Howard Zinn Memorial ASQ—Issue 2

Spring 2010
By Paul Poposky
Professor Howard Zinn, the Peoples' Historian, died of a heart attack INS ID E TH IS IS S U E :
Wednesday, January 27, 2010, in Santa Monica, CA, where he was
vacationing and preparing for his next round of public speaking en- Black Bear Bakery 1
gagements. At the age of 87, Zinn was one of the most recognizable
names of the American Left and a fixture in a wide array of struggles. Review of Avatar 2
Born into a family of working-class Jewish immigrants in
New York City, 1922, Howard Zinn lived many of the struggles Homophobia at the
which he chronicled. As a young man Zinn worked at the Brooklyn 2
Cathedral Basilica
Navy Shipyards and participated in some of the early struggles of
organized labor in the 20th century. With the outbreak of World War Freview of Vegan
II, Zinn joined the armed forces and served as a bombardier, where he 4
Freak
witnessed firsthand the horrors and futility of war and leading him to
forever-after reject the notions of "good war" and nationalism.
Police Attack
Howard Zinn was best-known as the author of A Peoples' 5
Firefighters
History of the United States and was responsible for preserving and
teaching two generations of young Americans the proud history and
traditions of working class struggle, militancy and protest, resistance Celebrate May Day! 6
to oppression, radicalism and rebellion.
Before his death, Zinn’s last accomplishment was the History Channel’s broadcast of The People Speak, a
dramatic reading of excerpts in history that exhibited oppressed people’s struggle, by well known celebri- U P C OM I N G E V E N T S
ties and artists. This accomplishment indicates how widely revered Zinn was in all of his work.
A war veteran, an academic, a civil rights activist, a grandfatherly mentor to many on the Left  Starbuck’s Workers Un-
today—Howard Zinn will be remembered. In the words of Joe Hill: “Don’t mourn me—Organize!” How- ion (Industrial Workers
ard Zinn, R.I.P.
of the World): Saturday,
Paul Poposky is a member of the Missouri-National Education Association and
the Workers International League-International Marxist Tendency.
March 20, Black Bear
Paul Poposky can be reachd at pauljosephpoposky@hotmail.com . Bakery (2639 Cherokee,
St. Louis, MO), at 6:00
p.m. SWU-IWW will
Andy Lucker Interviews David teach baristas how to
Feldmann of Black Bear Bakery legally organize their
own SWU Local union.
Black Bear Bakery is “dedicated Bakery was started by Russian Lickhalter Bakery was known
to being a different kind of work Jewish immigrants about a hundred for its old world rye breads  Remembering Howard
place that allows its participants years ago. In the mid-nineties, the which Black Bear is proud to Zinn: March 13, 1:00
to be at the center of a worker- owners at the time decided to give make to this day, using the same
up on the business and in a surpris- tried and true recipes. One as-
pm, at the World Com-
controlled environment.”
ing gesture of good will handed the pect of the business that has munity Center.
Andy: What is Black Bear Bak-
business assets over to a handful of come about in the past few years
ery?
the employees for a nominal fee is the vegetarian cafe which  May Day Celebration:
David: Black Bear Bakery is a who had expressed interest in con- features a healthy and affordable May 1, 2001, see page 6.
worker owned and operated col- tinuing the bakery as a collective line of sandwiches, soups and
lective bakery in south St. Louis. enterprise. The bakery has existed other breakfast and lunch items.
under its current name, and current  Commemoration of the
How did Black Bear Bakery How are decisions at the bak-
principles since 1997. General Strike of 1877:
start? ery made? Does that have a
Are there any items on or off the large effect on the items on July 10, Wilson Park,
Black Bear Bakery evolved out of
the Lickhalter Bakery, which itself menu that make it unique to your menu or other tangible Granite City, IL
changed over the years. Lickhalter other bakeries? examples?
————-continued on page 3-————
 P AGE 2 S P R IN G 2 0 1 0

