To Change Everything, Start Everywhere
Making Plans, Parenting & Communism, Women of Struggle, Working Class History and Cocktails
Morning Comrades!
We are going to do something a little different than normal today. A few weeks ago I sent out a proposition to the patreons of this newsletter and now it is time to get everyone that wants to involved as well.
Before that though, I would like to, coyishly, pitch a subscription to you lovely people, again. I really would much rather be doing this full time - I know, who wouldn’t, but if you can, hit that button below. The monthly subscription is 10USD - 80/20 split between myself and substack and for that you get an additional email a week, discount codes and my sincere and grateful appreciation.
Before I get into this proposition, yes there will be a number of wonderful resources for you to take into your weekend afterwards, so do read on.
Making Plans
Making plans is one of the most essential tools to make out it out of this insanity halfway sane and happy. I make plans all the time, short term, long term, crazy ones and ones that actually make sense. Without plans we simply exist in the Gramscian reality of Common Sense and a life less revolutionary is just not something I am happy with.
I turn 43 in a few weeks. My son is turning 13 soon and as wild as the concept is for now, I am facing the absolute reality of what to do when he decides to live his own life and move out and onward - it’s equally terrifying and exciting. Nonetheless, I have started making plans about what to do once that happens. This is what I want to talk with you all about today. Plans for the future.
I don’t want to paint unnecessary dystopian futures but let’s face it, none of us are truly gong to ever be able to retire and none of us can do this ride to the end alone. The future our parents and their parents before them had is no more and even though the ruling classes still want you to believe that this is also in store for us, well, fuck ‘em, it’s not. Honestly, who wants that life past “work” anyway? Sit around doing jack shit because you’ve worked for 40 some years, waiting to die? Yeah, fuck that. Not on my watch. The idea of growing old, alone and poor is not something I am accepting and thus the plan I am starting to lay out for myself. Now, the aim here is for us all to share our plans, if you have any, anonymously of course, and for us to compare notes, share ideas and see where they may meet. Again, no one is going to be able to get through this ride alone and what’s the point of a community if not this.
So far my plan includes leaving Germany and heading south. I need warmth, a different mindset to the Prussian insanity ruling this place and not much more. Symbolic materialism of luxury is entirely irrelevant to my needs. Obviously, I will still have to work ( and want to ) but definitely not in the context of the capitalist system of wage labour- teaching, maybe a little restaurant, care work, something along those lines. My eyes are pretty set on Greece at this point, Crete to be specific but I also haven’t stopped looking for alternatives. There are a couple of good universities down there that are options for work and hell, it’s a magical place.
That’s loosely what I am working towards over the next 5-7 years.
Now, the question(s) is: Are you all down to talk about these plans? Have you made any? Are you interested in sharing these so that we can build a network in real life of ideas and places for us to figure this ride out? If so, what’s a good place to discuss this? I want to talk resources, finances, places, options of work, communities - all of it. Fuck a pipe dream, let us decide what is what and be in charge of our future.
I am more than happy to supply the framework and logistics to host this if you all want to get in on this.
Reply to this email, or comment and I will start planning.
Yes, plans, comrades. They’re important. As important as making them happen. Might as well start here and now.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Lectures for Parents
Jeff Korolev wrote a most excellent piece recently for Peace, Land and Bread that I have linked above. Specifically aimed at parents who wish to raise their children with alternatives to the capitalist normative narrative I do think this applies even further into the non-normative relationship realities that are being built.
“While the transition in family structures will of course not predate the change in economic base, it can prefigure it. Through an emulation of socialist civil structures in the home, we as communists can move towards improving the family structure within capitalism; ending the patriarchal tyranny of the father over the mother and over the children; creating relationships which are not predicated on economic dependence. We, at present, live in an individualistic capitalist society; yet we can still struggle against individualism implicit within the modern family.”
Women of Struggle, Women in Struggle
Another wonderful essay I wanted to point you to once comes from the desk of the Tricontinental about Kanak Mukherjee. Kanak Mukherjee ( 1921 – 2005) was a communist and is regarded as a pioneer of Women's movement in West Bengal. She was a Central Committee member of Communist Party of India and was the founder of the All India Democratic Women's Association. The above study offers a great insight into the life and activism of a committed revolutionary, humanist and organizer and should serve not only as inspiration but as a reminder that we here in the imperial core have much to learn.
“In this second study, we discuss the life and legacy of Kanak Mukherjee, a fighter for the people and people’s struggles who was born in undivided Bengal, India, in 1921. The rich trajectory of her activism teaches us about the history of women organising in local, national, and international struggles that linked women’s rights to anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist struggles throughout the twentieth century. In Mukherjee’s own words: ‘We cannot see the question of women’s rights in isolation. The roots of women’s subjugation and the discriminations against them lie in class exploitation’.”
Working Class History on Youtube
I actually wasn’t aware that my friends at Working Class History had a Youtube channel but here we are. Obvious close comrades to this here project, having done a great collaboration a few years ago this entire channel should give you ample infotainment to watch over the weekend. I cannot stress how vital their work is and how well made it is. Obviously, I had to choose the film about the Spanish Civil War but there is so much more on there.
Drinks!
I am more than happy to announce that one part of last year’s power duo that consisted of Tatjana and Ana are back and we are starting with a contribution from Tatjana in Copenhagen. Seeing that spring is finally returning to our Northern European shores, let’s talk Spritz’! For those new comrades here, Tatjana is one the finest, original and ruling bartenders and mixologist I know in the world and she not only contributes recipes for killer cocktails to this newsletter weekly but drops knowledge bombs for us all.
