Editorial

"How are you going to construct something new, if you do the 
same old things?" - Major Moises (EZLN) To the Democratic 
National Convention, October 1994

All across the globe, working class people are rediscovering the 
relevance of anarchist ideas to their everyday lives and 
struggles. From the uprising in the Chiapas, to the anti-roads 
campaign in Glasgow, more and more people are seeing the need for 
direct action, decentralised organisations and solidarity from 
the bottom up.

The first issue of Scottish Anarchist helped to put analysis and 
facts behind the anger against the system. This issue continues 
that tradition with an analysis of the globalisation of 
capitalism, the other side of DNA testing and how the use of 
networks and the internet by activists is causing social elites 
great worry. In addition, we have reports on struggles across 
Scotland as well as the concluding parts of our articles on the 
history of anarchism in Glasgow and Spain.

It is only by reclaiming our history, the history of social 
struggle and working class revolt, can we place any analysis of 
current events into context and, more importantly, remind us that 
a better society is possible. 

Tom Paine once wrote, "a long habit of not thinking a thing 
wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right".
Today those words take on a meaning which Paine could never have 
imagined. 

Its hard to believe sometimes that capitalism has not been the 
only social system on this planet. Its presence is so widespread. 
It gets into every space of our lives. The market economy has 
become the market society. Human feelings are being replaced by 
market jargon, corrupting our most hallowed ethical and spiritual 
expressions and relationships. Community is being replaced by 
commodity. The social breakdown this implies can be seen all 
around us - poverty, crime, alienation, unhappiness.

However, the seeds of hope still exist. Regardless of what the 
system tries to do, we are still human beings, with innate 
emotions, feelings of empathy and solidarity and, most 
importantly, the ability to think, to learn and the will to 
rebel.

No one can do it for us. All magazines like Scottish Anarchist 
can do is prompt thinking and encourage rebellion. The SFA does 
not want followers, we are not leaders. We want everyone to 
become a leader. We realise our activities are only really 
effective when we join in union with our equals. Isolated 
individuals cannot make history. But a union is only as effective 
as the individuals that comprise it. A "union" of sheep can 
bleat, but a union of individuals can discuss, enrich each other 
by our diversity and change the world! 

A cooperative commonwealth can only be made up of thinking, 
acting, feeling individuals. Community can only be created when 
we reclaim our individuality and end the self-sacrifice of our 
beings which is required for capitalism to exist.

The future is in your hands. 

Iain MacSaorsa

"It is only those who do nothing who make no mistakes"
Peter Kropotkin

We would like to thank all those who sent in articles and 
apologise to all whose work did not appear this issue. Again, we 
welcome articles, letters, graphics, whatever, from any source.

Send letters to, or ask for more information about the SFA from:

Scottish Anarchist
c/o GAG
PO Box 1008
Glasgow
G42 8AA

Hotline - Solidarity Centre, Glasgow : 0141 226 5066
 



