Welcome to

The Anarchist Federation of Sweden
Anarkistfederationen i Sverige AFIS

For Real, i.e. including green Democracy = Anarchy & Anarchism - and more of it!

Anarkism i Sverige. Anarchism in Sweden.

To solve the climate crisis is the main goal and overriding everything else!
The People's demand for a green planet must now be achieved and passed in the system globally.

Slogans: Less Than 1,5° C Global Warming! Drop Fossil Fuel! Green Energy! Full Employment! 5 % Green GDP growth! Small Income & Rank Differences!
Down with the Gini-index to 20 %! Liberal Social-Democracy! Real & Green Democracy! Eco-Anarchy For Ever! Sufficient High Democracy Degree! Zero Population Growth!

This is the official web-site of the Anarchist Federation of Sweden, founded and affiliated to IFA - the International of the Federations of Anarchists - l'Internationale des Fédérations Anarchistes, - as an IFA-section 15-17 October 1982 and as an IFA-federation 26.11.1983. See the two official organs of IFA at that time, C.R.I.F.A Bulletin no 42 novembre-février 1982 p.4 and ifa-Solidaritet no 1 1982/fb 4-82 and no 8 1983/fb 4-83. The Anarchist Federation of Sweden is rooted back to the "Anarkistiska Propaganda Förbundet", The Anarchist Propaganda Federation of Sweden. The name Anarkistfederationen i Sverige, AFIS, was used already in the early 1970s.

The purpose of the Propaganda Federation was to spread anarchist ideas from person to person, generation to generation, and not propagating in a derogatory sense, i.e. authoritarian indoctrination. APF did this, among other things, by publishing the Swedish anarchist paper "Brand". APF owned the publishing rights for "Brand", but in the 1970s the issues were not very regular. In the middle of the 1970s a support group for the marxist-leninist RAF (Baader Meinhof), posing as "anarchists", stole the title "Brand" and used it for publishing authoritarian propaganda. This and similar false "anarchist" groups sometimes posed as "SAF" ("Sveriges Anarkistfederation") other times "AKO" ("Anarko-Kommunistisk Organisation"), "RAO" ("Revolutionära Anarkisters Organisation"), etc. The "anarchism" was just pseudolibertarian rhetoric, and the real political core was marxian communism/syndicalism.

The groups were also, as SAC, infiltrated by VPK [now V] (communists) and other leninists and leftists, trotskyites, marxist-lubbeists, council communists and even populists and neonazis, as well as different sorts of "wannabe" libertarians. The concept "wannabe" libertarian is briefly defined at Anarchist Social Organization Research. Feel free to click on this link and search for 'wannabe' in the file if you are not familiar with the term. Persons connected to such false "anarchist" organizations, have several times lifted their many headed polyarchical authoritarian hydra, to provoke and compromise the anarchist movement. Polyarchy is neither anarchy nor anarchist or anarchism. Among the provokers are also probably infiltrators from the Secret police, Säpo, some of them quite brown politically.

Say, at the Anarchist Conference in Stockholm, arranged by the Nordic IFA secretariate and the Swedish section of the Anarchist International, in 1983, neonazi skinheads tried to infiltrate the movement, but strong measures were taken to stop these dangerous intruders. These efforts of the Anarchist International were a good investment.... Our fellows at SAC have been less successful dealing with this problem. In 1999 a real anarchosyndicalist, Björn Söderberg of SAC, was killed by two nazis, after trying to stop the fascist infiltration in a union-club. 23.10.1999 about 20-40000 persons all over Sweden demonstrated against fascism and to honor the memory of the brave syndicalist. This is just a tip of the iceberg. It is also happening today.

AFIS clearly denounces and rejects all these mainly "wannabe" libertarian, marxian, populist and nazi-infiltrated groups falsely posing as "anarchist", historically, today and in the future -- in Sweden and generally, click on the International Anarchist Tribunal - International and Nordic branches for more information. The IFA/AI principles clearly say only one anarchist federation in each country. In our country this is AFIS and nothing else.

The APF went to court to stop this false "anarchists", issuing authoritarian propaganda under the stolen title Brand, from publishing, and the court decided that the false publication should stop. Although APF got all rights from the court, the marxian false "anarchist" group continued unlawfully to publish their authoritarian propaganda under the title "Brand". In the last years of the 1970s and the early 1980s these false publications were less regular*. In 1982 another, more anarchistic group published "Brand-faran", i.e. a similar paper, but not exactly the same name, to avoid problems with the court's decision. The editing group was observers at the First Nordic Anarchist Congress. At this congress in 1982, the APF was reorganized as the Swedish section of IFA, the Anarchist International, and in 1983 refounded as an IFA-federation, i.e. Anarkistfederationen i Sverige, AFIS, via a referendum.

The lawful right to publish "Brand" was then taken over by the AFIS. However as "Folkebladet" was decided to be a common organ for the federations of the Northern Anarchist Confederation, NAC, the Swedish included, the publishing right of "Brand" was handed over to "Folkebladet", and "Brand" was later considered as a part of "Folkebladet" and "IFA-Solidaritet", the bulletin of the Northern sections of IFA/IAF. After some time another false "anarchist" group started unlawfully to publish a paper titled "Brand". This unlawful publishing of "Brand" has been going on for about 15 years until 2001. The editors still try to continue the unlawful publishing of their authoritarian, ochlarchic, marxist propaganda, of course trying to discredit the anarchist movement as much as possible. The "anarchism" is not anarchism although of course mixed with som anarchist ideas to get credibility.

