Alter-Nates (English)

7/31/2019 Alter-Nates (English)

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In general, we find that in social movements, two words keep recurring inthe vernacular, in discussions and in the shouts, in the slogans and thedeclarations: lucha (meaning struggle) and contra (meaning against),the Capitalist System, a system of domination, patriarchy, exploitation, etc. Wealways seem first to be anti prior to being alter, that is proposingalternatives. Or rather, we could call this position one of Alter-Nates. But toknow against what we are struggling and from what we seek emancipation, it isimportant to know what the capitalist system is. Even prior to that, we mustunderstand what a system is, and then understand what is Capitalism. In thisway, we can diagnose what stage of its existence this system of Capitalism is at,and what the real possibilities of maintaining its momentum are. We can pinpoint

any roads that involve anti-capitalism strategies and/or anti-system initiatives, aswell as the best strategies to employ in creating an experience or reality that istruly anti-system.

Anti- is a greek prefix that means protection against, prevention against orstruggle against. However, we prefer to use the connotation of opposite' orcontrary to. As a result, when we talk of anti-system experiences, we refer tothose realities and experiences that are opposite or contrary to the

capitalist system; we refer to the discourse and unified social and politicalpractices in daily life carried out by an individual or a collective, withcharacteristics different from or diametrically opposed to those that feed intothe present system. These experiences, to a greater or lesser extent, reflect analter-nate, meaning they reflect distinct forms within each community of livingtheir own lives within their own systems.

Our Dream is Not a Dream: A World Without Capitalism!

Gustavo Castro Soto


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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODAYTO BE ANTI-SYSTEM?

The Anti-Capitalist Thermometre

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Coleccin Alter-Natos. N1

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODAY TO BE ANTI-SYSTEM?

The Anti-Capitalist Thermometre

Author: Gustavo Castro Soto (Otros Mundos, A.C.)

Drawings and Design: Nieves Capote Figueroa.(Otros Mundos, A.C.)Translated by: Fernando Calatayud, Nancy L. Serrano and Natalie Long

Otros Mundos, A.C.Apartado Postal 4329230 San Cristbal de las Casas

Chiapas, Mxicowww.otrosmundoschiapas.org

Other Worlds802 Camino del Prado, NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114Estados UnidosTel: 505.922.1511www.otherworldsarepossible.org

[email protected]

San Cristbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mxico/2008


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These days, due to the crises of wars, poverty, injustice and environmentaldestruction, other worlds are essential, that is to say, other models bywhich to live our lives. In fact, they already exist in some parts. In thenorthern and southern hemispheres, in shantytowns and in thecountryside, in indigenous lands and in cities, these alternatives are already

under construction, including other political, social and economicalternative models that are starting to flourish. People everywhere aredevising solutions for the most serious challenges of our times, be itcreating peace communities or basing economies on supposedly throwingaway money (or rather, basing economies on solidarity and not on theinternational market); choosing to use energy that does not damage theenvironment; engaging in food sovereignty; ensuring that nature andpublic services continue to form part of public property or that which is

communally owned; or ensuring that workers continue to be owners oftheir own labor. In other cases, many peoples strive to preserve theirknowledge and cultures that have been accumulated and preserved overcenturies.

Of the other worlds that are described in this booklet, various simple andfundamental principles are brought to the foreground. First, everyone has

the right to justice and dignity; second, that the land cannot be sacrificed forthe sake of human whims; third, we cannot put a price on life, on the planet,or on the relationships built between humans; and fourth, participation bythe people is the key that will open the doors of success to alternativeworlds.

People always ask me What is the alternative? One sole solution does not

exist, given that every society has its own complex history linked with itsproblems and necessities. Each movement must develop its own modelsand its own answers and visions, which is exactly what is happening at themoment.

The majority of these existing alternatives are occurring unnoticed, despitethe fact that everybody needs this type of information, from which we can

all gain the inspiration and hope that we are not condemned to live in theworld in its current form. This booklet is a good place to start learningabout this information.

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In my view, politics means believing in the impossible in such a way to makeit possible. It is about planting a seed in a small crack in the pavement andgetting a corn stalk to grow there. In general, it is something that is hard toachieve, yet we should celebrate any seed, however small, that manages

to grow from that hard and dry crack. We must never forget to water thatseed.

Our political activism is striving to achieve a more just and egalitarian worldwhich is like planting that seed in the pavement it is an act of faith. Thereis no guarantee of a cornstalk or of social change, but what happens if wedo not even try? That is why I invite you to keep in mind this story: twofriends of mine went to visit an ancient site in the United States where 800

years previously, an indigenous community had lived. Among the ruins,they found some corn seeds; they sewed the seeds, they watered theseeds, andthe corn grew! 800 years later! We can never know all theconsequences of our actions, but we should always hold on to hope. Weneed to know that, although it still may not have happened in our town,our country, or our movement, all around us, things are developing.

