This is the @tribesteemup bi-weekly question:
What does Anarchy mean to you?
I suppose my first exposure to anarchy, if you can call it that, was from friends who were into punk in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It basically amounted to “stick it to the man.” That was about as far as I got. I decided at that juncture in my life that anarchy would never work because, well, people are assholes. I figured chaos would ensue, and I didn’t understand anything about what anarchy really was or the deep and rich history of anarchy because, duh, they don’t teach that stuff in school.
I guess this is everyone's first impression of anarchy, but it's wildly inaccurate
Source: Pixabay
My first substantive exposure to anarchy was Utah Phillips. Someone handed me a copy of the first disc he put out with Ani DiFranco and told me I needed to listen to it. This was shortly before I graduated from university in 1997. I fell in love with Utah’s storytelling, his passion for people’s history, his knowledge of the history of worker’s movements, and his love for anarchy. I would guess the biggest surprise was that he was a pacifist. I didn’t realize before that point anarchy is not necessarily associated with violent overthrow. Here’s some of my favorite Utah quotes about anarchy. In some of these, he is actually quoting a teacher of his, Amon Hennessy.
Why an anarchist is anybody who doesn’t need a cop to tell him what to do.
I discovered, watching him, that anarchy is not a noun but an adjective. It describes the tension between moral autonomy and political authority, especially in the area of combinations of the two and whether they’re going to be voluntary or coercive. The most destructive, coercive combinations are arrived at through force. Like Amon said, “Force is the weapon of the weak.”
Aww, judge, your damn laws. The good people don’t need ‘em, and the bad people don’t obey ‘em, so what the hell use are they anyway?
I’m running as an anarchist candidate in the best sense of that word. If I get elected, I promise to hang out, shoot pool, scratch my ass, and not do a damn thing, which is to say, if you want something done, you got to get together and do it yourselves.
So, I got a little more thorough understanding of anarchy, but I still thought it was not possible. In fact, I’m still not sure. I love the idea. I love the end of governments and laws. I totally agree that people do best when they are self regulating. Having worked at a Sudbury school for so many years, I saw it first hand. Children were regulating themselves and creating rules together as a community that made it work better and getting rid of those rules that no longer applied. I don’t totally trust most people, though, especially grown ups, and I sure as shit don’t trust capitalist corporations.
I’d say Utah was an anarcho-syndacalist. I think I’m probably close to an anarcho-communist. Essentially I believe we need to agree to protect one another, especially the marginalized. We need to agree to dismantle systems of oppression. We need to agree to care for our planet and not only simply stop dumping chemicals and waste all over it but actually nurture and nourish it. I don’t believe in leaving anything to the totally unregulated market. I see that ending very badly for POC, LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities in particular but also for anyone who is poor and of course women. I think we need to really protect children, and that means making sure parents have all they need to properly care for their children. That also means at least one parent is able to stay home with a child with at least the basic needs covered.
Source: Pixabay
And after all this time, the only thing that has convinced me it might be possible is a particular combination of my oldest son, who is hardcore ancom, and steemit. I still only see it working in very specific circumstances. I think it will only work in small, decentralized communities that make agreements with each other. I don’t see it working with millions of people.
Now after all those caveats, let me say, I think it is probably a really magnificent idea. I think it will be really beautiful when we can all sit together and agree to nurture each other and our planet and to share everything from wheelbarrows to childcare to meals. I don’t necessarily believe that people aren't allowed to go and make more money, simply that there would be a base that would cover basics for everyone with extra for certain people, like parents and those with disabilities. Does this exile me from the ancom camp? I don’t think so, but maybe. Honestly I need to do more reading and research because we desperately need an alternative, and we all better get clear on what we want to manifest because we appear to be self destructing.
Clearly what we are doing is not working. The US is a train wreck right now for those of you who’ve been in a cave since the Carter administration. It was a shit show then, too, but Carter was so insanely kind and amazing that we can at least call it decent at that point. For years I was a progressive democrat ala Dennis Kucinich and Bernie, but now that I really see what is going down in a number of European countries where homeschooling is outlawed, vaccinations are mandatory, and social services are even worse than the US, I can see that moving toward government-heavy socialism is perhaps going to create as many problems as it solves.
Source: Pixabay
In the end I think it’s the size. You just can’t govern so many people. I love anarchy, but I honestly think the decentralization aspect is so much more important. I don’t want a government to tell me how to raise my children or what to inject into their bodies or their brains. I also don’t want to live with people who think hitting children is acceptable or that dumping poisons on plants is a grand idea. So, in these smaller communities we can live together with others who have similar values. Then we can agree on what is important to us and have no need for government or laws or police or any of that mess. Connected, nurturing, communities are, I believe the key cure to so many of our ills, from alcoholism and depression to inefficient and oppressive government to sustainable living.
Admittedly, I don’t know as much as I’d like to, but these are my thoughts, ideas, dreams. Tell me! What’s your dream?! Are you an anarchist? What’s your ideal governing situation? I’m also very open to reading suggestions. My primary purpose with this piece was simply to discuss my personal vision of my own ideal. I always love respectful and honest chats.
Much love, y’all!
As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.
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One of the fundamental tenets of anarchism has always been that people are good and need not to be ruled, wheras statism says that people are bad and need to be ruled or there would be chaos, mayhem and murder (to simplify those complex correlations).
So the older I got the more I saw that people are not always good, to say the least, and I had my doubts about anarchy, if it would work.
But than I heard, I think by Larken Rose, the idea that to have anarchy is even more important if people are bad, because it´s many times the more unsavory types, the bad people who make it to the top in government and then do bad things.
That was quite the revalation!
Ultimately that's really the deal. Bad people will do bad shit, with or without government. Giving them power over others surely seems to be a bad idea, though. It's an important point. Ultimately, I believe people are inherently good. They're just so messed up. That's why I trust kids more.
great post! thank you for giving just SOME of the many reason as to why centralised government is unethical and causing so many of the great travesties that we see in the world. A very balanced and powerful post..
Thanks, Alex! That's sweet of you to say. There are, indeed, many more reasons. Even when I was just a liberal, I thought trying to rule 300 million people was stupid.
I think we really need to work together with those who wish to be out of the system, who wish to actually live more in harmony with the planet, it is unrealistic to think everyone would jump on board with these ideas, but those who do well that is what needs to be the focus so that more and more can actually see there is an alternative. Stop telling people what to do and live by example, that's what I believe, for too fecking long people have been told what to do. we need to be pro active in our lives xx great post mama as always xxxx
Yeah. I think setting up small communities and living the way we believe is best is probably the best thing we can do. It's what will create the most change.
Hi mama! I think that anarchy is such a sharp and violent sounding word in and of itself. While I agree that it would be wonderful to see more self-governing people and communities—I see it as more of a movement than a resistance to authority.
Hey! So good to see you! I definitely think it's a movement, but I think the end goal of putting an end to governments is also crucial!
Definitely fuck da police, though. Always that.
Good to be seen mama! c;
To end the government, we gotta replace it as people!~ Yeah no popo fo sho xDD
That's so spot on. We gotta get together and figure shit out.