Review of James Cameron’s Avatar

By Stuart Shadwell
Avatar is director James Cameron’s latest film. The film is like a retelling of a movie-industrial-complex, espe-
Dances with Wolves (1990) in space. The film has a pro-indigenous cultures and cially when they deal with military
anti- imperialistic message. In relation to Cameron’s body of work, Avatar shares subjects, which is frequently. This
anti-corporate themes with Aliens (1986) while contrasting strongly with the hostile is especially painful when the films
stereotypes of Arabs put forth in True Lies (1994). Avatar portrays the exploitation are terrible, such as Michael Bay’s
of a moon called Pandora and their oppression of the Native Na’vi. In Aliens a films or the Stars Wars prequels.
corporate representative seeks specimens of a lethal xenomorphs in order to in- This is not the case with Avatar,
crease the profits of the weapons division of “the company,” Weyland-Yutani. which is very well made and
While the aliens in Avatar are vastly more sympathetic than the viscous killing thoughtful. That said, how much of
machines in Aliens, both movies share anti-corporate sentiments. Avatar portrays Avatars billion dollar plus revenue
the military in a far more hostile manner than Aliens. True Lies perpetuates an will go to combating global warm-
orientalist view of Arabs, similar to the portrayal of Native Americans in old west- ing, curing diseased children, and
erns. It can be more or less summed up as: why are these people trying to kill innocent people? all the things that money could buy? The-
Because they’re terrorists! All context is drained away, and only the stereotype remains. Avatar, on matically, the characters are little too black
the other hand, provides plenty of context as to why the Na’vi want to kill humans. and white and in real life Native Americans
could sometimes commit gray acts them-
Cameron is certainly not the first filmmaker to have this kind of contradiction within his
selves. District 9 (2009), a South African
works. Frank Capra’s WWII propaganda of contrasts heavily with the atmosphere of suspicion
science-fiction movie that deals with issues
towards people of wealth, put forth in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Another example is Terry
stemming from apartheid, is more interesting
Gilliam’s masterpiece Brazil (1986), which lampoons both capitalism and Communism, while
in this respect, since its characters are more
predicting the reliance of the state upon terrorism as an instrument of fear and control. The film
interesting and nuanced. Also, there is a
was produced by Israeli media mogul Arnon Milchan. Milchan uses his resources to support Is-
little too much Superman in Avatar, an
real’s colonial policies against the Palestinians, which are perhaps even worse than the scenes of
aspect of fiction that is thoroughly critiqued
torture depicted in the film. This fact does not mean that Brazil isn’t a great film or Terry Gilliam is
in Brazil by the main character’s dreams of
not a great filmmaker, but it must be acknowledged and discussed. On a separate note, Brazil
himself as a winged superman. All these
would have been censored by Universal Pictures if Gilliam and Milchan had not fought so hard for
flaws aside, Avatar is an interesting and
the integrity of the directors’ vision.
visually stimulating movie that has excellent
While Aliens, Brazil, and Avatar express strong anti-corporate sentiments, they are also prime pace, something Cameron has mastered, and
examples that artworks of such nature are frequently situated within corporate structures. Both, the film has radical themes that the main-
Aliens and Avatar, are distributed by 20th Century Fox, part of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation, stream media and academia would often like
which facilitates the dissemination of corporatist and fascist views, and is every bit as corrupt as to repress, as was evidenced by the triumph
the Parker Selfridge character (played by Giovanni Ribisi, in Avatar), or Carter Burke (in Aliens). of Katheryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker
Ideologically, True Lies is much more in line with Murdoch’s outlook, though the media mogul has (2009), an Iraq War movie that provides no
no problem dropping his ideology as long as there is money to be made. After Murdoch made some voice to the oppressed.
comments in the 1980’s that were insulting to Chinese officials, he quickly pandered to the Chinese
Stuart Shadwell is a member of Autonomy
government, because he was eager to crack the Chinese media market. One example of such pan-
Alliance, a graduate of Film from Missouri
dering was Murdoch dropping the BBC from Star TV when they reported humans rights abuses
State, and currently, an Art Education stu-
committed by the Chinese government. Murdoch’s ordeals with the Chinese is documented in
dent at University of Missouri St. Louis.
“Rupert Murdoch’s China Adventures,” by former Murdoch employee Bruce Dover.
Stuart Shadwell can be reached at
Avatar is an expensive spectacle. The high budgets of certain movies and their profits are like s.shadwell@gmail.com.

