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Scottish Socialist Youth

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Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism . In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of economic system , such as socialism or communism .

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64-503: Scottish Socialist Youth ( SSY ) is a non-partisan anti-capitalist organisation which stands for the creation of an independent , socialist Scotland . They regard their core principles as " Socialism , Independence , Social Liberation , Democracy , Internationalism and Environmentalism ". The organisation was previously known as the Young Scottish Socialists (YSS) from a period from 2015 to 2021. In 2021,

128-504: A class of owners, private property in the means of production is perceived as being an outdated form of economic organization that should be replaced by a free association of individuals based on public or common ownership of these socialized assets. Socialists view private property relations as limiting the potential of productive forces in the economy. Early socialists ( Utopian socialists and Ricardian socialists ) criticized capitalism for concentrating power and wealth within

192-613: A coalition government led by the Tories, has led to the SSY campaigning against the new government and the cuts that they are inflicting. SSY received national media attention in 2010 when they organised a demonstration at short notice to coincide with David Cameron 's first visit to Scotland as Prime Minister, on 14 May 2010. Recently, SSY have also been involved in anti-fascist activity in Scotland, notably helping organise mobilisations against

256-413: A great emphasis on the importance of the institution of marriage, which some proponents believe allows young people to grow and develop as individuals. Proponents suggest that comprehensive sex education encourages premarital sexual activity among teenagers, which should be discouraged in an era when HIV and other incurable STIs are widespread and when teen pregnancy is an ongoing concern. According to

320-474: A mixture of non-specific phrases, like "postponing sex" or "never had vaginal sex ", while also using moralistic terms or phrases like virgin , chaste , and "making a commitment". This has resulted in sexual activities that are not penile-vaginal, including manual sex , oral sex and anal sex , being considered outside of the scope of abstention from sex, which is termed technical virginity . The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

384-770: A more comprehensive curriculum. "Although more than nine in 10 teachers believe that students should be taught about contraception... one in four are instructed not to teach the subject." Even when there are no rules limiting sex education to abstinence-only, teachers may continue to teach abstinence-only curriculum because they fear retaliation from the local community. Parents also want their children to be taught about contraception. "Most parents (65%) believe that sex education should encourage young people to delay sexual activity but also prepare them to use birth control and practice safe sex once they do become sexually active." 86% of parents want schools to teach their children how to get STD testing, 77% want their children to learn how to talk to

448-492: A number of members stood as SSP candidates. They have produced workers' rights cards to let young workers know what they are entitled to and how to get it. In November 2007, the SSY organised a protect in conjunction with the SSP LGBT Network against Stagecoach , after two young gay men were threatened with being thrown off a bus as one had their arm around the other. The results of the 2010 UK election resulting in

512-406: A partner about STDs and birth control, 71% want them to learn how to use condoms, and 68% want them to learn about using other forms of birth control. Students are also opposed to abstinence-only education. "Approximately half of students in grades 7-12 report needing more information about what to do in the event of rape or sexual assault, how to get tested for HIV and other STDs, and how to talk with

576-495: A partner about birth control and STDs." Clearly, there is a disparity between the type of sex education curriculum teachers, parents, and students want and what government policy determines they receive. Another problem for abstinence education is the definition of abstinence. Santelli (2006) states that there is no strict definition of abstinence within the US federal government guidelines for teaching abstinence-only sex education, using

640-471: A result, a teenager's sexual desire is something that needs to be controlled, dividing the teens into two separate categories in the minds of adults: "the innocent and the guilty, the vulnerable and the predatory, the pure and the corrupting." Opponents and critics, which include prominent professional associations in the fields of medicine, public health, adolescent health, and psychology, argue that such programs fail to provide adequate information to protect

704-418: A result, creating individuals who remained abstinent until marriage, and thus, citizens who embodied values of self-discipline and morality. In addition, abstinence-only programs utilize ideas of individualism and personal responsibility when educating young people about sex, seeking to create individuals who take responsibility for sexuality and morality. These ideas underlie the basis of conservative ideology,

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768-461: A self-organised women's group, to which all young women are invited. The aim of the Women's Group is to create a space for young socialist women to talk about the issues that affect them. The Women's Group feel that, in a male-dominated environment, young women can be sidelined and may feel that their opinion is less valid. The SSY Women's Group aims to give young women confidence in their abilities. At

832-407: A small segment of society, and for not utilising available technology and resources to their maximum potential in the interests of the public. For the influential German individualist anarchist philosopher Max Stirner , " private property is a spook" which "lives by the grace of law" and it "becomes 'mine' only by the effect of the law". In other words, private property exists purely "through

