common struggle

WHEREWESTAND

ommon struggle isanorganisationofpeoplefromawidevarietyofwalksof

lifewhochoosetoorganisetogetherwithaviewtoreclaimingcontrolover
theconditionsofourownlives.

Membership

Tothisendweembracethelibertariansocialistoranarchistphilosophyasthe
bestmeansofachievingthisgoal,viewingitsstrongemphasisontheabolitionof
allformsofeconomicandsocialprivilege,aswellastheautocratichierarchiesand
otherformsofauthoritarianrestrainttheybeget,asvitaltothisgoal.
Welikewiselookforwardtoatimewhensolidarityandmutualaidratherthan
greed,egoismandnihilisticindividualisminformthewaywerelatetooneanother
asindividuals.Welikewiselookforwardtoatimewhentheyformthebasisforthe
methodsandprocessesbywhichweorganiseproductionanddistribution,aswell
asthemyriadotheractivitiesofanadvancedandcomplexindustrialsocietysuch
asours.
Ratherthanembracingthenotionthatwemusthaveoppressionorwewillhave
chaos,weworkinsteadtoexpandourabilitytoexercisecontrolovertheconditions
ofourlivesbyengaginginanyandallformsoftheoreticaldevelopment,agitation
andpracticalsupportofanyandallmovestowardsthesuccessfulconclusionof
classstruggle(asopposedtoitsperpetuationunderconditionsofsocialandeconomicinjusticethatcharacteriselatecapitalism).

Thecapitalistjungleisfullofpredators,andthoseofuswhohavetoselllourskillsfora
wagearewhatsonthemenu!Inthissituation,byourselvesweareveryweak,butworkingtogetherinsolidarity,poolingouradmittedlylimitedresources,ourknowledgeand
ourmanyotherredeemingqualities,wecanbestrong.

solidarity. AsmembersofCommonStrugglewevalueandpractiseclasssolidarity,
andwedosoasclass-consciousworkers.Asclass-consciousworkersweareaware
thatcapitalistsocietyisdividedintopropertiedandnon-proper tiedclasses,and
thatthepropertiedclassesuse theireconomicmonopoliestoforceus,thenonpropertiedclasses,toworkforwages.

Thatkindofstrengthcangiveusroomtobeproactiveintermsofdefendingourcapacity
andindeedourrighttocontroltheconditiousofourownlivesasthebasisofourfreedom
bothasindividualsandmembersofsociety.Itisnotsomethingthatcomeswithouteffort
howeverandthatiswhywehavetomaketheefforttoorganise.

Wearelikewiseawarethat,inworkingforwages,wearedeprivedofcontrolover
theconditionsofourwork,madesubjecttotheautocratichierarchiesthatcharacterisecapitalistrelationsofproduction,andexploitedbybeingpaidlessinwages
thanthevaluecreatedintheprocessoftheworkthatwedo.

Reclaimininggreatercontrolovertheconditionsofourlivesisentirelypossibleandwe
oweittoourselvestomaketheefforttodoso.Whileclasssocietymightconstrictus
andpushustoandfroandthentrytobuyusoffwithtechnologicalgadgetsandvarious
formsofescapism,ourtruesalvationandtruehopeforhappiness,peaceandfreedom
paradoxicallyliesinorganisingandfightingtheclasswarpushedonuseveryday.

Weareawarethenthatthewagesystemdoesnotfunctioninourinterests,as
isalsotrueofcapitalismandtheclasssystemmoregenerally.Westruggletherefore
toencourageclass-consciousnessamongstourclassandafundamentalrecognitionofsharedinterestswithaviewtoorganisingthedefenceofourrighttocontrol
theconditionsofourownlives.

Weoweittoourselvestobeorganised,andCommonStruggleprovdesuswithagreat
waytoorganiseinawaythatrespectsourabilitytodecidethecourseofourownfate,
makeupourownmindsaboutthingsandotherwisethinkandactforourselves.Join
today!
Emalcsau@iprimus.com.auformoreinformationonmembership,orjoinusingtheonlinemembershipapplicationformathttp://csau.org/2013/05/18/get-organised/.

ticswherewedevelopthecapacityforself-activity(meaningthecapacitytoberesponsibleforouractionsontheonehand,andtheabilitytothinkandactforourselves on the other) that will form the basis of our ability to function as free
individualswithoutthestate.
Sinceattheendofthedaytheprimaryfunctionofthestateistoperpetuate
anddefendsocialandeconomicprivilegeandclasssocietyfromthethreatofeconomicandsocialjustice,andthisisitsdefiningfunction,wedonotseethestate
ashavinganyroletoplayintheestablishmentofasocietyasfreeandjustasitis
classlessandsimilarlybereftofotherformsofprivilege.Weopposeallmanifestationsofimperialismandseektodevelopinternationalcontactsandnetworkswith
aviewtoaidingthedevelopmentofworkerssolidarityaroundtheglobe.

