Adieu to Old England?

As if the world had ended when I had been young
My sorrows I'd never had known
When Flossie Lane passed away earlier this month a little piece of Old England left with her. Miss Lane had run the Sun Inn at Leintwardine on the Hereford/Shropshire border for 74 years. The Sun is one of only a handful of Parlour pubs left in England, although its future looks uncertain now that Miss Lane is gone. Parlour pubs are hostelries with no bar or till and the beer is poured from the barrel in the kitchen or other room and taken through to the customer out front.

Your author remembers fondly as a teenager visiting such an establishment - the Dun Cow at Northmoor, Oxfordshire (now gone) - and can recall the near intoxicating effect not so much of its beer, but of its identity, heritage and history. Parlour pubs and the characters that run and use them are part and parcel of the English collective folk memory and our shared national story. In a world of transience and flux, Miss Lane and her life represent place, purpose, roots and certainty. RIP Flossie.

WHEEL OF THE YEAR
They let him stand till the long Midsummer
Till he looked both pale and wan
We reached Midsummer's Day yesterday, still marked across Northern Europe by bonfires. It was also the Feast of St John the Baptist and also one of the Quarter Days - when hands were hired and debts were paid. Our national calendar, like so much else that was ours, is being buried under rootless modernity. The more we let this happen the more we become like synthetic ghosts in the plastic world promoted and beloved of our old friends those 'Citizens of the World'. How to fight back? ...Just remember

MEOW!
Those inspirational British Wildcats have been at it again and Berrocscir's Banner still backs them to the hilt - no ifs, no buts, as should all opponents of neoliberalism and globalisation. It's heartening to see the Union leadership being forced into action by the rank & file and hopefully a more tribalistic strain of worker empowerment can come out of this in stark contrast to the culturally Marxist formations most English workers are offered

It's good to talk

The Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) - you gotta love it - have always gained this author's respect due to their consistent work promoting Left unity and their non-sectarian Weekly Worker (see links)

But a story in this week's edition demonstrates our comrades have a way to go before their idea of alliance building is extended to anti-globalists who don't go in for dead Russians.

They condemn the Socialist Party (ex-Militant) activist who has been scandalously publicising the No2EU electoral bloc on social networking site pages of a nationalist ilk. Shock horror...

Berrocscir's Banner says good on the man. This is precisely what is needed to forge a new politics capable of challenging the neo-liberal globalised order. Let's have more of it. No2EU demonstrates the tentative steps elements of the Left and Trade Unions are taking towards the position that migration benefits capitalism and that alone. Some nationalists this comrade is trying to reach want to renationalise the railways, stop post office privatisation, protect jobs. It seems common sense to make common cause. Or just co-operatng on points of common interest. All anti-capitalists and anti-globalists should be thinking of breaking down those dogmatic barriers. To continue to scrape along in moribund ideological purity is simply not an option for anti-globalist activists. As Blaise Pascal said A man does not show his greatness by being at one extremity, but rather by touching both at once.
HERE'S TO THE GRAND ALLIANCE!

Fair play to the Tharu

National Anarchists, ethno-nationalists and everyone of an anti-globalist persuasion should support the Tharu ethnic group in Nepal in their struggle for more autonomy. Although now off, in the wake of talks with the Nepalese Maoist government, the Tharu orchestrated a 'Banda' - a General Strike which almost cut off Kathmandu last week.

A basic principal of National Anarchism is the demand for sovereignty for all ethnic groups, their languages and cultures. This blog will always support causes such as the Tharu's current struggle. Details of the General Strike are here.

News has just broke that the Maoist Prime Minister in Nepal has resigned due to internal tensions in the ruling coalition (mainly made up of different Marxist factions) The Maoists have recently been talking to the Americans...anti-globalists should reserve judgement for now, but over the next period we will see if the Nepalese Maoists deserve their anti-imperialist label or not.

National Anarchist strategies

It is encouraging that National Anarchist groups are springing up in greater numbers across the globe and that activists are turning ideas into practical action. But our tendency is still in it's infancy, so here's some suggestions to help the growth of National Anarchism over the next few years:

1) PROPAGANDA
All activists with access to a computer can spread our ideas through the net. Set up your own website and save the content of others so that if they go down you can put them back up.

Then there's the staple stuff like stickering, flyposting and leafleting.

Propaganda can take three main forms:

i) The 'hardcore', street level stuff that can appeal to the young and militant. I see no reason why younger NA activists can't mirror the Black Bloc when appropriate to do so and where the political culture justifies it.

ii) The more subtle stuff to reach out to the non-politicised. Liberal ideas are often only skin deep and can be easily challenged by reasoning.

iii) The stuff aimed at existing political groups and tendencies.
Although I personally believe NA ideas will get a more positive reception from the orthodox nationalist groups, the 'autonomous' nationalist milieu, Third Positionists etc, some effort should still be carefully aimed at sections of the Left, using an approach and language that can appeal to them (anti-globalism, anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism) Some National Anarchists come from a Leftist background, including Yours Truly! Also it is possible that sections of the Green/environmentalist movement could be receptive to NA ideas.

