The subject line makes this look like its breaking news!
Wow just found this.. thanks for this Syndicalist! It's pretty vague in some parts but I know the back story from elsewhere.
I'd be interested in seeing whats in the “Basis of Affiliation & Internal Organization” as well as any Aims & Principles, etc. of the ACF as well as the LWG.
It is a breaking story... for Rip Van Winkle .....
by mitch Wednesday, Nov 2 2005, 1:51pm
wsany@hotmail.com
ACF Declaration
We live in a world in which the vast majority of people are manipulated and exploited for the benefit of a privileged few. The main goal of the members of these ruling classes is to increase their personal power and wealth by any means necessary. They try to blur the distinction between rich and poor by the use of myth that wealth is available to all. This irresponsible pursuit of economic and political power has brought about not only poverty and unrewarding lives for the vast majority, but threaten the existence of humanity with ecological disaster and nuclear war.
We are anarchists because we oppose the notion that the political state can be used to either protect or promote social revolution. The state is the graveyard of freedom and equality. It means privilege and domination on the one hand, subordination and poverty on the other.
We are communists because we believe that the wealth produced by society rightly belongs to society and not to the few who own and control the machinery of production and distribution of goods and services which have been produced by generations of working people.
As anarchists we recognize that the problems of hierarchy are not only based on the workplace. The habits of obedience and authority stem also from the daily subordination of women to men, children to adults and race to race. In the final analysis no social revolution can succeed without the simultaneous dismantling of all such hierarchical relationships.
We are opposed to the State and ruling classes which dominate every country today. In their place we propose the free federation of autonomous communities and workers' associations united by free agreement. In the struggle to achieve this society of free producers we advocate direct democracy, direct action and autonomy.
We have formed a federation because it is the organizational structure which best promotes the free coordination of activities among self-governing groups.
We urge all who share these goals to work with us.
Adopted July, 1980,
At the Sixth Conference of the
Anarchist Communist Federation of North America
ACF AFFILIATES
CANADA
Regina ACF
Toronto ACF
Totally Eclipsed (Jordon Station, Ontario)
UNITED STATES
Nameless Anarchist Group (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
Syndicalist Alliance (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Rascal (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Resurgence (Champaign, Illinois)
No Limits (Madison, Wisconsin)
Bread and Roses (San Francisco)
Chicago Black and Red (Chicago, Illinois)
Libertarian Workers Group (New York City)
AFFILIATION PENDING
Soil of Liberty (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Creative Urge (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
-------------------------------------------------------------
MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES
INDIVIDUALS: All individual members must be affiliated with a federated group. An individual wishing to join the federation must request membership of an affiliated group and it is up to that group to determine whether to associate with a given individual or not. Individual applicants may choose between any of the local groups which will accept her/him. Once in the federation, an individual member may change her/his affiliation, but must always be affiliated with some group.
GOUPS: The base unit of the federation is the local group. A local group shall consist of at least three individual anarchist-communists living within one hour's traveling time of each other, but may include additional members living beyond this radius. Local anarchist groups that wish to affiliate must communicate their desire to federate to all groups presently within the federation. The applicant group has been contacted and has been given an understanding of the federation's principles and goals, the group or its representatives must then attend a conference of the federation in order to allow members from the other groups to meet them personally. After this the federated groups shall decide if they wish to associate with the applicant group.
(1980)
-------------------------------------------------------------
NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
We of the Anarchist Communist Federation are vehemently and unalterably opposed to draft registration and conscription in whatever country they may occur
THE DRAFT IS SLAVERY
AND CANNOT BE TOLERATED
Once again young workers and students will be forced to risk their lives to maintain the profits of the powerful few. We condemn an economic system which forces youth into the military because no jobs are available.
We will aid and abet anyone engaged in anti-draft struggles or G.I. resistance within the military,
(Issued Spring 1980)
woah, the A's and P's are the exact same, even in order as the UK ACF and contemporray AF over here. I was given the impression that they were arrived at over 20 years of tense debate, not lifted word for word from a group that folded 4 years before 
Or are the AnP's of both groups lifetd from some earlier group or work?
woah, the A's and P's are the exact same, even in order as the UK ACF and contemporray AF over here. I was given the impression that they were arrived at over 20 years of tense debate, not lifted word for word from a group that folded 4 years before
It looks like a mistake because the spelling is UK standard as well ('organise' not 'organize'), and those are definitely the UK ACF's original a&ps. We're usually pretty good at ackowledging when we nick stuff from elsewhere (we do it all the time, after all 
).
