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NUMBER 15

CONTENTS.

The Torch of Karl Kraus.

The topic of the word totalitarianism.

Carlos Taibo. alarm state.

TORCH KARL KRAUS. IDEAS THAT NEVER DIE

In April 1899 Karl Kraus published the first issue of THE TORCH. For 37 years, this unique and only magazine, the most ambitious effort ever achieved has been made in journalism and world literature, dignified thought and literary creation. Thousands of followers should emulate today in Spain. We are but one of them, we eat their words and ideas with the example of his independence and his fierce criticism.

transcribe in this issue an excerpt from the statement Kraus introduced in the first issue of the journal:

... at a time that has brought political and social turbulence of all kinds in this country, before a public that between intransigence and apathy is an accommodation full of topical or no idea, the editor of this magazine, which has hitherto remains aloof, making comments from an inconspicuous place, decided to launch a battle cry. Who dares to give it not for a change, a eunuch party, but a publicist who considered political questions best men to "wild" (...) happily takes the stigma of "disloyalty" policy drawn on the forehead ( ...) The company that here the deal is no more than drain the swamp broad topics that others would define steadily nationwide. (...) The eyes unclouded by partisan glasses see double sharp signal, which sometimes menacing fulgirá our darkness intensified by the candles on the altar. And maybe I also cherish the hope that no void extinguished the battle cry intended to bring together disaffected and oppressed in all fields ... to encourage all those who sit with talent and desire to form a frond decisively against corrupt cliques and exclusivity in all areas. (...) The impartial observer will be made to fairly distribute the blame between the government and the parties: not only ministers who violate a law of inertia, which is what allows this state to remain standing , representatives of the people to any language that disturbs less "inside the official language" of consciousness and do not cease to discuss the inscriptions on the spittoons in public finance, while people trust their financial needs as a secret confession to a priest too quiet ... That Torch lit, then, a country in which, contrary to what was happening in the empire of Charles V, the sun never rises.

The topic of the word totalitarianism.

Often writers and intellectuals of all kinds, to discuss his work and his life, made similar references to them: we have experienced and overcome the hard times of totalitarianism, fortunately . They refer, of course, fascism and communism. And are happy to live in time where they now live. As if staying in the best of all possible worlds. As if fascism and communism were similar ideologies driven by dark forces and culpable of all the tragedies afflicting the Earth. And who thus expressed are educated people who think and speak ex cathedra. We think, poor people without any capacity analysis!. Did not know that the symbols, gestures, words, not always conceal some realities based on the exploitation of human beings, organized in antagonistic social classes, holding not only has not been exceeded, but remains entrenched in society of ever more criminal and cruel to keep something simple to which they seem to neither want nor wish to refer: the existence of a world organized on the basis of majority rule by a criminal minority that has the economic and political power. That is, pure capitalism increasingly hard

Capitalism

class, caste, were significant as can be fascist totalitarianism of those who truly dominate the market, impose conditions, and concuencias, hunger, deaths have no adequate sanitation, premature aging, sexual slavery, decay of drugs and their markets, corruption leads to the organization of crime, destruction of nature, envenenaniemto of natural resources, etc.

But behind all this, who are you? Unfortunately many who feed these writers and intellectuals who happily show the disappearance of totalitarianism. What a bore having to repeat it, when they do not even been warned not want to know! While his books are sold, fed his lectures, interviews offer them painful and nauseating corrupt media, construction or pay their artistic creations, give them forums where the only thought that there is thinking, and they fill the mouth with the word freedom, prostituted word of our time!. Because we are talking to bankers, bishops, oligarchs, responsible (?) Politicians, engineers, architects, lawyers, writers, judges, journalists ...

And the other-path state capitalism usurped just unfortunate triumph of communism the Soviet revolution by predators who built a new party based on such terrible practices such as religious Inquisition and the predatory capitalists, together both in a political class leader, with its Pope and infallible authority that created his caste and privilege in a struggle to occupy denon and stay in power at the expense of millions of dreamers, fighters, men and women sacrificed their destructive greed. Because the Communists themselves were victims who were defined as communist leaders. And capitalism skills contribute to phagocytosis and killing, until returning to the fold of a new totalitarianism, fascism that now occupy.

goes without saying that this tragic history, police, repression, censorship, were and are necessary to maintain fully functioning state machinery. And speaking of communism, I mean communism in its Stalinist version covers the countries of Europe and substitutes as Cambodia and North Korea, communism ended the day Berlin said "we are here, and do not enter the dark and worthy analysis of deep study, for example, today's China.