I hope that some day we may meet on the sidewalk, or perhaps on a trail onthe way to the next cornfield, as we walk together toward those newworlds.

With respect and solidarity,

Beverly Bell

Coordinator of Other Worlds, (United States of America)

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The present situation with poverty, misery, hunger, migration,femicides, wars, climate change and environmental destruction, amongother increasingly serious indicators with which we live in the world thatare the fruits of a hegemonic system of multiple domination, make usthink, believe and long for, as well as feel determined to prove, that otherworlds are possible.

Other Worlds (Albuquerque, USA) and Otros Mundos A.C. (Chiapas,Mexico), as sister organisations, are convinced that not only is anotherworld possible, but that many different worlds can fit into this worldwithout hegemonic impositions. But not just any type of world, butrather other types of worlds that recreate human diversity within othersystems everywhere while expressing the richness of humanity and its

different ways of living with dignity, peace, happiness,humanity and respect for all beings.

Many forms of expression reveal themselvesthrough the process ofempancipation from thecapitalist system and its

associated destructiveconsequences. However,other communities and

societies in different parts ofour planet have managed to continue

living under their own system fordecades and even centuries through the

process of resisting, sometimes silently,sometimes dying, sometimes surviving,

sometimes reviving.

We need to rescue theseother worlds that give us

the hop e tha t i t i spossible to live without

capitalism. But we alsoneed to rescue andgenerate a diverserange of expressions

that rebel against this system and that want to makeother worlds possible and alter-nates.

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Currently we speak a lot of the need to look for alternatives to the serioussituation in which we live. The word alternative originates from the latinpronoun alter, altera, alterum, which means the other, between twoalternatives.

However, when we speak of the alternative to the capitalist system, we are notreferring to just one unique alternative, as if there were just two things fromwhich to choose, between capitalism and the other possibility that we do not yetknow. This means reducing our choices to two possibilities, instead ofacknowledging that in reality our choice is open and diverse. We choose not toembrace another hegemony that will dominate and impose itself on others.

Therefore we look to another Latin pronoun, alius, alia, aliud, meaninganother among three or more choices., With the passage of time, the

difference between thetwo pronouns was lost,a n d t h e w o r dalternative came toinclude the idea of achoice among two ormore possibilities. Thisi s t h e a l t e r , o r

other possibilities.

The words altered, orunalterable indicatethat something is notaffected by externalevents. The words altercation or exalted indicate that something ismagnified or highlighted by something other than the original objects. Theseconcepts suggest a movement from the outside inward. We, however, insist inthe perspective of the movement from the inside out, namely 'Nates'.

The idea is to find, achieve, instigate, discover or create that which is born ofitself naturally, from within a movement, something of its own making, borninternally within the people who make up the movement. This is the Nates.This is the other that is born from within. It is this universal unity that is born

from unity with the other, and with commonalities. It is only through diversitythat we can generate true unity.

This is why cultural diversity makes various other worlds possible within ourWorld individual worlds that are distinct and separate from the capitalistsystem. Therefore, Alter-Nates are Other Worlds, other systems that arediversely united.

Why Alter-Nates?

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The word system has its roots in the greek word sstema(meaning a set). It refers to a group of organised elements that relate toeach other and form an ordered group. This group has order and meaningwithin itself, but not in an isolated manner; its components have order andstructure based on a certain logic, coherence, or related rules stemmingfrom within itself. Natural systems exist such as the water system, the

solar system, and the skeletal system among many others. Here we willtalk about a system created by humankind: the Capitalist System.

Nevertheless, no system created by humankind is perfect. They have

within themselves contradictions, imperfections and limits. They aresubject to the natural laws of the universe and life, such as continuousmovement, from start to finish. They undergo crises and transitions thatcan generate new forms of life. Action and reaction; thesis, synthesis, andanti-thesis, in the permanent movement of creation and recreation,because reality for all of humanity is always in flux and open.

Women and men need systems for many things in their lives. Political,cultural, economic, andspiritual life, among manyother areas that form part ofhuman coexistence areexpressed through l ifesystems, in systems thatgive meaning and order to

daily living. But what shouldthis system be like? Does thecapitalist system guaranteeour happiness?

What is a System?

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WHAT IS CAPITALISM?