I don't think NAs can ever afford to just go it alone - We need allies, mutual respect, understanding and a pluralistic approach to everything we do. We should never really aim to convert other groups en masse - that kind of thing doesn't happen in the real world.

2) LIAISON WITH OTHER GROUPS
This can take both formal and informal approaches. As a start this can just be publicising groups that you wish well. I've been spreading the word about the new autonomous nationalist English National Resistance youth group, for example. I have my differences with some of their positions, but I certainly think their hearts are in the right place!

3) NETWORKING
Laying the groundwork for the establishment of real NA inspired communities in the future on economic, cultural and social levels. As a first step just by joining the myriad of already existing grassroots organisations - not to take over them, but because many of them are worthy of NA support. Of course this does not mean we should not set up our own given the opportunity: Allotments - growing your own food and sharing it among ourselves and our community is a revolutionary act, as is brewing our own beer! Setting up local currencies, co-ops, food and clothing banks, self-help groups, Friendly Societies, credit unions - all with an National-Anarchist ethos.

NA activists should look into the possibility of moving to the same areas where practical - with all of the above in mind. Find other comrades work and accommodation. All of this can present National Anarchism as a practical alternative and if planned carefully, can drastically reduce our reliance on capitalism and the state.

Unions go Tribalist?!

It is a tendency of the far-left in Britain to suffer from a vastly inflated sense of their own importance and influence. In recent years this has been best illustrated by the cyclical slap-dash, 'leave it 'till the last minute' approach to electioneering.

However, despite displaying these familiar traits, RMT trade union leader Bob Crow's latest No2EU - Yes to Democracy initiative, which will field candidates in the upcoming European elections, at least contains a modicum of common sense. A small Rubicon (for the modern left) has been crossed - Crow's formation has come out against migrant labour (shock, horror). Supported by the 'National Communist' Communist Party of Britain (the Morning Star lot) No2EU displays a nationalism and protectionism rarely seen on the left nowadays. Opposing what it terms social dumping shows a veneer of the labour 'movement' is breaking free of the abstract 'No Borders' mantra beloved of the Trots and anarcho-left.

Cap'n Bob intends to wind up the grouping following the June 4th Euro poll, which is just as well as they won't exactly set the political scene alight. But maybe this nod to Tribalism will linger on within sections of the Trade Union rank & file (because you could wager the grassroots action that started at Lindsey oil Refinery in February inspired the No2EU social dumping policy) As we saw from the British Wildcats, nationalism & protectionism can strike a chord with ordinary workers. If this is sustained maybe the penny will start to drop for the cultural Marxist union barons.

No doubt Crow will feel the wrath of the uber-liberals over this move, but he must be given credit for putting a dent in the shibboleth of "Internationalism regardless of the consequences!!"

New English 'Autonomous Nationalist' youth group formed

A new English 'Autonomous Nationalist' youth group has sprung up in a similar mold as the Autonome Nationalisten and Kameradschaften in Germany. They do state however, possibly in recognition of differences in the political cultures of England and Germany, that they will not be going in for the AN style Black Bloc tactic, which shows a logical maturity.

The group - English National Resistance (Young-Radical-Nationalist) display a healthy, level-headed, non-sectarian piecemeal approach to other nationalist groups, along with an exuberance and 'street' identity that remind this author of his younger days in the left-anarchist scene. I wish I had the beliefs I have now back then, but life is a learning curve.

Youth groups with a radical chic are always needed as the more 'grown up', traditional party building, is not the best advert to attract young blood to any cause.

Refreshingly, English National Resistance aim to avoid the dead end of the depressingly familiar spectacle of confrontation with anti-fascists. This is a very welcome attitude that will help get anti-capitalism and anti-globalism out of the ghetto and present a positive alternative.

Some of the websites and groups ENR link to are not this blog's cup of tea, but then some of the links this blog lists don't get my ringing endorsement either!

ENR display a clear anti-capitalist outlook so the potential for co-operation with National Anarchist groups and individuals would appear good. Berrocscir's Banner will follow ENR's progress with interest, not least in the hope that greater numbers of English youth turn against consumerism, rootless celeb culture and liberalism

Dogmatism is soooo last century

This author advocates the breaking down of the Left/Right divide and replacing it with a new pluralistic anti-capitalist/anti-globalist tendency. One which recognises that internationalism and cosmopolitanism are artificial, superfluous, abstract and academic. One that instead promotes the natural tribalism inherent in all the world's peoples. One which understands that real diversity means different cultures best flourish independently of each other rather than among each other, and certainly one that defends this diversity against cultural Marxism, consumerism and the monoculture which has developed out of the global market. Tribalism is natural - it has defined humanity for 99% of its existence.

