A-Infos (en) Britain, AFED, organise magazine: The Leaderless Revolution | Review

Carne Ross' The Leaderless Revolution is refreshing because of its atypical perspective. 
Contemporary anarchist literature is often written by academics who have studied political 
theory, or by working class people, who have struggled in a Neo-liberal capitalist 
society, and understand the need for change. Ross is neither of these; a former British 
diplomat, he was a lead official at Britain's mission at the United Nations in New York 
dealing with Iraq. He was responsible for the policy on weapons of mass destruction and 
the pre-war sanctions. Ross states that Britain and their allies knew that Saddam Hussein 
did not possess significant WMD. Therefore, the sanctions and the subsequent invasion of 
Iraq were unjustified, and led to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary civilian deaths. 
Rather than critiquing the establishment, their systems and institutions from the outside, 
Ross has been enmeshed in the inner workings of the machine, and has decided it is broken.

This book is for those new to anarchism as a political theory, but who are dissatisfied 
with the state of the world, and yearn for something better. Many veteran anarchists' 
first reaction to Carne Ross might be one of distrust - he was part of the establishment, 
he wears a suit, looks like a civil servant, and is still involved in international 
diplomacy, albeit advocating independently for marginalised groups. However, the fact that 
he is a non-conventional anarchist, might be Ross' greatest strength. Brexit and Trump 
were arguably a result of people's dissatisfaction with current systems, and a desire for 
radical change. Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion have engaged a wide range of 
people not normally involved in radical politics. This seems a potentially fertile time 
for enlisting people to anarchism, and many might be more easily recruited to the cause by 
a well-spoken, respectable former diplomat, than a dreadlocked crusty with a black bandana 
over their face. Ross' experience and former position afford him an air of respectability 
and legitimacy that may make his messages more palatable for many people.

Ross eschews established examples of anarchism in action, such as the Paris Commune or 
Spanish Civil War, instead presenting more contemporary examples, such as the autonomous 
region of Rojava in North-eastern Syria, participatory democracy at the municipal level in 
Porto Allege, Brazil, or even communities' abilities to respond to their own needs 
following emergency situations more effectively than the authorities and institutions 
entrusted to do so, as witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina or the Grenfell 
Tower fire.

Where Ross' vision of an egalitarian society differs from many anarchists is his 
commitment to non-violence, and his suggestion of a gradual transition to an anarchist 
society, rather than through revolution. The belief that large worker-owned co-operative 
institutions could be built within a capitalist state, and that they would be so 
appealing, and productive, that the existing capitalist alternatives would simply wither 
away, demonstrates a naivety on Ross' part. This book is a gateway drug, which will 
hopefully lead people to seek out stronger substances in the future. ?

Stuart Barton

http://organisemagazine.org.uk/2019/10/26/the-leaderless-revolution-review/
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