896-445: A tremendous waste of material resources during crisis of overproduction . According to socialists, private property in the means of production becomes obsolete when it concentrates into centralized, socialized institutions based on private appropriation of revenue (but based on cooperative work and internal planning in the allocation of inputs) until the role of the capitalist becomes redundant. With no need for capital accumulation and

960-455: Is "interest-bearing possession ... labouring capital, therefore ... labour certainly, yet little or none at all of one's own, but labour of capital and of the—subject labourers." French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon opposed government privilege that protects capitalist, banking and land interests, and the accumulation or acquisition of property (and any form of coercion that led to it) which he believed hampers competition and keeps wealth in

1024-440: Is a form of sex education that teaches not having sex outside of marriage. It often excludes other types of sexual and reproductive health education, such as birth control and safe sex . In contrast, comprehensive sex education covers the use of birth control and sexual abstinence. Evidence does not support the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education. It has been found to be ineffective in decreasing HIV risk in

1088-457: Is a pointless task, since be it State capitalism or Enterprise capitalism, as long as Government exists, exploiting capital will exist. The fight, but of consciousness, is against the State. Within anarchism there emerged a critique of wage slavery , which refers to a situation perceived as quasi- voluntary slavery , where a person's livelihood depends on wages , especially when the dependence

1152-617: Is an annual international event dedicated to countering capitalist globalization through networking of attending organizations. According to historian Gary Gerstle , the ideological space for anti-capitalism in the United States shrank significantly with the end of the Cold War and the globalization of capitalism, forcing the left to "redefine their radicalism in alternative terms" by heavily focusing on multiculturalism and partisan culture war issues, which "turned out to be those that

1216-399: Is construed as being both objective and value free. This objectivity is then adopted by conservative politicians and campaigners to assert authority which historically holds its basis in religion. Abstinence-only education is not supported by the majority of public school teachers, parents, and students. The majority in each of these groups is opposed to abstinence-only curriculum and wants

1280-401: Is ineffective at preventing unwanted pregnancy or the spread of STIs, among other shortfalls. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended against the use of abstinence-only sex education because it has been found to be ineffective, and because the media frequently conveys information about non-abstinence. A 2015 meta-analysis found that abstinence-focused programs had no effect on

1344-755: Is often criticized for being overly heteronormative , idealizing the institution of heterosexual marriage to the denigration of queer relationships. In addition, the heteronormativity of abstinence-only education, as well as the focus on marriage, means that members of the LGBT community will never receive formal information about how to practice safe sex, which is problematic, since they are already at an increased risk for STIs. According to Advocates for Youth , abstinence-only sex education distorts information about contraceptives, including only revealing failure rates associated with their use, and ignoring discussion of their benefits. The language surrounding medicine and health

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1408-486: Is reproduced here verbatim:: (2) For purposes of this section, the term "abstinence education" means an educational or motivational program which— Funding, which began in the 1980s, has continued to increase since its inception, though support for the programs and legislation surrounding them has become dependent upon the current administration. For example, George W. Bush administration increased federal funding for abstinence-only programs (the only type funded even under

1472-479: Is superior to comprehensive sex education because it emphasizes the teaching of morality that limits sex to that within the bounds of marriage, and that sex before marriage and at a young age has heavy physical and emotional costs. In addition, abstinence programs often teach young people that pleasure in sex is most likely to be found within marriage, and therefore, that they should wait to engage in sexual activity until they are married. Abstinence generally places

1536-524: Is that you are hired slaves instead of block slaves." Goldman believed that the economic system of capitalism was incompatible with human liberty. "The only demand that property recognizes," she wrote in Anarchism and Other Essays , "is its own gluttonous appetite for greater wealth, because wealth means power; the power to subdue, to crush, to exploit, the power to enslave, to outrage, to degrade." She also argued that capitalism dehumanized workers, "turning

1600-524: Is the U.S. government's initiative to combat HIV/AIDS globally. PEPFAR works with the governments of 22 countries worldwide to create sustainable programs to prevent HIV and improve the lives of those suffering. PEPFAR provides funding to other countries to help combat HIV/AIDS. It does so with certain guidelines and restrictions on the recipients. PEPFAR promotes an "ABC" approach – Abstain, Be faithful, and use Condoms. Funding recipients may give information about condoms to youth over 15 years old but cannot use

1664-464: Is total and immediate. It is a negatively connoted term used to draw an analogy between slavery and wage labor by focusing on similarities between owning and renting a person. The term wage slavery has been used to criticize economic exploitation and social stratification , with the former seen primarily as unequal bargaining power between labor and capital (particularly when workers are paid comparatively low wages, e.g. in sweatshops ), and

