism.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I know this is a bit of a mish-mash, but I have too =
much on=20
mymind and so I am a bit scattered.&nbsp; If anyone is interested in the =
piece i=20
am writing, I may have it done in a month or so.&nbsp; I do not want to =
post it=20
because it will be too long, but I will send to anyone who might find it =
useful=20
or engaging (hopefully it will be a worthwhile =
contribution.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Finally, having the&nbsp;anal and deranged&nbsp;mind =
of an=20
archivist, I have a VERY long 'revolutionary reading guide' I have =
compiled over=20
the years (now over 60 pages), which attempts to engage with the vital =
topics=20
within the revolutionary working class movement, both theoretical and=20
historical.&nbsp; I am constantly adding to it and revising it.&nbsp; It =
is a=20
pet project which I hope to make available to any revolutionaries =
looking for=20
reading on our common concerns.&nbsp; If any poor soul feels masochistic =
enough=20
or curious enough, I can send a copy for =
use/review/recommendations.&nbsp; I=20
have listed thousands of books in easily accesible political categories =
for=20
those hungry for ideas and information.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Chris Wright</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Go where you may, search where you will, roam =
through all the=20
monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South =
America, search=20
out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the =
side of=20
the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, =
for=20
revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a=20
rival.&nbsp; -- Frederick Douglass</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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