AF economy meeting at the anarchist bookfair.

The economy discussion went well, with lively discussion between AF members and other comrades, and could have gone on longer than our allotted time .

The main points which came out of the discussion were as follows (hopefully others can add more that I forgot):

- We shouldn't talk of capitalism 'collapsing' - it cannot simply fall apart under its own momentum, and must be overthrown. Moreover, stuntism of the kind we've seen with the SWP recently is certainly not the way forward.

- We are guaranteed that the wave of defensive strikes we have seen recently will continue as workers' pay and conditions are attacked as a consequence of the crisis. The question for us should be how to turn defensive struggles into broader class struggles, and build links between workers in different unions, outside of unions, and the unemployed. It was suggested that the best form of organisation to undertake this would be to push for workers assemblies to which all the above groups of workers are invited (this is my position also). It was suggested by one participant that the best recent example of this was the anti-CPE struggle in France, which had the potential to unite students and the working class in a broader struggle.

- We are going to see a sharp rise in unemployment. It was noted that this will make much of the recent claimant-baiting which has served to scapegoat claimants in order to provide the appearance of a commonality of interest between bosses and workers will be untenable as everyone will either know someone who is unemployed or will experience it themselves. We should see the stuggle of the unemployed as another avenue we should involve ourselves in - there were several present who were claimants themselves. There are historical precedents of this kind of struggle which we can learn from - the National Unemployed Workers Movement and the 30s or the claimants' unions in the 80s.

-We need to present a counter to divisive forces which can split the working class and can turn defensive struggle aside to reactionary ends. Examples are the unions, which have cheerleaded the 'courage' and 'leadership' of the government, and anti-immigrant/racist rhetoric. Though the BNP were mentioned, several argued that we should not see them as the sole or major source of this - the labour government is doing things which the BNP can only fantasise about, raiding the homes of asylum seekers and rounding them up, building detention centres etc. We've already seen statements by ministers that now times are bad the priority for employment should be the 'british people'. Mainstream papers, such as the Daily Mail, do a good job of splitting the working class too.

-In terms of the anarchist movement, we should work against the arguments of some who think that recession and 'collapse' are a good thing, as they will reduce emissions etc. On the contrary, we have seen the ruling class moving to shelve its environmental concerns as the crisis deepening. We should work to unite green and red anarchists as class struggle is the only means through which to overthrow capitalism, which all bar the primmos agree is the source of environmental destruction.

-There was consensus that a certain period of capitalism is coming to an end. Certainly neoliberal arguments and the rhetoric which has provided a justification for capitalism's dynamics are becoming untenable. This does not however mean that the attacks which have been carried out under that banner of 'market efficiency' or 'deregulation' will not continue with modified justifictation.

There was some discussion about the role of co-ops and on whether seeing the world in terms of class was outdated. The argument for the use of co-ops received the usual criticism, and I personally argued that we should use recent stuggles to redefine class against culturalist defintions which have been used to tell us that class no longer exists - white collar, 'middle class' workers are being attacked hard, and we need to look at what the proletarian relation is, rather than look for a 'working class culture' which is certainly on the way out.

Many thanks to all who turned up and participated.