If you describe yourself as an anti-capitalist/anti-globalist, then sectarianism and ideological purity have to go - they only lead to isolation and irrelevance.

National Anarchists too, should be on guard against traditional anarcho-dogmas: we cannot ignore elections. Elections will not vanish anytime soon. We should concede that elections today are one of the few times most people engage with politics (even for the millions who don't vote, they still engage)So National Anarchists should back those electoral forces who's ideas are closest to our own. It won't hurt if National Anarchists called for a vote for candidates who, at least on paper, oppose capitalism/globalism (even if they are as liberal as your average Sociology Lecturer!) And National Anarchist propaganda should encourage alliance building via electoral blocs.

NA activists should encourage the left to take a long hard look at itself. The New Left in the 1960s killed off the real socialist movement in the 1960s (the 68ers have much to answer for) Why is the left vote so derisory? Is it because the working class suffer from 'false consciousness'? Or is it because they reject internationalism and multiculturalism as the paper tigers they are? It would be a start if the left got back to its roots - defending the worker against the boss class and ending its obsession with PC fascism.

RED AND BLACK!
Berrocscir's Banner notes that Russia's National Bolsheviks have recently started sporting a black version of their flag while on their garish demos. Is this a nod to National Anarchism? Are they considering ditching their statism and macro-nationalism? It would certainly be step closer to orthodox NA thought!! In any case, if Limonov's National Bolshevik Party can co-operate with liberals and Leninists as part of the anti-Putin The Other Russia umbrella group, they can work with National Anarchists - Here's to the Grand Alliance.

On the pop in Market North Town

BERROCSCIR'S TRAVEL DIARY
I recently spent a nice day out in Chipping Norton, a fine market town in North West Oxfordshire, just on the edge of the Cotswolds. It's name is Anglo-Saxon meaning Market North Town. As a National Anarchist, its the sort of place that appeals to my own personal interpretation of the ideology. For me National Anarchism implies rural living - and traditional English market towns are I think,the biggest settlements where National Anarchist communities could work. Urban life does not usually imply happiness and large cities tend to smother human nature and spirit. I know other National Anarchists may disagree and if they can make urban based National Autonomous Zones work, then great. For me though I'd tend to go for the homestead, hamlet, village or market town. Here we are closer to nature, we are closer to our ethnic and cultural heritage and identity. We become more like our ancestors, closer to our folk roots and less defined by the state (citizen = city dweller, remember) And with land of our own we can begin to ween ourselves off the globalised economy. We become human beings again, not consumers.

Anyway, Chippy, as locals call it, seemed the sort of place at ease with itself. It was apparent that lots of people knew each other (none of that alienating anonymity you get in cities) and apart from a Somerfields and a Smiths, the place positively oozed its own identity. Needless to say I paid a visit to one or two pubs - well, four in fact - all of which were above average in this pub goer's book (praise indeed, as I have high standards) My personal favourite was the Red Lion (can you get more English than that?)The tiny pub was pleasingly cosy due to a roaring log fire - which, what with it being taters outside, was most welcome. The ale was from Hook Norton Brewery just down the road, a fact alone which was enough to warm this anti-globalist's heart!

A commanding early Victorian Town Hall dominates the market square, where I was pleased to discover an old stone from a long gone cross and pillar from an earlier building had been preserved by the local history group. Local history and civic societies act as guardians of our identities and are worth their weight in gold. National Anarchists should support their work.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin was largish for the settlement it served, probably partly because it was built on the proceeds of the wool trade of the middle ages. I was not, alas, as keen on it as I was with St Andrew's at Shrivenham in Berkshire when I visited it just before Christmas. It had generations of the same families laying in rest there. How many families in today's industrial-technological complex can claim roots as strong as that? Capitalism causes identity crises, that's a fact!

What I had really come to see in Chippy, however, was the nearby Norman Castle. Only the earthworks of the defences and ramparts remain. If I had just stumbled across it I would have said it was Iron Age. Still, it was impressive: the outer ditch would at least clear your average semi at its height.

What vexed me, however, was that the site was all on private land and could only be viewed from the lane. Furthermore, there was nothing denoting what it was. No plaque with description, no notice, nothing. The castle should ideally be bought by the National Trust with access where appropriate, and have some stone with description or similar. This is English heritage so consequently part of the fabric of a folk, a footnote in the story of a people. But who cares about such reactionary trifles when February is LGBT History Month, eh?