Possibly the dumbest thing in McAnarchyism

V for Vendetta is about Anarchy
A for Anarchy

Anarchists: This Friday marks the beginning of our most important opportunity in decades to communicate with millions about the possibility of a world without capitalism or coercion. On Friday, March 17, 2006, the long awaited film version of Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel, V for Vendetta, will premier throughout the US. V for Vendetta is the story of an anarchist who dismantles a fascist state through propaganda of the deed, inspiring the masses to revolt with a vision of building an anarchist future. The book’s protagonist does not simply promote vague anti-authoritarianism or nondescript appeals to “question authority” but explicitly and compellingly calls for the masses to eliminate the state and replace it with anarchy.


Unsurprisingly, this radical message has been lost in the translation to Hollywood’s watered-down film version. Warner Bros. presents a hero rebelling against fascism and advocating “freedom”, yet never suggests that until the state is destroyed, no one will truly be free. Alan Moore has described the script of the film as “rubbish” and had demanded that his name be removed from it.

Time and again, anarchists have seen our message distorted, our comrades martyred, and our stories erased by the corporate and governmental
servants of the ruling class. We cannot allow this to happen again!

An ad hoc group of anarchists in New York City have launched AforAnarchy.com, a website and education campaign designed to reinject anarchist politics into V for Vendetta and radicalize audiences of the film.

We are calling for anarchists everywhere to use the film as an opportunity for education and dialogue. Through the use of literature, speakouts, lit tables, and street theater outside movie theaters showing the film, we can inspire moviegoers leaving the film to join the fight for a stateless society. In New York, we will begin doing these things at sneak previews on March 16th and will continue at theaters for the duration of the films’s run in theaters.

To this end, we have created a number of ideas and tools that we hope you will find helpful. (Further information and downloads can be found
at AforAnarchy.org in the Contact & Press section):

* We have prepared a flyer to distribute at your local movie theater where V is showing revealing the graphic novel’s anarchist politics and encouraging moviegoers to embrace anarchy. We’ve deliberately kept the politics fairly general in an attempt to create a document that can represent anarchists of all tendencies.

Feel free to modify it to suit the needs of your local community. And of course, if you don’t like this flyer, by all means, create one that you prefer.

* Engage audience through costumed role playing of “deleted scenes”—acting out portions of the graphic novel where V speaks in support of anarchy.

* We have designed sticker mock-ups to promote the website that you can download, print on sticker paper, and stick all sorts of places. Of course, we DO NOT suggest that you put them on V for Vendetta movie ads, as this would be vandalism, and vandalism is against the law.

* While many of us are skeptical of the corporate and in some cases even the alternative media, they can be a powerful vehicle for getting the attention of large numbers of people. While we obviously can’t expect them to accurately represent our entire message, we can at least use them to pique people’s curiosity and drive people to the website, where we can present an unfiltered message, To this end, we have prepared a model press release available on the website that you can send to your local media documenting your V for Vendetta related outreach activities., and will be sending a national press release, which can include information on your local actions if you email it to adam@wetlands-preserve.org.

We invite you to use these resources and join us in any or all of the actions listed above. Our hope is to gain a nationwide, significant, and unsuspected response to the film’s release that will lead moviegoers to a far more radical place than the corporate filmmakers behind this film intended, and help to bring thousands of new people to the anarchist movement. We thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

For Anarchy,

aforanarchy.com

(an ad hoc collective on individual members of groups like New York Metro Anarchist Alliance, NEFAC, Wetlands Activism Collective, Freegan.info, Students for A Democratic Society, Libertad Skool Collective and other groups)

A for Anarchy

Chicago Nurses Do something ambiguous

CHICAGO NURSES JOIN NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END NURSING CRISIS
SEIU

CHICAGO—Registered nurses in the Chicago area are joining nurses from across the country to advocate for real solutions to the nation’s patient care crisis. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced the launch of the new Nurse Alliance of SEIU, a distinct national membership organization by, for and of nurses. The Nurse Alliance of SEIU also announced the launch of a national campaign, Value Care, Value Nurses, focusing on improving the quality patient care and bringing nurses back to the bedside.

Today the Nurse Alliance of SEIU also released a white paper by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), emphasizing the importance of registered nurses in the delivery of quality patient care and the ways in which poor conditions in hospitals are devaluing these worthy caregivers. The paper cites low pay, short staffing, and mandatory overtime as conditions that have caused nurses to leave the bedside and shows how raising nurse salaries will help to draw more nurses to the profession.

“Over 83,000 registered nurses chose to leave the bedside right here in Illinois. It is time that we start addressing the real reasons and commit to real solutions to bring them back. The future of patient care and the nursing profession both depend on it,” said Karen Backus, RN, Director of the Nurse Alliance of SEIU-Illinois.

The IWPR report found that, nationally, 35 percent of employed nurses who are not working in nursing are in positions of higher pay and 46 percent of them find better hours in other work environments.

In the spirit of unity, the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) and the Nurse Alliance of SEIU-Illinois will be convening a round table of registered nurses with area legislators and other officials on Monday, April 3rd to discuss possible solutions to the nursing crisis.

“There is a 9% RN vacancy rate in our state, and we as nurses know why RNs are leaving the bedside and what it is going to take to keep them there. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss it with legislators,” said Sandra Robinson, RN, who works at the Chicago Department of Public Health and chairs the INA E&GW Commission.

Parties interested in the April 3rd event should contact Karen Backus at 312.235.4739 for more information.

For more information about the Value Care, Value Nurses campaign, go to:
Nurse Alliance Midwest
Value Care Value Nurses

Go Fedaykin

Public service talks to resume Friday
BCGEU

The union representing 25,000 government employees who provide important public services in communities across the province has agreed to the provincial government’s request to return to the bargaining table. Talks are set to resume tomorrow, March 17, the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) said today.

“I have received word from the government that they are prepared to make us the significant new offer we said we needed. If it’s an offer that addresses our members’ key issues of privatization, contracting out and fair wages, our committee is ready to work hard to get an agreement,” said George Heyman, BCGEU president.

The union stepped away from the bargaining table on Monday, March 13, after seven straight days of talks failed to result in a tentative agreement. The union has since commenced essential service negotiations with the government, in the event of a strike.

“We told the government’s negotiators on Monday that while we are committed to achieving a negotiated settlement, their last offer wasn’t going to do it,” Heyman said. “We reiterated that any deal had to address privatization and contracting out, and provide for fair wage increases that keep pace with inflation.

“The government’s last offer did not provide the assurances our members need to protect them from privatization and contracting out. And their last wage offer was far less than what we need,” Heyman said.

“I’m optimistic that the government has heard the strong message from our members who voted 80 percent in favour of strike to back our contract demands that we deserve better in this round of bargaining and are prepared to fight for it. With a new offer from government and some more hard work by both sides on key issues, there’s no reason why we can’t reach an agreement by Sunday.”

BCGEU