Protesting Homophobia at the Basilica in St. Louis

By Andy Lucker
In 2009, Maine passed a law granting gay
marriage equal status as heterosexual mar-
riage. By the end of the year, a referendum
overturned that decision; though, not without
a huge homophobic campaign with massive
finances. By late December 2009, it was
discovered that Archbishop Robert Carlson,
of the St. Louis Archdiocese, funneled
$10,000 into this Maine campaign to shoot
down the hopes of many gay and lesbian
couples seeking equal legal status as hetero-
sexual couples.
In response, LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgendered) community
members and allies protested on sidewalk in
front of the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica,
numbering around 170 people. Protesters
were generally friendly to the Catholic
Church; some were Catholic.
The funding of a homophobic
campaign is disgusting and cannot be toler-
ated. U.S. politicies reflect the poverty of
our democracy. The following major
changes must be made to alter the politics of
sexuality and how it relates to marriage in
our society:
Separation of church and pub-
lic policy: For centuries, religious
scrip-tures have been conjured up
to justify sexual and gender op-
pression. Some proclamations have
feigned pseudo-science, while oth-
ers offer damnation. Each human
must be acknowledged as sover-
eign to make their own decisions.
Religion cannot be the basis for
——————continued on page 5—————–—
our social policies.
No privileges for or discrimi-
nation against individuals on the
basis of sexual preference, gen-
der identity, or other gender
related statuses:
Gay marriage may be a re-
form to increase tolerance of
different sexual preferences. As a
short term reform, this is useful
to increase the status of LGBT
peoples. However, it does not
address the problem of govern-
ments influencing people's love
life. The church and state have
provided many incentives
(discounted insurance rates, not
A UTO N O M Y & S O L ID AR ITY Q UAR TE R L Y
Black Bear Bakery Interview Cont.
Decisions at Black Bear are made based on
consensus at weekly meetings. While individ-
ual workers make important day-to-day deci-
sions as need be, decisions which affect the
collective as a whole are made as a group.
The collective members more skilled at food
prep tend to come up with their own cafe
menus independently of the rest of the collec-
tive. As with any job complex here, the col-
lective as a whole is kept informed of new
projects but generally individuals with some
area of expertise are left to their own best
judgment...
How are workers at Black Bear Bakery
remunerated (compensated or paid) for
their work?
Black Bear workers are all paid an equal
hourly wage. In good times we might give
ourselves a small raise. In worse times, collec-
tive members not struggling personally might
forgo weekly pay so that others can pay their
bills on time.
Has anyone ever suggested variations for
remuneration?
We pretty much all agree that we deserve
higher pay! Black Bear has made decisions
recently with the intent of bringing in more
steady income. Expanding our cafe hours is
the best example of this. We're fortunate to
have very decent, very skilled collective
members who love working without a task-
master or a manager looking over their shoul-
ders. Another benefit of a horizontal work-
place model is that collective members who
lack knowledge regarding a given job com-
plex can be trained by their peers and not by
someone with a vested interest in exploiting
them.
A common libertarian criticism of previous
socialist enterprises has been that capital-
ists were removed, but bosses stayed in
place. Workers, then, could not manage
A window on Black Bear Bakery’s storefront.
their labor them-
selves, because some-
one else had a monop-
oly on knowledge,
information, empow-
ering tasks, and deci-
sion-making. How
does Black Bear Bak-
ery attempt to safe-
guard workers' self-
management against
the potential of a new
boss class?
"Safe-guarding against
a new boss class" is an
ongoing struggle in my
opinion. Whether at
Black Bear, some other
collective or in society
as a whole during a revolutionary period. I
basically agree with the aforementioned
criticism. I identify as an anarchist, therefore,
I'm not interested in substituting a capitalist
In the meantime, getting collectives
up and going and keeping them
running seems like the most
practical strategy in confronting
concentrated power in the world.
or managerial class with a bureaucratic struc-
ture with an inherent hierarchy, even if it
claims to be acting in the benefit of some
idealized "working class." On a practical
level, Black Bear Bakery attempts to create
an environment where individual workers are
encouraged to take on new responsibilities
and develop their own initiative by instilling
a work ethic based on the fact that this busi-
ness is in their hands and not in the hands of
an elite group of owners. It's not always easy
but I think it's infinitely preferable to work-
ing as a wage slave.
Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel
propose "balanced job complexes"
as part of their alternative model
for a "participatory econ-
omy". They argue that some tasks
socialize rote and obedient behav-
ior, while others reproduce asser-
tive decision-making; so workers
need to rate and balance these
among the workers, to ensure that
participation is learned and en-
couraged among everyone. Does
Black Bear Bakery do this? Have
they considered it?
I'm fairly familiar with the PARE-
CON movement and I think it's to-
P AGE 3
tally compatible with the anarchist ethic. I'm
sure everyone would agree that certain job
tasks encourage critical thinking and enhance
problem-solving skills and others, while
necessary, can be completely uninspiring. I
agree that rotating labor and creating
"balanced job complexes" is a sound solution.
On a societal level, I think that undesirable
work should be shared by the community and
performed on a rotating schedule so that no
one has to do this sort of work exclusively.
The rest of our time could be devoted to
whatever our skills and passions dictate. This
is predicated on destroying not just capitalism
but also hierarchy. In the meantime, getting
collectives up and going and keeping them
running seems like the most practical strategy
in confronting concentrated power in the
world. The collective I work with tries very
hard to maintain a workplace not governed by
capitalist principles, even though we exist
within a capitalist business framework. We're
not really in a position to undermine the
larger business practices of Western capital-
ism. I'd like to think that our existence for
over a decade as a workers' collective could
serve as inspiration for other like-minded
folks in the area to get their own left-
libertarian p roj ects started...
As far as day-to-day operations go, we're
currently trying to set a concrete system in
place so that our training process is more
geared toward all collective members becom-
ing acquainted with all job complexes. It's
difficult, although we're trying...
Worker collectives can showcase workers'
self-management, as I think you have dem-
onstrated Black Bear Bakery does. Is it
the only way of furthering the cause of the
worker class?
It seems to me that there's an unfortunate
tendency among many contemporary anar-
chists to label social movements as
"reformist" and counter-productive. I agree in
theory that single-issue activism is probably
—–————–——continued on page 6—–—–—————
 P AGE 4 S P R IN G 2 0 1 0

