Update on Anti-Imperialism.com, Our Work, Etc.

Posted by A-I.com Editor 1 on May 8, 2012 in Organizing | Leave a comment

Recently, a number of people have asked what Anti-Imperialism.com is about, what we see ourselves doing, how they can help or work with us, etc. These are all very valid question, especially considering the changes the website has undergone over the past year.

In order to answer these questions, it is helpful to go into a bit of background history. Anti-Imperialism.com was originally established as the central website of the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement (RAIM, f. 2006), a small but dedicated group which initially worked inside protest movements to push anti-imperialist politics. Several of the founding members were influenced by the Maoist Internationalist Movement and authors like J. Sakai. Over time and as the group grew, our work expanded to cultural and intellectual production. Founding RAIM members were also part of the coordinating group which brought together another organization with similar politics. However, around a year ago, the leading members of RAIM in Denver quit this project due to disagreements over policy and retained the Anti-Imperialism.com domain name. As a group collectively engaged in protests and other public activities, RAIM effectively dissolved in 2011. Since, Anti-Imperialism.com has served as a focal point for our collective work, though people associated with it are individually engaged in other projects as well.

To answer the question, what Anti-Imperialism.com is about? It is about elevating revolutionary discourse and dialogue, highlighting far-sighted perspectives, offering critical examinations of phenomena, and building unity around revolutionary class struggle against capitalist-imperialism. Much of the recent content on Anti-Imperialism.com has been original short essays on topics related to history, culture, radical theory, and contemporary news. We have always strove to keep Anti-Imperialism.com unique and outstanding in terms of the quality and breadth of what we publish.

However, the rate at which we publish has slowed due to a number of reasons. We have published fewer brief articles and have only sporadically collected articles into PDFs. These are obvious deficiencies which need remedy. However, the responsibility of remedying the situation as is much yours, the readership, as ours.

At present very few people do most of the work for Anti-Imperialism.com. This is a problematic. In order to achieve a sustainable presence on the web, people should get more politically engaged, either through self-directed efforts or as part of an ongoing collective project. Frequent readers of Anti-Imperialism are encouraged to contribute original material, take on editing responsibilities, or contribute in other ways. Gaps in revolutionary discourse and work are not going to fill themselves, nor are ‘leaders’ going to swoop in to make sure the work gets done. Immanent First World leadership cults should be rejected in favor of a culture of responsibility for one’s role in global class struggle. Our goal is not to spell out some universalistic approach to revolutionary work, but to support its existence through our own humble efforts.

We will continue to publish original material which relies on a sound reading of global class dynamics and points out larger contradictions of contemporary society. As always, we aim to build lasting interest in and support for revolutionary internationalist struggle and critical involvement in revolutionary internationalist work. Readers should not be reliant on the intellectual work of a few people, and should instead apply themselves towards playing a more active role in supporting and contributing to revolutionary class struggle. Comments and further questions are always welcomed.

In struggle,

Anti-Imperialism.com Editorial Group