1728-599: The Guttmacher Institute pointed out that pregnancy rates for teens 15–19 reversed their decline in 2006, near the peak of the Abstinence Only campaign in the United States. While sex education has been linked to a delay in the first time having sex, abstinence-only programs specifically have not shown this link, and do not seem to influence if or when young people begin having sex. Proponents of abstinence-only sex education argue that this approach

1792-521: The Middle Ages , was founded on an act of robbery as massive as the earlier feudal conquest of the land. It has been sustained to the present by continual state intervention to protect its system of privilege without which its survival is unimaginable." Carson coined the pejorative term "vulgar libertarianism", a phrase that describes the use of a free market rhetoric in defense of corporate capitalism and economic inequality . According to Carson,

1856-907: The Scottish National Party , Scottish Labour Party and Scottish Conservatives . The day-to-day running of the SSY is the responsibility of the National Organiser, assisted by the National Executive Committee which plays a leadership role. The NEC is elected at the annual National Conference with its membership split equally between men and women. The National Organiser is also elected at the conference. Additionally, SSY has branches across Scotland that conduct activity in their area. SSY held their tenth annual conference in Glasgow in July 2011. SSY had

1920-403: The developed world . It does not decrease rates of sexual activity or unplanned pregnancy when compared to comprehensive sex education. The topic of abstinence-only education is controversial in the United States, with proponents claiming that comprehensive sex education encourages premarital sexual activity, and critics arguing that abstinence-only education is religiously motivated and that

1984-417: The state has also transferred wealth to the wealthy by subsidizing organizational centralization, in the form of transportation and communication subsidies. He believes that Tucker overlooked this issue due to Tucker's focus on individual market transactions, whereas Carson also focuses on organizational issues. Carson holds that "capitalism, arising as a new class society directly from the old class society of

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2048-468: The 1930s, the Frankfurt School, led by thinkers such as Herbert Marcuse and Max Horkheimer created the philosophical movement of critical theory . Later, Critical theorist Jürgen Habermas noted that the universality of modern worldviews posed a threat to marginalized perspectives outside of western rationality. While Critical Theory emphasized the social issues stemming from capitalism with

2112-575: The 2009 banning of mephedrone . Their current drug campaign is titled "Help not Harm". They were involved in the campaign against the G8 summit at Gleneagles. In June 2007, five members of the SSY were arrested at Faslane as part of the Faslane 365 campaign They were also heavily involved in campaigning for the SSP during the 2005 general election and in the 2007 Scottish Parliament and council elections where

2176-685: The Guttmacher Institute, the AFLA, or Adolescent Family Life Act, was a five year-program with costs estimated around $ 250 million. Many supporters of abstinence-only education do so out of the belief that comprehensive guides to sex or information about contraceptives will ultimately result in teens actively pursuing and engaging in sexual activities, while others oppose the endorsement of contraception for religious reasons. Adults may view teenagers as less intelligent and less responsible, and unable to control themselves due to their hormones. As

2240-575: The SSY Conference 2005, the Women's Group decided that their main campaign would be on sex education, in particular discouraging and campaigning against abstinence-only education , which was run in some state schools at the expense of the Scottish Government. Their campaign, "Fuck Abstinence!", involved giving information on reproductive rights to young women denied adequate sex education. Anti-capitalist Anti-capitalism

2304-488: The U.S.' push for faith-based education and abstinence-only funding. Human rights groups have expressed concern that condom availability has decreased since PEPFAR's involvement in the global AIDS crisis. The $ 1.3 billion that the U.S. government spent on programs to promote abstinence in sub-Saharan Africa had no meaningful impact. The Christian Right , who initially stood against having school-based sex education programs, began supporting abstinence-only programs due to

2368-441: The United States has found that abstinence-only education is related to increases in teen pregnancy and teen birth rates. Comprehensive sexual education on the other hand leads to a reduction in teenage birthrates. The decline of teenage pregnancy rates during 1995–2002 were largely due to improved contraception, and the reduction in pregnancy risk among teenagers aged 18 or 19 is due to less unprotected sex. A 2010 report by

2432-457: The accumulation of capital generates waste through externalities that require costly corrective regulatory measures. They also point out that this process generates wasteful industries and practices that exist only to generate sufficient demand for products to be sold at a profit (such as high-pressure advertisement); thereby creating rather than satisfying economic demand. Socialists argue that capitalism consists of irrational activity, such as

