[machine translation]
Where does this story Plebiscite? ---- In the early 1990s, ie, after the defeat of Lula in
bourgeois elections of 1989, large gatherings to garner fans became part of the
institutionalized left agenda. An example of these moments was the first Brazilian social
week (1991), organized by various movements, trade unions, left parties, pastoral social,
acad?micxs and other organizations. The Cry of the Excluded and the popular assembly in
which the activities were institutionalized left (PT, PC do B, CUT, Social Pastoral, UNE,
various movements and other minority groups from left) reinforced the electoral process in
some editions. The parliamentary road (bills, public hearing, etc.) was enhanced in the
process, were guided programmatic reformist parties, especially the Workers Party (PT) and
its allies points. In this context of strengthening "consultative" or better, the query by
query, processes the "left" bureaucratized brings into play the referenda .
In the late 1990s (May 1999 in Rio de Janeiro), this same electioneering left was hinging
around the organization of the court of the foreign debt. Then came the proposal for a
Popular Referendum. So it was that in 2000 (1-7 Sep) has organized the plebiscite external
debt , which had among its objectives the strengthening for the next elections. The
question of foreign debt was and is a question that always comes up in discussions of the
left. During the discussion process around the debt campaign raised a fierce critique of
FHC and thus ended up strengthening the foundations for Lula's election campaign in 2002.
Plebiscites organized by left institutionalized party aims to reinforce a strong base for
electoral campaigns. Therefore, this ominous query ends up being a true end in itself. And
speaking of plebiscite, have you heard anything about? You know what is a plebiscite?
Plebiscite is when the population goes to the polls to approve or not a particular issue
that has been prepared by someone else. The parliament, formed by defensorxs capital,
state and private property, decide how the process will occur. In the case of "popular"
plebiscites that occur in Brazil, that someone is the reformist parties of the ruling dome
and its allies in specific moments.
In the 2007 edition, the motto of the referendum argued that the cancellation of the
auction Vale do Rio Doce was: This is not Valley.: We want to share the fate of the nation
's nationalistic, which boosted the query 2007, showed that only the query by query is not
worthy. We must build bonds beyond our borders and abstract bury the nation speech. The
fight dxs trabalhadorxs International is seeking to accumulate strength in everyday social
struggles towards social transformation and not limited to a discourse of nationalist,
reformist and reestatization nature, as was the case of that edition.
We, the Libertarian Resistance Organization (ORL), we believe in direct democracy as a
political tool that seeks input from the entire population of assemble?ria way in which
problems and solutions are placed by the people in a horizontal perspective, the ongoing
dialogue. Thus, not reinforce the culture of the urn, pragmatic dynamics of the election
and the simple query, do believe that the political will of the people should be
summarized in simple voting. We want direct participation! We want to build real people
power from the popular struggles!
And that they both speak Popular Referendum?
The campaign for Referendum Popular this year is being driven by various social social
movements, central collaborationist union (CUT, CTB and CSP-Conlutas), student bodies (UNE
and UBES), pastoral and reformist parties (PT, PC do B, among others ). One of the points
raised for the plebiscite to be held in September is the fallacy of the "fight" for a new
constituent, which will have its high point between the 1st to September 7th. The entire
process of preparing and voting serves to hide the real desire of the left party. A
meeting of "representatives" of the people, as it is spoken in a booklet of that query ,
is the false goal. The true longing dxs defensorxs parliament that will drive the
Plebiscite is to channel the forces of the whole population to perpetuate the logic of
representation, besides defending a bankrupt idea of maintaining a more "democratic"
state. Drive a solid foundation to support the state and its mechanisms of domination is
also part of the will of the parties and movements that defend the proposal for a new
constitutional referendum and an assembly of "representatives" of the people.
We sure will not be a referendum that will solve our problems. It is a query requesting a
new constituent to serve the real struggle dxs trabalhadorxs. The aim of this "popular"
referendum on election year is to strengthen the political project of PT and other
parasitic minorities. The referendum is part of the electoral agenda of party
bureaucracies for 2014.
The Plebiscite debt, FTAA, Vale do Rio Doce, agrarian reform and now the referendum of
constitutional referendums are you have something in common? Just all these issues have
not changed anything in any situation questioned! Such consultation only demonstrated that
only with struggle, popular pressure and social work in a combative outlook can change
social reality. Real changes in our society, historically, were only achieved through
struggle, sweat and blood, and not a simple advisory vote.
This referendum will change our lives?
Among the many reasons that led to xs street protesters in June and July 2013 are: the
lack of sanitation, the precarious health system, a collective transport of very poor
quality and a deficient education. Fundamentally, two questions were also on everyone's
lips: a critique representations, and hierarchical structures. The two issues are based on
a vertical form and are present in the Brazilian party system. The streets already
demonstrated their condemnation of this uneven, unfair and vertical society in which we
live. Thus, a referendum is insufficient to resolve such issues / problems of our daily lives.
The problems of our people are many and the referendum is oblivious to our needs.
Enlatadxs live every day for a marketing system that only benefits the transport sector
monopolies; live with an unbridled increase of water projects that favor the perverse
dynamics of agribusiness; are expulsxs of our land for the expansion of large estates and
were in huge queues in hospitals without the minimum structure. These are some of the
thousands of problems that afflict the population. We will not change this situation
through a plebiscite! Only with FIGHT!