Review of Vegan Freak 2.0: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

By David Feldmann
Bob and Jenna Torres, Vegan Freak 2.0 : Being Ve-
gan in a Non-Vegan World, Pm Press/Tofu Hound
Press, 2009.

Animal Liberation activists not familiar

with the work of Bob and Jenna Torres owe it to
themselves to crawl out from under the rock they've
been living under and look into their podcast and
written output. Vegan Freak is as good a place to start
as any. Since 2005 these two freaks have been a
breath of fresh air to the movement, giving us out-
standing, down-to-earth commentary in the form of
an incredibly entertaining and informative internet
program (www.veganfreakradio.com) and two of the
most approachable and useful books yet to emerge
form the academic corner of the animal rights com-
munity. Case in point: Vegan Freak 2.0.

While probably more appealing to newcomers to the world of vegan freak-

dom, Vegan Freak 2.0 (an updated version of the 2005 book of the same name) has
plenty to offer veteran vegans as well. Most likely, there's plenty here for even the
most confidant and well informed ve-
gan. Bob and Jenna cover much more
than just the basic call to arms about
the need for humans to adopt a healthy
vegan diet. There's also a plethora of
advice on how to deal with non-vegan
friends, family and co-workers, espe-
cially the ones who make your dietary
transition more difficult than it need be.
The verdict is in: "meek vegans suffer"
but so does the larger movement when
we turn into "vegangelicals." It's hard
to think of a more practical and intelli- bly insist that the works of Gary Francione
gent guide to the strict vegetarian life- are more deserving of that distinction).
style than this one. As well as provid- Vegan Freak 2.0 is a welcome extension of
ing the intellectual justification for the the 2005 edition. Whether laying down the
vegan ethic, the need for a committed case for a vegan diet, arguing against the
social movement is also stressed: half-assed excuses of lacto-ovo vegetarians
or sharing thoughts and opinions on how to
"...because of the David and deal with hostile non-vegans, the Torres'
Goliath proportions of the are never boring or patronizing to the
battle, we can not afford the reader. Unlike the wishy-washy overly-
luxury of mere consumer- sentimental pleas emanating from most of
ism...we must also be activists the mainstream animal rights outlets, noth-
and educators, writers and ing involving Bob and Jenna Torres can be
thinkers and organizers and lumped into that disappointing category.
protesters." With the new and improved Vegan Freak
now available, the more level-headed indi-
Indeed, Vegan Freak (and its viduals of the animal liberation movement
companion piece, Making a Killing : have a well-written book to call on for
The Political Economy of Animal sensible advice and theory.
Rights, a Bob Torres solo project) are
arguably the best arguments for the David Feldmann is a collective member of the
abolitionist vegan cause currently in Black Bear Bakery, Autonomy Alliance, and a
print (though its authors would proba- member of the Industrial Workers of the World..
A UTO N O M Y & S O L ID AR ITY Q UAR TE R L Y P AGE 5

