Propaganda piece I'm writing

[JazzRemington]

I've decided to write a piece of anarchist propaganda. It would probably be along the same visual style of "Days of War, Nights of Love" by CrimethInc, but obviously from a social anarchist perspective. Here is what I have written thus far. I'm trying to cover, albeit briefly, all aspects of social anarchism, including a hint of green as well.

ANARCHISM
There is a tendency to think of anarchism as mere chaos, the destruction of everything sacred, destruction for the sake of destruction. This is, of course, entirely untrue! Anarchism is perhaps the most logical political theory known to man: the idea that people are capable of being free from the restrants of rulers both economic and political and are capable of working together to live.

Now, I know what one will say next. "It's all a bunch of utopian nonsense!" This, again, is nonsense. We do not believe that a utopia is possible in any circumstance, that human beings do in deed reach disagreements and argue over things and are not always one-hundred percent harmonious with one another. For something to be utopian, there must be no human being involved, because human beings make mistakes.

We anarchists do not believe in the perfect people, and certainly most of us believe that everyone is naturally good, or bad for that matter. No, mostly we believe that people behave in ways that are dictated by the physical conditions underwhich they live. For example, let us suppose that you are poor and near homeless with no prospect of employment and barely enough money to purchase what you need the survive. Odds are that you will find yourself almost compelled to find some way, albeit rational or irrational, to sustain yourself and, if desperate enough, you might even have to resort to violent ways to sustian yourself. But, on the other hand, if you find yourself well off and with enough food and the necessities, you might not be so prone to commit nasty things to sustain yourself.

Anarchism is perhaps the oldest known form of political theory known to man,
in fact some anarchists even argue that pre-civilization human beings were pretty much operating under anarchism, though they most definately did not know it at the time. It is also one of the most diverse theories as well, have many distinct, but not exclusive, "flavors" as well. It could be argued that there are about as much "anarchisms" as there are anarchists themselves!

There are those who do not wish for you to learn about anarchism in the correct sense of the word. These people are more often than not either people in power or people who are rich. They do not want you to know that you have a choice because if you did finally choose not to play their game anymore, they would be out of a job! They distort anarchism and make it seem bad and terrible and that it would not work. They bend it and completely destroy the theory that is the ultimate and final nail in their coffins.

That is why I chose to write this tract. I want to show you our side of things and discuss our point of view, our theories, our ideas, and most importantly, ourselves. I would like to show you that you indeed have a choice and you indeed have the power and the ability to make changes in your life and in society as well.

THE STATE
This is where the State comes into play. Anarchists generally agree that the State could be defined as an institution that has the highest and most supreme authority over a given area. This usually includes the highest monopoly on the use of force and violence.

The State exists to control people and force the majority to bend to the will of the minority and to serve their selfish aims. How many times can you honestly say that you have seen a war fought that was either started by the majority of the people or was fought in the interest of the poor or the working class? Probably hardly, if ever. But then there is an interesting question: if this thing is so bad, how has it continued on through-out history and how did it come about?

The first question can be answered easily enough. The State is a self-perpetuating thing, which basically means that is constantly recreates itself either through wars, revolutions, or through the actions and thoughts of other individuals. How is this possible? Through propaganda and indoctrination, of course. Very much often, one hears that the State is necessary and without it there is chaos and disorder. So, when one State is taken out via either a violent or peaceful revolution, or by way of reforms, another is set up in its place. This is simply because the idea of something
like this being necessary is drilled into our heads from an early age, during which ours minds are ofte very easily shaped and manipulated.

The answer to the second question previously posed, where the State comes from, is indeed a most difficult thing to answer correctly to where every anarchist can agree upon. There are some that contend that civilization itself is to blame for it, others development of the material (i.e. "physical") conditions. But there is a general consensus that this act took many, many years to complete and perfect. Many thousands of years, to be exact. It probably

[Forward Union]

ANARCHISM
There is a tendency to think of anarchism as mere chaos, the destruction of everything sacred, destruction for the...........

Good stuff, nice content. Although I've always liked the punchy "What you know about Anarchism, is a lie!" or "Everything you know about Anarchism, amounts to nothing followed by "here is what you should know" or something. Not to criticise your writing, its great, and the content is spot on. Im just saying I've always thought that criticising opening works well!

Just one question though, how are you going to get this out to people?? on a poster, leaflet? what?

One good idea is to print it off a few times, slip it into the pages of political books in shops/libraries! works well.

[JazzRemington]

It's going to probably be a short zine of some sort, but I may have to think about that because I have a lot of topics I want to cover. As I said earlier, it's going to be in the same style as CrimethInc's "Days of War, Nights of Love." I'm just going to drop it in a few places around the town.

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by JazzRemington@Sep 15 2005, 05:14 PM
I'm just going to drop it in a few places around the town.

Sounds good,

Im sure you've got plenty of ideas on this, but you could ask book shops to give it away to customers who purchase books with a similar theme; or put it on magazine racks when no ones looking...than normally assures its gets to the right people.

