Why I am an Anarchist, the media has it all wrong.
In this post I will explain my views on Anarchy and why I think mainstream media has it all wrong.
Media portrayal of anarchy
If you're not very familiar with anarchism and it's principles then you might have some misconceptions about what it entails. Let me say- It is not about people running amok, murdering, rioting and bombs galore. Worse, some anarchists themselves don't understand the meaning of the term and mainly consists of people attracted to the lies of the mass media. Generally people of this sort are just looking to be antisocial and condone violence and are looking for an identity.
Instead it is all about living a life of freedom with out being forced or told how you need to act or cooperate by means of force or violence.
The word Anarchy is derived from the Greek word ἀναρχία meaning "one without leaders/rulers", it has grown to have many negative connotations that have been brought upon by the media and the masses. People assume that a world without rulers would mean chaos and destruction. Contrary to popular belief anarchists do believe in a democracy in it's purest form. A "government" run directly by it's people. There are many different philosophies and schools of thought among anarchists but all believe in minimal to no central government control.
The truth is anarchists are compassionate and care about fellow human beings. So much so that they would hate to see you being threatened with violence or forced to do anything that is against your will.
You must understand anarchy is not a political belief system, rather you can say it is apolitical. Anarchy is also not about coercing or forcing your beliefs upon others, rather we believe in a voluntary society where everyone get's to believe and do whatever they feel is right. All they really want to do is rid the world of hatred, politics and suffering.
"Everyone should shun any organization that isn't based on the voluntary consent of those involved." - Roger Ver
As long as you are not encroaching on the freedom of others you should be able to do and say whatever you like without anyone forcing, or telling you otherwise. Imagine a world with no dictators and no power hungry individuals exploiting the weak and poor.
How can we achieve this life of freedom?
Rome was not built in a day, and as such it will not be destroyed in a day. It is a gradual process and requires a mass shift in belief. Here are some ways you can start the shift to a more anarchistic society in your own life:
Inform yourself, learn as much as you can about how you can go about achieving this, familiarize yourself with the concepts and imagine how it could be achieved. Also read up on other schools of thought, not all anarchists have the same beliefs, decide what matters the most to you.
Talk about it because the only way this can be achieved is through cooperation. It is also nice to find other people that share the same beliefs as you, this way you can learn from each-other and expand the network.
Practice what you preach: Assess your life and your relationships. Do you exert power over others in your life and on a daily basis? Try and change this.
Prepare for every response- You will be accused of promoting terrorism, hatred, unrest etc.
Participate in protests and grassroots movements where you can, if there are none, create your own.
Reject hierarchical systems which don't gel with your ideals. Dislike the governments financial control it has through the monetary system? Look for alternatives! Don't like the corporation you work for? Start a business or a collective farming community, you decide how far you go comfortably to start the shift toward the life you believe you deserve.
Well stated.
I've always been an anarchist at heart, probably in part because I was raised by an unknowing anarchist and taught to value my freedom and be wary of those who would tell me what I must do.
When I was in my young 20's, a friend of my ex-wifes told me that I was an anarchist and I was quite offended as I still believed the media.
Of course, being me, I started looking into the meaning of anarchism and realized that he was right.
Talk about going down the rabbit hole! These days I at least know what I am and am more than capable of explaining it simply to those that look as horrified as I once did.
Thing about anarchy, and I had an excellent debate (on my previous account @positive) with @dwinblood about it, is that the murder and killing will naturally be a part of any anarchic system while there are actors in that system that have an incentive to kill.
Unfortunately, this means that only a sufficiently well-resourced individual will fare well in the early stages of an anarchic system.
Anarchism is perhaps the best governmental system but only over time.
What do I mean?
In an anarchic system with no central governance, any security-flaw will be vulnerable to attack, over time the particular anarchic system will become robust, but meanwhile, people may die and be brutalized etc...
For example, someone bursts into my house, steals my TV and beats me up.
Tomorrow, I buy some sort of reinforced door, and hire some security guards or whatever.
The system has become more robust, there is a positive increase in security.
But I got beaten up.
Now, extend this logic to a wider anarchic system, and see how early non-wealthy participants in this system are sacrificing their wellbeing for the wider system.
Point is, within my lifetime my expectation of becoming wealthy is low enough, that I'd rather suffer a hierarchical system, that sufficiently discourages certain behaviour so that I can expect to live a more peaceful life than in an anarchic system.
( @lukestokes before I sold my account @positive I saw that you commented on the Individual v System debate but never had the opportunity to engage you, I invite your dissent :) )
Another great post.
Keep up the great work @grinderman
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