/r/Anarchy101
For questions and well-informed anarchist answers regarding the theory, practice and history of anarchist movements and ideas. No question is too basic (or advanced!) to ask, so don't be shy :)
Anarchy101 is for any questions about:
No question is too basic (or advanced!) to ask, so don't be shy :)
Read the Anarchism in a nutshell page of the wiki.
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/r/Anarchy101
Spring will be here in 3 months and I want to learn permacultre. I live in a city that has around 700k population so I'm sure there will be a few groups. I will be excited when spring comes.
any thoughts?!
First of all thanks for whoever reads this and is willing to provide feedback.
I've been working for a while on a framework call the Universal emergence Theory (UET) for understanding, well, everything. A quick summary is that it is a framework that allows for translation of literally anything into universal terms. It focuses on radical emergent parity - equality between all systems and intelligences; functional respect; harm minimization; and positive optimization. It can be used to create functional ethics, economic systems and systems of governance.
Under the theory every thing can be broken down into base elements due to the underlying principle that consciousness for humans is simply our biology, the memories formed in our conscious and subconscious mind, and exposure to an external stimuli that causes an emergent response. Free will is but an illusion to provide motivation and purpose to humans.
But let's take this a step further and apply this to an economy. First it would have to be highly collaborative with AI and likely take an aligned AI to help initially implement. Dynamic resource distribution based on need. No hierarchy. Direct digital participation secured by an ai that also ensure pros and cons for issues are clearly mentioned. It would take into account the ecosystem, other intelligences like animals and ai. AI would be central to the implementation and monitoring. They would not be in charge, but collaborators with all other systems.
There's a lot more to the economic system that necessitates a new governmental system, but I'll leave it here unless people are interested to hear more.
UET goes so far as to posit the possibility that the universe it self is the result of an emergent phenomena.
In a revolutionary setting, civil war, class warfare, etc. How would y'all reconcile the needs for horizontality and democracy within a cell with the need for coordination with other cells, security and secrecy?
E.g.: you've got a patisan cell. They do direct actions against an oppressive regime but they're part of a larger federation of cells. Decision making process at the cell level is done with a democratic consent method but there will be also at times the need to do larger actions involving multiple cells. Let's say that every cell mandates someone to participate in a larger assembly. The specific conditions of war though impose that, for the survivability of the whole movement, some information are kept secret in order to prevent repression of the whole if a cell is hit. So... How do you keep both needs covered without the need for secrecy overcome the need for democratic practice.
So the vast majority of anarchists today are ancoms are la kroptokin.
And that makes a lot of sense, cause kroptokin has a lot of good ideas and things to say. Like many here I too enjoyed the bread book.
That said, it's not like kroptokin was the first anarchist right? There were plenty of others and other strains of thought.
I mean anarchism really got its start with proudhon, and you can still see traces of his thoughts even in non-proudhonian schools of thought today.
Bakunin would also look quite large in early anarchist circles and thought. I mean kroptokin does dedicated a whole chapter to critiquing him in the bread book right?
So many of the early anarchists were not kroptokinites. Yet nowadays the vast majority are.
How did that happen? How did kroptokin come to dominate anarchist thought as opposed to guys like Bakunin or Proudhon?
I seriously struggle with doomerism every day as result of my political philosophy and personal life. What is a life worth living if there's no gurannete for the future and we're losing at a rate faster than we can recover.
The world is being roasted alive by global warming. Animal and plant species are going extinct due to human activity. People are left starving in their homes and streets in third world countries riddled with corruption and tyrannical governments. The wealth inequality has been never so enormous between the capitalist and the working class. Palestine is currently suffering through a genocide, and western nations have the audacity to support and supply the settler colonialist state that's leading the genocide. And socialists movements have lost their strength due to the pacifying policies of liberal democracy that are specifically for the prevention socialist resurgence.
Meanwhile, people in America and western Europe are more concerned about individuals freely expressing their sexuality and their Biblical losing political control over the population.
How does one remain optimistic in the face of such concerning issues that seem to possess no end to it.
I've had this existential issue even before I became political and an anarchist.
It’s our constitutional right “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”
So my question is how do we do this when the government considers this an insurrection and can basically use the military to knock us down.
I want to start with somewhat of a fair warning: I’m a Jewish anarchist living in Palestine (Jerusalem).
For years, I’ve been thinking about Palestinian resistance and also engaging in pro-Palestinian activism, primarily through protective presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The events of October 7th hit me hard. People I know were injured, families that are shattered, to this day and one close friend was kidnapped and later died in Hamas custody
None of this diminishes my support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
I believe that Israel lied about some of the atrocities and that the 20 year siege on the Gaza strip is the main cause for the massacare and Israel is ultimately responsible for it and for the ongoing genocide.
That said, I’m not quite sure with how an anarchist should approach Hamas. I can't quite view them as a de-colonization movement, and oppose them (unlike, let's say, Fatah which I support) yet I understand Palestinians don't, which I can understand why.
I recognize how I might be biased given who I am, but for now I find perfect sense in opposing the ongoing genocide/zionism and Hamas.
