anarchism

[Chuck0]

Michael Yates wrote:
> 
> In light of recent discussions of the anarchists in Seattle, the
> following remarks of Hal Draper from his pamphlet, "The Two Souls of
> Socialism," might be of interest:
> 
> "...Anarchism is not concerned with the creation of democratic control
> from below, but only with the destruction of "authority" over the
> individual, including the authority of the most extremely democratic
> regulation of society that it is possible to imagine.  This has been
> made clear by authoritative anarchist expositors time and time again;
> for example, by George Woodcock: "even were democracy possible, the
> anarchist would not support it...Anarchists do not advocate political
> freedom.  What they advocate is freedom from politics..."  Anarchism is
> on principle fiercely anti-democratic, since an ideally democratic
> authority is still authority.  But since, rejecting democracy, it has no
> other way of resolving the inevitable disagreements and differences
> among the inhabitants of Theleme [reference to Rabelais], its unlimited
> freedom for each uncontrolled individual is indistinguishable from
> unlimited despotism by such an individual, both in theory and in
> practice.  The great problem of our age is the achievement of democratic
> control from below over the vast powers of modern social authority.
> Anarchism, which is freest of all with verbiage about something from
> below, rejects this goal.  It is the other side of the coin of
> bureaucratic despotism, with all its values turned inside out, not the
> cure or the alternative."

Oh, OK, so now it's time to drag out the anti-anarchist Marxist writers.

Do I sense some jealousy here? Am I correct in assuming that the
authoritarian "international socialists" were caught flat-footed by the
Battle in Seattle? Maybe if they spent less time selling their crappy
newspapers and joined some community groups involved in direct action,
they'd be more in touch with the spirit that led to N30.

I'm already seeing a huge increase in people joining my anarchist
organizing lists. The events that transpired last week obviously
inspired lots of people. Activist groups should be prepred to see an
increase in new faces.

-- 
Chuck0
http://flag.blackened.net/chuck0/home/

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