Discussing another unfair question, we can see the accumulation of financial capital /
banking within the savage capitalism. Banks have excellent balance sheets: the profits of
the four largest banks in Brazil, in the first half of 2014, together totaling R $ 10.5
billion. For example, Ita? had a growth of 29% over the first quarter last year. The
government turns a blind eye to bank profits because the financial market their managers
end up taking your part, and in this wild game of inequality, deepening poverty grows
constantly. The much desired social changes will not come through a simple policy reform,
our people already live with meager government after government reforms.
The oppressed classes and combative self-organized social movements should discuss their
demands and mobilize to fight concrete that radically transform our society, strengthening
mechanisms of direct democracy. The daily struggle against the structures of domination of
the state requires mechanisms that are guided struggle for independence, autonomy and a
class perspective.
A quick exercise: Who wrote the Constitution? Who are aquelxs who write the laws? Good
question, just to understand that not deciding anything in an election process. Who
decides then? A minority of tie defensorxs and detentorxs of agribusiness companies,
corporations, religiosxs high dome, especuladorxs ground, police (civil and military),
carcinicultorxs, among others. Well, are elxs who decide, even his astronomical wages. Xs
trabalhadorxs the supposed state management would not change the picture presented above,
since the way for an egalitarian society can only struggle to achieve, social work will
continue and thus pavimentaremos this way, without believing in illusions and the fallacy
of the polls . As well remembered for nossxs companheirxs the Anarchist Federation of Rio
de Janeiro (FARJ), in reference to the words of Bakunin:
" the state is not "neutral" but a specific form of organization of the ruling classes.
Thus, xs trabalhadorxs can not use the state as a means to achieve a socialist and
libertarian society, as this only become a restricted sector dxs trabalhadorxs a new
ruling class "(liberalization FARJ . 161, 2014).
So do not believe that a simple vote or law can change reality, solving particular social
issue and much less than one (bourgeois or proletarian) minority can gestate the state to
solve our problems. We ourselves self-organizadxs can solve our problems!
TOWARDS ANOTHER CAMPAIGN
We believe we can transform society with our own hands, without the intermediary of a
"professional" politician who appears every two years. Our emergency room do not fit in
the polls, we must strive for the Other Campaign , treading in a combative way beyond any
election campaign or advisory. Long ago we try to solve our problems with palliative
measures and simplify things by voting. Our emergencies are immense struggle and popular
organization are badly needed. Xs low building their self-organization, regardless of
party, government, employer or church is fundamental in radical social transformation process
The dialog built on communities of Chiapas by " La Otra Campa?a "driven pelxs Zapatistas
in Mexico in June 2005, gave the tip foot to the emergence of a popular social experience
built from the debates in the different indigenous and peasant communities of Chiapas and
in other locations. According to Subcomandante Marcos:
" With the launch of the Other Campaign, the [the] Zapatistas left totally away from this
when trying to carry out the policy in other ways and actors, from below, she is not the
monopoly of a distorted representation system [... ] "(Subcomandante Marcos Neither the
center nor the periphery -. about colors, calendars and geographies in 2008.).
We welcome the proposal: The Other Campaign, created and developed pelxs Zapatistas in
southeastern Mexico. We do not believe the same way that traditional left displaying the
same formulas and the same promises every two years. Not also believe in finished models
and transplanted from one place to another, experience dxs indigenous, Zapatista
guerrilheirxs camponesxs and is the result of an intense process of dialogue in which the
learning and listening were and are essential to the continued discussions of the
experience Zapatista, which has its own characteristics, its particular situation.
We need to build spaces and social relations which are not similar to the old forms
presented by the traditional left and the electoral farce and consultative. 's Other
Campaign and its contribution to the social struggle is an experience that we have as a
goal, even with its cracks and contradictions that are intrinsic to any collective
construction. This campaign will build another, which is not the election, fighting and
creating popular power according to our cultural processes and peculiarities.
So do not believe in the electoral farce nor the simple query whether plebiscite,
referendum or elections for the legislative and executive. We believe in building d ' The
Other Campaign, the grassroots organization and strength of the streets to accumulate
social force. To boost the social struggle, autonomy and direct action, we ORL, believe in
what HUNGER Movement advocates in one of its materials, ie:
" [...] that social movements are not partidarizados, not serving as a conduit for
parties, organizations or groups and political collectives. This type of practice that
makes the social movement to political interests of one or another political grouping
removes the autonomy of the movement, which limits movement to adhere to the policy, the
hegemonic sector, causing an evacuation of the same "(Fanzine Social Movement HUNGER -
Sobral).
Therefore, social work shoulder to shoulder with the combative social movements, talking
incessantly in building popular power within a class perspective. Build with these
movements in the streets, on the front line and direct solidarity. Not a step back! Avante
xs fighting !!!
IN ADDITION TO THE POLLS AND ANY MERELY AN "ADVISORY" FOR THE PEOPLE!
TOWARDS ANOTHER CAMPAIGN!
LXS UP FIGHTING!
FIGHT, CREATE, PEOPLE POWER!
