Back to Looking Inwards - again

	The notion that anarchist ideas are so hot and the continuing
	conundrum as how to make anyone give a monkeys changed up a gear
	this May as the hordes gathered in Bradford to discuss how to get
	noticed. Maybe it's too much to ask for a summary and conclusion of
	the events, discussions and rants which took place - the whole four
	days were massive, with unknown hundreds turning up - however it's
	perhaps a little too convenient an excuse to avoid giving a personal
	view of what happened in Bradford.

	The build up to Bradford '98, the pre-event debates, saw a lot of
	unlikely characters sitting down and discussing what they thought to
	be their differences, the very notion that these people could be
	found in a room trying to make sense of it must have shocked some
	into tragic pathos. This possibly was the most exciting part, but to
	be fair they all speak, or at least understand the same language.
	The admission from some anarchists that the claim that all is well
	in the anarchist is in fact a myth, shows a healthy level of
	critical analysis - something anarchists are good at-although this
	reality hasn't hit home for some, and the myth goes on.

	London Smoke

	With arguably the most anarchist activity and the strongest
	concentration of self-aware anarchists in the country, London is
	home to the perpetuation of this myth. With enough numbers and
	smart-arses in each camp to keep a sectarian war going, the rest of
	the anarchist groups around the country have to make sense of their
	disenfranchisement from the ordinary people, whilst attempting to
	peddle pages of bitter infighting included in anarchist propaganda
	all of which is based in London. The very fact that in London the
	two closest aligned libertarian organisations, the ACF and SolFed,
	seem to spend every opportunity in putting each other to the test,
	or chastising for some ideological wrong doing, speaks volumes.

	Perhaps one benefit of not having as many people in the libertarian
	communities outside London is being able to step back and examine
	the real differences and what is actually being said to each other.
	It may strike people on the periphery that it's just a case of
	language and attitude as the greatest obstacles.

	Into the ghetto

	The eighties were blighted by individualism and arguably
	inconsequential single issue campaigning, sometimes a thousand years
	form most people's interests. Political correctness was rife, for
	some people everyday conversation changed forever. Anarchists were
	found taking up the cause for the likes of veganism and using it as
	a moral club to beat , and to score points against fellow comrades.
	The 90s backlash against all that pointless hot air was harsh,
	though overdue. And although too much could not have been expected
	of Bradford 98, some of those attitudes were inevitably present.
	It's not that libertarian ideas are crap, it's the libertarians. If
	they're not beating each other up with words they're jumping down
	other people's throats for sounding un-PC. But to be fair, the past
	ten years have seen interest in class struggle libertarian ideas
	progress in leaps and bounds, though not at the expense of the ever
	busy DIY attitude. Recently there have been attempts by class
	struggle anarchists to claim the direct action eco movement as a
	prodigal son returning to its roots and embracing class
	consciousness. Possibly true for some, though an awareness of genus
	over class seems to be de rigeur for most eco activists. The
	argument that there have been recent examples of association between
	everyday people's struggles and eco activists holds very little
	water. The DIY scene is presented by hopeful anarchists as radical,
	united and collected, one step away from joining a class struggle
	federation. Anyone can pass on views on pieces of paper on behalf of
	the eco movement in just the same way anyone can form opinions about
	that movement by the people from within it they speak to, and
	there's some would have you believe the Liverpool dockers were
	nothing bar manure for trees. Language. (?? -Ed.)

	More hot air

	Rather than set up any list of people who libertarians, especially
	class strugglers, should be speaking to, let's just enjoy speaking
	to each other for a while; smaller miracles like speaking to people
	outside anarchist circles may one day happen. Go Bradford!

	In Solidarity
	Arthur T.S.Jackson

	Comment: While we found some of these points valid, it's not true
	that all the anarchist press is centred in London. Direct Action is
	based in Sheffield, Subversion in Manchester, Counter Information in
	central Scotland, Taking Liberties has recently moved to Sheffield.
	Similarly, the description of the behaviour of London ACF and SolFed
	in London leave at least this writer bemused.