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Title: Letter: Problem with anarchists
Author: Joe Cohen
Date: 1995
Language: en
Topics: letter, communist party, Israel, not-anarchist, Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation
Source: Retrieved on June 13, 2016 from https://web.archive.org/web/20160613051807/http://loveandrage.org/?q=node/51
Notes: Published in the Mar/Apr 1995 issue of the L&R Newspaper.

Joe Cohen

Letter: Problem with anarchists

Dear Love and Rage:

The following is a letter addressing a problem that I have with parts of

the anarchist movement. In a sense, I am trying to sort out some

thoughts of my own by engaging in dialogue with you, because I respect

your work and have read the paper sporadically for a few years.

The problem is this: The basic opposition of anarchists to Marxists and

vice-versa. I am coming from years of activity within the Israeli

Communist Party, most of that time without actually buying the whole

program. In other words, I have remained on the CP path for what I

consider to be pragmatic, logical reasons, and not because I am ready or

able to defend every aspect of Stalinist history. I used to think that

this made me a minority within the communist or revolutionary socialist

tradition, but that may not be true anymore.

I find that I am more comfortable with organizations that have

recognized leaders and hierarchies, because the kind of leaders that

don’t have official recognition can’t be officially replaced either. I

like to have a say by voting, without always having to agree with the

majority, or forcing the minority to agree with me. As long as the group

agrees to work together while tolerating disagreements, it is good,

honest political practice. I also find that most anarchist groups have

as many rules, explicit and implicit as the various left grouplets in

this country. The uniforms may be different, but the lack of openness

and tolerance feels the same. The Marxist left does seem to be more

successful at retaining members past the time when they have children.

Why do you think that is?

In a perfect world the boundaries between red and black would be

permeable, with groups across the spectrum recognizing the possibility

of change over time, and understanding that dogmatism and

holier-than-thou attitudes tend to defeat the purpose. As a

revolutionary, I am trying to change the world so that it suits me

better. By convincing anarchists that ideological pedigrees are less

important that practice, and labels least important of all, maybe I’ll

be able to find a home for myself, politically. I hope you have figured

out that if I am approaching the Love and Rage Network, it is because I

think you will be more receptive to such as myself than the left groups

I am familiar with.

A few years ago, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of

Israel, Meir Vilner, called for my expulsion from the CPI because,

according to him, I was an anarchist. In fact, I had merely called for

using the tactics of direct action while speaking at a congress of the

Young Communist League. He did not succeed, thankfully. It amuses me to

joke about the day when an anarchist group I belong to decides to expel

me because I have suggested something akin to democratic centralism, a

sure sign of Stalinism. As a whole, I suspect that anarchists would be

far less tolerant of me than my CP is back in Israel. In the words of

Rodney King, can’t we all get along?

Respectfully yours,

Joe Cohen