[infernomunky]

hell write it up good and i could offer to help you with graphics and image things......
..... if youve got more than just this topic what else are lookin to discuss....
...so far i like that bit about anarchism.....
Pm me .... well talk......
...json

[JazzRemington]

Here is some more of the piece, this is kinda long. I'm a little worried about the section on private property, I don't think I covered it as in depth as I had hoped.

CAPITALISM
Ah, capitalism! Certainly there cannot be anything wrong with being able to buy that brand new CD from one's favor musical group, or buying that new T-Shirt, or buying that brand new sports car, right? Well, maybe one should look past what capitalism brings to you and what it brings to others on this planet, indeed the majority: absolute misery.

If you follow the path your clothing makes to you, odds are you will find that there is someone along the lines who is exploited or abused to bring it to you. Check where your favorite things are made and you may find that they are made in some third-world country, but mostly they may come from China. And most definitely they were probably made by children working in horribly cramped shops nearly all hours of the day for what amounts to pocket change for me or you.

While capitalism has brought uncountable wealth and luxuries to many on this planet, it has brought death and destruction to many, many others as well. Entire communities are destroyed just to put up a new business or to extend an already existing chain store. If this seems fair, imagine a business man, backed up by police, telling you to leave your home because he wants to put up a new Starbucks.

There is another reason why anarchists reject capitalism: it promotes brutal and inhumane methods of human interaction. Capitalism thrives on selfishness, greed, and self-interest. What is wrong with these? Simply put, they bread violence, hate, death, and destruction. How many times have you heard stories of an individual robbing another because he wanted his money, or a member of a corporation stealing thousands of dollars just to buy a brand new house in the middle of some woods? Many times, no doubt.

The capitalist system also dehumanizes people as well. It turns them into "things" to be bought and sold on what is called "the market." It also takes away human things and makes them into something else. For instance, you do not sell yourself to a business, you sell your labor. As if your labor can go and flip burgers at the local McDonalds while you stay at home and watch television! Simply put, it seperates human activity from the people doing it and turning it into an abstract thing. It's not human buying and selling that is responsible for businesses growing or shrinking, it's the market.

But it should be noted that there is a small minority, usually belonging to the middle class or the rich elite, that claims anarchism is compatible with capitalism. They basically want a world where everyone acts selfishly and without any regard for anyone else and where those who own the most property can do whatever he or she wants. Sounds enough like utter nonsense, does it?

AUTHORITY
Before we begin our discussion on authority, one must be sure what type we are talking about. There are ultimately two different types of authority: legitimate authority and illegitimate authority. Legitimate authority is someone who is an authority on something, a specialist such as a doctor (who is an authority on medicine), a lawyer (an authority on law), a historian (an authority on history), etc. We are not against this type of authority.

What we are against is authority over people, that is people who have authority. It is this authority that we are against. We do not believe that people should have authority over people as we believe people should be free from the confines of oppression. This type of authority breeds oppression, repression, and other terrible things. It keeps us down, where we must grow. It keeps is back, where we must go forward.

How does this authority keep people in check? Through the use of hierarchy, the idea that some people need to be on top and some need to be on the bottom. Some People claim that only through hierarchy can one truely be free. There is something to this, as the people on the top are generally free to do as they wish while those at the bottom are usually not. One can see where their diagonally-sloped freedom brings everyone!

But then there are even more who think that hierarchy is alright if it is voluntary. Well, is it ever? Think carefully about all the instances where you "voluntarily" entered into a hierarchy. Odds are you had no choice but to do it. School or work, no hierarchy is voluntary or legitimate, because ultimately force is required to keep the thing going.

CLASSES
Ah, I know what you are probably thinking when one hears the word "class." Pictures of the infamous hammer and sickle, Mother Russia, Karl Marx, and Red China surely fill your head at the mere mention of the word "class." But, one should really ponder what kind of society we live in.

We live in a society of ultimately two classes: being called from time to time, amongst other things ruler and ruled, rich and poor, the worker and the boss. The overwelming majority of the world belongs to the ruled class, the working class, the poor, etc. That is what you are probably within yourself. The other class is but a small minority.

It is the rich class, the upperclass, the capitalist class, the bosses, presidents, kings, emperors, etc. that make up the rules of the game that we must live in order to survive in the world. They control the media, the schools, the hospitals, the workplace, and, though indirectly, your home. They can do this because they are, though a small minority, highly organized and aware of their situation. They are able to con others into following along with rewards, as one would give a bone to a dog when he learns to beg.

They do this by utilizing three different institutions: the police, the military, and the media. The police is used to maintain order through force. They use them to enforce their laws and regulations on the poor and the rest of society. The military is used to enforce the will of the rich abroad and to defend their interests abroad as well. The media is used to spread their ideology and drill it into the publics skulls, so they don't have to use the police all the time.

But now you are wondering, why does not the other class fight back? Because we are divided and tricked into fighting amongst ourselves. They know that if we were to unite and work together as one, we would definately be able to overthrow them. They divide us because they fear us and what we can do if we put our minds to it. We simply do not have what is called "class consciousness," the understanding that we are all in the same boat and must act together and help one another.

INDIVIDUALISM
It must be understood from the start that anarchists aren't against individuals or their assertion of their individuality. What we are talking about is the belief that one's actions do not affect others or that one has the right to do as one wishes regardless of anyone else. This is what capitalism breads and what the State protects.

