Red & Anarchist Action Network

RED & ANARCHIST ACTION NETWORK - MONTANA

SICKLE-A

About the "Sickle-A"

I designed this symbol in 2001, a couple years after I began studying Anarchist and Communist theory. It has since been used by numerous activist groups, most noteably the Red & Anarchist Action Network. I wanted to make something that would signify the much needed unity between Anarchists and Communists. The meaning of the Hammer & Sickle is simple: Workers of Industry and of Agriculture Unite! The argument that the Hammer & Sickle is only a symbol of Soviet style Communism is in total disrespect to both it's initial meaning, and the fact that the symbol was used by many Communist groups who had their own respective ideologies. The Russian Revolution had such great potential and was unfortunately ruined by authoritarian ideals. It should go without saying that the only true and realistic form of Communism is an Anti-Authoritarian one. It is time to take back the Hammer & Sickle as a symbol for what it really is: a symbol of the necessary unity of the impoverished people of all nations to destroy the exploitive tendencies of capitalism, nothing more!

The origin of the Circle-A symbol is said to have been first seen during the Spanish Revolution of 1936. Later, French Anarchists used the old slogan "Anarchy is Order" (Proudhon) to give new meaning to the circle. There have been so many books written on the Spanish Revolution and the circumstances were very complex, and in no way would I try to simplify them, but one brief detail is relative: One of the unfortunate reasons for it eventually being unsuccessful was due to the breaking apart of unity between the Anarchist militias and the Communist militias, ironically this was due to the Soviets' involvement near the end of the uprising. It is clearly evident that the only way the human race has any hope of bringing about a new society based on Social Equality, Economic Equality and Personal Freedom is through the unity of all anti-authoritarians, whether they consider themselves to be under the banner of Anarchism, Communism, or no banner at all.

-Matt Svendsen

(first two drafts)