Every person has a perception of what the capitalist system is, whether he orshe is aware of it or not. This marks our own particular course of action and our

behaviour in our daily lives. It dictates our types of discussions and certaintypes of actions. It makes us criticise certain things and agree with others.This is why some people believe that capitalism actually began thousands ofyears ago, or that it will continue forever such positions create a very distinctattitude toward capitalism. Thus, it is necessary that we truly analyse andunderstand the capitalist system, how it works and what diagnosis we canmake of its existence if it is at the beginning of its life-cycle, middle or end.

O u r f u t u r e v i s i o ndepends on this, andon the strategies thatw e f o r m u l a t e t odevelop Alter-Natos.

The capitalist system isa hegemonic, multi-

faceted system ofd o m i n a t i o n t h a tinvolves economic,p o l i t i c a l , s o c i a l ,ideological, culturaland military elements.It is a system based on

private property andcapital as elements ofp r o d u c t i o n a n dgenerators of wealththat feed the intrinsiclogic of the continuousa c c u m u l a t i o n o fwealth.

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WHAT IS THECAPITALIST SYSTEM?


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Among its theoretical elements are (a) the concept of self-interest and thefreedom of companies to look for the largest possible accumulation ofcapital, (b) the idea that workers look for the largest salary possible, and (c)that consumers always look for the best price.

The Competition is created between the offer and demand. Thereforetheoretically, in the market, offer and demand control the prices of goods andservices, thereby achieving the best balance for the common good.

In reality, however, this does not really happen. The capitalist systemgenerates the accumulation of wealth, monopolies, exclusion and poverty,among other consequences that we will analyse later. In the midst of itscyclical crises, as with all systems, sooner or later it will confront its incapacityto keep recreating itself as its incessant accumulation is based on the

exploitation of natural resources. Consequently, it is necessary to act nowand end this system before it finishes us and leaves us with nothing on whichto build a new way of life, a new world where a diversity of worlds can fit. Butnot just any world, though rather, one that includes the alternatives thatlead toward human plenitude and happiness.

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Capitalism has existed in various different forms and with many inherentcontradictions that provoke cyclical crises. When capitalism enters a period ofcrisis, the System passes through a stage transition so that a new model can begenerated. .

Liberal Model (1840-1945)

During this period individual liberties became the prime focus, as well as therights of corporations and commerce, from deciding how and what toproduce, the competition and the rights of private property guaranteed bythe State. Capitalist industry was promoted with the coming of the industrialera, the invention of the machine, and its incorporation into modes ofproduction.

L i b e r a l i s m r e j e c t e d

commerce where the Statecontrolled the economicactivity of a nation. It alsorejected the idea that theState should impose limitsas to the type or amount ofprofits obtainable. The

State should only providec o n d i t i o n s , s u c h a sinfrastructure, that favorbusiness and facilitate themaximization of profits forbusinesspeople.

T h e e c o n o m y s h o u l dtherefore be governed bythe market's invisiblehand, where free tradeand supply and demandwould naturally regulatet h e e c o n o m y . B u tliberalism meant a bigger

exploitation of the workers.Its antithesis: Marxism. Thismodel entered a crisis andwent through a transition that manifested in the Great Depression of 1929,extensive economic and social devastation, and the end of World War II(1945).

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Its Models and Stages...


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Welfare State Mode (1945-1970)

During this period every country was expected to substitute its importswith local produce due to the world economic debacle after the war.Under the premises set forth by Keynes (1883 1946), the InternationalMonetary Fund and the World Bank are born in the mountains of Bretton

Woods in the State of New Hampshire (USA). These two internationalbodies were created to strengthen the role of the state in nationaleconomies under the tutelage of the International Financial Institutions(IFIs). The United States institutionalized its economic, political,ideological, military and commercial hegemony.

Under this model, it was up to the State to save the economy and createwellbeing among the population. Its agenda and its ideological pillar wasthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created by the emergingUnited Nations Organization. Now the State, not the free market, would

have to guarantee human rights elements such as health, education,housing, food, work, and a dignified salary, among other rights. Toachieve this, the IFIs generated vast foreign debts among the poorcountries that grew until a new crisis surged, causing another model-transition during the sixties. This was how another exemplary crisis arose,which required a transition from one model to the next.


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Neoliberal Model (1970-2000)

Once the state apparatus was built, including its economy and infrastructures, itcame under the pressure of foreign debt. The vast transnational capitallaunched itself to gain control over the economy and the resources of poorcountries and channels of development. Through Structural AdjustmentPolicies (SAPs), the State was forced to reduce its control and open its bordersonce again to economic neoliberalism, thereby strengthening the accumulationof capital in the hands of the rich, who became ever richer, at the cost of thepoor, who became ever poorer, especially the women.

The State intervened to increase investment and demand, regulating cyclicalcrises. At this point, the obligations of the State were reduced to responsibilityfor laws guaranteeing certain civil liberties, control of internal security by meansof armed forces in conjunction with the police, the application of indispensablepolicies for the smooth working of the markets, and respecting private property.