Why? Attheendofallthis,thequestionmustbeasked.AsmembersofCommon
Strugglewefightforfreedomandtheabilityofalltocontroltheconditionsofourown
livesbecausewebelievefreedomtobethelifebloodofourselfhoodandoursense
ofidentity.Tobefreeistohavetheabilitytodetermineforourselveshowtoliveour
lives,andtohavethatabilityistobeinapositiontodevelopallthefreecreativepowersofourpersonalityinself-expressionsuchthatweareabletopursueself-actualisationinpeace,freeofthosewhowouldimposetheirwillonusbecausetheycan
imaginenogreatergoodandnogreaterwaytolivethanthroughownership.
Ratherthanseekingtoowntheworld,asmembersofCommonStruggleweseek
toowntheabilitytocontrolthecourseofourownlives,andforeveryoneelseon
theplanettoownthesame.Ratherthanseekingtobemastersandmistressesof
theworld,asmembersofCommonStruggleweseektobeourownmasters,and
foreveryoneelsetoseekthesame.Theonlytruejusticeexistsintheseconditions;
ourgoalisnottopreachtheseidealstoearsthatalreadyunderstandthejustice
andsenseofthemimplicitly,butrathertohelpotherstogetintouchwiththeirinner
loverofeconomicandsocialjusticewhileattemptingthesameourselves.Weaim
fromtheretoactwithcourageandconvictiontorealisethem;weknowthatatthe
endofthedaytheyrenotabigask.

the Wage system. AsmembersofCommonStruggleandasanarchistsweoppose

thewagesystem,becausewerememberhistory.WhentheIndustrialRevolution
wasborn,therisingcapitalistclassforcedpeasantswhocontrolledtheirownmeans
ofproductionintothecitiestoworkaswageslavesbyenclosingthecommonlands
anddeprivingthemofeconomicindependencethroughtheirservantsinparliament,aclassinstitutiondesignedtoenableclassrule.Thissetthetoneforallthat
followed,notleastofwhichintermsofcolonialismandimperialism,bothofwhich
establishednewmarketsandimposedcapitalistrelationsofproductionbyforce.
Coercionhasalwaysbeenahallmarkofcapitalism.
Thenasnow,weareobligedtoanswertothemonopolisersofwealthforthe
privilegeoflivingontheplanetontowhichweareborn.Whileeconomicindependenceisthetruefoundationofourfreedomsinceitmeansweanswertonoone,
andtheabilitytocontroltheproductofourownlabouristhetruefoundationofour
economicindependence,thewagesystemdemandswegiveitovertoouremployer
someofwhichreturnstousasawage.Thisispureexploitation.
Inadditiontobeingexploitativethewagesystemsubjectsustoeconomicrelationshipsthatarepurelyautocratic,eventotalitarian.Wemaychooseabosswho
treatshisworkersrelativelywelloveronewhotreatsthemrelativelybadly,butat
theendofthedaytheonlydifferencebetweenachattelslaveandawageworker
isthattheformerwasowned,whereasthelatterisrented,andinalllikelihood
ownedslaveswereprobablytreatedmuchbetterthanonesthatarerentedand
thentossedasidewhenwornout.
Thewagesystemhasalwaysfunctionedbycoercion.AsJamesMadisonadroitly
pointedout,theroleofthestatehasalwaysbeenandwillalwaysbetoprotectthe
minorityoftheopulentfromthemajority.Theprimaryfunctionofthestateisto
enabletheperpetuationofthewagesystemandclasssociety,aswellasthemyriad
otherformsofoppressionthatallowbothtocontinueandsometoprosperandlive
whileothersstruggleanddie.

Intersectionality. AsmembersofCommonStruggleweopposecapitalismasthe
greatest,butnottheonlymanifestationinourunhappyworldofeconomicandsocialprivilege.Werecognisethecapitalistmentalitythatviewstheworkerasanobject whose primary and perhaps even ultimately only value resides in our
exploitabilityininnumerabledifferentcontextswheresocialandeconomicprivilege
trampleonourrights.
Werecognisethatthismentalityisinplaywherepatriarchyemployssexistand
misogynisticillogictomakewomenthescapegoatsforthewaythatmenallowour

loveofpowertogetthebestofthepoweroflove,justaswerecognisethatthe
sameistruewherewhitesupremacyemploysracismandxenophobiatomakepeoplewithdifferentskincolourscapegoatsfortheinabilityofwhitebigotstothinkfor
themselvesortakecontrolovertheconditionsoftheirownlives.Blamingthose
whohavenocontrolovertheconditionsofourownlivesforourinabilitytotakecontroloverthemourselvesjustgoestoshowthatthebestargumentagainstwhitesupremacistideologyisitsadherents.
Weworkthentodevelopananarchistintersectionalitythatdrawsoutcommonalitiesbetweendifferentformsofoppressionbyattemptingtounderstandinpractisehowthementalityoftheoppressorandtyrant,whoseesinworkers,women,
theyoung,theold,peopleofdifferentethnicandculturalbackgrounds,indigenous
people,peopleofdifferentsexualitiesandabilitiesaswellasthefloraandfauna
asobjectswhosemainvalueresidesintheirexploitability,withaviewtoenhancing
ourabilitytofightback.

