18 July 2009

Anarchist groups in canberra?

| glockenspiel
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Hi I’ve recently moved to Canberra from Brisbane and can’t seem to find any anarchist groups around.

Just interested in meeting some like-minded people.

Also any environmental activism groups.

Thanks for any help

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Hope this helps:

State office inquiries Australian Capital Territory (02) 6249 7415

They compile lists of organisations that you are interested in.

neanderthalsis said :

On a more serious note, the Socialist Alliance might be the closest thing to anarchists you’ll find (unless you get a seat in the legislative assembly) I think they used to have an office in garema place.

They might also help with your search for green groups.

I’d say the Greens are closer to anarchists than Socialist Alliance.

I think there’s a Climate Action Group but I believe that’s run by Socialist Alliance.

There’s always the university Environment Collectives or the relevant ACT environment network linked into ASEN.

You came to the federal capital to find anarchists? There’s an irony there somewhere.

Canberrans are so over-governed that they find anarchy primarily in their driving – they deliberately and permanently flout the “keep left” rule, smash their indicator switches as soon as they buy the car (sorry LEASE the car), don’t let traffic merge, tailgate cyclists and overtake them brushing their right handlebar, speed when there’s no point and dawdle when they could actually make progress, can’t understand roundabouts even though they have the highest concentration of them in the develoed world, … Need I go on?

And yes, I live in Nearby NSW and dread every day that I have to duel with the blue’n’white numberplates…

Pete

If you’re going to trash a local Maccas can you tell us when? I’d like to watch.

Can you just go back to Brisbane? We are already over quota for environmental activists and similar clowns.

Keep an eye on the posterboards at ANU. The Socialist Alternative/Socialist Alliance/People’s Front of Judea/Judean People’s Front seem to advertise seminars and whatnot regularly. Would be the ideal place to hear where the splitters all hang out.

are you four the UK?

Anna Key by name but…

Hells_Bells746:38 pm 18 Jul 09

Granny said :

This is another fine mess p1 has gotten us into, Hells_Bells74!

I feel right at home in a mess 🙂

Hells_Bells746:37 pm 18 Jul 09

**another dislaimer, I’m sure they do so much more. I was just taking a small portion for example.

This is another fine mess p1 has gotten us into, Hells_Bells74!

Hells_Bells746:28 pm 18 Jul 09

I think those qualities make a great anarchist Granny.

Not accepting the establishment/federal/commonwealth or supporting organised war (is there any other?) comes from being a good person, not a greedy by-brainwashing person.

**Never claimed to be one myself but I wish I was, although I’m sure there’s a reason I’m not 🙂

But I’m too good and sweet and nice to be an anarchist! *frowns*

p1 said :

RiotACT *IS* the local anarchist group…

i was just going to note – ‘you found us’… damn you to hell, p1, and damn you all… go on, all of you, back to reading your murray bookchin.

eyeLikeCarrots said :

Ok, someone help me out here. I spent my time at Uni doing all those silly technical subjects and only 1 unit of Political studies (which I enjoyed).

What sort of things do anarchists do? I assume its not flower arrangement and tea parties ? I hope its not hurting anyone (except maybe french people).

The only way I got involved with Anarchism was during my ‘rebellious stage’ when I was 13 or so… it went Anarchism > Socialism > Somewhere centre-left. Anyway, there are many various forms of Anarchism and although funny to laugh at wanting to live/create an anarchist society does not mean chaos- however there are people hat just want to cause chaos. The idea of chaos is one meaning of the word however very loosely it was always defined to me as ‘self-rule’ so long as one was not harming/negatively affecting others- living without national government and essentially having direct-representational smaller councils to deal with day to day issues whilst we just went on with our lives. I found an ad for agroup in what was Jmag before (Recovery… that tv show on ABC with Dylan as a host) that sent out a magazine and stickers, they contacted me and I met up with a guy and I helped out a bit with posting out some of the magazines. Had a personal realisation and moved on. The group was called Anarchist Youth Network- although a quick search looks like its disappeared.

I remember there was a group called the ‘Black Pirates’ back during the anti-Iraq-war protests in Canberra.

Pommy bastard said :

Doesn’t the desire to join an anarchist group automatically disbar you from joining?

It certainly does, PB! *chuckle* Welcome back, by the way!

: )

luther_bendross4:51 pm 18 Jul 09

1. LOL @ troll.

2. I’m assuming you have a background in anarchism. Were you a member of such a group in Brisvegas? Were you one of the legends hanging around Hungry Jacks in Queen St hassling people for change, or were you keeping it rizzle in Inala?

Pommy bastard2:56 pm 18 Jul 09

Doesn’t the desire to join an anarchist group automatically disbar you from joining?

Send a post to JenJen in Elite Nicholls, she knows all about Anarchy at the moment………

Pelican Lini12:29 pm 18 Jul 09

If you want anarchy, try getting out of the car park at Bruce Stadium after any major sporting event

eyeLikeCarrots said :

What sort of things do anarchists do?

Depends if your into big ‘a’ Anarchy or little ‘a’ anarchy.

Big ‘a’ Anarchy is all about asserting the absolute right of the individual to do as they please.

Little ‘a’ anarchy is just concerned with running riot around the place.

From the poster’s original message mentioning environmental activism I suggest he is in the second group.

eyeLikeCarrots11:08 am 18 Jul 09

Ok, someone help me out here. I spent my time at Uni doing all those silly technical subjects and only 1 unit of Political studies (which I enjoyed).

What sort of things do anarchists do? I assume its not flower arrangement and tea parties ? I hope its not hurting anyone (except maybe french people).

RiotACT *IS* the local anarchist group…

Just go to parliament house any weekday (or some weekends). Youre sure to find several protest groups, some of which may be what youre looking for.

neanderthalsis10:35 am 18 Jul 09

On a more serious note, the Socialist Alliance might be the closest thing to anarchists you’ll find (unless you get a seat in the legislative assembly) I think they used to have an office in garema place.

They might also help with your search for green groups.

From memory, there’s a group based at the ANU – I’d suggest that you wander over there and look for their posters.

Woody Mann-Caruso10:28 am 18 Jul 09

There used to be a group of individualist anarchists, but they decided that individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective body, and so the group should abolish itself.

Unfortunately, it was a majority decision. As all good individualists know, the imposition of majority decision over the decision of the individual is null and void, so they re-established the group.

They found themselves caught in an inescapable philosophical loop. Eventually they starved to death in a corner because nobody wanted to take the lead and get some food unless they all agreed but didn’t agree.

I would have thought that forming groups and having regular scheduled meetings went against the very essence and and concept of anarchy. Obviously not.

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