However these marxist games went a bit too far, and the editing group got trouble with the Swedish secret police, who strangely took the group seriously. AFIS has never done. But AFIS denounces of course the editing group, and their unlawful use of the title "Brand" and their ochlarchical, childish, marxist "revolt-guide" and other authoritarian propaganda. Strangely they have been taken seriously also by the Swedish press, who support these thiefs, i.e. especially of course the marxists, with Jan Guillou in front, probably because the false "anarchist" group confirms their Leninist prejudices that anarchism is the "initial weakness", also called "infantile disorder", of socialism. However the real infantile disorder of socialism is marxism. The whole thing only shows the degeneration of "radical" politics in Sweden. The case was however dismissed and the false publishing of "Brand" still continues. Nobody should take this marxian joke of a "libertarian" paper seriously. And not the attempts to organize "SAF", "AKO", "RAO", and similar from time to time. No anarchist should deal with these persons, other than tell them they are not anarchist, and turn the back against them.

Today the real "Brand" is a part of "International Journal of Anarchism" which is also the organ of AFIS, the Anarchist Federation of Sweden. "Brand" was first published in 1898, but had never ambitions to be an international journal alone. Thus, although International Journal of Anarchism has a direct root back to Sweden 1898, the volumes of IJA are only counted back to 1971, the founding year of "Folkebladet", which has been more set on Nordic and international distribution. The only officially recognized issues of "Brand" are the volumes edited by "Anarkistiska Propaganda Förbundet", and the issues from 1982 and later, as a part of/included in "Folkebladet", "IFA-Solidaritet" and "International Journal of Anarchism". Thus, the updated issues of "Brand"are found via the link to BRAND below. The false issues of "Brand" mentioned above, should of course not be noticed or accounted for at all, among anarchists as well as others interested in anarchism. Click there to get the proper Brand:

BRAND

Fellows in Sweden! Contact AFIS and join the AFIS-network today! Be a networkmember/subscriber to the IJ@/AFIS/NAC/AI/IFA! Feel free to forward this information to your own network, and/or link up the Website of AFIS at your blog or homepage. Join in the struggle for and towards anarchy and anarchism, i.e. for socialism and autonomy; against economical plutarchy - that is capitalism; and against statism -- in Sweden and world wide... Of course a struggle without ochlarchy (mob rule broadly defined), the opposite of anarchist, anarchy and anarchism!!! A struggle for anarchy and anarchism as opposed to all forms of marxism (state-socialism), liberalism and fascism, including populism. A struggle for a movement of the societal, i.e. economical and political/administrative, systems -- in libertarian direction, less authoritarian degree... AFIS always works and demonstrates with dignity, uses real matter of fact arguments and adds weight behind via direct actions, mass actions, and via elections. More information is available via "contact AFIS" below.

More information about AFIS is found at Some external links to AFIS etc. (search for 'AFIS' in this file) and via "Links" below, see especially the Northern Anarchist Confederation (NAC).

AFIS says a clear NO to euro/emu September 14. 2003.
NEJ TILL EURO/EMU 14.09.2003  

One of the most important objectives of AFIS 2003 is no to the adaptation of the EU currency, the euro, in Sweden. Together with various individuals, organizations, unions, and political parties, we aim at achieving a clear "no"-vote in the Swedish national referendum on the euro/emu, September 14, 2003.

AFIS says a clear NO to euro/emu September 14, 2003.

NEJ TILL EURO/EMU 14.09.2003 - NEJ TIL AVDEMOKRATISERING

The result was/Resultatet blev

56,2% no/nej - 41,8% yes/ja

En av Sveriges få återstående riktigt anarkistiska sammanslutningar
One of Sweden's few remaining real anarchist associations

Svenska Akademien (The Swedish Academy) blir alltmer inflytelserik, allt synligare i debatt och offentlighet - och allt rikare. Nobelpriset i litteratur är bara höjdpunkten i Akademiens arbete. Numera är De aderton en kulturpolitisk faktor också i långt mindre glamorösa sammanhang.

"Snille och smak". Längre från det folkhemskt heldemokratiska "alla-ska-med"-tänkandet är det svårt att placera sig. Svenska Akademiens 220-åriga paroll fortsätter att provocera. De aderton ställer sig på livstid om inte över, som belackarna anser, så åtminstone utanför Vardags-Sverige.

- Poängen är att Svenska Akademien inte tar en krona av skatte­medlen, den är helt självförsörjande och helt självständig och gör som den vill. Det är en av Sveriges få återstående riktigt anarkistiska sammanslutningar. Vi står utanför staten, sammanfattar historikern och författaren Peter Englund som valdes in 2002.

Han talar om en kritisk "korseld från höger till vänster" som konsekvensen av denna position:

- Det är intressant att Akademien väldigt tydligt provocerar två grupper. Den ena är marknadskramarna. Enbart tanken på en institution som ignorerar marknaden och utan hänsyn till trender eller försäljningssiffror ger även okända författare en massa pengar i pris är kolossalt provocerande för dem, säger han och fortsätter.