our goal. AsmembersofCommonStrugglewewanttoabolishcapitalism,class

society,thewagesystem,patriarchyandallotherformsofsocialandeconomic
privilege.Inshortwewantathoroughgoingrevolutioninallaspectsofeconomic
andsociallifesuchthatwecanrestoresomesemblanceofsanity,justiceandorder
tothecharacteristicallyinsane,unjustandchaoticshitholeofaworldinwhichwe
live.
Weenvisionintheaftermathofcapitalistoppressionaninternationalconfederationofradicallydemocratic,self-managedcommunitiesandworkplacesthatfacilitateeconomicandsocialjusticebyvirtueofthefactinthefirstinstancethat
theyprovidefortheabilityofeachtocontroltheproductofourlabour.Weseethis
happeningthroughtheintroductionofworkerscontrolorworkersself-management
suchthatthosewhodotheworkalsodothedecidingastothenatureandcondition
ofthework.
Inpursuitofthisgoal,weadvocatetheabolitionofeconomicmonopoly,and
thustheclassdivisionsandautocratichierarchiescharacteristicofcapitalistrelationsofproduction.
Thisweenvisionhappeningthroughtheabolitionoftheinstitutionofprivateproperty.Weadvocatethecollectivisationandsocialisationofpropertyunderdirectworkplaceandcommunitycontrol,thereplacementoftheprofitmotivewiththehuman
motive,andthesubstitutionofaltruismforgreed.Inthiskindofeconomicallydemocraticsociety,weanticipatethattheguidingprincipleofproductionanddistribution
willbe,Fromeachaccordingtotheirability,toeachaccordingtotheirneeds.

green Anarchism. AsmembersofCommonStruggleweareparticularlydevotedto

thedevelopmentofasustainableeconomy.Weregardtheprimarycauseoftheenvironmentalcrisistowhichwearenowsubjectastheanti-social,nihilisticegoism
offreemarketcapitalismamentalitythathassoughttosocialisetheconsequencesofcompletelyunsustainableformsofproductionsuchasoilandcoalminingfromthebeginningoftheindustrialrevolutiontothepresentmoment,while
confusingcriticismwithattacksuchthatanyonedaringtocriticisecapitalismon
thisbasisisdefamedasanenemyoffreedomandawatermelontryingtouse
greenpoliticsasaTrojanhorseforMarxismandSoviet-stylecommunism.Nothing
couldbefurtherfromthetruth.
Weadvocatethereforetheurgentdismantlingofallindustriesbasedonfossil
fuelsandthediversionofallresourcesdevotedtorunning,maintainingandsubsidisingsuchindustries,particularlyintheformofcorporatewelfare,intoenvironmentallysoundformsofenergyproductionsuchaswindfarmingandsolarpower.
Wefindtheideaofconcentratedsolarpowerplantswithmoltensaltheatstorage
systemssuchastheGemasolartowerinSpainrununderconditionsofworkers
controlespeciallygroovy.

class struggle. AsmembersofCommonStruggleandasstudentsbothofanarchist

intersectionalityandgreenanarchismweknowthattheclimatecrisisispartofa
greaterprogrammeofclasswar.AsthebillionaireWarrenBuffethaspointedout,
Theresclasswarfare,allright,butitsmyclass,therichclass,thatsmakingwar,
andwinning.Forourpartwedonotwishtostartaclasswar;rather,weaimtoend
one.Thiswehopetoachievetotheendsdescribedabove.
Themethodsweproposetousearesimpletounderstand.Inthefirstplacewe
proposeemployingmeansconsistentwithourendsonthebasisofourunderstandingofhistory,whichsuggestsverystronglytousthatsocialandeconomicjustice
movementsbegantolosttheirwaywhentheystoppedeithertryingorbeingable
toretainabasicharmonybetweenmeansandends.Asweseeitthemeanswe
employdetermineourends,authoritarianmeansbegettingauthoritarianendsand
libertarianmeansbegettinglibertarianends.Thuswantinglibertarianoutcomes
weemploylibertarianmeans.
Inemployinglibertarianmeans,weseektonurtureandsupportsitesofstruggle
wheretheyarisesuchthatwecanmakeimmediategainsthatimprovepeoples
livesinthepresent,givethemincentivestocontinuewithsocialandclassstruggle
intothefuture,andinadditiontothatfunctionasakindofrevolutionarygymnas-