During the 1990s, Transnational Corporations strengthened their investmentsand bought up everything, therefore allowing the model to enter another crisisto make way for the next model

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Corporation-Nation Model (2000-2030?, 40?)

The commercialization of all that exists on the planet under privateownership of large Transnational Corporations began to consolidate from thestart of the 21st century.

Monopolization, acquisition and mergers between sectors; TransnationalCorporations relying on their own internal labor, wage, and health policies,which act above those of the government; Maintenance of diplomatic

relations between Transnational Corporationsand governments; Corporations installingoperatives in the state structures that ensurethe Corporation's interests; Development of

individual corporate values, identities, cultures,clubs, family associations, symbols, anthems

etc., which transmit and reinforce theCorporation's ways of thinking and

l i v i n g ; S t r e n g t h e n i n g t h ee x p l o i t a t i o n a n d

commercialization ofwomen.

M o v e m e n t o fc a p i t a l , i n p u t s ,t e c h n i c i a n s a n dspecialists without anyb o r d e r o b s t a c l e s ;Provision of their own

security forces, privatep o l i c e , a r m i e s a n dm e r c e n a r i e s ;Development of theC o r p o r a t i o n ' s o w n

infrastructure, electricityplants, and controlled territories;

Development of the trade rules of the FreeTrade Treaties and formation of their own international tribunals to defendtheir interests above those of individual country's sovereignty; Of the world's100 biggest economies, more than half are corporations, of which, when onlyconsidering a handful, are richer than all of Africa or Latin America.

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Transnational Corporations have larger budgets thanmany nations around the world and they can guarantee asafe investment. They have plagiarized the language ofhuman rights to use it in their own defense. When

governments try to control their goods (to protect acountry's internal market, for example) they call itdiscrimination; yet when Corporations carry out the sameaction, it is called protecting their own interests.External subsidies are labeled disloyal competition,while subsidies provided to Corporations continue to increase. When thereare restrictions on environmentally harmful investments, corporations call it a

violation of their right to invest.

They take over the world's strategic resources like the oil and other miningresources, the water, gas, timber, biodiversity and genetic material, theoxygen, the sea, the air space and the soil. For the, the role of governments isto look after their interests. This is the climax of the capital accumulation.Therefore, this is the last model of the Capitalist System before getting into asystemic transition.

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The capitalist system implements the cycle that acceleratesthe accumulation of capital in large private monopolies.

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Principal Subject(Transnational

Corporations and largeFinancial Capital), that

which is benefittedand that to which theaccumulation of

wealth is directed.

Principal AlliesThe most powerfulGovernments (G7),who in turn use...

FinancialInstruments

(IFIs) which arefundamental for

generating.

Control and DependencyMechanisms

(Foreign Debt) that obligepoor countries to implement

Imposed ScenariosThat legalize this

exploitation under a

Correlation of FavorableForces

(WTO, Davos EconomicForum, FTAs, FTAA APEC ,

PPP , IISRA ADES, etc.)

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The Path.

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6Policies

(StructuralAdjustment Policies,SAPs) that guarantee

accumulation ofwealth. This processcomes about through

various 7

Military Structure

That guarantees controlfor the hegemonic

project due to the lack ofworld consensus.

The Path


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IFI Instruments PrincipalSubject

PrincipalAllies


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FTAA

IADB

WTO

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Foreign DebtMechanisms

SAPPolicies

Correlationsof Forces Military Structures


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The intrinsic logic of the accumulation of capital, by itsvery nature, brings about its own destruction. Capitalism createsthe conditions that generate its own incapacity to continue togrow, from an environmental, social, economic, political, culturaland military point of view.

The global cyclical crisis and the end of capitalism became more

accentuated at the beginning of the 21st century. The world ispreparing itself to make a transition toward other worlds. Theindicators of this crisis are economic, political, social andenvironmental: a crisis in the supposed democracies that serve thegreat transnational capital; economic stagnation and stagflation;exacerbation and growth of poverty, hunger, and related deaths;

accumulation of riches in fewer hands; an increase in worldwideprotests and mobilisations and repression of these movements;and environmental impacts that cause planetary life to beunsustainable. Thus, it is necessary to rid ourselves of this systembefore it leaves us without options of building other possibleworlds.

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The Crisis of theCapitalist System


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The current crisis of the capitalist system is a terminal crisis, sinceit brings together all the necessary elements: financial crisis,environmental crisis, food crisis, energy crisis, political crisis,social crisis, military crisis, and ideological crisis

The capitalist system had a beginning and it will have an endpoint. The principle of perpetual motion not only affectsbiological life, but also politics and social issues. Hence, nothingever remains static, but is always changing. This means that we

have not yet reached the end of history or that one system orsystem model is ever definitive.

