CrimethInc.

From ZineWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

CrimethInc., also known by other names, such as CWC ("CrimethInc. ex-Workers' Collective") or Crimethinc, is considered more of a mindset than an organization by the active participants in the ongoing CrimethInc. experiment. They are profoundly anti-capitalist (as well as anti-authoritarian), with critical looks at culture, politics, life, work, and radical ways of living one's life.

It was initially associated with the North American anarcho-punk scene, but since has expanded into nearly all areas of the current anti-capitalist movement. The name itself, however, is a reference to "Crimethink" in George Orwell's 1984.

Among their best-known publications are the books Days of War, Nights of Love, Evasion, Recipes for Disaster: An Anarchist Cookbook and the zines Fighting for Our Lives (of which, to date, they have printed 500,000 copies), A Civilian's Guide To Direct Action, D.I.Y Guide, D.I.Y. Guide II, The Walls Are Alive, Harbinger, the hardcore punk/political zine Inside Front, and the music of several hardcore punk bands, of which the most notable is Catharsis. The group is also connected to other collectives/organizations that share some of their ideas (notably Curious George Brigade which has written a number of publications including Anarchy in the Age of Dinosaurs). The group also maintains several websites which promote their ideas.

Their book Days of War, Nights of Love contains a number of purposeful reinterpretaions marked and noted as such; for instance, they identify Italian fascist Gabriele D'Annunzio as an "anarchist" or attribute quotes to famous figures.

CrimethInc. as a loose organization represents a variety of political views. Anyone can publish under the name or create a poster using the logo. Each agent or group of agents operate individually. As well as the traditional anarchist opposition to the state and capitalism, agents have advocated a straight edge lifestyle, including veganism, the total supersession of gender roles, violent insurrection against the state, turning one's life into a series of moments, and the refusal of work.