Probably very often in your life you've heard someone say "mind your own business" or "don't meddle in the affairs of other people." You've often heard that in school or at work too, no doubt. But why do they say that? We anarchists know why: because the longer you "mind your own business," the longer you and others like you will be oppressed and hurt by the ruling class, who definately do not "mind their own business."

The longer one looks out for only one's self and no one else, the longer one only cares for one's self and no one else, is the longer one is abused by those who are in charge of this game. You must remember that you are not alone in this world and what happens to you does not only happen to you. It is happening to others around the world, probably at the same exact time no doubt.

Now, we are not saying that you as an individual do not have seperate wants and desires from others. No, you may very well have completely different ideas and beliefs and wants and desires than the person standing next to you. But what we anarchists are saying is that in order for everyone's needs and wants to be fulfilled, you must work together to achieve them, or else you will only achieve nothing.

ORGANIZATION
Ah, I know what you are about to say next. "But are not anarchists against organization?" Heavens no, we are not against organization! How will anything get done without organization? In fact, this is where anarchists diagree much. Some favor one type of organization, others another. But one must note that each organization will be voluntary and one can leave at anytime and that there will be many, many different types of organizations working side-by-side. So one type of organization is not exclusive to another.

But then you are probably only familiar with the type of organization that one sees in school, in the work place, or generally in the streets: organization with one or a few in charge. But we anarchists do not want this. What we want is a new, different, and much better type of organization, where there is no one person or group in charge, where everyone has a direct say in how or when something gets done, and where everyone is equal to the next in voice.

But I know what will be said next, now. "But that's impossible!" Is it? Take a look at the large number of social groups you belong to. Odds are, there is at least one that has no definite leader or leaders. Where you generally decide as a group what to do and when to do it. And odds are also that you would not stand for someone to dominate this group. So, my question to you before we continue our discussion: why would you tolerate it in any other group?

COMMUNISM
Communism. The very word stirs up memories of the Berlin Wall, The U.S.S.R., China, Cuba, and other countries that are tagged with the word "communism." But rest assured, those countries were not communist in any way. I know the next question would probably be "but they were called communist!" Well, just because they were called this, does not make it so. In fact, upon research of the theory, one might find that communism involves no State. So this automatically disqualifies just about every country in the world that is called "communist."

But what is communism then, and why would anarchists promote such an organization? Simply put, communism is the idea that both the means of production and the products of labor are owned collectively, i.e. by everyone. Anarchists promote such a system because it is perhaps the only way everyone's needs can be met.

Only when the tools and machines that are used to produce are availble freely to all who can use them and only when the products of labor be made freely available to all can everyone's needs be satisfied completely. But what is the rationale behind this? Communism is fueled by the idea that all production is social, that no one person can produce one thing by his or her self.

This certainly makes sense, just take a look at something as relatively simple as making a table. Trees had to be cut down using tools that were made, shaped into wooden blocks, cut into shape, nails had to be made from iron, the pieces had to be nailed together according to a plan with a hammer, the table then had to be painted and decorated with various tools. Now, did one person do all this and make all the tools used to create a simple table? Certainly not! This was the effort of multiple people, many of whom you probably do not even know. This is the rationale behind communism: that all things are the product of social labor and that they belong freely to everyone who needs them.

But what if you do not want to participate in this? What if you don't want to join a commune or a collective, or anything for that matter? Well, that is acceptable. Participation within an organization is completely voluntary and one can withdraw at anytime and join at anytime as well.

But it should be noted that communism is only one of the different forms of economic organization. But since it is promoted by the majority of anarchists, it was included here to be discussed. But mainly, all other forms of organization fall within generally the same ideas as communism.

PRIVATE PROPERTY
Ah, but now are the anarchists against owning things? Well, yes and no. Anarchists disagree with private property for the same reasons listed in the previous section. Private property permits, and indeed came before, the State, seeing as how the State exists to protect private property, amongst other things.

But what do we mean by private property? We mean property that is the exclusive ownership of one person or group. Private property means private ownership of the means of production and land. When one has exclusive ownership of these things, he has the power to control anyone who has to use them and he has the power to deny anyone the ability to use them as well. Sounds all but fair in a world where there are thousands, if not millions, starving!

We have to make a distinction here between personal property and private property. We mean by personal property things that you own that have no effect on others, such as a house, a television set, books, clothing, etc. Private property is simply things that are used to produce things. It is this that anarchists are against private ownership of.

VIOLENCE
It is common practice in the media to portray anarchists as violent thugs who enjoy smashing things and spraying the infamous "circled A" everywhere. But these instances are taken out of context of what is happening at the time and it is not understood that some anarchists aren't violent.

Before we begin our discussion on violence, it would do well to have an understanding of what anarchists generally dfine violence as. We anarchists define violence as "uninitiated force used against a person or people." Meaning, if I were to attack you for no reason, that would be violence. But if you were to fight back against me, that would not be violence.

You may notice that our definition uses the words "a person or people." That is because we do not consider violence against things to be violence. It is completely different to destroy a home than it is to destroy a human being.