Protesting
Homophobia Cont.
being ostracized, con-
densed legal documentation
on nearly anything, money
saved on taxes, time spent
with loved ones, etc.) for
heterosexual couples to
marry. Social relationships,
especially passionate ones,
should be free from coaxed
obligations like these im-
posed by both, religion and
the state.
Protestors outside the St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica
’
At Black Bear Bakery
(2639 Cherokee, St. Louis, MO)
March 20
6:00 p.m.
Erik Forman, of the IWW in St. Paul, Minneapolis will be telling his story of
unionizing Starbucks workers in St. Paul, Minnesota. Forman went to court,
where the National Labor Relations Board determined that Starbucks illegally
fired him for joining the IWW Starbucks Workers Union.
As a result, his trip back to work has consisted of baristas walking out
of coffee houses and refusing to work, and riot police fully equipped for battle
guarding Starbucks buildings.
In 2009, the National Labor Relations Board determined that Star-
bucks cannot fire baristas for joining the Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW) Starbuck’s Workers Union.
Starbucks workers generally cannot afford company health insurance
and make poverty wages, even though this may be the main source of income
for a family. Coffee beans for Starbucks are almost entirely grown where farm
workers are not allowed to unionize or otherwise effect their wages.
For more information, contact David Feldmann, at stlwobbly@gmail.com.
This event is sponsored by Autonomy Alliance and the IWW in St. Louis, MO.

Spanish Police Attack Firefighters

By Andy Lucker
On Friday, January 28, over 500 Firefighters from Galicia, The fighting in the streets demonstrates whose side the state will
Spain clogged the streets of La Coruna, Spain, to demand an take. The police who attacked should have stood down, refusing
end to the recent privatization of Spanish emergency services. orders from their superiors to fire or attack. When they attack, they
The demonstration resulted in a battle between riot police and left the Galician Firefighters with no choice but to defend themselves
firefigthers, as police shot rubber bullets, tear gas, swung ba- and their jobs.
tons, and went to fisticuffs with the firefighters. Andy Lucker is a member of Autonomy Alliance and the International
Last October (30), a larger demonstration was held
in Santiago de Compostela (also in Spain), complete with the
presence of the three largest unions in Spain, totaling 1,000
demonstrators against the privatization of emergency services.
Firefighting companies used to exist in the U.S. and
almost every early capitalist economy, until people decided
that they were inefficient at putting out fires. Companies
would arrive and place competitive bids for squelching the
burning home, while victims burned. They would also refuse
to work together to strengthen each other, preventing the pub-
lic from having better equipment, better firefighters, and more
effective strategies.

