Resisting Militarism: Direct Action and the Politics of Subversion

by Chris Rossdale

In the past 15 years, UK anti-militarist activists have auctioned off a tank outside an arms fair, superglued themselves to Lockheed Martin’s central London offices and stopped a battleship with a canoe. They have also challenged militarism in many other everyday ways. This book explores why anti-militarists resist, considers the politics of different tactics and examines the tensions and debates within the movement. As it explores the multifaceted, imaginative and highly subversive world of anti-militarism, the book also makes two overarching arguments. First, that anti-militarists can help us to understand militarism in new and useful ways. And secondly, that the methods and ideas used by anti-militarists can be a potent force for radical political change.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 16, 2019

Reviews

[Miha3la · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so glad it’s over. An interesting analysis of anti- militarism in practice and outline of the parasitic nature of capitalism (without actually mentioning capitalism!) but fails to engage with it through a narrow scope of militarism which is just one of the many contradictions of capitalism that it creates and thrives from. I feel like it’s limited by an anarchic view of progress and a middle class view to how and why certain actions and decisions are taken.

I disagree with Rossdale’s view on transitional demands, coming from a Marxist perspective, but find his ethnographic approach in this field of study a breath of fresh air to academia.

I could write a longer review on this but i read it so i can write a review essay on it so I’ll leave it here.


I have learned, I have thought and I read this book. 💯