A is for Anarchy

[@leegardner3617]

I never gave a second thought to the proper concept of anarchy until the Grenfell disaster where the local community organised themselves to provide aid etc and the local council and national government did nothing for days.

[@DenkyManner]

That's not anarchy, that community spirit and basic compassion when people are in need. Anarchy is an anti-organised power movement. If I give a homeless person 50p I'm not being an anarchist.

[@billkosses3808]

@@DenkyManner Community spirit and compassion towards people in need (let's call it class solidarity) is absolutely central to anarchy.

[@anarchistmugwump9137]

@@DenkyManner Anarchy is not opposed to organisation. It's opposed to hierarchical centralised organisation.

[@jellokween1680]

@@DenkyManner it very much is anarchisim 🙂

[@mikedesouza9369]

@@DenkyManner that's just the "media" definition to make it sound unworkable imho. It's more cooperatives at a local level working together is my understanding.

[@karlosn5579]

40 years ago Alexei was informing me on the way of this world...and he still is.

[@johnnyrollerskates9270]

great edition of the podcast, I learned a lot and was riveted.

[@gardenlizard1586]

A comedian who is better read and able to question better than any journalist I hear today

[@skintslots]

I think some journalists are able to question politicians and the system better, but either choose not to or feel they cannot because they may lose their jobs or status within the industry. When the whole media is run by billionaires and often at a loss it must be difficult to balance your beliefs and your livelihood.

[@mixtapesfrommylatepartner]

Best edition of this podcast yet.

[@Nippip1]

As an anarchist I would have liked to have seen an anarchist talking about anarchism

[@pipster1891]

It's more a programme on Spanish history than an explanation of Anarchism.

[@davedogge2280]

Anarchy is not a bad thing, local communities will regulate themselves and create their own civilization. Keep people on their toes.

[@Anybloke]

That's what might happen in nice places such as Hampstead. What will happen in the likes of Birkenhead is that organised crime will seize control, there will be more shootings, and the streets will be awash with class A drugs (ie pretty much the way it is now).

[@DenkyManner]

But that sounds like hell. I don't want to be involved in designing my local community infrastructure. Got enough to do. The only people motivated enough to go th all that crap are the nutcases. We've already got a civilisation, and a bunch of malcontents aren't likeky to come up with a better one with such vague goals are "regulate themselves". Meaning what? Survival of the fittest?

[@tentringer4065]

@@DenkyManner sounds like the arguments made opposing universal suffrage.

[@davedogge2280]

@@DenkyManner I was thinking of something ideal like this ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/d32Yf6x3itdlg80

[@anthonymichael5078]

Fascinating podcast. More please Alexei!

[@amandaloebner8169]

Best one yet Alexei, really learned a lot and so very enjoyable. Thank youuuuuu!

[@alexwood3251]

Full respect to the Professor. Very interesting and informative on Spanish history. I would take issue with his characterisation of ‘Corbynistas’. Calls his judgment into question for me.

[@billkosses3808]

The idea that you can't make left wing demands with a right wing media seemed a bit of a non-starter to me.

[@murraylee9468]

Excellent discussion

[@simonphillpotts5790]

Loved the show, brilliantly educating.

[@roryokeeffe111]

I love Paul Preston's writing. You should maybe put his name on this too: I listen to this podcast anyway, but I think lots of people who like Paul Preston would be vey interested to give this a listen too...

[@warrenbond32]

Safe Alexi, I have just discovered Ur channel mate excellent and enlightened. I remember You from over 40 yrs ago your principles are still fiery Brother love from the Maypole Brum

[@alanchriston6806]

Brilliant 😊🏴‍☠️

[@Fredders88]

'That's orwell and good' said the prof about Orwell. No pun intended.

[@mariegriffiths]

Cows being lined up to vote....pull the udder one........Ill get my coat.

[@skintslots]

Inspired by the great Blackadder episode featuring the Dunny on the Wold by election.

[@dusanvuckovic17]

Thank you comrade. Thank you for such an illuminating chat.

[@adzy166]

This was superb. Looking forward to the next part

[@forecast_hinderer]

This was great. A can of worms well worth opening.

