The Possitivity of Anarchism (1972) |
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The Possitivity of Anarchism (1972) |
There has been much criticism of the negative aspects of anarchism. So much so that anarchy is often used by bourgeois writers as a synonym for chaos. I consider such criticism legitimate only when it concerns our emphasis. Many previous Treasons have attacked existing social institutions while few have presented the anarchist alternatives. We do have an alternative, the only natural and desirable alternative - anarchy.
Anarchy is basically a philosophy based on libertarian self management and individualism, but I believe it to be more than a philosophy. It is a personal political position with definite aims and ideals; it does not claim to be the perfect solution to all of society's ills. It is in fact a system in which those ills, apart from those inherent in preceding systems, can be eradicated. This is because it is an organic and natural for the creativity of every individual to work for the good of the community. It is not a stifling environment, pretentious, and imposed, as are systems which are based on legality, authority and ultimately force.
Anarchist principles can be illustrated by examples increasingly relevant in the light of the growing inadequacies in modern capitalist society. The disgustingly inequitable distribution of wealth and stifling of initiative in industrial capitalism can be set aqainst the principles of anarchist communism - A PROGRAM OF BREAD AND FREEDOM. The basis of anarchist communism is workers' control. Direct workers' control and ownership of industry. This means that the workers decide such things as production policies, environmental protection (the proletariat saving its own environment as opposed to the insulated ruling classes deciding from country retreats on the basis of greed), working hours and wages on a basis of equality, and direct profit sharing within industry where profit remains. This would eliminate elitism, the industrial ruling class, and reduce the technocrat to a position of being an advisor. Distribution and prices would be controlled by free producer-consumer co-operatives. All these factors would increase creativity and destroy enslaving slavocracy.
All these proposals form the basis of theoretical Bolshevik communism, except one; they propose state ownership. This is the reason for the betrayal of the Russian revolution; state ownership leads to the accumulation of capital and thus the exploitation of labor. It also gives rise to bureaucracy and elitism which stifle creativity and freedom. In short, state capitalism, thus state oppression and exploitation. I do not propose state ownership or a party bureaucracy. I say and mean direct worker control. A much ignored sector of society when considering worker control is the agricultural one. Anarchist communism stands for the expropriation of all landlords. The land belongs to the people. Farming should be done on the basis of free communes established by the rural working class (a group denied existence by marxism) and controlled by direct participation of the class. This form of commune is now working effectively in India and Africa, and they did not grow out of the barrel of a gun. Free association of related interest groups such as the rural working class would work on similar principles to those proposed for the proletariat. Food production must never lie in the hands of exploiters. I have had personal experience with mutual aid in rural areas, it works because it is natural. Co-operation is as common in nature as competition.
Having explained the anarchist communist view of industry, agriculture and related problems we have partially dealt with the economic basis of exploitation and repression. There is however a closely related form of repression - "legality" and moral despotism To deal with these other tools of the ruling classes anarchist communism becomes superfluous. Traditional libertarian anarchism can do this adequately. (I should point out that their is no difference between anarchist communism and libertarian anarchism; it is the method of emphasis which I use to define my interests. Anarchist communism is prefoundly libertarian.)
The law is the basic tool of the exploiter; he uses it to subjugate the masses to suit his corrupt ends. A law is an act of violence. Behind every law stands a police force, behind which stands an army which draws its justification from a bullet. Laws to maintain individuality, and these are precious few, are inherent in and thus superfluous to an anarchist. Most laws are to protect true thieves, the accumulators of property, or are based on some perverted "moral" principle. A crime against property is a political act in a capitalist society and the lawmakers know it; they ought to, it is they who possess the inequitable wealth that forces such an act. Moral laws are conceived by perverted old ogres, notably churchmen, to satisfy frustrations which they accumulate as a result of a disgusting judeo-christian upbringing. Anarchists recognize only the moral law of the right of the individual to self determination; this obviously must never impinge on another individual, for then you "break" the only anarchist "law".
Censorship is an indefensible infringement upon individual expression; its uses as a political weapon of the ruling class are diverse. "Obscenity" is a political act and is punished as such: Richard Neville got 18 months for a just attack on the values of a sick society, from a filthy old judge. "The opiate of the masses" - Marx is occasionally right and he has never been more so. Religion is a method by which the ignorance and thus the fear of the masses is used to rule them. The teachings of the primates (in every sense of the word) are lies based on lies. They teach meekness and humility towards ones "betters". What could be more suited to the needs of the despots. Science has shown the irrelevance of religion. God does not exist except as the ultimate in violent authoritarianism, which shows that if the best the ruling class can produce is an image then they are truly paper tigers. The anarchist proposes that "legality" and public morality serves only the interests of the boss state. The anarchist requires an end to property accumulation and moral persecution. The only law is that decided upon and concerning only the individual. In short anarchy as I see it stands for equality in all aspects of life and a natural right to individual self determination. The organisation of society without the use of political force, the rejection of power freaks and all forms of exploitation, anarchy means a symbiotic community of individuals.
