"Revolt is a natural feeling, to which everyone is subject, we have no reason to be discouraged. Our mission is to seek to awaken this feeling where it is dormant, and encouraging the timid, bringing it to light where it is already awake."
Everyone in general, without distinction of any kind, has more or less awakened the feeling of revolt.
To claim that this or that social class, these or those individuals are incapable of revolt, is absurd.
I have often heard it said (and perhaps I myself have said it myself at some time) that the emancipation of workers is a dream that is still quite far from reality, because the majority of these workers will never be able to agree with our ideas, since these are based on its bases mainly on revolt, and the so-called workers will never truly feel it.
This is an assertion that is completely without foundation.
I have observed that all, even those who appear most submissive, have their fits of indignation, and cannot inwardly (although they outwardly tolerate) yoke or tyranny of any kind.A lot has been said, and a lot is still said, that especially women are beings who were, are and will be docile all their lives, incapable of any gesture that demonstrates the presence of dignity; and even the anarchists have heard it said that, although the social regime were completely transformed, that it was just as we wanted it to be, the woman would not change her character for that reason, and she would cease to be what she is today, that is, an instrument in the hands of men.
By this the illustrious skeptics mean that the emancipation of the oppressed will not only not take place soon, but it will never take place.
I have a natural dislike for pessimists, so I won't take too long to worry about what they say. They are tired of life and it is best to leave them alone.
However, his assertions have the virtue of discouraging neophytes and making those who begin to sympathize with our ideas fall into the sad abyss of indifference.
Possibly over-optimistic, I will try to blur a little the bad impression caused by these assertions that are not supported by anything.
If we were to charge each of these modern Nietzsche, to bring us some of these beings incapable of revolt, we would have to see how all his wise affirmations would be eclipsed before the reality of the facts.
There is not a single one among the entire phalanx of enslaved people, commonly called workers, who, in his sleepless hours, does not see the sweet vision of a fairer and more humane world passing through his feverish mind.It is the revolt against present society.
There isn't a single one among them who, at work, when the master insults him, doesn't feel an urge to slap his face.
It is the revolt against employers' oppression.
There is not a single one who, if ever, the boss commits an arbitrariness, and he trusting in justice, goes to implore his support, and sees that they mock his naivety, defending the boss instead of punishing him as they would do with a worker, there is not a single one that does not recognize the true role of governments, that is, that of exclusively defending the capitalists.
And by recognizing this, it is equivalent to rebelling against the State and against Capital.
They stopped being resigned.
And what about the woman? I can assure you, without fear of making a mistake, that she is rebellious by nature.What can be said is that an immense majority does not outwardly manifest its revolt.
Here's everything.
This, by the way, is very natural.
So many centuries of slavery had brought her to this point.
Deep inside all of them, a terrible storm rages fiercely (this happens to everyone we call submissive) that one day, inevitably, it will break out.
Then we will have the opportunity to prove that this explosion of hatred accumulated for so long is truly potent, correct in its action.
If these revolts do not manifest themselves now, if they seem not to exist, this is due, not to their absence, but rather to the lack of constancy in those who externalized them, which means that they do not have, because they cannot have, confidence in others.
Certainly, if they were aware of their personality, they would not wait for the action of others to manifest themselves, but it is also no less certain that it is not necessary for everyone to be aware for there to be firmness and perseverance in our actions, and it will not be exclusively with awareness that the social transformation we long for will take place.
From the moment we realize that revolt is a natural feeling, to which everyone is subject, we have no reason to be discouraged. Our mission is to seek to awaken this feeling where it is dormant, and by encouraging the timid, bring it to light where it is already awake.
Our mission is not grandiose as it seems.
If it appears to us so full of difficulties, it is only because we have just begun to fight with all the enthusiasm typical of youth, they appear from all corners, like a flock of locusts, those who got tired before having done anything, and with their affirmations of men experienced, bring discouragement to all hearts.
They even resort to mockery, criticizing the natural inexperience of the new ones, without, however, demonstrating to them, at least in words, what they should do.
I believe that the path we must follow is already full of natural thorns, and that we cannot avoid it. Therefore, we must prevent the addition of others that are more painful for us: the thorns placed by our own brothers.
For this reason and because I wish that those who sympathize with our ideals never find hostility in our midst, but encouragement and energy to accompany us in the struggle; That's why I would like, or better said, that I hope that whenever one of those disappointed comes with their chants, their wings are immediately clipped, preventing them from taking a flight that would be harmful to us, and that, when we see a companion who, for whatever reason, feels discouraged; let us seek to inculcate value in it, we must encourage it.
If we do so, we will have the reward of seeing our wishes crowned with greater success.
–
Source: The worker's voice. Year VII, number 65, page 2, Dec.1914.
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'United we launch ourselves in the fight: the anarchist legacy of Maria A. Soares' is the first book of the Charlas y Luchas collection by Tenda Livros . There are 40 texts written by Antonia and published in newspapers or addressed by letters, there are also 08 texts by her sister Angelina. His words narrate moments in the history of the Brazilian anarchist movement and its transnational meetings. They talk about strikes, the high cost of living, anticlericalism, education, theater groups, social libraries, May Day, the Simón Radowitzky case, persecutions and arrests.
Tenda Livros aims to reveal the history of anarchist women who wrote, produced and edited publications.
You can purchase your copy here.