[@RoboticPolishingBuffingDeburr]

Aquí se puede aprender más de la historia de la España moderna que puedes aprender aquí en la calle en 20 años. Muchas gracias

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

Very very interesting. I did European history 1917 to 1939 at school, and certainly Spain was not really covered...it was in the 60's seen as a bit of a side show.

[@hanbaal]

Alexei Sayle, professor Paul Preston and an angry sparrow discuss political anarchism and the Spanish civil war.

[@billkosses3808]

I was with the sparrow over the prof for large sections

[@alastairjohnson4038]

By coincidence, Rayo Vallecano, the leftist Madrid neighbourhood footie team mentioned, got promoted to primera division on Sunday night in the play offs! Enhorabuena Vallecanos!

[@anarchistmugwump9137]

The stuff about the Spanish Civil War was interesting. I was aware of Orwell's occasional bullshit, though it didn't occur to me when I read Homage that Catalonia had its own language and people probably wouldn't be speaking Spanish conversationally round there at the time. There wasn't much actual information about Anarchism though. I like Alexei's style though of just letting his guests chat about whatever they want, but it kinda led to the good Professor talking more about the POUM than even the CNT! It's like if he was meant to be talking about Situationism and got side tracked talking about the CGT.

[@aaronrichards7652]

Anarchy Pizza Cafe...

[@troybrookes1220]

IIIIIII wanna beeeeeee, Anarchyyyyy... get p****d... Destroyyyyyy

[@andygardner5810]

Gérard Depardieu- 'Ah keep 'aving eet in my throat, a leetel beet of rohst beef' Crowd goes mental.

[@4-dman464]

Visually the best edition yet. Suggestion: Swap this soundtrack with Alexei Bike Ride Milton Keynes. This will make anarchism look more dynamic and give Milton Keynes more character.

[@levitation25]

Anarchists were once banned by US immigration but The Sex Pistols managed to tour over there so they must have relaxed it at some point (ha ha). It looks like those provisions weren't properly repealed until the 1990 Immigration Act.

[@Fredders88]

'And one of the leaders of [the station] was from the POUM'. I thought he said 'from the Pool' (as in Liverpool) and was expecting some Liverpool love-in from the two of them......'we get everywhere' etc.

[@patrickholt2270]

Homage To Catalonia is the book which made me a Marxian, that really sunk into my mind the idea that socialism isn't Labour elction wins and bits of reforming parliamentary bills, but has to be something much more revolutionary and the idea, as Orwell puts it in Homage to Catalonia, of the working class being in charge of society. It also set the standard for me of what's a justifiable war, by which virtually every other war I've ever heard of fails, as they should. As to "you can't make a revolution during a war", that seems to run contrary to every revolutionary guerilla war that has taken place, including in China, Cuba and Vietnam. Granted that the circumstances were different in that the Spanish right started the war with the specific war goal of exterminated the base of leftism, and was prosecuting it as such so that there could be no hinterland behind Franco's lines where guerilla war could be waged. It seems to me that sneering at the anarchists and POUM as impractical is moot since disarming their militias, creating dudgeon and dispiriting their base so as to create a centralised regular Republican army didn't work either. As Preston has pointed out in his books, most of the troops trained by the Republican Army ended up swelling the ranks of the fascists when they were captured to avoid jail or worse. Orwell talks about the perverse and excessive anti-Stalinism of Trotskyists who collaborated with the Cold War like Professor Preston mentioned, in Notes on Nationalism, as an example of negative nationalism, in his special definition of "nationalism" that he elaborates in that essay. I call what Orwell was talking about under "nationalism" idolatrous tribalism. As for those Trotskyists, or ex-Trotskyists writing books saying it was for the best that the Spanish Republic was defeated, they had some reason for resenting the Stalinists, since they were targeted for assassination during the period by Stalin. It's correct to say that the ILP and the POUM were not simply Trotskyist parties, even if they had a lot of Trotskyist members, because they also contained, and in the case of the ILP they were officially dominated by, pro-Mensheviks and fans of Martov, which is why the POUM had to be formed as a coalition and merger of Spanish Menshevik and Totskyist parties, which obviously had massive ideological differences. In keeping with the 2nd International, the ILP was of course pursuing a democratic Marxian electoral strategy, hence helping form the Labour Party and for over a decade constituting its membership organisation. I see that being done today by practical Marxists in every country where elections are allowed. It's certainly the strategy of the Pink Tide governments in Latin American, as well as of new Marxist electoral parties in Europe like Podemos and the Belgian Workers Party. To that extent we're all Mensheviks, or British New Left, now. I don't see anything else working, including whatever unspecified collusion with Blairism Preston appears to be recommending.

