"False Hopes vs. Real Change": New Publication Presents Anarchist Perspective on 2008 Elections

As radicals who struggle to express our power and our voices through direct action, not just voting, how do we respond to the reasons like this that prompt our friends and neighbors to vote, in spite of widespread disillusionment with politics? We may dismiss the 2008 presidential elections as simply another useless media spectacle, and in doing so miss a key opportunity to address how war, race and racism, global warming, and other issues play out in these national debates. "False Hopes vs. Real Change": New Publication Presents Anarchist Perspective on 2008 Elections and Direct Action

"The president represents our whole country, whether you like it or not – if you don't vote, you can't complain..."

As radicals who struggle to express our power and our voices through direct action, not just voting, how do we respond to the reasons like this that prompt our friends and neighbors to vote, in spite of widespread disillusionment with politics? We may dismiss the 2008 presidential elections as simply another useless media spectacle, and in doing so miss a key opportunity to address how war, race and racism, global warming, and other issues play out in these national debates. On the other hand, we may even feel the temptation to capitulate to the pro-voting consensus... after all, times are desperate. But can we find a way to engage with the increased political dialogue prompted by the presidential elections, while neither ignoring them nor accepting their validity as a path to liberation?

Now, Unconventional Action announces the release of a new publication and election year outreach tool, demanding radical change outside of the empty promises of politicians!

"False Hopes vs. Real Change: An Anti-Partisan (Beyond) Voting Guide to the 2008 Elections" argues passionately for direct action in the face of war, environmental destruction, militarized borders, and the alienation of American life - while exposing how politicians profit from these crises even as they claim to offer solutions to them. Beyond merely telling people not to vote, this colorful, engaging eight-page newspaper offers concrete examples of how to participate directly in resisting oppression and creating alternatives to voting. By responding directly to many of the reasons why people who are disillusioned or cynical about politics continue to vote, the articles explore how our most empowering options for participation exist outside of the ballot boxes. The writers examine the possibilities of direct action, collectives, mutual aid, and anarchy, analyzing their potential as tools to move beyond the constraints of voting, party politics, capitalism, and government. Highly recommended as a tool for explaining anarchist critiques of elections and voting, and for building momentum towards the 2008 Republican and Democratic National Convention protests. Copies are available for free via mail, or can be downloaded in PDF form from www.unconventionalaction.org.

For more information or to request copies of "False Hopes vs. Real Change", please contact:

Unconventional Action Voter Deregistration
PO Box 494
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
falsehopeorrealchange08@riseup.net

"...The president can only claim to 'represent' us in the absence of passionate, visible resistance outside of the electoral process. So long as we confine our participation to voting and accept a system that delegates our power and agency to representatives, we are accountable for whatever crises our government creates, because of our failure to resist them. But when we directly challenge the authority they claim to hold over us, we rupture the illusion that politicians, or anyone else, can speak on our behalf. If we've handed over responsibility for our society and our own lives to our rulers, then we can't be surprised when they act in their own interests instead of ours, as they always have. If ALL you do is vote, you can’t complain!

When were you ever offered a choice about whether or not you wanted to be ruled at all, rather than simply voicing an opinion about which ruler is best suited to appropriate your power? We didn't consent to this system, and we refuse to validate our own disempowerment - but instead of just complaining, we can take back responsibility for our own liberation by acting directly to interrupt injustice and creating different ways to live."
-from "False Hopes vs. Real Change"