UK ACF formed in 1986, mostly in London, out of a libertarian communist discussion group that had been running for a couple of years. The a&ps, as far as I know, were written during that time and have changed since as the organisation has grown.
I'm pretty sure that the ones pasted in above are the UK ACF's a&ps - taken from this Spunk press page (http://www.spunk.org/texts/groups/acf/sp000002.txt , linked to as UK ACF here - http://www.spunk.org/texts/groups/acf/sp000002.txt). The text above has the same typos as that page (eg - 'anarchists communism').
Funny, when I was re-reading my ACF materials this one paragraph hit me in the jaw. This came out of the 1978 founding document.
I stand corrected. I'd love to see some of those documents - sounds fascinating and an important influence I've never heard of before apparently.
Anyone on here that was active in the formation of the UK-ACF....
Yep, he'd have been around then. I think there might have been a couple of people with american links early on (really not sure - I only joined 2 years ago), so maybe that's the channel. It does sound like the politics are quite different, so it'd be interesting to know how it worked.
Quote:
Funny, when I was re-reading my ACF materials this one paragraph hit me in the jaw. This came out of the 1978 founding document.I stand corrected. I'd love to see some of those documents - sounds fascinating and an important influence I've never heard of before apparently.
"Important influence"--- ha! Perhaps in an historical vacume, at the time, no. The ACF/NA was alot more important then we (the participants) we give it credit for.
Oh, but were we subject for ridicule by most of the anti-organizational anarchists.
That said, we failed in our mission to provide a continental organization. Some of it was political mish-mash, some personality and some plain ole inexperiance. I'd venture to say most of us were in our early to mid-20's at the time. I was 22 at Wildcat Mountain and just shy of 23 when ACF organized in Ypslanti.
Syndicalist,
Are you sure you haven't made a mistake and confused some documents with the UK ACF here?
I was around at the time and worked with some people in the ACF. There were big arguments over the aims and principles, which doesn't mean you are not right and they didn't adopt it, but to me makes it seem a little unlikely.
The English spelling tends to me point in this direction too.
Devrim
Actually, during the 1974ish period, some of my comrades were in touch with the UK-ORA. Myself with AWA in 1976. The ACF exchanged a few letters & pubs. with ACA .But there was no real connection, no fraternal ties and one would have today. And, remember, this was all pre-internet, so we relied mostly on comrades newspaper for news and information. The periodic letter would come and, I think, the British comrades were usually better about writing than most.
The ACF/NA never really had much to do with the international anarchist movement per se. With the emerging CNT-AIT from the underground we were tied into supporting the CNT-AIT --- as were most anarchist groups at the time. The French ORA & UK-AWA were active with the supporting the cause of assemblyism (in the most positive sense) in Spain. With supporting the re-emergence of the CNT-AIT, the French and British ORA & AWA were promoting workers assemblies, as in the case of the Roca textile workers strike. Anyway, have I gotten far afiled.
So, directly, I think whatever influence we had on each other (ACF/NA & ACA) was probably more in the heads of indivdual miliatnts then in any coherent and organized fashion.
Syndicalist,Are you sure you haven't made a mistake and confused some documents with the UK ACF here?
I was around at the time and worked with some people in the ACF. There were big arguments over the aims and principles, which doesn't mean you are not right and they didn't adopt it, but to me makes it seem a little unlikely.
The English spelling tends to me point in this direction too.
Devrim
Ok, let me go back and find the original ACF/NA printed text. If, somehow, the texts have gotten mixed up, I will be profoundly embarrased. My historical cred. will be vastly diminished and I will reteat with no dignity 
Let me go and blow some dust off the records and get back ta yas.
As I try and find the original paper text, I think the problem can be traced back to a link which is no longer up: http://www.anarco-nyc.net/history/history8.html Over the next few days I will endevor to locate the original text. I am pretty certain this is where I originally cut and pasted the on-line text from. I've written the NYMAA folks to see if they can provide me with the original text.
This is embarrasing.
I think I remember (and its from a casual conversation twenty odd years ago) some AF people saying the wording was a bit of a compromise, which implies they wrote it.
Also the politics of it seem more of an 'English' than an 'America' anarchist thing if you see what I mean.
NH would probably know.