- Den andra gruppen är statskramarna. För dem är det kolossalt provocerande att det finns en kulturinstitution som har inflytande, som är just självständig och där staten inte kan gripa in.

Many young job hunters in Sweden go to the Anarchy of Norway - The Northern Anarchist Confederation wish them welcome

As youth unemployment soars in Sweden, more youngsters are fleeing across the border to the Anarchy of Norway in an attempt to find work. A quarter of Swedes aged between 15 and 24 now find themselves outside the labor market in Sweden, with the ongoing economic depression only making matters worse. According to the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, the migration could result in long-term damage to the country's growth. The number of Swedes choosing to work for their Norwegian neighbors has risen by 25 percent in just two years, to 83,000 in 2009. Of those Swedes with a tax card in the country, 35 percent are in their twenties.

"I have more questions than before about foreign opportunities from those with academic training," said Pirjo Vaananen from the Public Employment Service in an interview with Stockholm News. "Often they show an active interest in working abroad just before they finish their education," he added. Advisor for the Norwegian Employment Service, Johannes Sorbo, said, "It is certainly a plus that wages are better than in Sweden, and it is easier for young people to find jobs in Norway than in Sweden. We have a labor shortage." Sorbo added that young Swedes are popular with Norwegian employers as, "they are known to be skilled and easy to deal with, and the language is of course no problem."

Economist for the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Malin Sahlen, said the issue is not so positive for Sweden. "It's really worrying that graduates and other young people see a reason to leave Sweden. For companies, who will need these employees later, a direct consequence is that key skill and potential is leaving the country. In the long term, this means lower growth and prosperity for the country as a whole," Sahlen told Stockholm News.

The Northern Anarchist Confederation however see more positively on the matter, and wish the young job hunters in Sweden that go to the Anarchy of Norway welcome. Anarchists from Sweden moving to Norway may still be members of AFIS if they wish, or join AFIN if they wish so, and will in any case be networkmembers/subscribers of the Northern Anarchist Confederation. 31.07.2010.

Ad general election in Sweden 2010

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt says his center-right, in  international perspective mainly socialdemocratic, government will stay in office despite losing its majority in a parliamentary election. Reinfeldt says he will seek support from the opposition Greens (MP) to avoid having to rely on the right-populist nazi-based Sweden Democrats (SD), who entered Parliament for the first time. The Anarchist Federation of Sweden, AFIS,  calls on the Greens (MP), the most libertarian party in Sweden, to negotiate with Reinfeldt to get as much as possible libertarian influence on Swedish politics, and to achieve zero influence for the right-populist SD, and avoid chaos in Swedish politics.

27.09.2010 the Green party wants to make an agreement with Reinfeldt's minority government about asylum- and migration politics, and perhaps more. The aim is mainly zero influence of the SD. The Green party has already had discussions with PM Reinfeldt. To create a joint cabinet between the Greens and the Reinfeldt-coalition is however not an issue since the Green party has not got such an invitation from the government. 28.09.2010 Reinfeldt has also phoned the Social-democrat party's leader Mona Sahlin to talk cooperation.

The anarchists' black and red and black flags flew at anti right-populist demonstration in Stockholm

Thousands of people have protested in the Swedish capital of Stockholm as the brown and blue right-populist Sweden Democrats entered parliament the first time. The Sweden Democrats won 20 seats in the 349-member Riksdag in an election three weeks ago, leaving the party with the balance of power. Demonstrators peacefully marched on the parliament building to protest against their policies. The party wants to cut immigration and has described Islam the greatest threat to Sweden since World War II. Parliament speaker Per Westerberg was re-elected on Monday as Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt prepares to present his new minority government to lawmakers on Tuesday. The premier has vowed that he will not cooperate with the Sweden Democrats. AFIS and the Northern Anarchist Confederation supported the direct action. Euronews TV in a video highlighted the anarchists' black and black and red flags. Sources: Euronews and AIIS. 04.10.2010

The anarchists' black and red flag flew at anti-nazi demonstration in Gothenburg

About ten thousand people, anarchists and many others, have protested in the Swedish city Gothenburg against a neo-nazi march. About 500 persons, mainly from Nordiska Motståndsrörelsen, NMR, participated in the neo-nazi march. AFIS and the Northern Anarchist Confederation supported the direct action against the neo-nazis. Both the neo-nazis and some anti-racist marxist ochlarchists clashed with the police. The anarchists, using red and black flags, condemn the ochlarchy, and of course demonstrated with dignity, not ochlarchy. Source: AIIS. 30.09.2017.

Riksdagsvalet i Sverige 2018 - General election in Sweden 2018

Valet den 9 september 2018 har beskrivits som avgörande men ju mer det tuggas desto svårare är det att se skilnaderna mellan block och partier. Det blir till att rösta på det minst dåliga den här gången med, men nu med en betydligt djupare suck än förr.

The general election of September 9, 2018 has been described as crucial, but the more one chews, the more difficult it is to see the differences between blocks and parties. It will be voted on the least bad this time also, but now with a much deeper sigh than before.

