Definitions by ANDY
autonomism
A political current which first emerged in Italy (autonomia) and Germany (autonomen) in the 1960s and 1970s. It is a radicalised version of Marxism in which class struggle rather than structure is placed at the centre of analysis and in which the proletariat is conceived as the driving force in history. Politically, autonomists insist on the importance of class autonomy and of strategies of resistance which undermine the existing incorporation of the working class and which force the emergence of new configurations of forces.
Associated especially with the work of the Italian philosopher Antonio Negri, whose texts, prior to his recent co-authored book Empire, were major expositions of the autonomist perspective.
Although analytically attached to a strongly worker-centric version of Marxism, autonomists were active in favouring the development of diverse subcultural spaces, including squatted social centres, "autoreduction" of train and bus fares (political fare-dodging), subvertising, pirate radio (e.g. radio alice) and the political demands of the emarginati (the "marginalised" or socially excluded) and "precari" (precariously positioned workers).
The main representative of this tendency in Britain today is the journal Aufheben. Autonomist tendencies also exist in most other countries.
Readers should note that autonomism is NOT the same thing as autonomous anarchism.
Associated especially with the work of the Italian philosopher Antonio Negri, whose texts, prior to his recent co-authored book Empire, were major expositions of the autonomist perspective.
Although analytically attached to a strongly worker-centric version of Marxism, autonomists were active in favouring the development of diverse subcultural spaces, including squatted social centres, "autoreduction" of train and bus fares (political fare-dodging), subvertising, pirate radio (e.g. radio alice) and the political demands of the emarginati (the "marginalised" or socially excluded) and "precari" (precariously positioned workers).
The main representative of this tendency in Britain today is the journal Aufheben. Autonomist tendencies also exist in most other countries.
Readers should note that autonomism is NOT the same thing as autonomous anarchism.
Negri, Tronti and Panzieri are among the leading figures of autonomism.
The autonomist movement bore the brunt of a vicious state crackdown in Germany and Italy, due to largely unfounded conflation of autonomism with armed opposition groups such as the Red Brigades.
Autonomism is an increasingly important current in intellectual life through authors such as Harry Cleaver, Chris Wright and Steve Thoburn.
The White Overall movement is partly derived from autonomist roots.
The autonomist movement bore the brunt of a vicious state crackdown in Germany and Italy, due to largely unfounded conflation of autonomism with armed opposition groups such as the Red Brigades.
Autonomism is an increasingly important current in intellectual life through authors such as Harry Cleaver, Chris Wright and Steve Thoburn.
The White Overall movement is partly derived from autonomist roots.
autonomism by Andy April 21, 2004
autonomia
Italian word for autonomism, sometimes used in the English-speaking world because of the movement's emergence in Italy.
It is a collective noun referring to a social force or movement, rather than an ideological appelation.
It is a collective noun referring to a social force or movement, rather than an ideological appelation.
autonome
German word for autonomism. Sometimes used in the English-speaking world because of the importance of the movement in Germany, where it is particularly associated with militant direct action and direct resistance to police violence.
In contrast to autonomism and autonomia, this word refers to an individual activist in the movement as well as to the movement itself (in its plural forms). It seems to be used instead of a general appelation.
In contrast to autonomism and autonomia, this word refers to an individual activist in the movement as well as to the movement itself (in its plural forms). It seems to be used instead of a general appelation.
anal-fixated
Originally a concept in Freudian psychoanalysis which has later spread into popular use, probably because of its rude connotations.
An anal-fixated person is someone who is excessively tidy and obsessed with neatness, appearance and order. Such people are bureaucratic-minded, petty-minded jobsworths who make other people's lives a misery by creating unnecessary hurdles, and/or who lead a sad life due to their incapacity to set aside their obsession with regularity. It is often used as an insult in cases where people are overly strict or rigid about something.
The origin is that Freud, in his early work, said that young children go through three stages, oral, anal and phallic, before the age of 5, and that successfully traversing each stage is crucial to later psychological wellbeing. (The phallic stage produces the Oedipus Complex or in girls, the Electra Complex and penis envy). If someone fails to traverse a stage, usually because of excessively rigid parenting (though also sometimes through the opposite), they become "fixated" and have unresolved libidinal (i.e. psycho-sexual) issues which overshadow their later lives.
The anal stage occurs around the time a young child is potty-trained, and can include experiencing pleasure from either retaining or releasing shit. The characteristics usually called 'anal-fixated' are those of the anal-retentive, who gained disproportionate enjoyment from holding shit in, possibly because of too-rigid potty training. (An anal-fixated person can also strictly speaking be anal-expulsive, which leads to characteristics such as messiness etc., but this has not passed over into popular use). It expresses itself in later life in neuroses centred on rigidity and regularity.
