Taking Sides: Revolutionary Solidarity and the Poverty of Liberalism - Softcover

Cindy Milstein; Michael Staudenmaier; Delio Vasquez; Harsha Walia; Indigenous Action Media; Neal Shirley And Saralee Stafford; Finn Feinberg; Leanne Simpson; Anarchist Jews; Benjamin Hart

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849352321 ISBN 13: 9781849352321

Publisher: AK Press, 2016

Synopsis

The lines of oppression are already drawn. The only question is, Which side are you on in the struggle against the violence that is white supremacy and policing? Taking Sides supplies an ethical compass and militant map of the terrain, arguing not for reform of structurally brutal institutions but rather for their abolition. Its thirteen essays are sharp interventions that take particular aim at the role of nonprofits, "ally" politics, and "peace police"; in demobilizing rebellions against hierarchical power. The authors offer tools to hone strategies and tactics of resistance, and hold out the promise of robust, tangible solidarity across racial and other lines, because in the battle for systemic transformation, there are no outside agitators.

About this title

Review

Taking Sides is arriving right when we need it, a tool to infuse complex contemporary movement conversations with useful accounts of our movement histories and insightful analysis about how we practice solidarity. It brings deep thinking about recent flash points into ongoing dialogues about leadership, strategy, and infrastructure in ways that shed new light on difficult questions. Taking Sides is a sharp, brilliant tool for activists on the ground. --Dean Spade, author of Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law

From the arresting title through thirteen brilliant essays, this reader is a gem. Alliances and the problem with ally politics, decolonization demands, a defense of riots, exposing gender violence, fighting back against police violence, and contesting white supremacy are among the timely issues presented in militant terms. The diversity of the authors gives depth to First Nations, African American, and immigrant views of the North American reality. This promises to be a handbook for every social justice activist. --Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples History of the United States

Taking Sides is more than a book; it s a politic aimed at the heart of every radical struggling against a racist state. Its goal is simple: to challenge prevalent 'ally politics', and replace them with an accomplice model that seeks abolition, decolonization, and strong solidarity based on equal footing. Collectively, the writings serve as essential tools for those seeking to build a new world in the shell of the old. --Luis A. Fernandez, author of Policing Dissent and Shutting Down the Streets

Edition details

• Publisher: AK Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849352321
• ISBN 13: 9781849352321
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 120
• Editor: Cindy Milstein