Så blev rösterna och mandaten:

• Moderaterna: 19,84 procent (70 mandat)

• Centerpartiet: 8,61 procent (31 mandat)

• Liberalerna: 5,49 procent (20 mandat)

• Kristdemokraterna: 6,32 procent (22 mandat)

• Socialdemokraterna: 28,26 procent (100 mandat)

• Vänsterpartiet: 8,00 procent (28 mandat)

• Miljöpartiet: 4,41 procent (16 mandat)

• Sverigedemokraterna: 17,53 procent (62 mandat)

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Anarchist Accounting

Podcasten Anarchist Essays har nyligen publicerat ett avsnitt med Anders Sandström, ekonom och författare till boken Anarchist accounting. Arbetarens ekonom Anders Sandström gav i november 2020 ut en uppdatering av sin bok om anarkistisk redovisning, Anarchist Accounting. Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy (Routhledge), en bok som uppskattades i kretsar som diskuterar en alternativ hållning till ekonomi på akademikernivå.

May Day 2022.

AFIS - The Anarchist Federation of Sweden, member of IFA, The Anarchist International, is after discussion, 100% for Swedish membership in NATO.

26.02.2024. Sweden is voted in as a member of NATO with general consent.

07.03.2024. Sweden officially joins NATO, see: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_223446.htm. AISC congratulates Sweden. Source: AIIS.

Riksdagsvalet i Sverige 2022

Riksdagsvalet i Sverige 2022 äger rum söndagen den 11 september. Bojkotta Sverigedemokraterna (fascister) och Vänsterpartiet (kommunister) i riksdagsvalet.

The situation in Sweden – the parties' place on the economic-political map and scenario analysis
for it’s new bourgeois government and Sweden's place on the economic-political map and in reality.

Situasjonen i Sverige – partienes plass på det økonomisk-politiske kartet og scenarioanalyse
for den nye borgerlige regjeringen og Sveriges plass på det økonomisk-politiske kartet og i realiteten.

The System Theory of Anarchist Political Economy and Social Organization Research

THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
* LIBERAL SOCIAL DEMOCRACY *

PREFACE

Anarchy and anarchism mean "system and management without ruler(s), i.e. co-operation without repression, tyranny and slavery". In short an-arch-y = [(an = without - arch = ruler(s)) - y = system (included optimal order and law) and management, as, say, in monarch-y]. Anarchy and anarchism are efficient and fair system and management without top heavy societal pyramid economical and/or political/administrative - in income and/or rank, i.e. significant horizontal organization - real democracy. Real Democracy always means Real, i.e. including Green, Democracy. Anarchy and anarchism = liberal social-democracy.

NB! Anarchism, the libertarian and democracy, and degrees of this, is 100 % a question of influence on decisions. All other things are only relevant as far as they affects the influence on the societal decisions. To be more precise: anarchism, the libertarian and democracy is a question of influence on the societal decisions by the People = the Bottom of the societal pyramid, the decisions usually and mainly taken by the Top of the societal pyramid, i.e. the Bureacracy (authorities) broadly defined in privat and public sector.

The degree of democracy = influence on the societal decisions by the People = the Bottom of the social pyramid, mainly taken by the Bureaucracy (= authorities broadly defined in private and public sector) - the Top of the social pyramid, measuredrelatively as a percent degree between 0 % and 100 %, that is a precise measure on how much the People govern = democracy, i.e. the degree of it. Democracy, and more or less of it, is central to societal politics broadly defined, both economical and political/administrative, and in reality Real Democracy (NB! i.e. always including Green) and Full Democracy as an ultimate aim, is the one and only policy in the interest of the People, i.e. People's Politics. Real Democracy has a degree of democracy equal to 50 % or more, both A. economical and B. political/administrative, and Full Democracy has 100 % degree of democracy. The degree of democracy = the libertarian degree = the anarchist degree (within anarchy & anarchism), i.e. 100% - the authoritarian degree. Zero, 0 %, influence by the People on the societal decisions, means no tendency of democracy at all, zero degree of democracy, and the most ultra-authoritarian and totalitarian systems (extreme ultra-fascism, see map), i.e. 100% authoritarian = 100% authoritarian degree; the authoritarian degree is 100% - the degree of democracy = libertarian degree, in this 100% ultra-authoritarian case = 0 % degree of democracy = libertarian degree.

Totalitarian systems are all economic-political systems to the left, middle and right of the EP-Map, with more than ca. 67 %, exact 666,666 ... per thousand - authoritarian degree, i.e. ultra-authoritarian hell systems. Typically, the role of 1. propaganda (= lies, untrue information, also Orwellian "1984" Newspeak type lies and manipulations of the language) in dealing with the non-totalitarian world, and the use of 2. terror, are essential to this form of archy/rule/government. Totalitarian regimes seek to dominate every aspect of everyone's life, sometimes as a prelude to try world domination. 1. Cultural, i.e. intellectual, spiritual, and artistic initiative is dangerous to totalitarianism, as 2. mere political opposition. The consistent persecution of every higher form of intellectual activity by the totalitarian rulers springs from 1. their natural resentment against everything they cannot understand, and  2. total domination does not allow for free initiative (an important anarchists principle) in any field of life, for any activity that is not entirely predictable by the ruler(s).

Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty. Important strategic aspects are the use of 1. ultra-authoritarian controlled front organizations, 2. fake governmental agencies, and 3. esoteric false doctrines as 4. a means of concealing the ultra-authoritarian reactionary-radical nature of totalitarian aims and means, from the non-totalitarian world. Individual isolation and loneliness are important preconditions for totalitarian domination. The purpose of all these manipulations broadly defined is to gain economical and political/administrative power including money, as much as possible for the totalitarian ruler(s)/arch(s). [Inspired by Hannah Arendt (1906-1975): The Origins of Totalitarianism.]]

The Anarchist Economic-Politcal Map describes & maps mainly all types of economic-political systems of the world along two dimensions, A. the economical and B. the political/administrative, and sheds light on the authoritarian degree = 100% - the libertarian degree & 100% - the degree of democracy, of the systems in general, including 1. marxism, 2. fascism (including populism) 3. the third alternative (Frisch) - anarchy & anarchism, and 4. liberalism, and 16 different types of systems within these 4 main forms. The map consists of 4 Quadrants, one for each of these four main forms of systems, and 16 Sectors for different types of systems within these four main forms, four Sectors for each Quadrant.

This system theory is also about 1. calculating the societal degree of democracy = libertarian degree = anarchy degree (within the quadrant of anarchism on the map), from A. the degree of economical democracy (socialism vs capitalism defined in terms of influence by the People) and B. the degree of political/administrative democracy (autonomy vs statism defined in terms of influence by the People), and 2. presenting political-econometric indicators for empirical, practical statistical estimation of these variables. The degree of democracy = libertarian degree = 100 % - the authoritarian degree, see the EP-map below. The degree of democracy is 100%, and the authoritarian degree is 0%, at the top of the map, the democratic ideal = full democracy. The degree of democracy is 100% = libertarian degree is 100% = anarchy degreee is 100%, i.e. the democratic ideal, full democracy, is also the libertarian and anarchist ideal, where the People have all and everything to say, equal to 100% influence on the societal decisions by the People, the decisions mainly taken by the Bureaucracy = Top of the societal pyramid.

This system analysis also includes political-econometric research, indicators for A. the degree of economical democracy (socialism vs capitalism defined in terms of influence by the People) and B. the degree of political/administrative democracy (autonomy vs statism defined in terms of influence by the People) aggregated to the societal democracy degree = libertarian degree, for a whole system, say, for a whole country or an organization. There are several political-econometric indicators for practical statistical measurement of influence by the People in democratic perspective, among these are two indexes; 1. the Rank-difference-index - RDI indicating how top-heavy the political/administrative rank-pyramid is, and 2. Gini-index for income, indicating how top-heavy the economical pyramid is. Top-heavyness of a societal pyramid in this connection contributes to less influence by the People it is assumed, but there are also some other indicators in this political-econometric research, see chapter V. B. below.

The research has also, via using the political-econometric indicators combined with the best of the bad lot of UN, other international plus national statistics, and some well educated guess, calculated preliminary estimates of the influence by the People, the Bottom (of the social pyramid), on the societal decisions, mainly taken by the Bureaucracy, the Top (of the pyramid), relatively as a percentage degree between 0 % and 100 %, = the degree of democracy, for almost all of the countries in the world, and also ranked the countries according to democracy degree (= libertarian degree). More information about this topic, including the concrete statistical indicators used, and so on, see chapter V. B. below and footnotes at ranking. NB! Authoritarian degree of more than 100%, i.e. for extreme evil authoritarian economic-political hell systems located below the map, is not impossible, but is just briefly mentioned in this document.

"

*) The stars indicate the position of the Norwegian economical-political system after the revolutionary change in 1994/95.
Fig. 1. Picture of the Anarchist Economical-Political Map

THE 25 HIGHEST RANKING COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO LIBERTARIAN DEGREE ETC.
THE LIBERTARIAN DEGREE = THE DEGREE OF DEMOCRACY = 100 % - THE AUTHORITARIAN DEGREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS. DATA FROM 2003-2007.

The estimates are approximately figures. © IIFOR/IJA ISSN 0800 - 0220 2007 and later. Anarchy = here social-individualist anarchism; Soc. dem. = social democrat marxism; Populist = here moderate parliamentarian democratic fascism; Cons. lib. = Conservative liberalism. See economic-political map at System theory and EP-map. Ranking of countries according to libertarian degree, estimates of the libertarian degree in general, and information on methodology, see Ranking and System theory - Chapter V.B.. According to ThesaurusLegend: approximately = (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct. Thus: The estimates are approximately figures = The estimates are imprecise but fairly close to correct figures. We have used " , ", the European standard instead of American/UK standard, i.e. " . " as decimal separator. The term "ca" is an abbreviation for the latin circa, which means about or approximately. A gini index below 35 indicates socialism, and above indicates capitalism.

