The nature of anarchism (Lefty Despair etc.)

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Fri Sep 27 07:58:15 PDT 2002


budge wrote:
>
> >
> Just like there are left wing anarchists who really think a
> completely stateless society is possible. I don't. I
> particularly don't think a modern technological society is
> possible w/o some kind of state.
>

This is not the kind of issue that can be profitably debated on a maillist, but I would like to point out that there is (or can be argued to be) a difference between a "stateless" society and a society with no government. I would agree that the latter is impossible. The distinction depends partly on what might be called a mere verbal quibble, but at least it's worth mentioning that some do make the distinction. Socialism would indeed require a great expansion of government, but the state power to maintain exploitation would no longer be necessary.

Carrol



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