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Among some intrinsic structural elements without which thecapitalist system could not function properly, so inherent that theyare the equivalent of the system's genetic code, we find the followingbelow. For these reasons and more, being anti-capitalist and anti-

system is everyone's ethical and moral obligation.

The Accumulation of Capital is theprincipal objective and nature of the capitalist

system, which creates its own mechanismsto accumulate riches in a continuous and

permanent manner (banks, laws,interests, subsidising a few while

appropriating a surplus, etc.). Capitalismdoes not distribute riches among the people, as its main purpose

is to accumulate incessantly.

Competition: the culture,discourse, and practice that feeds

hatred, frustration and accumulation ofriches where there are few winners andm a n y l o s e r s . T h e c u l t u r e o fcompetitiveness is the natural selectionof capitalism We are the winners!

Homogenisation:For capitalism to work,common laws, rules,norms and patterns thatfavor and facilitate theaccumulation of wealthare necessary in political,

e c o n o m i c , s o c i a l ,cultural, religious, andideological domains.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTSOF THE CAPITALIST

SYSTEM

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Worker-Boss Relationship: Few owners ofthe means of production who control thelives of workers that can only sell their cheaphand labour to survive.

Patriarchal: The

accumulation of wealth inonly a few hands is possible

thanks to the exploitationand domination of men whoexercise power over womenin the workplace, as well associal, cultural, and nuclearfamily spaces. The

relationships of dominationand power of men overwomen are the base of the feminisation of capital whichguarantees the accumulation of wealth.

Speculation: Theobjective is to accumulatewealth regardless of realnecessities and withoutproducing what peoplereally need in sufficientquantities to live a

dignified and happy life.

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Anti-Democracy:The interests of a few are increasinglyimposed on the interests of the majority. Representativedemocracy is pushed as the only way to participate, and it toobecomes a commodity. When it becomes a hassle, decrees,frauds, impositions and coercion are used.

Debt creation: is a basicprinciple of the accumulation of

wealth. Without debt and thedependency it generates, capitalismcannot be fully understood.

Impoverishment:

the ambition for theaccumulation ofwealth generateslosers, who becomeincreasingly poorer,left without anything

while theaccumulation ofwealth remains in thehands of a fewoligopolies..

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Racism: is an intrinsic partof capitalism and its winnersthat seek power and exclusive

privileges of a few overeveryone else.

Ecocide: Capitalism isfundamentally anti-

ecological. It destroys thenatural environment becauseof its ambition to accumulatewealth by converting natureinto merchandise to continueaccumulating even more riches. It is uncontrolled consumerismof raw materials. Its wastefulness also generates more wealth

accumulation.

Monopoly: Along witholigopolies comes theungovernable consequence ofruthless competition and the

elimination of competitors as well ascompetition via economic, political,

cultural, criminal and evenmilitary means.

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Exploitation:Accumulation of capital

cannot exist without thealienation of wealth, the

robbing of profit,

inequality and the lack ofdistribution of benefitsbetween rich and poor;

between the GlobalNorth and the Global

South.

Consumerism is

waste, it is the gluttony of acareer without an end and

without measuring realnecessities. Excessive

consumerism that isproduced independent of

real necessities acceleratesartificial demand and theaccumulation of wealth..

Privatisation converts public,social, cultural and environmentalservices into privately owned

services. The absolutism of theright to privatise everythingjustifies the appropriationof everything by means ofpatents.

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Dependence: The accumulation of capital isbased on the dependence of many on afew in political, economic, social, cultural,military, and environmental terms. Thesetwo opposite poles cannot live withouteach other. In addition, the tendency is

that the distancebetween these twogroups is ever

increasing.

War: When asituation reaches suchan extreme that

society rebels against

the system, the systemand itswinners imposetheir force on society. The

less consensus that exists,the

greaterthe

repression exercised. The greater the useof force, the weaker the system is. Butwar in itself is another mechanism ofaccumulation of wealth.

Repression: is the use of force that thesystem imposes against the lack of socialconsensus. The state that monitors theaccumulation mechanisms legally holds themonopoly of repression and satanises andcriminalises social movements and whateverdissident action exists against the system.

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Cultural Hegemony imposes itsvalues, but also convinces and

alienates people. It is the way ofviewing the system and the worldinside it as the best advocates for

life; this, in turn, leads toreproducing the capitalist system,feeding, nurturing and recreating it over

and over again.

Verticalism: As

capitalism does not create

consensus among thepeople, the powerstructures need to imposethemselves in the form ofdemocratic dictatorshipswith the abuse ofpresidential decrees over

democratic mechanisms.