2496-480: The advent of the Industrial Revolution , thinkers such as Proudhon and Marx elaborated the comparison between wage labor and slavery in the context of a critique of societal property not intended for active personal use, Luddites emphasized the dehumanization brought about by machines, while later American anarchist Emma Goldman famously denounced wage slavery by saying: "The only difference

2560-432: The approach has been proven ineffective and even detrimental to its own aims. Abstinence education teaches children and adolescents to abstain from sexual activity, and that this is the only certain method of avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). With a heavy focus on the importance of "family values", programs also teach that abstinence until marriage is a standard by which to live. Since 2019,

2624-455: The capitalist system could more, rather than less, easily manage." Late philosopher Mark Fisher referred to this phenomenon as capitalist realism : "the widespread sense that not only is capitalism the only viable political and economic system, but also that it is now impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it." Abstinence-only sex education Abstinence-only sex education (also known as sexual risk avoidance education )

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2688-408: The claim that comprehensive sex education encourages teens to have premarital sex. The idea that sexual intercourse should only occur within marriage also has serious implications for people for whom marriage is not valued or desired, or is unavailable as an option, particularly LGBT people living in places where same-sex marriage is not legal or socially acceptable. Abstinence-only education

2752-577: The far-right Scottish Defence League in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Kilmarnock, as well as participating in UK Uncut actions targeting major retailers which practice large scale tax avoidance. SSY open to all socialists in Scotland, regardless of party affiliation, aged 14 to 30, however due to advocating for Scottish Independence most members are either non-partisan , Scottish Greens or Scottish Socialists . The organisation have been highly-critical of

2816-556: The federal government has spent $ 110 million annually on abstinence-only sex education. In the U.S., states may apply for federal funding of abstinence-only sex education programs from either Title V, the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA), and/or Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE). To be eligible for funding, programs must satisfy requirements given under the Social Security Act, which

2880-563: The focus on marriage. As a driving force behind the abstinence movement, they have focused on getting more funding for these programs and have also been successful in creating more awareness surrounding abstinence through their use of activism. To the New Right, the abstinence-only sex education movement was an opportunity and an avenue to change the current view and status of sexuality in America, aligning it more with their own values, and as

2944-430: The funding to provide condoms or promote usage. In countries receiving funds from PEPFAR, teens under the age of 15 are not allowed to receive information about condoms. The rationale behind this is to not encourage sexual activity despite evidence that condom use does not cause promiscuity. PEPFAR was founded in 2003 with the mandate that 33% of its funds provided for prevention be used for abstinence-only education. Since

3008-698: The global political movement called the New Left explored what liberation entailed through social activism on behalf of these identities. Therefore, socialist identifying movements critical of capitalism extended their reach beyond purely economic considerations and became involved in anti-war and civil rights movements. Later this postmodern activism centered around identities regarding ethnicity, gender, orientation, and race would influence more direct anti-capitalist movements. New critiques of capitalism also developed in accordance with modern concerns. Anti-globalization and alter-globalization oppose what they view as

3072-427: The hands of the few. The Spanish individualist anarchist Miguel Giménez Igualada saw: capitalism [as] an effect of government; the disappearance of government means capitalism falls from its pedestal vertiginously...That which we call capitalism is not something else but a product of the State, within which the only thing that is being pushed forward is profit, good or badly acquired. And so to fight against capitalism

3136-560: The health of adolescents. Not only is information inadequate, but opponents believe that young people have the right to receive comprehensive information about how to protect themselves and their sexual health. Accurate information is especially important since, although some supporters may claim that abstinence is an effective method, it has been found that a small percentage of people actually practice it. Some critics also argue that such programs verge on religious interference in secular education. Opponents of abstinence-only education dispute

3200-610: The individual products of their labor. As such, they see a distinction between the concepts of "private property" and " personal possession ". Whereas "private property" grants an individual exclusive control over a thing whether it is in use or not, and regardless of its productive capacity, "possession" grants no rights to things that are not in use. In addition to individualist anarchist Benjamin Tucker 's "big four" monopolies (land, money, tariffs, and patents), Kevin Carson argues that

3264-415: The intention towards liberating humanity, it did not directly offer an alternative economic model. Instead its analysis shifted attention to the reinforcement of existing power dynamics through statecraft and a complicit citizenry. In turn, Critical Theory inspired postmodern philosophers such as Michel Foucault to conceptualize how we form identities through social interaction. During the 1960s and 1970s