Again, I am not certain I am right. It is worth checking though.
I wouldn't worry if you are wrong. It can happen sometimes.
Devrim
As I still research the original ACF/NA document, let me express my sincere apologies to the comrades of the former UK-ACF. It was without ill intent that the error occured.
Yours in solidarity,
mitch
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy of email to Anarkismo Editiorial Collective. It is on their site that the original error appeared, and from which I have recopied the text from.
Dear comrades,
I believe there is a significant and embarrassing error in this article.
"Aims and Principles" of the Anarchist-Communist Federation of North America:
http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=1618&search_text=mitch&results_offset=20
It appears that the A& P's are actually those of the UK - ACF and not those of the ACF/NA.
As I try and find the original paper text, I think the problem can be traced back to a link which is no longer up: http://www.anarco-nyc.net/history/history8.html over the next few days I will endeavor to locate the original text. I am pretty certain this is where I originally cut and pasted the on-line text from. I've written the NYMAA folks to see if they can provide me with the original text.
I would ask that the Anarkismo collective please remove these A&P's at this time.
My humblest apologies for this very embarrassing error on my part. I take great pride-great pride--in being factual and accurate before I put something out in print. I think I'll stick to the "old school" style of research that works best ---- review and doubling checking original document.
Yours in solidarity,
Mitch
syndicalist wrote:
laureakai wrote:
Does the publication of all these historical documents recently mean that somebody's been cleaning up the office?:-)Actually, no.
Next time you come by the office will have a new look.
Is that the NYMAA office?
No the WSA/NEFAC office 
High School students struck and marched across Germany yesterday in protest against classroom overcrowding, lack of teachers, and the pressure of examinations.
A contemporary spoof of The Sun newspaper containing a "Tintin" cartoon about the Wapping printers strike of 1986.
This was written for another forum, but contains some intersting historical stuff for this forum.
--syndicalist
----------------------------------
Please find our ACF disaffiliation letter, with all its run-on sentences, etc.
Although I abstained on the matter, as corresponding secretary, I was charged with writing this letter. I think it was the first of its kind for me. In fact, it reads pretty unpolished. In the pre-computer PC age, once a document was was written it was rough to re-type. And given my resistance to sending the letter at all, well, I guess I was resistant to re-typing it.
I suspect there will be some questions. I'll see if I should become a betting man, 'cause I have a hunch as to where some questions might arise.
Enjoy...it took me long enough to retype
------------------------------------------
March 31, 1981
Libertarian Workers Group
Post Office Box 692
Old Chelsea Station, NY NY 10113
Copies to all A.C.F.
Affiliates & Contacts
Dear comrades,
The purpose of this letter is to make known the LWG’s intention of disaffiliating from the Anarchist-Communist Federation. This decision has not been an easy one. The discussions around this decision have been long and hard, one which has been reached only after intense internal discussion spanning several months. We must strongly emphasize that this decision is an independent one. The LWG did not collaborate or inform any other ACF affiliate or ACF contact of this decision prior to the writing of this letter. We must further note that this decision was not a unanimous one.
Over the course of the past eight months we’ve seen a disintegration of the internal development of the Federation. Those LWGers who attended the Morgantown [West Virginia] conference left the conference with generally positive feelings. However since that time our feelings and commitment to the ACF has drastically changed. This can be seen, in part, to our lack of consistent contribution to the IDB [Internal Discussion Bulletin]. By the same token we have met our obligations to the ACF in those fields where we have committed ourselves, notably in writing articles and distributing the “NAA”
[“North American Anarchist”]; External Correspondence Group matters; finances; collection of graphics and in attempting, along with the Syndicalist Alliance [Milwaukee, Wisconsin] to develop an on-going fund and support group for our Chilean comrades.
Before we go any further, we should clearly spell out our future relationship to the ACF. In this regard we would like to maintain comradely ties. We view these ties in concrete terms. That is continued commitment to the “NAA” (in all aspects); to work on projects of mutual interest and concern and to discuss and debate in free and open fashion issues of the day, theory and development of an active class struggle anarchist movement.
On the positive side it can be said that our generally active role in the ACF over the past 2 ½ years has been a good learning experience. Our group has been able to sharpen our own theoretical as well as practical development and has made good contacts, in part due to the formation of the ACF. We look forward to continuing these positive developments, however, now on an independent basis. And we plan to send at least one observer to the forthcoming conference. Yet it is unfortunate that the negative aspects of this relationship outweigh the positive ones. It is now that we turn to this aspect and reasons why the LWG wishes to disaffiliate.