Exclusion: Capitalismleaves out and rejects themajority of people in many ways. The majority are excludedfrom privileges, access to goods, resources, benefits etc.

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Alienation: This isnecessary for political,economic, social, andcultural control. Mediacommunications is in

the hands of the'winners' and thisguarantees hegemonywith high levels ofmanipulation andpower exercised over

society.

Counter-Historical: Capitalism today is seen as the end

of history because we havesupposedly reached its peak interms of abundance. It rejects

and negates the histories andthe cultures of different

peoples due to claims thatits history and its culture are

the only true history andculture. These otherhistories and cultures

are identifying flaws inthe system ofcapitalism, and thusare a threat to itshegemonic versionof history. Itattempts to wipe

the historicalmemory from

communities andpeoples to guarantee its

hegemony.

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Discrimination: Thisoccurs in all aspects(religion, ethnics, gender,age, sexual diversity,race, region, language).

Pseudo-Freedom:Capitalism generates virtualfreedom. In reality, only partially-free markets exist, and peoplehave no alternatives because theoligopolies refuse to permitdiversity. There is really no

freedom to choose.

Protectionism of Capital: TheStates guarantee transfermechanisms to transnationalcorporations,

allowing them topass all sorts ofcosts on to society.These costsincludeenvironmental

costs, input andproduction costs,losses, corruption costs, investment risks, infrastructure costs,social and political conflicts, and natural disaster damagesamong others. The economic and political subsidy to themarket also facilitates the accumulation of capital.

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Once we realise what is the capitalist system, we can begin topiece together the clues as to what is means to be anti-capitalist,who is anti-system, and who creates experiences or realities thatare anti-system.

Anti is a Greek prefix that signifies protection against,prevention against, or struggle against. Nevertheless, weprefer to use the connotation of opposite or contrary to. Asa result, when we talk of anti-system experiences, we refer tothose experiences and realities opposite to the capitalist system;

we refer to the discourse and unifiedsocial and political practices in daily life

that are carried out by an individual ora collective, with different

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o rc h a r a c t e r i s t i c sdiametrically opposed tothose that feed the

present system.

These experiences, to agreater or lesser extent,reflect an alter-nato.That is to say, theyrepresent other distinctforms, unique to eachcommunity, of living theirown lives within their ownsystems.

Anti-system expressions and experiences have always existed

some with more or less impact, social presence, or historicallyshorter or longer timescales. However, they did not manage toform one hegemonic system that globalised the laws of life for allof humanity, as has the capitalist system, namely because thiswas not their purpose.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TOBE ANTI-SYSTEM?

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Curiously, other subsistent non-capitalist worlds can be found indiverse indigenous cultures worldwide. The emergentalternative anti-system forms of living usually occur in rural areas

or in populations that are excluded from the supposed benefitsof the present dominant system.

Anti-system struggles can be of various forms.Some are mentioned below:

Resistance: The word resist comesfrom the Latin word resistere,which signif ies to defy,

r e j ect , wi t hst a nd o rsuffer; to oppose a violenta ct i o n f r o m so m eo ne o r

something. There are people or socialmovements that withstand or defy the effects

of the capitalist system. I won't pay, Idon't see, I don't buy, I don't vote, I won't

go

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Active Resistance: This includes Resistance butwith a more active way of opposing and rejecting some of its.

Manifestations (impede voting or building highways, bridges,dams, mines, eucalyptus or African palm monocultures. Efforts ofActive Resistance may include supporting strategies to combat poverty,low wages, the use of agrochemicals, etc.);

Actors (transnational companies and governments).

Or stopping, slowing down or avoiding mechanisms of wealth

accumulation or reproduction of the Capitalist System as a form ofprotest against the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the G8, theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), foreign debt,Plan Puebla Panama, the Initiative for the Integration of the RegionalInfrastructure of South America (IIRSA), the Davs Forum, thenegotiations of Free Trade Agreements, etc.

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Propositional Resistance: This struggle can include thetwo previously mentioned types of resistance, and most certainlyemancipation. Emancipatory struggles imply the act of freeing fromthe subordination or domination that the capitalist system imposes.Be that as it may, there cannot be liberation if the transformation of

reality does not occur to build Alter-Nates in an integral fashion. Onlyin this manner can we truly be liberated of dependence onthe capitalist system. It will be moreAlter-Nates to the extenti n w h i c h t h i sresistance includesmore anti-capitalistelements.