In popular usage, usually abbreviated to "anal".
An anal-fixated person is someone who is excessively tidy and obsessed with neatness, appearance and order. Such people are bureaucratic-minded, petty-minded jobsworths who make other people's lives a misery by creating unnecessary hurdles, and/or who lead a sad life due to their incapacity to set aside their obsession with regularity. It is often used as an insult in cases where people are overly strict or rigid about something.
The origin is that Freud, in his early work, said that young children go through three stages, oral, anal and phallic, before the age of 5, and that successfully traversing each stage is crucial to later psychological wellbeing. (The phallic stage produces the Oedipus Complex or in girls, the Electra Complex and penis envy). If someone fails to traverse a stage, usually because of excessively rigid parenting (though also sometimes through the opposite), they become "fixated" and have unresolved libidinal (i.e. psycho-sexual) issues which overshadow their later lives.
The anal stage occurs around the time a young child is potty-trained, and can include experiencing pleasure from either retaining or releasing shit. The characteristics usually called 'anal-fixated' are those of the anal-retentive, who gained disproportionate enjoyment from holding shit in, possibly because of too-rigid potty training. (An anal-fixated person can also strictly speaking be anal-expulsive, which leads to characteristics such as messiness etc., but this has not passed over into popular use). It expresses itself in later life in neuroses centred on rigidity and regularity.
In popular usage, usually abbreviated to "anal".
My teacher is so damn anal-fixated! She says she'll fail me if I include so much as one word over the word-limit.
I'm only late because some anal-fixated shop assistant decided my credit card signature needed going over with a fine tooth-comb.
I'm only late because some anal-fixated shop assistant decided my credit card signature needed going over with a fine tooth-comb.
anal-fixated by Andy April 20, 2004
aurumvorax
Vicious six-legged weasel-like creature with fur made of actual gold. Beware! It's a high-level monster and is a lot more vicious than it looks, although it's a great find for AD&D players more interested in treasure hoarding than adventuring.
"aurum" sounds like a Latin word root and is adapted from the Latin word for gold. "vorax" is probably just invented (though again it has a definite Latin sound).
"aurum" sounds like a Latin word root and is adapted from the Latin word for gold. "vorax" is probably just invented (though again it has a definite Latin sound).
Watch out! There's an aurumvorax hiding under your sofa!
I let the aurumvorax loose in the classroom, and everyone ran away (hee hee)
I let the aurumvorax loose in the classroom, and everyone ran away (hee hee)
aurumvorax by Andy April 20, 2004
bolshy
1) a Bolshevik, or someone accused of having Bolshevik (communist) leanings).
2) (more commonly) an adjective meaning that someone is very assertive in the pursuit of something and/or hostile to authoritarian manoeuvres by others. A bolshy person gets cross if confronted and is likely to say "what's it to you?", "mind your own business" and stuff like that a lot.
3) also the name of a short-lived youth magazine run by the Alliance for Workers' Liberty.
2) (more commonly) an adjective meaning that someone is very assertive in the pursuit of something and/or hostile to authoritarian manoeuvres by others. A bolshy person gets cross if confronted and is likely to say "what's it to you?", "mind your own business" and stuff like that a lot.
3) also the name of a short-lived youth magazine run by the Alliance for Workers' Liberty.
Socialist Organiser
Now-defunct socialist newspaper (NOT an organisation) run during the 1980s by the Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory (SCLV). Neither the paper nor SCLV exists at present, both having been dissolved in the late 80s.
This does not stop the rightwing in NUS treating Socialist Organiser (aka "S.O.") as the secret conspiracy behind every setback and every instance of opposition they face. The supposed organisation is supposed to have covert arrangements to produce such outcomes, and every left-leaning campaign, however broad-based, is accused of being a "front" for "S.O.". Basically, the NUS rightwing's pet version of Illuminati, cabal or ZOG.
Also known as 'the trots'.
This does not stop the rightwing in NUS treating Socialist Organiser (aka "S.O.") as the secret conspiracy behind every setback and every instance of opposition they face. The supposed organisation is supposed to have covert arrangements to produce such outcomes, and every left-leaning campaign, however broad-based, is accused of being a "front" for "S.O.". Basically, the NUS rightwing's pet version of Illuminati, cabal or ZOG.
Also known as 'the trots'.
Socialist Organiser was never what the NUS rightwing now claim it is, and in any case it's been defunct for 20 years. Get over it, you wankers!
Socialist Organiser by Andy April 20, 2004