Gini index in Sweden was reported at 29.3 in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Thus Sweden has moved to the right since 2007, and is now closer to the the left-populist sector of the economic-political map, but is still a marxist social-democratic country. It is now in 2022 quite similar to Germany in 2007 regarding place on the economic-political, i.e. it has been more authoritarian since 2007. The gini index will probably increase further with the new government, but is not likely to increase to more than 35, in which case Sweden will be populist as Italy and United Kingdom in 2007. In 2022 Sweden will probably have a gini index about 30-34, and thus still be a marxist social-democrat country. The new government will probably not manage to move the system out of the marxist social-democratic sector in the shorter run.

The parties: Left-socialist party is (state-)communist on the map, the Socialdemocrats are within the marxist social-democratic sector, the Green is left-populist, The Centerparty, Liberals & Christian Democrats are social-liberalist. Moderaterna, the Conservatives, are idelogically conservative and close to the social-liberalist sector. In practice located to the right and down in the social-liberalist sector. The nationalist Swedish «Democrats» are located in the right populist sector, close to right fascism, in the fascist quadrant of the map. Today 2022 all parties are within the parliamentary zone of the economic-political map. But if the Swedish «Democrats» get a majority alone  Sweden will probably de facto soon enter the totalitarian zone of the map, in the right populist sector, similar to de facto Hungary today.

14.10.2022. Sweden’s Moderates party strikes minority govt deal with far-right backing, see: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20221014-sweden-s-moderates-party-strikes-minority-government-deal. Source: France 24.

15.10.2022. From immigration to the environment: Five things we learned about Sweden's new right-wing government, see: https://www.euronews.com/2022/10/15/from-immigration-to-the-environment-five-things-we-learned-about-swedens-new-right-wing-go. Source: Euronews.

13.09.2023. Sweden hit by ‘unprecedented’ levels of gang violence. Police chief says citizens are afraid after wave of murders and explosions. See: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/13/sweden-gang-violence-shootings-explosions. Source: The Guardian. AFIS: There is ochlarchy in Sweden.

29.09.2023. Sweden gangs: Army to help police after surge in killings, see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66964723. Source: BBC. AISC: This is civil war. Crush the criminal gangs…

Best regards Prof. Dr. cand. oecon. and cand. anarch. Jens Hermundstad Østmoe at NØI-INDECO-OSE and IIFOR-PGU
NØI-INDECO-OSE: www.indeco.no
Published in Folkebladet – the Peoples’ Journal: www.anarchy.no
IIFOR: http://www.anarchy.no/iifor.html
PGU: http://www.anarchy.no/au.html

“Anarkismen kan inte skrivas bort ur syndikalismen”.

Det är viktigt med en debatt om syndikalistisk strategi och försök att bredda syndikalistiska organisationer. Men rörelsen tjänar inget på en urvattning av syndikalismens politiska historia. Snarare behöver vi en större och öppnare diskussion om både frihetlig praktik och teori, skriver Amalthea Frantz och Gabriel Kuhn som ett svar till Rasmus Hästbacka. Snart ska Organisatörens handbok ges ut på SAC:s förlag Federativs. I juli publicerade Arbetaren en recension av boken, skriven av Rasmus Hästbacka som är SAC:s fackliga samordnare och medlem i Umeå LS. Boken är en översättning av Secrets of a successful organizer och sammanfattar den erfarenhet som amerikanska arbetsplatsorganisatörer, knutna till nätverket Labor Notes, har samlat på sig under årtionden. Den är en viktig handbok för arbetsplatsorganisatörer, även om det förstås aldrig kan finnas en exakt mall för hur organisering ska ske på varje arbetsplats och i varje ort.

Vi kan hålla med om mycket däri, men inte att syndikalism skulle vara opolitisk och icke-ideologisk. Rasmus Hästbacka stannar dock intevid sin mycket positiva beskrivning av boken. Han använder den för att agitera för en viss linje: syndikalismen är en klassrörelse, den är inte vänster, den bygger på medlemsdemokrati och federalism, och skickliga arbetsplatsorganisatörer ska bygga sektioner och hjälpa organisationen att växa. Vi kan hålla med om mycket däri, men inte att syndikalism skulle vara opolitisk och icke-ideologisk. Rasmus Hästbacka har framfört sina argument under flera år, i artiklar som publicerats både på svenska och engelska. Han har sammanställt en grundkurs om syndikalismen som ska läras ut till LS-medlemmar. Och nästa år ska Federativs även släppa en ”ideologisk grundskiss” om syndikalismen som Hästbacka står bakom. Det är lätt att tro att det inte finns några andra inom SAC som har åsikter om syndikalismen och syndikalistisk strategi.

Metod med ”myrsteg”

För syndikalistiska läsare är det värt att veta att Labor Notes inte är en syndikalistisk organisation. De är ett tvärfackligt orienterat nätverk av arbetsplatsorganisatörer, varav de flesta återfinns bland gräsrötterna hos USA:s AFL-CIO-fack – som motsvarar LO‑fack i Sverige. Labor Notes är inte heller ”opolitiska” på det sätt som Rasmus Hästbacka argumenterar för. På Labor Notes-konferensen 2022 var huvudtalaren den kända politikern Bernie Sanders, frontfiguren för Democratic Socialists, alltså vänsterfalangen inom det stora Democratic Party i USA. Att diskutera de större frågorna (klasskampen och ett socialistiskt samhälle) verkar för Hästbacka bara vara en distraktion från organiseringen på arbetsplatserna.