[@matthewnewberry7275]

More dirt on Orwell would be good.

[@clivebon-elle8702]

Gelron them red scare lasses laa maybe youzlaurelave a good laff.

[@christophernaisbitt6038]

Why is it so quiet?? Could this podcast be uploaded at a higher volume? I can’t hear it over the chanting in the street. By chanting in the street, I mean shower. I like to listen to it while I’m in the shower. On this occasion, I’m not in the shower but, I am eating a bag of fascists and, I’m still having trouble hearing what’s being said. By fascists, I actually mean crisps

[@grumbleworks]

Very interesting discussion on the Spanish civil war but as a conversation about anarchism I’m left feeling disappointed

[@RoboticPolishingBuffingDeburr]

Ja ja Paco de Madrid. Una buena sugerencia. Pablo Iglesias se ha cortado su pelo y así entonces perdi todo su poder. un saludo de Granada.

[@Richard_Hood]

A joke for your co presenter to consider for his stand up...didn't get his name. People think cats are clean because they are always licking themselves. But they aren't clean, they are covered in cat spit. It might be one of your jokes Mr Sayle 😁

[@jellokween1680]

Hey! get anarchists on here to talk about anarchists not an old trot Prof ffs

[@CirqueSteamPunk]

The prof was very informative on Spanish history but never gave a satisfactory definition of anarchism. He seems dismissive and derisory of Bakunin, who in particular had a lot of valid ideas including criticisms of Marx. To learn about anarchism talk to an anarchist in stead maybe.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

I hear some are trying to get DID pulled. I used to love Roy Plumley host it. Hated Sue Lawley who always said 'and then you did this' etc...

[@leightongoss6147]

'Corbynites' voted for Starmer. All he had to do was stick to his continuity and unity tickets plus his 10 pledges. Your man is describing a Blairite there which us a much better example of political intolerance. Look at the anti Corbyn stance since 2015 that continues to this day.

[@patrickholt2270]

Some did. Mostly the Remainers, since he was the figurehead of the (acutely snobbish and Blairite led) PV campaign in the PLP.

[@markxist]

Disappointed in the obligatory anti-Corbyn stance but perhaps even more by the criticism of Jim Allen and Ken Loach's Land and Freedom, which isn't even worth considering given Preston thinks it was made in the early 70s...it was made in the mid 90s!

[@Kergrist]

This podcast is to loud, please can you adjust it.

[@alguitarchristie]

Honestly, I am so disappointed with comedians during the lockdown! I'm not even a big fan of Russell Brand, but at least he made some comments on the pandemic!

[@daveadriffield7296]

So your selling them. How capitalist.

[@tentringer4065]

Alexei owns the means of production.

[@ag-fd1py]

F Me that was so boring

[@CBGBeats]

Always great listening to Alexei chatting to anybody about anything. It's a shame the guest to talk about anarchism with is somebody who doesn't like anarchism (and seemingly prefers Starmer to Corbyn). If you get through the alphabet back to anarchism again, Ruth Kinna would be a great guest choice to give a fairer discussion. Here's a great brief explanation of the origins and meaning of anarchism by Ruth Kinna on Dan Snow's History Hit podcast play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistoryhit/anarchy-withruthkinna

[@pipster1891]

I read Paul Preston's "The Spanish Holocaust". Great book, but it took me two years to read it because the events were so harrowing that I could only read it in short chunks. It was certainly a far better history of the Spanish Civil War than that of Antony Beevor, who mainly writes about the Republican side (critically) and seems most interested in what military hardware was used.

[@pipster1891]

Don't know why Paul Preston thought Ken Loach's "Land and Freedom" was made in the 1970s. It was made in 1995.

[@pipster1891]

Should really have been called "S is for Spain".