Anarchism - Theory & Practice

[Valkyrie]

"To be GOVERNED is to be kept in sight, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right, nor the wisdom, nor the virtue to do so... To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction, noted, registered, enrolled, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorised, admonished, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under the pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, trained, ransomed, exploited, monopolised, extorted, squeezed, mystified, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, despised, harassed, tracked, abused, clubbed, disarmed, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and, to crown it all, mocked, ridiculed, outraged, dishonoured. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality."

[Proudhon, General Idea of the Revolution, p. 294]


To be continued.........

[red head]

wouldn't it be great if it were that simple? if we could just say "all government is evil, and therefore doesn't deserve to exist"? the fact is, some governments are worse than others, and therefore, government has the potential to be good. to say that anarchy is the best system for every nation, culture, tribe, etc. is to simplify the conditions that exist in the world. different systems are going to benefit some nations more than others, so deep analysis is necessary to ensure that the absolute most people that can be pleased are pleased, and so we can work towards a system in which everyone can be happy. sorry to burst your bubble, but the solutions to the problems of every person, group, class, nation, ethnicity, culture, and religion isn't in a proudhon quote. its in scientific analysis of the wants and needs of every group of people, and the formation of a system that can change to meet those needs.

[Guest]

I think you've described "being governed" in a socialist/marxist/communist state.

[Valkyrie]

infoshop.org

(Edited by Paris at 10:34 pm on June 20, 2003)

[Freiheit]

Quote: from Guest on 9:03 pm on Dec. 22, 2001
I think you've described "being governed" in a socialist/marxist/communist state.


the practice in today's communist countries (china, cuba, north korea and vietnam) is pretty said, your right.
but the book was written years ago and at this point and time, there was no real democracy, also today's democracy is still corrupted in a certain way.

[Valkyrie]

Part 1:
WHAT DOES ANARCHY MEAN?

The word "anarchy" is from the Greek, prefix an (or a), meaning "not," "the want of," "the absence of," or "the lack of"; plus archos, meaning a "ruler", "director", "chief," "person in charge," or "authority." Or, as Peter Kropotkin put it, Anarchy comes from the Greek words meaning "contrary to authority." [Kropotkin's Revolutionary Pamphlets, p. 284]
For anarchists, anarchy means "not necessarily absence of order, as is generally supposed, but an absence of rule." [Benjamin Tucker, Instead of a Book, p. 13]

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ANARCHISM?

Anarchism is primarily a movement against hierarchy. This opposition to hierarchy is, for anarchists, not limited to just the state or government. It includes all authoritarian economic and social relationships as well as political ones, particularly those associated with capitalist property and wage labour.

"While the popular understanding of anarchism is of a violent, anti-State movement, anarchism is a much more subtle and nuanced tradition then a simple opposition to government power. Anarchists oppose the idea that power and domination are necessary for society, and instead advocate more co-operative, anti-hierarchical forms of social, political and economic organisation." [L. Susan Brown, The Politics of Individualism, p. 106]
"... Instead, to create a society based upon individual freedom and voluntary co-operation. In other words, order from the bottom up, not disorder imposed from the top down by authorities.

Therefore," Anarchists are people who reject all forms of government or coercive authority, all forms of hierarchy and domination. They are therefore opposed to what the Mexican anarchist Flores Magon called the 'sombre trinity' -- state, capital and the church. Anarchists are thus opposed to both capitalism and to the state, as well as to all forms of religious authority. But seek to establish or bring about by varying means, a condition of anarchy, that is, a decentralised society without coercive institutions, a society organised through a federation of voluntary associations." ["Anthropology and Anarchism," Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed, no. 45, p. 38] "




(Edited by Paris at 10:08 pm on Dec. 30, 2001)

[Valkyrie]

"Do you want to make it impossible for anyone to oppress his fellow-man? Then make sure that no one shall possess power." [The Political Philosophy of Bakunin, p. 271]

[El Che]

Being a libertarian by nature i would tend to agree with many anarchist positions and theories. But absolute anarchism is not really viable because the state is needed in one form or another. But power has the obligation to justify is existence constantly, and if it does not need to exist then it shouldnt.

[Markxs]

when ppl order from the bottom the state is not there and therefore not needed.

i think you have to see anarchism as organized small. little groups of ppl agreeing on nothing except for one thing. do what you want as long as you dont hurt others.

these little groups can have there own 'rules' where everyone agrees with, the descions made in consesus( everybody agrees ). when ppl dont agree and think the problem is big enough to leave the community for they should. there could be a council which takes orders instead of giving them that is in no way a thing you get paid for a lott. ppl in the council dont have any power so the ppl live as equals not as master and slave which you can see so clearly in a democracy

[I Bow 4 Che]

"Im so cool I shop at Hot Topic and wear scary anarchy symbols and safety pins all over my clothes cuz im a rebel and I dont respect authority!" *whats anarchy mean???*-god I hate those kind of ppl, you know what i mean, the people who spend their time doodling anarchy symbols on thier binders and have no idea what it means.

[peaccenicked]

Anarchists have the same goal as marxists. A society without rule. For this thye whole human race must be consentful that rule is out moded. Do anarchists ever vote at their own meetings? If anarchists were 99%
of the human race would they still leave power in the hands of the capitalist class.

[Valkyrie]

Yeah,I know the type you mean

[Moskitto]

Yeah, I know the type you mean Bow 4 Che. I was siting next to one in English because I arrived late and the teacher moved me (I had a perfectly justifiable reason, I was in an exam!!!!) He was like drawing anarchy symbols on his book and I go "Are you an anarchist?" and he goes "yeah" and I go "Do you like, believe government is wrong, or do you just go around defying authority?" and he goes, "Oh I just go around defying authority."

[anarchoveganLAM]

Anarchism is the thought that one should rule their own life. Who can run YOUR life and make YOUR decisions than YOU? Government is control over a person, and control of a person is slavery. Slavery is alive here in our world, no matter how much we do not want to admit it. Call it what you want, but it does.
Anarchism is the theory and practice of selfautonomy. We as people, will work together, and struggle for a better tommorow, a place where we are not ruled-a place where we are not controlled, censored, or held in bondage.
That is anarchism my comrades!