Men det finns ett betydligt större problem med Hästbackas användning av Labor Notes handbok för att lyfta sin tolkning av syndikalismen: boken beskriver en metod, ingen ideologi eller ens strategi. En metod kan användas av alla möjliga människor i alla möjliga sammanhang, i detta fall av arbetsplatsorganisatörer i stora fack, små fack, svartröda fack, gula fack eller inga fack alls; föreningsfunktionärer, partipolitiker eller lobbyister kan också låta sig inspireras. Rasmus Hästbacka skriver att han vill sikta på ”små myrsteg”. Att diskutera de större frågorna (klasskampen och ett socialistiskt samhälle) verkar för Hästbacka bara vara en distraktion från organiseringen på arbetsplatserna.

Vi menar att det kan vara precis tvärtom. Vi behöver diskutera på både mikro- och makronivå. Att förutsätta att blivande medlemmar är ointresserade av att prata strategier och samhällsförändring är kontraproduktivt och påminner något om det ”förakt för vanliga arbetare” som Hästbacka tror sig kunna upptäcka bland anarkister. Det finns dessutom vissa lustiga drag i Rasmus Hästbackas argumentation. I recensionen skriver han att ”SAC:s pionjärer ville bygga en öppen klassorganisation” och att ”denna ambition uttrycktes igen på 2022 års kongress genom den principförklaring som röstades igenom”. Det är inte så konstigt att det blev så, med tanke på att det var Rasmus Hästbacka som skrev den nya principförklaringen. Det är inte det enda retoriska tricket i texten. Själva begreppet ”öppen klassorganisation” presenterar Hästbacka som ett etablerat begrepp inom den syndikalistiska debatten. Men vid en online-sökning återfinns begreppet i en enda text som inte är skriven av Hästbacka själv: i Sven Lagerströms Syndikalismen – en grundbok från 1984, en text Hästbacka gärna refererar till.

Anarkosyndikalism i praktiken

Rasmus Hästbacka är inte den enda som reflekterar över vad syndikalismen är, varken i Sverige eller utomlands. Det finns en hel del människor som drar andra slutsatser än Hästbacka, utan att de förespråkar det han kallar för ”kaderfack” eller ”bräckliga nätverk”. De gör det i debattartiklar, men ännu oftare i sin verksamhet: när de diskuterar motgångar eller framgångar efter en blockad, när de håller liv i sina sektioner, när de gör sitt bästa för att upprätthålla demokratiska medlemsmöten, när de värvar en kollega. Det är värt att i sammanhanget titta på hur begreppen ”syndikalism” och ”anarkosyndikalism” har använts historiskt. Under hela första halvan av 1900-talet användes de mer eller mindre synonymt. ”Revolutionär syndikalism” smög sig också in, men i stort sett menade alla detsamma: en klassrörelse som inte enbart skulle använda fackföreningar för att få en större del av den kapitalistiska kakan, utan för att störta hela det kapitalistiska systemet.

I SAC:s första principförklaring från år 1910 står det att fackföreningar skulle ”aldrig få fattas som självändamål, utan enbart som medel … i striden för klasskampens egentliga mål: … ett fritt samhälle utan statlig tvångsorganisation.” Med tanke på hur gärna Hästbacka hänvisar till historiska texter för att underbygga sin tolkning av syndikalismen vore det intressant att veta vad han tycker om detta uttalande. Men dessa två aspekter av syndikalismen (anarkismen och klassorganisering) utesluter inte varandra.

Vilka var det då som pratade om ”anarkosyndikalism”respektive ”(revolutionär) syndikalism”? Om man kan hitta något mönster över huvud taget så användes ”anarkosyndikalism” av dem som ville betona syndikalismens anarkistiska bas. Den var tydlig, även i Sverige. SAC:s grundare tillhörde till stor del ungsocialisterna, alltså de ofta anarkistiskt orienterade medlemmar i Socialdemokratiska arbetarpartiet som hade lämnat partiet några år tidigare. ”Syndikalism” däremot användes av dem som ville betona att syndikalismen var klassbaserad och inte i första hand en ideologisk/politisk rörelse. Men dessa två aspekter av syndikalismen (anarkismen och klassorganisering) utesluter inte varandra.

Det är sant att det finns det som Rasmus kallar för ”kaderfack”. De är oftast dogmatiska och sekteristiska. Efter andra världskriget har de samlats i den Internationella arbetarassociationen (IAA), som grundades 1922 och som var betydligt större och öppnare på 1920- och 1930-talen. (Det kanske inte är någon slump att Vadim Damier, som Rasmus Hästbacka anser vara kaderfackens mest prominenta förespråkare, har skrivit en lång bok om IAA:s historia.) Det är på grund av dessa sekteristiska strider som begreppen ”anarkosyndikalism” och ”syndikalism” skiljts åt alltmer sedan 1950-talet. Vissa syndikalistiska fackföreningar ville markera att andra syndikalistiska fackföreningar inte levde upp till de förstnämndas dogmatiska krav. Andra ville inte likställas med sekteristerna. Det är en terminologisk kamp utan mycket innehållslig substans.