It is important to note,however, that we canmaintain, feed, andp o t e n t i a l i s e

capital ism withoutrealising it, even in anave fashion bythinking that we arei m p l e m e n t i n galternatives. Those who receive some benefit from the system may

look after their interests, that those benefits be perpetuated andimproved. This is why their form of resistance is either merelyreformist or manifested through arguments of humanisation ofcapitalism, which intrinsically is just not possible.Consequently, not all struggles against capitalism or its differentmanifestations mean that we are truly creating other manifestationsand realities that are different from capitalism. In this way, we see

organisations or social movements with an anti-system analysis anddiscourse that in practice are not really anti-system. Or we see theinverse social movements that never explicitly state their anti-capitalist position, but in practice are profoundly anti-capitalist, andare simply living the Alter-Nate.

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Living in the patriarchal world means that beyond ourown will and our own conscience, women and men occupy vitalspaces with hierarchies, we fulfill functions and roles, carry outactivities, establish relationships and have power or lack power

in these, in predetermined ways by society within strict andrigid margins. We are subject to a social, economic, judicial,political, and cultural hierarchy that is oppressive and unjust,based on gender, that shapes notions of sexuality and largelydetermines the course of our lives.

The patriarchal character of the world has allowed the

concentration of material goods and symbolic goods land,money, capital, women, knowledge, political power in thehands of men. It has also assured the expropriation fromwomen of all their possessions, including their bodies, theproducts of their creativity, and their goods it has convertedthem into possessions themselves, under control and

guardianship of men. It has achieved her forced exclusion fromspheres, activities, and roles that are the most valued andpowerful, being reserved exclusively for men.

Daily patriarchal life bases itself on the establishment of a fieldof domination between men and women. Additionally, menand women have a mutual need for one another to be able to

live in intimacy, as well as more and more frequently to carryout joint activities in public spaces. In this field of dominationwomen are trapped and men infringe upon the rules and normsof how to behave and how to live that have been assigned tomen and women.

Generic Democracy/For a human gender education forequality, integrity and liberty.

Dr. Marcela Lagarde

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THE ALTER-NATE IS ANTI-PATRIARCHALANDFEMINIST


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Other remaining non-capitalist worlds and the emerginganti-system Alter-Nates worlds will have to experiment withvarious characteristics, such as those listed below. The morecharacteristics they try, the more anti-system they will be, andtherefore create an Alter-Nato to capitalism:

Distribution: the opposite to accumulation. In this newworld, the surplus is redistributed. Nobody

accumulates, there is no basis for personal profitand the value of sharing overrides that of

accumulated wealth. The wealthy have no place inthis system. There are enough resources for

everyone: water, land, food, etc.

Participation: contrary tocapitalist competition. The populationparticipates in an active and creative mannerto build a world without the detriment of

others being left behind on route.

Diversity: the opposite of homogenisation.Biological and cultural diversity feed the

world,complimenting andenriching it;diversity unitesinstead of dividing,giving strength,not weakness. It islinked withintegrality. It is the

world that takes onboard Alter-Nates

that take into account adignified life in all its

dimensions.

THE ANTI-SYSTEMELEMENTS OF OTHER

WORLDS

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Collectivity: the opposite of the boss-worker relationship. Theworld project is that of collectivity. There is no owner ordispossessed people, no bosses. There arediverse equals.

Gender Perspective:contrary to the patriarchalsystem. It is a scientific,analytical and political outlookregarding women and men. Iteliminates the causes ofgender oppression (inequality,

injustice and hierarchies basedon gender). This worldpromotes equality betweengenders through equity, and thebetterment of women and theimprovement of their well-being. Itcontributes to building a society

where women and men have the samevalue, equality of rights and

opportunities to be happy.

Necessities: as opposed tospeculation. Real necessities aremarked by their capacity to produce

and reproduce life.


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Democracy: contrary to anti-democracy, without

totalitarianism, and withoutdecrees that impose the will of

the few on the majoriy.

Informed and activeparticipation builds

futures and dignity..

Solidarity: as opposed to endebtedness.There are no debts to pay; rather, there issolidarity to express and riches to distribute.

Everything for Everyone: contrary to empoverishment.Material and cultural riches, as well as riches of any othertype, are enough for all women and men.

Equality: as opposedto discrimination. Everyonehas the same rights,opportunities and collectiveresponsibilities. Social andgender equality.

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Ecological: theopposite of ecocide. Livingin harmony with and being

respectful of nature. Makingreasonable and sustainable

use of natural resources.Ecological struggles are

inevitably anti-capitalist. Youcan't have an anti-capitalist

struggle without anenvironmental struggle.

Sovereignty: asopposed to monopoly. This is

the capacity to liveautonomously, to define forone's self the direction andpath that one wishes to taketoward happiness

Equality: Equaldistribution of prosperity,

the right of equal access toproducts, spheres, servicesand rights in society.

