Anarchist Counter Culture in Spain 

Hope everyone enjoys the video. I apologize in advance for mispronouncing every single Spanish word and name. This video took me 55 hours to make, so if you like it please consider supporting me on patreon so I can keep making more videos like this. patreon.com/anarchopac

Reading anarchist literature out loud, during work hours, on a factory floor is a level of badass to strive for.

I feel like modern anarchists ignore school too much. I went to a grade/middle school that wasn't explicitly anarchist but where critical thinking skills were considered essential and the students decided and planned the few explicit rules we had and what we wanted to study or focus on in twice daily consensus meetings. A lot of the people educated there went on to become anarchists or to be sympathetic to anarchism and the more libertarian strains of left wing thought or just left wing thought in general. Even ones with conservative parents. Because of that school I was advocating for consensus process as a way to organize society before I even knew it was called consensus process.

This is the second time that an online trans femme anarchist has told me the story of autonomous education in spain I feel lucky to be able to say that 😊

As a Spaniard I'm so happy this video was made. Thank you so much for your effort!

I have been fascinated (and heartbroken) by Republican Spain since I first read about it as a kid. Of course, nothing was taught about the Civil War at school, except as a footnote to WWII. I have since then read a bunch, and even war-gamed it (to excess, probably) and it still fascinates me. It is so easy to "Monday Morning Quarterback" it. But I try to take the lessons and inspiration to heart, instead of the mistakes and betrayals. Just like the Paris Commune. Thank you for this thoughtful video Zoe!

The pervasive sociality of the old days is just astounding to me. It's so hard to meet people now and make connections in spite of the tools bridging gaps so much. I hate learning by myself. I've always preferred to do it with others. Learning as a social activity is the best, and some things are better learned in a group, especially with someone who actually knows their stuff and can help guide a group or explain things. I'm guessing that one of capitalism's side-effects is the atomization of people and the destruction of spaces for people and groups with little to no money to gather for various reasons. About 20 years ago, Robert Putnam wrote "Bowling Alone" about how society in the United States had been fragmenting and imploding since the defeat of the labor movement, rendering the country's people lonelier and more isolated. Now deaths of despair, pervasive loneliness, deteriorated mental health, elevated rates of suicide, and other ills, especially since the covid pandemic, have only made these things worse. I feel like this topic deserves a leftist study. I'm also curious about how the idea of revolution has been... shall we say, de-emphasized (or even discredited) by academia over the years. I mean, revolutions of the past that liberated a country are safely in the past, and the powers that be now fear new revolutions, calling them unnecessary and dangerous. This video made me think about that for some reason.

Zoe, you took a cheeky jab at experimentalists. I am a phd candidate studying social psychology, police behavior in particular, using virtual reality experimentation. Using experimental methods to understand police behavior, we learn how to manipulate police behavior. I argue this is critical for effectivly combating police violence in the present and managing violence more broadly in an idealized society beyond police.

I recognize the amazing art by airidescence! What a small world

I think there are a lot of excellent insights for contemporary anarchists in your video. Your point that none of the forms of counterculture present a recipe we can copy is insightful. What we need to do in our theory is uncover a method appropriate to our circumstances which can produce its own flourishing of counterculture and struggles for popular power

Just got done with archiving CNT cinematography and stamps onto my laptop when this video dropped, couldn't have chosen a better time to drop this banger!

This was beautifully written and said. Gracias, compañera

Really looking forward to watching this as soon as have the time. Commenting right now to appease the mighty algorithm.

i love the idea of these informal communication networks among anarchist groups in different cities etc. i feel one of the best things that anarchists can do now is develop not only strong anarchist organizations within individual communities but also a common means of (secure and private) communication between them

"That is to say" is probably the most common set of words one might find while reading theory. lol, I swear we like to say a thing, and then explain that it means a thing, that is to say, do this.

Amazing video. I think this experience is crucial to understand and adapt, specially in how webbed, interconnected and long-term and yet firmly grounded in the present it was. I also find it really interesting that low literacy, which would usually be seen as a major roadblock to the written medium, was surpassed as a barrier in a productive way. As an aside, there's an ateneo around here. It doesn't have as deep of a community insertion and the space is leased, but other than that it's pretty much the same idea and practices. A very nice place. A lot of the kinds of structures mentioned in the video are present really - it's few instances of them and a lot of the time they lack the amplitude or the depth of connection, but these things are definitely still alive, which to me brings some hope, even though I fell like syndicalism and workplace associations are the least represented though, which is a major problem. Also, I love the little provision for naturalists/nudists : )

Why does this make me cry? It’s all so beautiful. I wish for this level of camaraderie & kinship in our times. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🥰🥰

The modern version of Spanish print culture would be a thousand guys pumping out memes

Beautiful description of the enthustiastic performance-readings in the factories and the clever way people who couldn't read, consolidated information.

