Jun's Alcove

Modern Anarchy: Some Thoughts

I just wanted to jot down some thoughts I have about modern anarchist thought, and a lot of leftist spaces in general. This isn't really a particular criticism or argument, but more just... a ramble. Shocking, that!

I don't really have a specific category of anarchy I ascribe to. I used to hold closer to Syndicalism, but as of the last few years I've drifted more towards Mutualism. Not to say either economic model is perfect, they very much aren't, but I am just noting where my biases are.

If you don't know what that means, and are generally unfamiliar with anarchy as an economic and social system, this ramble probably won't make much sense.

And as a final foreward, so it's properly understood: Anarcho-Capitalists are not, and will never be qualified as anarchists. If US libertarians are a perversion of anarchist thought, anarcho-capitalists are a farce of it.

Active Inaction and Absentee Protesting

This is something that I do understand, no matter how annoying it can be. There are a lot of online leftists that drop their opinions on direct action and mutual aid the moment they leave the internet. And while I certainly understand not being able to sacrifice yourself for such an uncertain cause, I know for certain I haven't, there's a difference between that and the complete disconnect I see.

I'm not the best anarchist, to be clear. While I've certainly put in effort where I can, I by no means have done everything I can. But I know that, and I try very hard not to be yet another armchair anarchist as a result. But so many of these active-online, inactive-offline anarchists don't, or certainly won't admit it.

Having "discourse" on twitter, mastadon, or any of these social media platforms is not good praxis. Not to mention that "not partaking in the system as protest", i.e. not voting, is an active form of harm on those disempowered in the current system. A protest that is indistinguishable from silent condonation is a terrible, terrible form of protest. The argument that inaction is protest is one of the most insane double thinks I've ever seen perpetuate leftist thought.

A protest is, and always will be, an action. The action of walking out of your job, the action of sit-in protests, the action of throwing a brick at a cop. Sitting in your house on voting day in order to "stick it to the system" does nothing but harm those in need of your voting power, and assist opposing movements that do push for strong use of voting power.

So please, if all you can spare for direct action is a vote for the lesser evil, fucking vote. It is okay if you cannot spare more of your life to direct action or mutual aid, not everyone can. What's important is that you do act how you can, and don't attack others for not meeting some nebulous "direct action quota" so many chronically online lefists seem to have in their head.

Perfection is Fascism

Perfection and utopia are in my opinion inately fascist terms when used in a socio-economic system. To assume either can be reached on a scale the size of a federation, nation, or state is clear and obvious propaganda; And to act on that propaganda as though it were true will sow such extreme dissent upon those afflicted that injust violence is the only way they will act.

Suddenly, those who simply want their own liberation become targets for attack as "threats to the charter". Those who disagree with the charter are now considered traitorous and disregarded, instead of heeded and discussed with. Expecting perfection in others or in systems is extremely dangerous.

As an example, the beratement of the recent ecological protests, splattering paint on historic paintings and art of the past. While I certainly realize that such a protest is largely ineffective, mostly serving to drum up hate towards your own movement than to protest the actions leading to climatological disaster, I hardly blame them. In fact, I applaud them, they are doing what they can to actually muster up direct action. Even if its largely ineffective, it is still an attempt to do something.

Frankly, we need as much solidarity as we can get in the modern era of political turmoil. The endless bickering I see on how to do things does nothing except to further sow inaction, and to be quite clear I believe the difference between an absentee anarchist and an anarchy-masked fascist to be minimal at best.

Authoritarian Bleed-In

This is less common, but I've certainly seen it in multiple anarchist spaces. This mostly refers to libertarian leftists in general suddenly softening their opinion of or outright endorsing ethnic fascism the moment it isn't headed by white supremacy. While certainly less damaging than white supremacist movements, that doesn't justify anything.

Understanding why such movements may have formed is one thing, but they must be condemned as much as any other fascist movement. The idea that fascism is suddenly okay because it's organized by the deplatformed or disenfranchized is so outlandish that I don't for a moment believe those who perpetuate it are actually anarchists in any way.

So What Then?

Commit to solidarity with other anarchists, and act. Support movements that you can, and do what you can to commit to direct action or mutual aid in your communities. While an anarchist revolution is extraordinarily unlikely, that doesn't mean we can't act in the interest of the people, and each other. Build support networks, provide mutual aid, support those in need. All examples of how you can act in support of those in need, and other anarchists. Don't worry to much about how "correct" your praxis is. If you discover you're doing something wrong, adjust and move on.

The strength of anarchist movements is the ability to blend into and out of other movements as we deem fit. We are not a standing force, nor are we a structured organization. If you want to organize direct action, do it. Plan, prepare, and commit. Don't bicker online about the best way to run an anarchist society, or the acceptable ways to act. You're not helping anything.