Questions on Anarcho-Communism...?

[cowslayer]

1. So do Anarcho-Communists wish to run the entire world in a communal way, i.e. having most of the population live in federations of self governing communes?

2. I find it hard to imagine a large city such as San Francisco or New York City behaving, working and living communally. I remember reading a letter written by Kropotkin in a response to an early commune, and while he supported the communes efforts, he realized that Anarcho-Communism shouldn't just be limited to small village populations, but entire cities must follow suit. How would a city operate in an Anarcho-Communist society?

3. Please tell me if my conception of Anarcho-Communism is right or not: Society follows "From each according to his ability, from each according to his need." So everyone puts their full amount of effort into work, and in return their basic needs for survival are met by collective support. And if such ideas were practiced at a global scale, then their would obviously be a surplus value in which most or even all the world would be able to live comfortably. Is this an accurate description?

Thanks.

[Tim Cornelis]

1. I suppose that's accurate.

2. They way a small village would operate is precisely how a big city would operate, the difference being a more concentrated population and therefore more concentrated delegation. But functioning is pretty much identical.

3. "and in return their basic needs for survival are"

Not just basic "needs" like food.

"then their would obviously be a surplus value in which most or even all the world would be able to live comfortably."

Sorta, but you're using Marxist terminology wrong. Surplus value = profits which would obviously not exist.

An Anarchist FAQ section I can also help (google and you'll find)

[theblackmask]

I think your question about cities is really only one that can be answered by those living in said future society. There are some who believe that the very concept of a city runs contrary to anarchist/communist ideas. One one hand, we could have a sustainable city with urban agriculture and hundreds of thousands of people living happily together...On the other, we could decide to burn the cities down and start over. I think trying to figure out exactly how cities would work is overstepping things just a bit.

[Zav]

1. So do Anarcho-Communists wish to run the entire world in a communal way, i.e. having most of the population live in federations of self governing communes?

2. I find it hard to imagine a large city such as San Francisco or New York City behaving, working and living communally. I remember reading a letter written by Kropotkin in a response to an early commune, and while he supported the communes efforts, he realized that Anarcho-Communism shouldn't just be limited to small village populations, but entire cities must follow suit. How would a city operate in an Anarcho-Communist society?

3. Please tell me if my conception of Anarcho-Communism is right or not: Society follows "From each according to his ability, from each according to his need." So everyone puts their full amount of effort into work, and in return their basic needs for survival are met by collective support. And if such ideas were practiced at a global scale, then their would obviously be a surplus value in which most or even all the world would be able to live comfortably. Is this an accurate description?

Thanks.
1. Yes, pretty much.
2. It would operate the same way the small communities would, but I don't think cities of that size could exist in Communism, because it would be difficult to support without importing goods from hundreds of miles away as they are now. Certainly there would be cities, but I doubt they would look anything like SF or NYC.
3. Yes it is. Such a society must also lack hierarchy. Furthermore, a lot of needs would be met by the individuals rather than the whole community in the more rural areas and in the early stages of the transition if Anarchist Communism happens through Seperatism and the Green Movement, which is how I think it is most likely to happen.

[Paulappaul]

It would operate the same way the small communities would, but I don't think cities of that size could exist in Communism, because it would be difficult to support without importing goods from hundreds of miles away as they are now. Certainly there would be cities, but I doubt they would look anything like SF or NYC.

I dont think this is either practical or can be sold to the majority of people. This kind of attitude turns alot of people off from Anarchist Communism. Let me provide an alternative,

New York which consists of several Million people would as it is now, split into districts. Each district would consist of there own assembly consisting of recallable delegates elected at whatever qualifications/specifications decided by their electors (i.e. either by Workers' Councils or by small assemblies and county communes). Each District would elect to higher body constituting larger areas geographically.

Communism presupposes a superabundance of goods, I don't see why people couldn't live in such a fashion in which society renders them the ability to freely take and produce according to their desire regardless of the size of the city.