A problem that no doubts plague every active affiliate is that of finances. While the LWG is probably no larger than most affiliates
[10 members at time of this letter. M.] it can be honestly said that we are poorer than most. The average weekly income (gross is no more than $150.00 a week. In light of our high degree of activity (see our report in IDB V. 3 #’s 11-12) we’ve found our financial, as well as energy, commitment to ACF a drain on our limited resources. To clarify this let us say that many n the LWG feel that the money contributed to the ACF could have been directed to expand and publish on a much more frequent basis [the LWG newsletter] “On The Line”, the publication of more leaflets, as well as other projects.
The energy to distribute the “NAA” has generally presented little or no problems. However, over the course of time we’ve spent more and more of our meeting time to discuss the problems and future of the ACF. As an affiliated group we clearly saw the need, and rightly so, to discuss all matters pertaining to the Federation. Yet internal maters seemed to overtake the practical aspects of developing a clear organization with a presentable analysis and solid mutual projects. In this light the time that could have been used to develop our local work became somewhat wasted time discussing many non-practical matters. Matters that had no bearing on the future of an activist and well coordinated anarchist-communist movement.
Rather than placing the blame on what has become a rather sectarian (internally and otherwise) and ineffective organization on any one group, we feel we are all to blame to one degree or another. Thus we have observed that there has become little or no room for open and honest discussion. This has lead, in part, to the lack of collective discussion on practical activity and theoretical matters. The manner in which comrades have discussed issues with each other has been less than comradely. In fact some of the discussions and articles in the IDB and “NAA” have been downright dogmatic, ultra-sectarian and personally offensive. While many members of the LWG may not politically disagree with many of the opinions expressed, we are, however, displeased with the style they are written in.
Furthermore the LWG feels that the orthodoxy of some groups is not a positive example of other group’s attempts to develop a “new anarchism”. That is a theory and practice relevant to modern conditions. This only leads to a poor display of internal and public sectarianism, substituionalism, absententionism, censorship, intolerance and most of all lack of comradeship. While we can agree that it is important to maintain a solid degree of continuity with basic anarchist principles and organizational forms, we find it hard to accept and work with groups who are frozen in time and opinions.
Part and parcel of this, the LWG can no longer accept the fact that comrades are frozen out in one way, shape or form because of their particular outlook on any one issue or issues. We have found this to be the case concerning our group as well as others. We refuse to accept a monolithic outlook or “line”. We thus feel that by striking out on our own we will again have room to act and develop our ideas, methods of struggle and organizational forms without being unjustly criticized.
Concerning the “Basis of Affiliation & Internal Organization”, we feel that there is no longer a LWG consensus on this document. Over the course of time LWG members have come to some pretty clear and sharp disagreements with certain sections of this document. While there is some sympathy for continued debate on the “Basis”, it is clear that our concepts and future proposed changes would not be accepted by many affiliates.
Much to our displeasure we presently see the ACF as an ineffective organization. We have seen good intentions as well as potential dissipate without any signs that the present malaise will be overcome. We also see the ACF, as it exists, becoming more of a diversion from local work to mythical organizational fetishes. Our group has always stressed the need to build the local base as a compliment to building a continental federation.
The potential of our work in the New York area is great. It can be said without exaggerating that the LWG, small as it is, is in the best position we have ever been in to develop a solid base. Through the development of our independent positions and roles in our areas of activity do we stand a real chance of developing the type of influence and cohesiveness in the “movements from below” that has not been seen in the N.Y. area for years.
We would like to conclude this letter by making it clear to all that our decision to disaffiliate is an independent one. There may be those who feel we are working with others to wreck the ACF. On the contrary, we believe that the ACF will stand or fall on its own merits.
The Libertarian Workers’ Group looks forward to working with the ACF on many projects. We would still like to receive two copies of the IDB. We will continue to answer all external correspondence until a new group takes on this responsibility. We will forward all ECG files to the new group.
Naturally we invite comments on this letter and we hope to engage in an on-going dialogue with all.
Most importantly of all, we hope to maintain that special faith, trust and respect we have developed over the years.
Yours for a world without rulers,
mm
Corresponding Secretary
Libertarian Workers’ Group
New York, New York