Today I have no classic cocktail a with heavy history or background info dump for you, but something that fits the mood in the air here in Copenhagen at the moment: a SPRITZ!
Spring is fast approaching – if it's not here already depending on where you live, so today I thought I'd give you the easiest fucking spring/summer drink to make and also some tips on how to customize it to your preferences. In Copenhagen the minute the sun's out, everybody's out. No really. The streets and parks are fucking packed. People drinking and eating in the sun, wherever there might be a spot available. Grass, floor, side of the road, it does not matter – and neither does the temperature. Sun's out, we're out. This also comes with a 'classic' spring/summer obsession from every bar, café and restaurant's guests: anything and everything spritz will fly right off the fucking menu. One of the most well known ones would be the Aperol Spritz, but there's a number of different ways to make it your own. A spritz style cocktail will almost always consist of three liquid things: a liqueur, a bubbly wine of some sort and soda water/club soda. Add garnish, ice cubes, put in a glass, and that's it!
An Aperol Spritz is made with Aperol, just like a Campari Spritz will be made with Campari. All you do is substitute the liqueur really, and of course maybe adapting the measurements depending what you choose as your base.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A liqueur of your choice for the base flavour (Campari, an Amaro, a rhubarb liquor, etc)
- Bubbly wine
- Soda water
- A wineglass (normally a white wine size, but highballs and lowballs work too)
- Jigger
- Ice cubes
- Spoon or short straw
- Orange or lemon peel for garnish
HOW YOU DO IT:
- Put 3-5 cl of your chosen liqueur into your glass.
- Pour your bubble wine to just above the widest part of the glass. Around the same spot you'd stop at, if you were just pouring wine.
- Fill your glass about with ice cubes.
- Fill the rest with soda water/club soda.
- Take your spoon/straw, put it in so it reaches the bottom and very gently pull it upwards in a circular motion. Do this 1-3 times until the liquid is mixed together. The colour will most likely be a dead giveaway; you want it to be uniform in colour. Again, be super fucking gentle here as we do not want to fuck up the bubbles.
- Take you orange/lemon peel, hold it 4-7 cm from your glass and twist it, so the oils will spray onto the rim and little on the side. Rub it around the rim, down the side and on the stem. Gently.
- Place your garnish nicely in the glass, and add a short straw if that's your thing.
- Drink!
ON A PERSONAL SIDE NOTE
I personally prefer Campari over Aperol both for mixing drinks and also drinking. I can really recommend trying Rinamato as well. Aperol is more sugary and sweeter than Campari, while Rinamato is a good halfway point between the two. Plus it's more orange-y in flavour. If you're not into the bitter stuff, but prefer fresh or something more to the sour side, try using a nice Limoncello or elderflower liqueur, like St. Germain. I find St. Germain to be a little lacking in flavour and a bit too sweet, but it's crazy easy to get a hold of. If you wanna go more fruity, I can recommend something like a peach, rhubarb or raspberry liqueur. Blackberry, pineapple and grenadine can work too. I can recommend using Brizzard or Giffard for more fruity liqueurs here. Both should be widely available wherever you are, if you have a liquor store nearby.
A Cynar/Amaro spritz is also delicious as hell, if you're into the more herbal notes. Cynar is an Italian artichoke liqueur, and belongs in the apeterif-amaro category. Amaro is classified as Italian herbal liqueurs, and there's a wide variety of them. They're herbal, bitter and sweet all at once. Amaro Montenegro is a personal favourite of mine.
For the bubbly wine part, go with something that is somewhat neutral, fresh in flavour with floral notes, and has finer bubbles. Cava, prosecco, champagne and spumante all works. If you're a little adventurous I can recommend trying out a petnat instead. A petnat is a bubbly wine that has only naturally bubbles inside the bottle.
A thing to be somewhat aware of is how fine the bubbles in your soda is. If the soda has huge fucking bubbles in, well.. there's really no point in getting a wine that has smaller bubbles in. I'm not saying you should buy fancy ass, expensive club soda, but just don't get the cheapest one. Bubbles change the texture, so keep that in mind.
Fresh leaves/herbs can also work very well as garnish for anything to the more neutral side flavour wise. Basil leaves or mint ones for example work nicely. Rosemary is also a good option. If you use any fresh leaves/herbs, remember to give it a light clap between your hands before using it. This will release the aromas. Also 'slap' the glass and stem a couple of times with it before putting it in as garnish.
The only warning I really have for this for making a spritz is that it's a drink that cannot be left waiting for long – with or without the ice in. The bubbles will fizz out and it will become flat fairly quick. You can't prep this one and throw ice in last minute before it's to be drunk, like you can with a Negroni or an Old Fashioned for example. Bubbles and ice goes in right after the other, and it's to be served immediately after. However it only takes a couple of minutes to make any sort of spritz, but it's also a drink that you can easily make 15 of in a few minutes.
For me, the spritz type of drink is there to have fun with. It's an low-effort/high-reward kinda drink that just screams sun and good times at you. Therefore it's only right that you should have fun with making and experimenting with it too. Whatever fruity, bitter or herbal shit that has your name on it, try it out as a spritz style cocktail!
That is it from me this week. Thank you for your time and attention. One other thing I would like to ask of you is this: This project relies on word-of-mouth to grow and if you could, I would greatly appreciate you helping to do so by hitting the button below.
Until next week comrades. I remain yours, without compromise,
V.