Questions for Anarchists

[Arakir]

Here are a series of questions for anarchists regarding the practice and logistics of an anarchist system. Some of these questions are the same as those asked by TJ Kirk, which he did not receive good answers for.

Roads- How would roads be constructed in an anarchist system? How are we going to agree on routes, how are we going to get the resources such as machinery and concrete/asphalt needed to build a road, and how are we going to maintain the constant stream of wealth needed to maintain a road?

Other Public Infrastructure- This is basically the same question as my question on roads. How would other public infrastructure, such as trains, subways, schools, other buildings, internet, power plants, sewage treatment plants, generators, etc. be built and maintained?

Criminals- What will we do with murderers/rapists/thieves in an anarchist system? Will they still be incarcerated like they are in this current system? And how can we prevent a police force, if there is one, from becoming effectively a new government?

Environment- How will we protect the environment in an anarchist system? If there is a person or factory that is polluting or damaging the environment excessively, what will stop them from doing that?

Nuclear Weapons- Suppose that the United States, or any other country with nuclear weapons, became anarchist. What would happen to nuclear weapons? If any one group gained the power to launch and detonate a nuclear warhead, that would give them vastly more power over others who do not have this capability in place. Under anarchism, will there be a system in place that would prevent this from happening?

[Comrade #138672]

I'm not an Anarchist, but I may be able to answer some of those questions.

Anarchists would have everything decided by decentralized democratic bodies. If some centralized planning is necessary, Anarchists would probably let these bodies decide on these matters together.

Criminals would be dealt with in a similar way, I presume. The people themselves will become the police force, to the extent that it is still necessary in an Anarchist society. In Capitalism, the police force is 'necessary' mainly to defend private property rights, that are constantly under threat from unsatisfied workers. Since private property no longer exists under Anarchism, a big police force is no longer necessary nor desirable. The same goes for wars and nuclear weapons.

The environment would be quite safe under Anarchism, since there is no longer a blind urge to make enormous profits at the expense of everything else, including the environment.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Tim Cornelis]

These questions apply to all communists given that communism is a classless, stateless society.

Popular assemblies on the neighbourhood level would decide if they need a road. If the majority agrees, it will be constructed. An executive committee will be set up consisting of the relevant actors, a road producers' association, etc.

Federations of producers' associations would, through a planned allocative system, have the necessary resources allocated to them and would deploy these resources in constructing and maintaing public infrastructure.

The justice system will see a shift of gravity towards rehabilitation, for instance through restorative justice. Those people that violate the freedoms of others and are deemed to be a continued threat can be isolated from society in accordance with a customary law system. This would take the shape of a minimum-security prison such as that of Bastoy Island, Norway, or a mental institution.

There would be no profit incentive to pollute and the federation of associations and communes would need to allocate sufficient resources to factories to make them eco-friendly.

All nuclear warheads will be destroyed. They are obsolete, especially under communism/anarchism.