Momentum Journal writes MOMENTUM
ANNOUNCING A NEW JOURNAL OF RADICAL POLITICS


          In the years since the WTO demonstrations in Seattle, there has been renewed interest in radical politics. A movement has emerged that is seriously engaging with questions about our understanding of how the world operates, the kind of world we’d like to see, and what strategies we might use in our struggles. Yet there are very few spaces, aside from cyberspace, in which these discussions can take place in a focused and ongoing manner. We feel this void prevents our movements from actually moving, from thinking and reflecting on the words and deeds that animate our political work. This is why we have decided to generate Momentum.

         Momentum is a new journal that will serve as a forum where diverse radical voices can come together to discuss political analysis, strategy, and alternative social visions. We hope to provide a space for intra-movement reflection, dialogue, and debate among anti-authoritarian anti-capitalists on the key issues we encounter as radicals.

          To this end, we hope Momentum will become a mirror for self-reflection, a blank wall in a bathroom stall for posting ideas, a quasi-scholarly journal where we can examine our theory, and a strategic field manual for struggle.

Theme of the First Issue:
Radical Perspectives on (the 2004) Elections

          The first issue will be organized around a theme: Radical Perspectives on (the 2004) Elections. Our broad question is “How might radicals best orient themselves to the 2004 elections, and the electoral realm generally?” We’re looking for contributions on electoral politics, abstentionism, representation and direct democracy, power and decision-making, majoritarianism and consensus, etc... [See below for a more in depth description of the first issue theme.]

Making It Happen: Contribute!

          We are currently looking for articles, essays, artwork, or photography for the first issue. We encourage you to make proposals or bounce ideas off us first, but if you have an idea ready to go, feel free to send it. The first issue will be out at the beginning of June, so the deadline for contributions is May 1st – Mayday! Send proposals, drafts, pictures, and art to momentum@riseup.net If you want to pre-order the first issue, subscribe, or distribute, get in touch!

THE 1ST ISSUE: RADICAL PERSPECTIVES ON (THE 2004) ELECTIONS
A CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO MOMENTUM JOURNAL


          U.S. Presidential elections typically occupy a central place in mainstream political discourse in the United States. Four years after the birth of the “anti-globalization” movement which put neoliberalism on the defensive, and a year after the most popular anti-war demonstrations in world history, the Presidential elections remain the focal point of mainstream political discourse. 9/11 and the Bush junta has changed the context of our struggles, where rather than an offensive challenge to hierarchical power, we are fighting a defensive battle to regain lost ground. This has caused many radicals to throw much of their attention onto the elections and unseating Bush. We ask, how can we reassert radical politics in this context?

          This issue of Momentum is an opportunity to further develop our understandings of the state, representation, and democracy, to discuss these ideas with fellow radicals, and to develop strategies for making our struggles more effective. Towards this end, we offer some questions for framing these issues.
• What potentials do the 2004 elections offer for radical politics?
• How can we move political discourse from an overwhelming “anyone-but-Bush” sentiment toward an anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist politics?
• Or, does the Bush administration pose a unique threat that entails a change in our strategy?
• Are there new perspectives on the traditional abstentionist position held by many anarchists?
• Are there specific electoral reforms – instant runoff voting, proportional representation, campaign finance reform – that could bolster our project?
• Since direct democracy has become a major component of the anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian struggle, what might it look like beyond the context of our movements?
• What do we think about majoritarianism versus consensus as decision-making models, especially in large, complex societies?
• What opportunities do the upcoming mass demonstrations against the Republican and Democratic National Conventions present?
• What is the role of direct action in the context of the elections? Its possibilities or limitations?
• Is there a broader international context that radicals in the U.S. ought to consider concerning the election, or do we think of our work in a primarily national context?

          These are some of the central questions that we feel should be addressed by our movements, but they are certainly not the only questions! We are urging anti-authoritarians and anti-capitalists to put pen to paper and contribute to this journal so that we can enlarge these discussions with other voices and perspectives so that we can improve on our ideas and methods in order to become ever more successful in our efforts.

          If you want to contribute, distribute, or receive a copy of the journal, please get in touch: momentum@riseup.net