For too long anarchist communism has been marginalised to the footnotes of history and deliberately distorted by political opponents from the left and right. Now in its second print run published by Just Books in Belfast which many of you will be familiar with from the late 1970s onwards, the work seeks to rehabilitate the current of anarchist communism and to make it better known and understand; and to renovate and modernise.
From its origins in the emergence of the First International and the worker’s movement around 160 years ago, anarchist communism was a major current and mass movement in Russia, France, South America, Ukraine, China and Japan amongst other countries. As Brian Morris correctly asserted, anarchist communism has been the main current within the body of anarchism and this book aims to stress that and bring it out of the shadows.
This new work by Nick Heath is a welcome edition to English language literature on Anarchist Communism. Nick has a long career as both an activist and historian in and of class struggle anarchism does a fantastic job explaining the ideas that underpin anarchist communism as the only revolutionary praxis that aims to dismantle all forms of oppression and domination replacing it with a self-managed classless and stateless society.
The book presents an overview of the key debates within anarchism and the wider left regarding strategies for liberation, elections, aims and principles; while connecting influential anarchist thinkers and strategists such as Malatesta, Kropotkin etc to social revolutionary upheavals.
Unfortunately, the political landscape in Ireland has been overshadowed by the zero sum politics of nationalism and sectarian division, but despite this anarchism continues to fight on and offer a glimpse of a future beyond green and orange. The Irish anarchist history archive, and the A Wee Black Booke of Belfast Anarchism (1867-1973) (2) offer further information and research if interested in anarchism in Ireland.
Far from being a lost cause, anarchist communism is the only way out of the appaling situation that capitalism has brought us which continues its death march with continuous wars, famines, the increasing gap between rich and poor, the obscene spectacles of billionaires flaunting their wealth, the deepening problem of global warming and species extinction.
In the words of Nick Heath:
From its origins in the emergence of the First International and the worker’s movement around 160 years ago, anarchist communism was a major current and mass movement in Russia, France, South America, Ukraine, China and Japan amongst other countries. As Brian Morris correctly asserted, anarchist communism has been the main current within the body of anarchism and this book aims to stress that and bring it out of the shadows.
This new work by Nick Heath is a welcome edition to English language literature on Anarchist Communism. Nick has a long career as both an activist and historian in and of class struggle anarchism does a fantastic job explaining the ideas that underpin anarchist communism as the only revolutionary praxis that aims to dismantle all forms of oppression and domination replacing it with a self-managed classless and stateless society.
The book presents an overview of the key debates within anarchism and the wider left regarding strategies for liberation, elections, aims and principles; while connecting influential anarchist thinkers and strategists such as Malatesta, Kropotkin etc to social revolutionary upheavals.
Unfortunately, the political landscape in Ireland has been overshadowed by the zero sum politics of nationalism and sectarian division, but despite this anarchism continues to fight on and offer a glimpse of a future beyond green and orange. The Irish anarchist history archive, and the A Wee Black Booke of Belfast Anarchism (1867-1973) (2) offer further information and research if interested in anarchism in Ireland.
Far from being a lost cause, anarchist communism is the only way out of the appaling situation that capitalism has brought us which continues its death march with continuous wars, famines, the increasing gap between rich and poor, the obscene spectacles of billionaires flaunting their wealth, the deepening problem of global warming and species extinction.
In the words of Nick Heath:
If the human race is to survive, it has to look towards a free society based on need and not profit, where production is geared towards essential needs and socially useful, where we live in peace with nature rather than war with it, where the expression and development of the individual is framed within the solidarity of all, where all the old hierarchies are destroyed, where State, Capital and Patriarchy are tumbled. A society of community and individual fulfilment, anarchist communism.
If you are interested in finding out more about anarchism this book is a must!
Available from PM Press or contact Just Books at justbooksbelfast@gmail.com
The book is currently going for a discount of 10 pound from Organise!
Nick Heath, 2022, The Idea: Anarchist Communism: past. present and future. Publisher @ Just Books. ISBN-13: 978-1739723712
Nick Heath, 2022, The Idea: Anarchist Communism: past. present and future. Publisher @ Just Books. ISBN-13: 978-1739723712
⏩ Sean Matthews is an anarchist activist and writer.
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