Await the Phoenix, by Ed Whitfield

I, the understated, truly believe that the current form of globalisation our societies are experiencing is a direct result of the imperial actions of the United States of America. I do not believe that Bush, or any president can claim to be the emperor, and I would also comment that it is not through politics that this empire is being realised, if it wasn't for the fact that so many of the Bush administration is made up of business people.

The emperors in this instance are the corporations that are making, in many cases, more profit than many country's GNPs. And over the last century these powerful business people have infiltrated the US political system and have used their influence to push issues such as 'foreign policy', which is where the army 'intervene' in other, once autonomous states.

I don't necessarily wish to be talking about this, I am just explaining why I believe that we are living under the full authority of an empire. Most of the world is.

The thing is, I wish to live my life in a certain way that seems to be impossible. If I attempt this lifestyle I run the risk of loosing many of, not only my human rights as set out by the UN, but many rights I view as being applicable to all walks of life. The reason I can see for this is the neo-liberal economic system that the empire imposes upon the land on which I live.

Logic leads me to see this system as an obstacle to overcome. It just so happens that I am not alone in this quest. There are many who are fighting the tyranny of this empire. European and American anarchists, Mexican Zapatista rebels, OPM freedom fighting guerrilla tribes of Papua New Guinea, Iraqi urban guerrillas, Brazilian land squatters, the Argentinean people who overthrew their government in economic crises, the grannies of Dublin that don't see why they ought to be paying taxes on bin collection, unionists who don't want to see their service bought and sold, exploited by the corporations I have stated above. The list goes on.

Tactics I see that might be useful in beginning to rid my life of this obstacle are: creating organisations and collectives and to try and begin building alternative communities; to network with other such groups in solidarity and in sharing of techniques, plans and solutions; and to fight at the fringes of the empire.

The Kilcoole Collective is designed with these plans in mind. Creating awareness within and without, to contact other similar groups in an attempt to create a global network of resistance, and to learn from each other how to live and support each other, how we can all add to, and enrich one another's lives.

Cynics dislike 'isms' for they never seem to satisfy the greater human need. Master plans are too big to cover the small details of individual beings. But they seem to have forgotten that they are living under an ageing 'ism'. Capitalism is the system of preference for this empire, a system of exploitation which will inevitably come in conflict with democracy. And, when it comes to it, who will win, capitalism or democracy? People with power wanting more power or people with power letting other people share that power?

This collective has the destruction of that system in mind yet it isn't an 'ism' and does not believe in an 'ism'. The left died with the Soviet Union in the eighties. The idea behind this collective is to create a force powerful enough to claim the state but only to dismantle the state. To take the power and share amongst everyone, inspired by the Zapatista rebels of Mexico who, in 1994 began reclaiming their land that was won for, and by them eighty years before, with Article 27 and Emiliano Zapata.

Article 27 insured that Mexican land was Mexican land and was in complete conflict with the NAFTA agreements so was thrown out of the constitution by the Mexican government. The Zapatistas then moved in on seven cities declaring war on the Mexican government. After 12 days the war was over and it sparked off a new global resistance to capitalism.

So, in light of this the only way forward that I can see, is to gather with fellow dissidents of the empire, to create strategies with which to chip at the empire and to express solidarity and support for our allies, especially those on the fringes, at the front, those who are truly sacrificing their lives, not just letting them fade away. They are the ones that have everything to loose, the last free, autonomous, natural space left on the planet. They need our help. We need theirs. So I say to those who disagree: go live your lies and let me live my dream.

-- Ed Whitfield, December 2003

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