Keep up to date on local events and
issues on our website:
www.autonomyalliance.org
Contact us to get involved, if you
have questions, or if you would like
to voice and opinion to be published:
autonomyalliance@gmail.com
Letters to the Editors
If you have an opinion or suggestion
for the printing of Autonomy &
Solidarity Quarterly, a comment on a
news event, an opinion about a
social issue, or would like to see
something published about a specific
subject, please, email us, at
autonomyalliance@gmail.com.
Autonomy & Solidarity
Quarterly is collectively and
democratically edited by
Autonomy Alliance.
Autonomy Alliance exists for
general educational
purposes, to expose all
oppressive institutions and
propose non-oppressive
solutions, to ally in solidarity
with other agreed upon
events, struggles,
organizations, or coalitions,
and to network with
oppressed peoples to act
and discuss in an open,
safe, and shared forum,
despite disagreements.
Black Bear Bakery Interview Cont.
the wrong way to go about solving the world's problems. I agree that capitalism can not
be reformed and that we have to not just fight against it but also create viable alternatives.
That being said, I'm not so quick to judge activists who put their heart and soul into
movements that are more reform oriented. There are only so many hours in a day and
everyone has to find their own calling. Someone working with a mainstream business
union to gain benefits for working families is probably doing more helpful and beneficial
work than a middle-class art student who sets a dumpster on fire at a protest…
I don't want to be sectarian but I often find myself at odds with some of my
comrades on this issue…
How does Black Bear Bakery hire people? How has it cultivate its politics among new workers?
Black Bear employees hire applicants and friends of current collective members as needed. It should be said
that not everyone who works here is an avowed anarchist. We don't force any views on collective members. In
fact, many of the self-proclaimed anarchists here have different opinions on what anarchism is and should be…
Has Black Bear Bakery ever fired anyone?
I don't believe Black Bear has ever fired anybody. It's not outside the realm of possibility however. In my ex-
perience, workers who probably should be fired tend to leave on their own because of the dirty looks they get
from the rest of us...haha.
What sort of unique events is Black Bear Bakery host to that wouldn't be found at every other bakery?
I would say the best example of a "unique event" is our annual May Day celebration. This year will be the third
annual celebration which has featured St. Louis' own, May Day Orchestra. It seems to be getting more popular
each year, too. This year some folks are organizing a larger event which will hopefully have day-time events as
well as an evening drinking session…
Black Bear Bakery is located at 2639 Cherokee St., St. Louis, Missouri . Their phone number is (314) 771-2236. They are
open on Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m.-5 pm, and Sundays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; their café is open Tuesday through
Sunday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Black Bear is on both, MySpace and Facebook, so friend them! www.blackbearbakery.org/
St. Louis’s May Day Celebration for 2010
International Workers Day (usually referred to as May Day) has been
celebrated worldwide since the late 1880's to honor the martyrs of the
Haymarket Affair in Chicago and to promote the workers struggle in gen-
eral. In 1886, confrontations between striking workers and Chicago police
resulted in several officers being killed in a bomb blast. Although no one
was ever identified as the bomb thrower, the authorities subsequently
arrested, tried and executed four anarchist and socialist organizers.
Of the original eight brought to trial, one committed suicide in
prison and the remaining three were pardoned. Shortly thereafter, May 1st
began to be seen as a labor holiday by workers across the globe. Despite
not being recognized as an official holiday by the U.S. government (which
created its own "Labor Day" as an alternative to the more radical interna-
tional May Day holiday), class conscious persons continue to organize
events every year across the country and this year St. Louis is no excep-
tion.
Events are currently being planned for a day long celebration at
or near the corner of Cherokee and Ohio streets in South St. Louis, for
Saturday, May 1, 2010. Local labor and student groups will be setting up information tables and a cooperative
bakery will be screening labor related films in its storefront. The day will conclude with the 3rd annual presenta-
tion of May Day or Songs for Lucy Parsons, a concept record performed live by St. Louis's own May Day Or-
chestra, at Black Bear Bakery (2639 Cherokee, St. Louis, MO).
For more information on this celebration series, contact Ian Darnell, at stlmayday2010@gmail.com.
Who’s Who? Arundhati Roy is an Indian writer who lives in England, and is
an activist who focuses on issues related to social justice and
economic inequality. The primary focus of her essays have been
the corporate globalization in India, where she points out that
the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the Inter-
national Monetary Fund have went to great lengths to make
large dams so corporations can make money, while disregard-
ing the hundreds of thousands of indigenous (Adivasi) people
these development projects have displaced and killed. She be-
came popular in the United States after her book, The God of
Arundhati Small Things, and her September 2002 speech, "Come Septem-
ber," in which she contextualizes the Third World's perspective
Roy on 9/11 and America's newly declared "War on Terrorism".