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Fairness: the oppositeof consumerism; the avoidance of

creating artificial needs thatdisproportionately consume and use

up the natural biosystem. Only what is

needed is used, with equitableness.

Public: as opposed

to private. No one canclaim for him- or herselfwhat is really thepublic property of

society. It does notconvert everything it sees into

private property or a marketableproduct..

Autonomy: opposite of

dependency. A rejection of parasiticaldependency, and instead a unity in

diversity of views and one's own modesof self-management. It does not use themechanisms on which capitalism such asThe World Bank, IMF, or the resources of

the winners (transnationalcorporations).

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Peace:opposite of war.Diversity, Autonomy,and Sovereignty aresynonyms of peace, which

is not understood as just themere absence of bullets orarmed conflicts or pacificationwhile hunger andinstitutionalised violence stillexists. Rather, peace isunderstood as the type of peace

that comes hand in hand with justice,equality, and happiness for everyone.

Tolerance:as opposed torepression. Thismeans acceptingthe diversity ofworlds, ideas, and

differentexpressionswithout hegemonyor impositions fromprojects andsystems.

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New Language: A new form of naming things in the new

world-system that does not merely repeat or reformulate thecapitalist conceptualisation.

Horizontality: as opposed to verticality. It is themanagement of power at the service of the

collective, of links, withequal relations andwithout intolerableimpositions.

Inclusive: opposite of excluding. This is a world in whichall worlds and alltypes of diversity

can fit. It doesnot displacepopulations fromtheir original landsand respects allcultures.

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Anti-System Conscience: opposite of alienation. Thisimplies some levels of political and ideological clarity with respectto an analysis of the capitalist system and a conscious rejection ofthis, far from the dominion of hegemonic and monopolisedmedia and closer to alternative media.

Historic Memory: as opposed tocounter-history. This is the struggle

for the reconstruction ofone's own identity,

c u l t u r e , a n dhistory. It is thereconstruction

of the collectivesubject. It is the

human right to

memory.

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Freedom: opposite ofpseudo freedom. It is the

expression of plenitude andhappiness, a system where

there is no deceit, impositions,or repression. A free world is

a fulfilled world.

Co-Responsibility: as opposed to protectionism of

capital. It is a world in which the costs are redistributedresponsibly, and where everyone collaborates to rebuild theirown system.

Can you find other elements?...

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The lack of total coherence in the application andexperience of these characteristics does notnecessarily invalidate the anti-system experience.

We are of the understanding that this is a process ofconstruction of Alter-Nates so that other worlds arepossible. For this reason, we cannot think of living asociopolitical genetic mutation immediately, onethat is spontaneously and radically different from thecapitalist hegemonic system. Nevertheless, weshould view it as a casting off of our old skin to clothourselves with Alter-Nates. For these reasons, thistransition implies incoherencies and contradictions,but with one directionality by detachment to be ableto create and give birth to other worlds. It implies apolitical vision and a clear consciousness of wantingto live and manifest other worlds different to

capitalism.

LIVE YOUR OWN ANTI-SYSTEMEXPERIENCE!

ANTI SISTMICA!


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Currently we speak a lot of the need to look for alternatives tothe serious situation in which we live. The word alternativeoriginates from the latin pronoun alter, altera, alterum, whichmeans the other, between two alternatives.

However, when we speak of the alternative to the capitalist system,we are not referring to just one unique alternative, as if there werejust two things from which to choose, between capitalism and theother possibility that we do not yet know. This means reducing ourchoices to two possibilities, instead of acknowledging that in realityour choice is open and diverse. We choose not to embrace anotherhegemony that will dominate and impose itself on others.

Therefore we look to another Latin pronoun, alius, alia, aliud,meaning another among three or more choices., With the passageof time, the difference between the two pronouns was lost, and theword alternative came to include the idea of a choice among two ormore possibilities. This is the alter, or other possibilities.

The words altered, or unalterable indicate that something is not

affected by external events. The words altercation or exaltedindicate that something is magnified or highlighted by somethingother than the original objects. These concepts suggest a movementfrom the outside inward. We, however, insist in the perspective of themovement from the inside out, namely 'Nates'.

The idea is to find, achieve, instigate, discover or create that which is

born of itself naturally, from within a movement, something of itsown making, born internally within the people who make up themovement. This is the Nates. This is the other that is born fromwithin. It is this universal unity that is born from unity with the other,and with commonalities. It is only through diversity that we cangenerate true unity.

This is why cultural diversity makes various other worlds possiblewithin our World individual worlds that are distinct and separatefrom the capitalist system. Therefore, Alter-Nates are Other Worlds,other systems that are diversely united.

For a World where Many Worlds Fit!


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Documents

Alter-Nates (English)