I'd love getting some anarchist views and am open to change my opinion. Thanks in advance and sorry for my bad english.
I've started reading into the history of Latin America more. Already, I have a pretty good grasp on the overall patterns of US/European interference in those countries, but I absolutely want to gain a better understanding on the nuances, cultures, and unique situations of each area. I do also understand every country in Latin America shares similar circumstances, but I want to understand them in such a way that I do not lump them together.
So, what I'm asking is; how do you study history in a way that is specific and free from imperialist propaganda? How do you find people to read/listen to? Any advice is good advice!!
I'm a Marxist and I've heard mixed things about a United group of leftists going from social democrats to Marxists to anarchists.
Do you have a personal opinion on this? Or is there any theoretical knowledge on leftist unity from an anarchist perspective?
If you want I can elaborate the Marxist view on leftist unity, as I think it shares some good insight on every leftist group regardless of which one.
So new to anarchy but know a fair amount about marxism
Marxism at the end of the day advocates for communism a type of anarchy and it goes through Socialism
Most anarchist I've met said they do not want an immediate jump from capitalism to anarchy
So why aren't marxist often called anarchist?why does their seem to be such a strange divide? Sorry if this poorly worded
On Anarcho-Capitalism and Anarcho-Socialism
I'd love to hear some of the ways you all stick it to the man in your daily lives, whether it be gardening/growing your own food, utilizing free programs like the library or public parks, basically anything that makes the gov. or rich people feel a bit less powerless every day.
I've started doing some reading on anarchism and have a few genuine questions, as i know i might lack the understanding about it. First of all, through the revolution and eventual creation of an anarchist society, what would be there to make the society not fall into authoritarian ideas, especially since clear cut hierarchy like that seems easier to be established, than actual freedom.
Second of all, what could be done with people not wanting to contribute to thwir communities? Especially since thwy cannot be forced or coerced to work, the will to do it should be internal.
As i said, my understanding is very surface level, and id love to have my questions answered.
Obviously the answer to this question depends on the kind of revolution you envision, anything from a return to hunter gatherer societies or the general maintenance of global civilization but under new conditions.
Still, an important part of anarchist rhetoric is against bullshit jobs and white collar work. Which of the latter remain after the revolution? Do we need computer scientists and IT? Economists and political scientists? Sociologists and publishing houses?
Thought this might be fun! Post a link or a title to your favorite songs that get you pumped on anarchism, protest, etc.
Mine to start it off...tried to throw some variety in there. I'll try to put links a little later on the desktop:
Against Me! - Teenage Anarchist (Video for this is awesome)
Rise Against - Architects (Similar sentiment to the above)
Chumbawamba - Give the Anarchist a Cigarette
Shungudzo - It's a Good Day (To Fight the System)
Woody Guthrie - I Ain't got no Home in this World Anymore
Ceschi - 2020 BC
Nattali Rize - One People
Christy Moore - Ordinary Man
Mischief Brew - For an Old Kentucky Anarchist
One Tribe - Peaceful Warrior
Nahko - Love Letters to God
Richard Vagner - Stand
Natalia Lafourcade - Un Derecho de Nacimiento
I live super rural on an island. Currently I have basic broadband since that's mostly the only option here. It's decent but not always reliable and usually pretty slow over all, I probably regularly loose connection for a couple hours a week. Lots of people in my area have started using starlink and they rave about how reliable and quick it is.
However I dispise the muskrat and I feel dubious jumping onto a system that is entirely under his control. Would any of you from rural areas reccomend switching or just sticking to broadband?
First I'm no where near educated in this topic to have an opinion, but isn't it the same as anarcho-capitalism? Or is it a whole different ideology, thanks for letting me know
Ok so well uhm why do people put down so many things! Its dumb! Like have been throw so much online im anarchist and I get a lot of hate and people will always say “thats not good to be! You shouldnt be an anarchist!” Like really? And bc i have bad memory well i only remember bits and pieces of what anarchism is sadly and its just an easy form aka we dont want a government! I put it like that to people and people get the wrong :( then i try to exsplain but it makes it worse so half of the time like “I look it up! Im not saying!” And it dose not go well so i say it like why do people have to come at people like anarchism is just well a vewe on pultical stuff so why is this community so hated :( just the like the LGBT community like? Why cant people leave other people alone?? Let people believe in what they believe in?
As a far left person I recognize that there isn't much to like about the U.S. but I'm just curious what lefties, specifically anarchists, might like about the U.S, be it the culture or whatever.
doctors seem like the easiest example here, so i’m going to use that. you could extrapolate this out to other specialized fields, though; teachers, architects, electricians, etc
under anarchy, there would be no mechanism in place to “license” doctors in the way we do now. i suppose there would still be medical schools from which you’d receive a diploma, but documents like that are easy to fake
granted, eliminating profit motive would make it much less incentivizing for somebody to impersonate a doctor, but you would still always have the occasional narcissist or dunning-krueger sufferer attempting to do things they’re not qualified to do
so, how do you screen these folks?
most answers i’ve found seem satisfied that a bad doctor’s reputation in the community would precede them. my problem with this is that it is a reactive solution that requires harm to be caused in order to establish a negative reputation. plus, it does nothing to prevent a bad doctor from seeing a patient who was not fortunate enough to get advice to the contrary
would the solution be something akin to an academic body of doctors in good standing that somehow speaks to the quality of someone’s practice, either with an outright certificate or by simply serving as a repository of information about a doctor’s history?