But what about our society? It has certainly evolved in their forms, methods, not answers. Is ruthless economic exploitation and class differences becomes almost inconceivable in the past. Corruption and economic imperialism increasingly tight and tiny consolidated lobbyists leading the world to an unprecedented catastrophe. And censorship and repression exerted through elements traditional, always necessary for them, police, and other new, more subtle but more devastating effects on intelligence and freedom: the market.

Carlos Taibo. Alarm State

Carlos Taibo on alarm state

Pedro Maceiras

Carlos Taibo

a book published these days of urgency. Is entitled Alarm status. Casino socialism, left anemic, lame unionism (Catarata, Madrid, 2011). As is easy to see, is interested in some of the most lively debates that have occurred over the past year.

What have you tried to do in this book?

The last months have been very eventful, almost all unfortunate among us. I'm thinking of the unfortunate adjustment plan approved by the English government in May, in the general strike that took body at the end of September or, more recently, acceptance of pensionazo by major trade unions. As a result, and as is known, have been cut obscenely social and labor rights to save face to those who, in an immoral way, have put the financial system to the brink of bankruptcy.

think it made sense to stop and examine the back of this whole process with an explicit purpose: to promote a critical consideration to what has occurred, with one or the other profiles within the left policy and major trade unions, primarily in the form of what has been, the best, a brief defense of welfare states. In my view we must open the eyes of many people to make clear the shortcomings of such a project.

In several sections of the book you are referring to the existence of two different diagnoses of the crisis that would have taken shape in the sectors of our society who still resist.

Right. The first of these diagnoses is that I just mentioned. His brief is to rebuild demand welfare states, and with them, the regulation half faded in the heat of the neoliberal measures. This project is primarily institutional, embodied in unionism covenant and laws should be decided on the appropriate bodies.

The second diagnosis, which is mine, well aware of the challenges arising from the ecological crisis demands go beyond a mere defense of welfare states. Also claimed the opening, since the base spaces of autonomy and self-management, and is suspicious of the alleged virtues of growth and consumption. Materializes, finally, in an action on the basis that, in the absence of anything better, should be borne by the critical social movements and alternative unionism.

Why do you think that this distinction raises blisters you've done?

Everyone is free to think whatever you want. I firmly believe, however, that many political leftists prefer to close their eyes to what is happening in it. The political left, obsessed with the election seems determined to attract old Socialist Party voters unhappy with the drift of it. The aberrantly result is a social project, short-term and proudly ignorant of the uncertainties that arise from the ecological crisis. And in this regard I must stress that any agreement on the minimum may occur on such petty grounds.

I venture to add that this project now seems critical played wing, since its fundamental prop - support that had to grant major trade unions - has vanished. It is increasingly urgent, otherwise distance themselves from the latter, pillars of the system that we suffer, and this despite the speech that gives the right ultramontane.

Your claim that it is the same as being anti-capitalist neoliberal to dodge the fact that there are many who are also anti-capitalist neoliberal.

is true: do not deny it. But I want to emphasize that others are briefly neoliberal and your choice in the matter is by no means casual. Many Social Democrats are anti-neoliberal but are not, in any way anti-capitalist. Just as there are political forces that reject state capitalism while promoting social programs briefly.

The book includes twelve questions concerning the project decrease. So you think it important?

I do not mind so much the proposed decrease, which I think is based provocative and healthy, and the urgent need of constant attention and committed to the ecological crisis. It is an idea that permanently round this book, and which is embodied in a strong thesis: that, not without paradox, the ecological crisis is now driving the most radical critiques of capitalism and which forces us to consider seriously the advisability of leaving the latter. It is no coincidence that this work has decided to include several pieces of combat power on the discussion or AVE.

In alarm state is a block of work claiming the libertarian. Why?

first thing I noted is that, in my view, to accept the major argument of the book is not accurate in any way be libertarian. Still, and always from my point of view, the core in which sits the second of the diagnoses I mentioned earlier is arguably the libertarian. I'm thinking of people who believe in direct democracy and self-management, which calls to the fore the creation of autonomous spaces, which rejects the capitalist forms of property and released and are wary of political professionals. The adjective libertarian seems more graphic to describe all this time, the most ideological anarchist .

I thought it was observed that as the text you include in this book are closer in time, lower your presence in the media system.

Well unfortunately, or fortunately, it is. The newspapers for which he wrote, which certainly have more capable professionals that I seemed to come to the conclusion long ago that my contributions add nothing. And the main effect is to just write somewhere else than offer a handful of web pages related harm than good social left and the alternative unionism. And better times will come. Or not.