Was really looking forward to this great video! You did a fantastic job showing these aspects of Spanish anarchism with such a banger of a video!

This was absolutely fantastic! These people were real, this movement was real, and you conveyed that so lucidly. It’s fascinating and inspiring. Thank you for all the time and work you put into this!

LETS GOO ZOE VIDEO ON CNT :))

This is honestly so inspiring. So many of these activities are things that we can be doing right now in our communities!! Thank you for making this video! :)

this comes with very good timing because tomorrow is the XII congress of the CNT (which i'm attending as a delegate 😌😌😌😌)

Thanks Zoe. Your strong scholarly abilities help a lot. Thank you 💖😊

Thank you so much for making these videos! There aren't enough videos on RU-vid communicating anarchist theory and practice.

Viva el comunismo libertario y la CNT-FAI 🏴 🚩

Thank you for your work, Zoe

Finally, the Zoe Baker pfp gets a video to her

Loved this video, very informative and inspiring!

amazing and thorough thank you so much

Great video! Very informative

Fascinating. Some of the Spanish Anarchists lived austere lives, monogamous and abstaining from meat, alcohol, tea and coffee, Some were even voluntarily celibate. Virtually none of them got married in the church. On the other hand, for the Anarchist Emma Goldman, and others like her"Free love" definitely did mean freedom to have sex with anybody she wanted too, she, a first wave feminist, gave public talks on the topic was how the term was generally used, at least in the USA, until the 1980s, when the term"Poly Amorey" was coined. She was a strong advocate of birth control, probably performed abortions, and spoke for the rights of gay men and women WAY before that was on the radar of most. Of the left. She was also adamant about her right to dance vigorously at public events, despite disapproval.of some. At least in the USA, Anarchism has mostly become associated with hedonism. Sexual freedom with whomever you want, assuming that they consent, the use of alcohol and drugs, energetic dancing, and so forth, The only form of austerity commonly taken on my many contemporary Anarchists is vegetarianism, and sometimes even veganism. It is interesting how these things change from time to time and place to place. I am not against most forms of consensual pleasure seeking. But heavy drinking, the use of hard drugs, and the overuse of soft ones is not conducive to organizing of any sort. Hard drugs, especially, have led to the destruction on many social and political counter cultures.

Thank you for this excellent video Zoe

CNT for the algorithm

Everybody who love this should watch living utopia , it's amazing.

Beautiful, thank you.

Another fantastic video

awesome video

wtf youtube why it took me 10 days before I found this video?

as a spaniard this video is so valuable

Can't wait to read your book

Buen video.

The book from the thesis will be great.

_Spread the bread, comrade!_

The content must flow even in print.

There are still anarchist run Ateneu Populars around in Barcelona btw :)

This was only a month ago? Seems much longer to me. I'll watch it again.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG YES ITS FINALLY HERE!!!!

incredibly based

Please take this comment for algorithms. Fantastic video!

A new world is possible! 🏴

I love them reading anrcist text to each other. The most based form of audibal.

Were the publishers of solidaridad obrera working as a cooperative?

Came here for the theory, stayed for the cute raccoons 🦝 🏴 🚩

Freeprolaterian is a excellent name

Engagement for the engagement god! Subs for the sub throne!

Is the movement still alive and active in Catalonia? Haven't been there in many years.

luz = "looth" Bollullo = "bo-yuyo"

can anyone direct me to the vegan nudist colony? this slaughterhouse job to support the imprisoned kinda blows

19:30

Well behaved revolutionaries rarely make history

24:10 "it's a me, Mala...testa? 😑

glory to anarchism! glory to god!

+1 for the algorithm. Viva Zoe Baker!

To appease the algorithm

There is a long add before your video. Is that normal?

Love love love seeing the deeper on-the-ground details about the people and their organizations. Not to be a jerk but… I’m feeling your channel has fallen victim to the ‘great man theory’ in terms of topics! Even if those great men are anarchists! More historical/peoples’ movement video please!

14:15 Don’t you mean “Spanish settlers”

I'm guessing that the majority of literate people in periods of low literacy (and not just in Spain) are generally quite wealthy

Booya!

🏴❤️

Nudist anrcists are just rad thing to know existed

Let us all offer pleasing sacrifices to the Almighty Algorithm in the name of our Lady and Savior, Zoe Baker, Chairman of the International Revolutionary People’s Republic of Anarchist History RU-vidrs.

How come reviews of TV shows are exciting with music, but when it comes to politics, RU-vid seems to read off a paper with a PowerPoint video in ASMR style?

Ain't een

Babe wake up new Zoe video dropped