Some anarchists are anti-violence and will not use it for any reason, and there are some who will also not even fight back, prefering to be pacifists. But one most remember: not all anarchists are pacifists.

However, there were a number of anarchists in the mid-to-late 19th century that used violence against random persons (bombing buildings, parades, etc.), but these were very few individuals and these actions (called "propaganda by the deed") were denounced by many anarchists.

SCHOOL
It must be stated from the get-go that we anarchists are not against education and learning. We are against the modern, state-funded, capitalist controlled school system in which the children are taught to simply shutup, obey, and consume.

In many ways, school is like a prison: you are told what to wear, where to go, when to go there, you must either have permission or a special pass to go somewhere, face strict discipline if you misbehave, and you even have a nice little bell to remind you when to go to the next class or when to eat their horrible food!

But take note of what you are learning in your school. Odds are you are learning things about history that is distorted beyond belief. You have heard how great Christopher Colombus is, but little else is known about him, not even the fact that he is solely responsible for destroying an entire native population in the area he landed his ships!

Even in politics class, you are taught about the greatness of American democracy and capitalism and the evilness of Communism and Socialism. You are taught that such a system as ours is good and right and everything else is bad and wrong.

Hell, they are not even doing a very good job of teaching you to begin with. How much of the stuff you claim to learn can you actually remember as you read this? How much do you think you can remember within the next five minutes, five hours, days, months, years? And if you can remember it, do you understand it?

[Black Dagger]

Do you have to use gendered langauge? Specifically, 'Anarchism is perhaps the most logical political theory known to man' etc.

[danny android]

well man is just kind of a general term for human (atleast that is how i see it) I don't think the use of it is meant to be sexist at all.

[rioters bloc]

adding two letters isnt going to kill anyone, but it will appease me
and that's all that matters, obviously
oh and Black Dagger too

language is an extremely powerful tool, and it's easy to support oppressive systems through it without even really realising it. our goal should be to demolish anystructure or convention which enforces patriarchy [or racism, or homophobia, etc].

[JazzRemington]

THE FIRST DRAFT IS FINISHED! Here is the complete text. Please critically evaluate it and understand that I had to leave out a few things for brevity.

INTRODUCTION
There is a tendency to think of anarchism as mere chaos, the destruction of everything sacred, destruction for the sake of destruction. This is, of course, entirely untrue! Anarchism is perhaps the most logical political and economic theory known to human kind: the idea that people are capable of being free from the restraints of rulers both economic and political and are capable of working together.

Now, I know what one will say next. "It's all a bunch of Utopian nonsense!" This, again, is nonsense. We do not believe that a utopia is possible in any circumstance, that human beings do in deed reach disagreements and argue over
things and are not always one-hundred percent harmonious with one another. For something to be Utopian, there must be no human being involved, because human beings make mistakes.

We anarchists do not believe in the perfect people, and certainly most of us do not believe that everyone is naturally good, or bad for that matter. No, mostly we believe that people behave in ways that are dictated by the
physical conditions under which they live. For example, let us suppose that you are poor and near homeless with no prospect of employment and barely enough money to purchase what you need the survive. Odds are that you will find yourself almost compelled to find some way, albeit rational or irrational, to sustain yourself and, if desperate enough, you might even have to resort to violent ways to sustain yourself. But, on the other hand, if you find yourself well off and with enough food and the necessities, you might not be so prone to commit nasty things to sustain yourself.

Anarchism is perhaps the oldest known form of political theory known to man, in fact some anarchists even argue that pre-civilization human beings were pretty much operating under anarchism, though they most definitely did not know it at the time. It is also one of the most diverse theories as well, have many distinct, but not exclusive, "flavors" as well. It could be argued that there are about as much "anarchisms" as there are anarchists themselves!

There are those who do not wish for you to learn about anarchism in the correct sense of the word. These people are more often than not either people in power or people who are rich. They do not want you to know that you have
a choice because if you did finally choose not to play their game anymore, they would be out of a job! They distort anarchism and make it seem bad and terrible and that it would not work. They bend it and completely destroy the theory that is the ultimate and final nail in their coffins.

That is why I chose to write this tract. I want to show you our side of things and discuss our point of view, our theories, our ideas, and most importantly, ourselves. I would like to show you that you indeed have a choice and you indeed have the power and the ability to make changes in your life and in society as well.

THE STATE
This is where the State comes into play. Anarchists generally agree that the State could be defined as an institution that has the highest and most supreme authority over a given area. This usually includes the highest
monopoly on the use of force and violence.

The State exists to control people and force the majority to bend to the will of the minority and to serve their selfish aims. How many times can you honestly say that you have seen a war fought that was either started by the
majority of the people or was fought in the interest of the poor or the working class? Probably hardly, if ever. But then there is an interesting question: if this thing is so bad, how has it continued on through-out history and how did it come about?

The first question can be answered easily enough. The State is a self-perpetuating thing, which basically means that is constantly recreates itself either through wars, revolutions, or through the actions and thoughts of other individuals. How is this possible? Through propaganda and indoctrination, of course. Very much often, one hears that the State is necessary and without it there is chaos and disorder. So, when one State is taken out via either a violent or peaceful revolution, or by way of reforms, another is set up in its place. This is simply because the idea of something like this being necessary is drilled into our heads from an early age, during which ours minds are often very easily shaped and manipulated.