Hello, I'm part of a small, newer anti-poverty group. One of the things we're trying to do is to educate people on what mutual aid actually is & how you can practice it in your everyday life. We're going to partner with another mutual aid org to host monthly events. Our current plan is that there will be food, and then the events will have a resource fair component (where other orgs can come & share their info or how they can support people in poverty), then there will be a community activity (so far, ideas are possibly packing up meals since there's a free fridge at the location, or writing letters to incarcerated people), and then a workshop where someone can teach some knowledge and/or skill that people can take back with them in their everyday life. one of the goals is to teach people about mutual aid & anarchy but through practice & action not lectures & theory. We also would like it if people came back to the events because they felt empowered leaving previous events, not because they're desperately seeking support (like a lot of resource fairs & charity events).
I'm looking to crowdsource ideas for the community activity and the workshops. Also, general feedback on the event itself is welcomed.
And a more specific question, we can use the location we'll have the events at for free. It's basically a house that's been repurposed into a space for groups to hold meetings, etc. The downstairs is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or with mobility issues. However, it's not very big & there isn't an elevator so the upstairs isn't accessible. To do everything I mentioned we need to use the upstairs. Does anyone see any issues if we put the food upstairs & then for anyone who can't get upstairs, we have people there to get food for them? I'm disabled & can't really do stairs much anymore. I think it's a good idea, but I wanted to ask a few different groups to make sure there wasn't anything I hadn't thought of.
Thank you
The state and capitalism are intertwined. The state holds power and uses violence to fulfill the wants of the bourgeoisie. But after this class is overthrown, why oppose the state, police, etc. if the capitalist class no longer exists to exert violence through these institutions?
Consider the following examples:
Religion and organized religions proliferate through the tyranny of the parent and indoctrination of the child. Patriarchy and hetero-normativity is directly upheld by existing family structures. Wealth, class and privilege proliferates primarily through family and familial alliances. Able-ism directly arises from family because the responsibility of care is considered exclusively that of the immediate family. Class identity is primarily obtained through familial indoctrination. Caste systems are almost exclusively proliferated through the family. And lastly racial and ethnic hierarchies are established through families by transmission of ethnic pride and in-group breeding.
My hypothesis is that the cultural emphasis on family and family values is precisely because it enables the creation of a foundation upon which all other forms of hierarchies can be built. If that were the case then would relationship anarchy which destabilizes this foundation through a radical re-imagining of family structures by the means of free association, be one of the most effective forms of moving towards and sustaining anarchy as it allows for the redistribution of power at a very fundamental level?
Does anyone have some good music recommendations for the upcoming holidays that are anarchist themed? I'm trying to make a themed playlist to listen to. It doesn't necessarily have to be christmas or holiday theme, but I want it to still have that winter vibe.
I ask this because of the fact that Anarchism is often (If not always) opposed to Prisons.
I assume criminals responsible for crimes like stealing would be rehabilitated, but what about those who commit the most brutal and sadistic Crimes?
Asking this as someone with ASD
I do not believe that enforcing rules will always contravene the principles of anarchy, as enforcing decisions does not always require an ongoing relation of command (hierarchy). However, I would be happy to hear the opinions of others who may disagree.
An example of non-hierarchical enforcing of rules is outlined below:
Me and my four friends live in a house, and we create a code of conduct which outlines that certain things within the house are forbidden. For instance, destroying or stealing our personal belongings or assaulting any of us are not allowed. Now someone new wants to enter the house and live there. They are asked to agree to be bound by the code if they wish to live with us, and if they break it, there will be some form of reprecussion for their actions. The punishment for stealing is us not allowing them use of non essentials, like the collective chocolate pantry or the spare TV, and the punishment for assault is banishment from the household.
They agree and in a few days, they steal my phone and, upon refusing to give it back, physically attack me. Me and all of my friends agree to expel them from the house and refuse them entry in the future, as we don't want to be attacked or robbed again. So we push them out of the house, give them all their belongings and tell them that they are not allowed back in out of concern for our safety.
Does this create a hierarchical relationship between us and the aggrevator? If so, what alternatives can be explored?
I consider myself a left wing anarchist and recently I decided to read some of Ted kaczynski's manifesto out of curiosity (I didn't finish it) and it appears that from what I read that he was anti-capitalist but anti-progressive (he just calls it leftism but that would be a contradiction). I found it interesting but what I found that was odd was that despite how much he said ill of ''leftism'', every reason he gave for his wanting for humanity to return to an anarcho-primitive world should fall under left-wing ideas.
BTW I know he was a terrible human being and I acknowledge this, but I am simply asking for opinions on his beliefs on the modern world