Det finns en hel del syndikalistiska fackföreningar som inte är dogmatiska och sekteristiska, men som omfattar anarkistiska grundvärderingar ändå: IP i Polen, FAU i Tyskland, CGT i Spanien, med flera. Det går bra för dem. Vissa är nyare som fackföreningar, andra har gamla rötter. Just spanska CGT, som kallar sig anarkosyndikalistiskt, har lyckats med bred organisering de senaste decennierna. Det är på dem som SAC:s organisation och idéer bygger: direktdemokrati, federalism, platt organisering, arbetarstyre med mera. SAC har kontakt med dessa systerorganisationer i världen, vi följer deras kamp och ibland samarbetar vi. Vi tror att syndikalister i Sverige kan lära minst lika mycket av dem som av ett tvärfackligt nätverk i USA.

SAC:s grund måste vara direktdemokratisk

”Okej, men varför är den här diskussionen alls viktig?” kan man rimligtvis fråga sig. Jo, för att det gynnar och stärker syndikalistiska fackföreningar att minnas sina anarkistiska grundvärderingar. Det är på dem som SAC:s organisation och idéer bygger: direktdemokrati, federalism, platt organisering, arbetarstyre med mera. Att vissa delar har försämrats internt de senaste åren, till exempel att makt har centraliserats och insynen i den minskat, är snarare ett bevis på att SAC behöver gå tillbaka till sina rötter. Dessutom: om en syndikalistisk fackförening har många aktiva som förstår varför vi har byggt organisationen efter direktdemokratiska och frihetliga principer, är det betydligt mer osannolikt att dessa principer urholkas.

Vi anser alltså inte att fokuspå anarkistiska grundvärderingar som komplement till fokus på klassorganisering står i vägen för SAC:s framgång. Problemet är inte att SAC förknippas med vänstern (frihetlig socialism räknas till vänster på den politiska skalan, så är det bara). Inte heller att frihetlig socialism är en målsättning som är för stor eller att idealet med ett aktivt medlemskap är för krävande. Tvärtom. Om vi tar dessa principer på allvar och säkerställer att de präglar vår praktik framöver, då kan vi vara en mer relevant organisation för klasskampen i Sverige.
Vi behöver en bredare diskussion om både mål och medel – om hur vårt praktiska arbete kan kopplas till teori och ideologi, och tvärtom. Vi vill med den här texten uppmana och uppmuntra fler medlemmar att delta i den debatten.

Gabriel Kuhn och Amalthea Frantz är medlemmar av SAC:s internationella kommitté. 

PS. Kända anarkister som skrivit i Arbetaren. Nisse Lätt, Emma Goldman, Stig Dagerman och Britta Gröndahl skrev alla i Arbetaren. Arbetaren har under dess 100-åriga historia haft flera kända skribenter som även varit aktiva syndikalister. Många vars namn sällan tas med i den allmänna historieskrivningen. Här är fyra mer eller mindre kända anarkister och syndikalister som publicerats i Arbetaren genom åren. Se: https://www.arbetaren.se/2022/10/21/kanda-anarkister-som-skrivit-i-arbetaren/

AFIS OCH ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL (AI/IFA) VILL HA NÄRARE SAMARBETE MED SAC OCH ARBETAREN FÖR MER ANARKISM I SAC!!!

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*) Documents from the IIFOR archives indicate this unlawful publishing mainly was in the periode 1976-1979. In 1982 a "Valekstra Brand" was published, among other things inviting to the First Nordic Anarchist Congress in Oslo 15-17 October 1982. It was edited by an "autonomus" group, "en fristående redaktion", at Box 494 - 751 06 Uppsala. The same group published several issues of "Brand Faran" in 1983. In no 5 1983 the editors wrote they would continue to use the lawful title "Brand Faran", and thus not use the real title "Brand". 26.11.1983 AFIS was founded as a federation, the reorganized APF, and took over the publishing right of Brand. Then it was included in "Folkebladet" and "IFA-Solidaritet". Perhaps due to some misunderstandings the Uppsala group continued to publish their journal, but now they unlawful used the title "Brand", although with a different layout than the old logo. However they didn't dare to write the adress of the editing group in the paper. The title "Brand" was misused in no 1 and 2 1984. They also promoted "@sosialen" with the slogan "Vägra arbete", i.e "don't work", and an extremistical pacifism, that have very little to do with anarchism.

In no 3 1984 however they once again used the lawful title "Brand Faran". However later on the unlawful use of the title "Brand" was again introduced, perhaps with a different editing group. In 1986 a new editing group with "Eva X Moberg" as "Brandredaktör", unlawfully started to publish another false "Brand". The editing group was mainly leftist marxian "autonomist", a bit similar to the Norwegian "Blitz", promoting occupations, support to the authoritarian Kurdish nationalist marxist-leninists of PPK, chaotic punks, "wannabe libertarian" ideas, etc. Ms "X" was editor of this version of the false "Brand" between 1986 and 1995. Later on another ochlarchical, childish marxist leftist group took over the unlawful publishing. AFIS has made its point of view clear, denouncing these false "Brands", but it is sometimes difficult to stop unlawful publishing from small marxist "autonomus" groups, that don't follow anarchist law as well as Swedish law. All anarchists should turn their back against these marxian groups falsely posing as "anarchist", and not link up to it.