The answer to the second question previously posed, where the State comes from, is indeed a most difficult thing to answer correctly to where every anarchist can agree upon. There are some that contend that civilization itself is to blame for it, others development of the material (i.e.
"physical") conditions. But there is a general consensus that this act took many, many years to complete and perfect. Many thousands of years, to be exact. It probably began when the first human being fenced off a piece of
land and said "mine!" and had to get others to protect it for him by giving them a prize of some sort. Or it probably began by mistake when people began to give some power to administer things, which increased over time to the point where this person or persons had ultimate authority over people.

We anarchists are against the State because it ultimately rests of coercion and forcing people to do things. But you are probably saying to yourself, and to this pamphlet, "but I have never experienced anything like this!" And this is probably true to some extent. Rarely does EVERYONE experience the full power of the State. But, just because YOU don't experience these things does not mean that it does not happen. Let us take probably the most obvious
thing that I am sure everyone has at one point or another experienced: taxes.

You must pay taxes on just about everything, excluding certain things such as food. Every year, adults must pay taxes as well. But notice I said "must." What happens when one does not pay taxes? He or she ends up going to jail for a very long time in most cases. While taxes DO fund helpful things such as schooling, defense, and health care for the elderly, they also fund wars, oppression, and other nasty things against people. This is like paying someone to attack someone else you do not even know and who has done nothing to you or anyone else you know!

CAPITALISM
Ah, capitalism! Certainly there cannot be anything wrong with being able to buy that brand new CD from one's favor musical group, or buying that new T-Shirt, or buying that brand new sports car, right? Well, maybe one should look past what capitalism brings to you and what it brings to others on this planet, indeed the majority: absolute misery.

If you follow the path your clothing makes to you, odds are you will find that there is someone along the lines who is exploited or abused to bring it to you. Check where your favorite things are made and you may find that they are made in some third-world country, but mostly they may come from China. And most definitely they were probably made by children working in horribly cramped shops nearly all hours of the day for what amounts to pocket change for me or you.

While capitalism has brought uncountable wealth and luxuries to many on this planet, it has brought death and destruction to many, many others as well. Entire communities are destroyed just to put up a new business or to extend an already existing chain store. If this seems fair, imagine a business man, backed up by police, telling you to leave your home because he wants to put up a new Starbucks.

There is another reason why anarchists reject capitalism: it promotes brutal and inhumane methods of human interaction. Capitalism thrives on selfishness, greed, and self-interest. What is wrong with these? Simply put, they bread violence, hate, death, and destruction. How many times have you heard stories of an individual robbing another because he wanted his money, or a member of a corporation stealing thousands of dollars just to buy a brand new house in the middle of some woods? Many times, no doubt.

The capitalist system also dehumanizes people as well. It turns them into "things" to be bought and sold on what is called "the market." It also takes away human things and makes them into something else. For instance, you do not sell yourself to a business, you sell your labor. As if your labor can go and flip burgers at the local McDonalds while you stay at home and watch television! Simply put, it seperates human activity from the people doing it and turning it into an abstract thing. It's not human buying and selling that is responsible for businesses growing or shrinking, it's the market.

But it should be noted that there is a small minority, usually belonging to the middle class or the rich elite, that claims anarchism is compatible with capitalism. They basically want a world where everyone acts selfishly and without any regard for anyone else and where those who own the most property can do whatever he or she wants. Sounds enough like utter nonsense, does it?

AUTHORITY
Before we begin our discussion on authority, one must be sure what type we are talking about. There are ultimately two different types of authority: legitimate authority and illegitimate authority. Legitimate authority is someone who is an authority on something, a specialist such as a doctor (who is an authority on medicine), a lawyer (an authority on law), a historian (an authority on history), etc. We are not against this type of authority.

What we are against is authority over people, that is people who have authority. It is this authority that we are against. We do not believe that people should have authority over people as we believe people should be free from the confines of oppression. This type of authority breeds oppression, repression, and other terrible things. It keeps us down, where we must grow. It keeps is back, where we must go forward.

How does this authority keep people in check? Through the use of hierarchy, the idea that some people need to be on top and some need to be on the bottom. Some People claim that only through hierarchy can one truely be free. There is something to this, as the people on the top are generally free to do as they wish while those at the bottom are usually not. One can see where their diagonally-sloped freedom brings everyone!

But then there are even more who think that hierarchy is alright if it is voluntary. Well, is it ever? Think carefully about all the instances where you "voluntarily" entered into a hierarchy. Odds are you had no choice but to do it. School or work, no hierarchy is voluntary or legitimate, because ultimately force is required to keep the thing going.

CLASSES
Ah, I know what you are probably thinking when one hears the word "class." Pictures of the infamous hammer and sickle, Mother Russia, Karl Marx, and Red China surely fill your head at the mere mention of the word "class." But, one should really ponder what kind of society we live in.

We live in a society of ultimately two classes: being called from time to time, amongst other things ruler and ruled, rich and poor, the worker and the boss. The overwelming majority of the world belongs to the ruled class, the working class, the poor, etc. That is what you are probably within yourself. The other class is but a small minority.