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3328-506: The latter as a lack of workers' self-management , fulfilling job choices and leisure in an economy. Libertarian socialists believe if freedom is valued, then society must work towards a system in which individuals have the power to decide economic issues along with political issues. Libertarian socialists seek to replace unjustified authority with direct democracy , voluntary federation, and popular autonomy in all aspects of life, including physical communities and economic enterprises. With

3392-445: The likelihood of contracting STIs. A Cochrane systematic review suggests that abstinence-only education neither increases nor decreases HIV risk in high-income countries. In the developing world there is a lack of evidence of effect. In 2008, Douglas Kirby reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of abstinence-only education programs and found little evidence to justify the use of such programs. A 2011 meta-analysis found that it

3456-526: The organisation was relaunched by ex-members as Scottish Socialist Youth, unaffiliated with the Scottish Socialist Party and as a non-partisan left-wing pressure group . They have one University affiliate, that being Stirling University SSY. In 2001 SSY began campaigning for a change to drug laws, including arguing for the legalisation of cannabis , They later broadened to demand new thinking on approaches to all drugs, prompted by

3520-568: The previous Clinton Administration ), while the Obama administration reversed the emphasis and provided more federal dollars for comprehensive sex education. President Donald Trump cut grants to comprehensive sex education and proposed increased funding for abstinence-only education. Increased funding continued through the Joe Biden administration . Systematic reviews of research evaluating abstinence-only sex education have concluded that it

3584-548: The producer into a mere particle of a machine, with less will and decision than his master of steel and iron." Noam Chomsky contends that there is little moral difference between chattel slavery and renting one's self to an owner or "wage slavery". He feels that it is an attack on personal integrity that undermines individual freedom. He holds that workers should own and control their workplace. Many libertarian socialists argue that large-scale voluntary associations should manage industrial manufacture, while workers retain rights to

3648-402: The protection of the State, through the State's grace." Recognising its need for state protection, Stirner argued that "[i]t need not make any difference to the 'good citizens' who protects them and their principles, whether an absolute King or a constitutional one, a republic if only they are protected. And what is their principle, whose protector they always 'love'? Not that of labour", rather it

3712-450: The purchasing of commodities only to sell at a later time when their price appreciates, rather than for consumption, even if the commodity cannot be sold at a profit to individuals in need; they argue that making money , or accumulation of capital, does not correspond to the satisfaction of demand. Private ownership imposes constraints on planning, leading to inaccessible economic decisions that result in immoral production, unemployment and

3776-517: The reauthorization in 2008, this mandate was removed, with a shift toward directives to spend at least 50% on abstinence-only education. The role of partners has been an area of debate surrounding PEPFAR. In 2006, 23% of all the community partners were faith-based and debate exists over whether the U.S. should be allowing grants specifically written for faith-based organizations and prevention. A few countries that have received PEPFAR funding – specifically Mozambique and Rwanda – have expressed distaste for

3840-656: The sweeping neoliberal and pro-corporate capitalism that spread internationally in the wake of the Soviet Union's fall. They are particularly critical of international financial institutions and regulations such as the IMF , WTO , and free trade agreements . In response, they promote the autonomy of sovereign people and the importance of environmental concerns as priorities over international market participation. Notable examples of contemporary anti-globalist movements include Mexico's EZLN . The World Social Forum , began in 2002,

3904-503: The term is derived from the phrase "vulgar political economy", which Karl Marx described as an economic order that "deliberately becomes increasingly apologetic and makes strenuous attempts to talk out of existence the ideas which contain the contradictions [existing in economic life]." Karl Marx saw capitalism as a historical stage, once progressive but which would eventually stagnate due to internal contradictions and would eventually be followed by socialism. Marx claimed that capitalism

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3968-554: Was ineffective at reducing the risk of HIV infection among adolescents. Abstinence education has also been found to include misleading medical information and exclude potentially life-saving information about sexual risk reduction. A 2016 study found "that state-level abstinence education mandates have no effect on teen birth rates or abortion rates, although we find that state-level policies may affect teen sexually transmitted disease rates in some states." Evidence does not support abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education. Research in

4032-550: Was nothing more than a necessary stepping stone for the progression of man, which would then face a political revolution before embracing the classless society . Inspired by Marxist thought, the Frankfurt School in Germany was established in 1923, with the purpose of analyzing the superstructure. Marx defined the superstructure as the social stratification and mores reflecting the economic base of capitalism. Through

4096-523: Was widespread among workers in the United States in the 1900s and 1910s , and Colorado was especially known as a center of anti-capitalist labor movements in that era. Socialism advocates public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals, with an egalitarian method of compensation. Socialists argue that

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