It is the rich class, the upperclass, the capitalist class, the bosses, presidents, kings, emperors, etc. that make up the rules of the game that we must live in order to survive in the world. They control the media, the schools, the hospitals, the workplace, and, though indirectly, your home. They can do this because they are, though a small minority, highly organized and aware of their situation. They are able to con others into following along with rewards, as one would give a bone to a dog when he learns to beg.

They do this by utilizing three different institutions: the police, the military, and the media. The police is used to maintain order through force. They use them to enforce their laws and regulations on the poor and the rest of society. The military is used to enforce the will of the rich abroad and to defend their interests abroad as well. The media is used to spread their ideology and drill it into the publics skulls, so they don't have to use the police all the time.

But now you are wondering, why does not the other class fight back? Because we are divided and tricked into fighting amongst ourselves. They know that if we were to unite and work together as one, we would definately be able to overthrow them. They divide us because they fear us and what we can do if we put our minds to it. They divide us into different sexes, nationalities, ethnicities, ages, etc. We simply do not have what is called "class consciousness," the understanding that we are all in the same boat and must act together and help one another.

INDIVIDUALISM
It must be understood from the start that anarchists aren't against individuals or their assertion of their individuality. What we are talking about is the belief that one's actions do not affect others or that one has the right to do as one wishes regardless of anyone else. This is what capitalism breads and what the State protects.

Probably very often in your life you've heard someone say "mind your own business" or "don't meddle in the affairs of other people." You've often heard that in school or at work too, no doubt. But why do they say that? We anarchists know why: because the longer you "mind your own business," the longer you and others like you will be oppressed and hurt by the ruling class, who definately do not "mind their own business."

The longer one looks out for only one's self and no one else, the longer one only cares for one's self and no one else, is the longer one is abused by those who are in charge of this game. You must remember that you are not alone in this world and what happens to you does not only happen to you. It is happening to others around the world, probably at the same exact time no doubt.

Now, we are not saying that you as an individual do not have seperate wants and desires from others. No, you may very well have completely different ideas and beliefs and wants and desires than the person standing next to you. But what we anarchists are saying is that in order for everyone's needs and wants to be fulfilled, you must work together to achieve them, or else you will only achieve nothing.

ORGANIZATION
Ah, I know what you are about to say next. "But are not anarchists against organization?" Heavens no, we are not against organization! How will anything get done without organization? In fact, this is where anarchists diagree much. Some favor one type of organization, others another. But one must note that each organization will be voluntary and one can leave at anytime and that there will be many, many different types of organizations working side-by-side. So one type of organization is not exclusive to another.

But then you are probably only familiar with the type of organization that one sees in school, in the work place, or generally in the streets: organization with one or a few in charge. But we anarchists do not want this. What we want is a new, different, and much better type of organization, where there is no one person or group in charge, where everyone has a direct say in how or when something gets done, and where everyone is equal to the next in voice.

But I know what will be said next, now. "But that's impossible!" Is it? Take a look at the large number of social groups you belong to. Odds are, there is at least one that has no definite leader or leaders. Where you generally decide as a group what to do and when to do it. And odds are also that you would not stand for someone to dominate this group. So, my question to you before we continue our discussion: why would you tolerate it in any other group?

COMMUNISM
Communism. The very word stirs up memories of the Berlin Wall, The U.S.S.R., China, Cuba, and other countries that are tagged with the word "communism." But rest assured, those countries were not communist in any way. I know the next question would probably be "but they were called communist!" Well, just because they were called this, does not make it so. In fact, upon research of the theory, one might find that communism involves no State. So this automatically disqualifies just about every country in the world that is called "communist."

But what is communism then, and why would anarchists promote such an organization? Simply put, communism is the idea that both the means of production and the products of labor are owned collectively, i.e. by everyone. Anarchists promote such a system because it is perhaps the only way everyone's needs can be met.

Only when the tools and machines that are used to produce are availble freely to all who can use them and only when the products of labor be made freely available to all can everyone's needs be satisfied completely. But what is the rationale behind this? Communism is fueled by the idea that all production is social, that no one person can produce one thing by his or her self.

This certainly makes sense, just take a look at something as relatively simple as making a table. Trees had to be cut down using tools that were made, shaped into wooden blocks, cut into shape, nails had to be made from iron, the pieces had to be nailed together according to a plan with a hammer, the table then had to be painted and decorated with various tools. Now, did one person do all this and make all the tools used to create a simple table? Certainly not! This was the effort of multiple people, many of whom you probably do not even know. This is the rationale behind communism: that all things are the product of social labor and that they belong freely to everyone who needs them.

But what if you do not want to participate in this? What if you don't want to join a commune or a collective, or anything for that matter? Well, that is acceptable. Participation within an organization is completely voluntary and one can withdraw at anytime and join at anytime as well.

But it should be noted that communism is only one of the different forms of economic organization. But since it is promoted by the majority of anarchists, it was included here to be discussed. But mainly, all other forms of organization fall within generally the same ideas as communism.

PRIVATE PROPERTY
Ah, but now are the anarchists against owning things? Well, yes and no. Anarchists disagree with private property for the same reasons listed in the previous section. Private property permits, and indeed came before, the State, seeing as how the State exists to protect private property, amongst other things.

But what do we mean by private property? We mean property that is the exclusive ownership of one person or group. Private property means private ownership of the means of production and land. When one has exclusive ownership of these things, he has the power to control anyone who has to use them and he has the power to deny anyone the ability to use them as well. Sounds all but fair in a world where there are thousands, if not millions, starving!

We have to make a distinction here between personal property and private property. We mean by personal property things that you own that have no effect on others, such as a house, a television set, books, clothing, etc. Private property is simply things that are used to produce things. It is this that anarchists are against private ownership of. Everyone should have the right to use the means of production.

VIOLENCE
It is common practice in the media to portray anarchists as violent thugs who enjoy smashing things and spraying the infamous "circled A" everywhere. But these instances are taken out of context of what is happening at the time and it is not understood that some anarchists aren't violent.

Before we begin our discussion on violence, it would do well to have an understanding of what anarchists generally dfine violence as. We anarchists define violence as "uninitiated force used against a person or people." Meaning, if I were to attack you for no reason, that would be violence. But if you were to fight back against me, that would not be violence.

You may notice that our definition uses the words "a person or people." That is because we do not consider violence against things to be violence. It is completely different to destroy a home than it is to destroy a human being.

Some anarchists are anti-violence and will not use it for any reason, and there are some who will also not even fight back, prefering to be pacifists. But one most remember: not all anarchists are pacifists.

However, there were a number of anarchists in the mid-to-late 19th century that used violence against random persons (bombing buildings, parades, etc.), but these were very few individuals and these actions (called "propaganda by the deed") were denounced by many anarchists.

SCHOOL
It must be stated from the get-go that we anarchists are not against education and learning. We are against the modern, state-funded, capitalist controlled school system in which the children are taught to simply shutup, obey, and consume.

In many ways, school is like a prison: you are told what to wear, where to go, when to go there, you must either have permission or a special pass to go somewhere, face strict discipline if you misbehave, and you even have a nice little bell to remind you when to go to the next class or when to eat their horrible food!

But take note of what you are learning in your school. Odds are you are learning things about history that is distorted beyond belief. You have heard how great Christopher Colombus is, but little else is known about him, not even the fact that he is solely responsible for destroying an entire native population in the area he landed his ships!

Even in politics class, you are taught about the greatness of American democracy and capitalism and the evilness of Communism and Socialism. You are taught that such a system as ours is good and right and everything else is bad and wrong. You are taught about the great wars fought to protect your country from an enemy that was not even a threat to begin with. You are told that it is perfectly alright for the State to deprive other people of their freedoms to protect yours, even though day by day we are losing ours.

Hell, they are not even doing a very good job of teaching you to begin with. How much of the stuff you claim to learn can you actually remember as you read this? How much do you think you can remember within the next five minutes, five hours, days, months, years? And if you can remember it, do you understand it? Odds are, probably not. You see, you are not really taught to understand things, you are merely made to repeat them as a parot, so you can pass the exams and make the school look good so as it can receive more money. You are not really taught to examin things and think critically about what is going on in the world. That is because individuals who think critically and question everything cannot be used as good cannon fodder for the capitalists and State's wars.

But now let us return back to the prison aspect of your school. You probably have to wear a uniform. They probably tell you it is to curb gang activity and thought. But let us think about this more closely: they make you all wear the same clothing, force it into your head that your school is the best and all others suck, and tell you that you are safe in your school. Does this not sound like gang activity to you? There are cameras and ID badges that you probably have to wear, and locker searches, and a general sense of paranoia and fear you probably have to deal with. And this is supposed to make you feel safe?

Now, they will tell you that this is all for your own good and is in your best interest. As if someone besides you knows what's best for you! Do you really think someone who is a lot older than you, sitting in a comfortable office away from everything in the school, spying your every move on a camera could possibly know what is best for you?

THE WORKPLACE
As the old saying goes, "if you love school, you'll love work." The Capitalist workplace is where you put all the skills you learn in school to good use: accepting authority blindly, never questioning things, and most of all: minding your own business.

In the workplace you are subject to just about ever injustice in the book and there is, unfortunately, little to nothing you can do about it. You punch in at one time, work your ass off, break (if you are lucky), and then punch out again. All the while, you are subject to the constent eye of your boss and the managers, the people he picked to govern you. Talk about democracy!

The workplace is the most undemocratic place in existence, outside of school of course. You have little to know say in how things are done and when they are done, they can punish you for just about anything you do they deem "wrong," and they can subject you to pointless and idiotic rules you have absolutely no say in whatsoever.

Some say that this is acceptable because you "voluntarilly" go to work somewhere. But do you really go there of your own free will? Do you really go there with absolutely no consequences for not going to work there? Odds are, no, no you do not. What happens when one does not work? One starves because he does not have money to buy food, let alone pay the rent in one's home. One must work and since the means of producing one's livelihood are monopolized upon by a select few, one most always work for them.

But anarchists are for organizing within the workplace to protect the workers. Anarchists have always been active in the labor movement and were even involved in the movement for the 8-hour workday, among others. Anarchists are generally for unions, but not the types of unions that cooperate with the boss, thinking workers and their masters have common interests. Some anarchists, while supporting workplace organization, are critical of all unions, thinking they are too reformist and only want to make capitalism happier without changing. Some anarchists are against those types of unions but not against radical unions that work to someday take control of the means of production from the capitalists.

But let us examine this "voluntary" aspect of this. If joining a workforce is voluntary, then that means the government has the right to do whatever it wishes to any of its citizens because they volunarilly live in its territory. You hardly hear a capitalist say it is alright for the government to tax his or her business heavily because he or she voluntarilly built it in its territory!

DROPPING OUT OF THE SYSTEM
By now you are probably thinking to yourself, "This is terrible! Why should I contribute to this?" Your first reaction to this is to probably drop out of the system and live life outside it. But this plan has one flaw: it is completely impossible to live outside of the system completely. You will still have to come into contact with it almost on a daily basis when you do something simple as walking down the street!

No, dropping out of the system will solve nothing, as since the State and Capitalism have such a strong hold on people and the world one cannot survive much long without coming into contact with it.

Besides, this is sort of selfish anyway. Think about it, you do not like what is going on so you just drop out of everything and attempt to live life the "anarchist way." This is no lifestyle or way of living. One cannot live like an anarchist as one can a hippie or whatnot.

So ignore the people who tell you that if you do not like it, go somewhere else or live in the woods. It is impossible to just "get away from it." You can move to another country and still be confronted with the same things you ran from, only in a different language and with a different face.

Seriously, how is ignoring a problem going to solve it?

REFORM VS. EVOLUTION VS. REVOLUTION
OK, so you probably do not want to just drop everything and move into the woods to get away from this horrible world. Now you are probably asking "What is to be done?" We shall discuss two popular methods of change anarchists wish for and why a third will not do.

Reform is the belief that everything can just be made better without really changing anything. This solves nothing because the thing that is "made better" is still what it is. One cannot make capitalism or the State better or less oppressive and terrible. Paint a rabbid dog bright, pretty colors and it is still a rabbid dog.

Evolution is the idea of setting up alternative institutions to compete with capitalism and the State. The idea is that once enough people stop supporting Capitalism and the State, they will just collapse in on itself and disappear. The objection to this is obvious: it is nearly impossible to do this without becoming what one is fighting against. A man named Pierre Joseph Prodhoun tried this in the 19th century and within a few years, the alternative institutions either became capitalist institutitons or were crushed via competition with the much more established capitalist institutions.

Revolution is the idea that the existing social order must be completely destroyed so that a new one be put up in its place. Historically, this is the only form of change that anarchists have used that worked. The State and capitalism did not come about through peaceful means by through violence and it is with its very way of birth shall it be destroyed.

But one most note that the average anarchist is but a mixture of these two ideas. Most anarchists agree that alternative institutions should be set up, but do not agree that this in and of itself is enough.

BUT WHAT CAN I DO?
Simple enough question, I suppose. There are many things one can do. You can figure out what is wrong with or in your community or workplace and work to organize to fix it. But most of all you must spread the word of anarchism so that one day there will be enough people who believe in a better world to one day create it from the ashes that this one has left for us.

FURTHER READING
No Gods No Masters: An Anthology of Anarchism by Daniel Guerin.

ABC of Anarchism by Alexander Berkman

Anarcho-Syndicalism by Rudolph Rocker

Days of War Nights of Love by The CrimethInc Collective

What Is Anarchism: An Introduction by Dolald Rooum

God and the State by Mikhail Bakunin

WEBSITES
www.infoshop.org

www.anarchistfaq.org

www.crimethinc.org

flag.blackend.net

www.anarchosyndicalism.net

aia.mahost.org

[JazzRemington]

UPDATE

I've begun final proofing and ediitng and have found a printer that I think may be able to print this. All I need left to do is finish editing it and raise funds to have it printed.

[violencia.Proletariat]

ORGANIZATION
Ah, I know what you are about to say next. "But are not anarchists against organization?" Heavens no, we are not against organization! How will anything get done without organization? In fact, this is where anarchists diagree much.

you forgot the s in disagree. just incase you didnt catch that.


one huge suggestion TAKE OUT CRIMETHINC! this is about anarchism not lifestylist crap. on your book list add peter kropotkins conquest of bread. also try and list them in order from "begginer" to more "advanced" and note that.

[JazzRemington]

Originally posted by nate@Dec 15 2005, 10:43 PM

ORGANIZATION
Ah, I know what you are about to say next. "But are not anarchists against organization?" Heavens no, we are not against organization! How will anything get done without organization? In fact, this is where anarchists diagree much.

you forgot the s in disagree. just incase you didnt catch that.


one huge suggestion TAKE OUT CRIMETHINC! this is about anarchism not lifestylist crap. on your book list add peter kropotkins conquest of bread. also try and list them in order from "begginer" to more "advanced" and note that.

Done.

I'm almost done proof-reading and editing. It's coming in at 24 pages, counting the outside and inside covers and will be called "Anarchism: A Basic Introduction". I will probably use paypal to accept donations for the publishing cost. I don't know if I will be putting my real name or not on it yet, though.