"My problem with this would be what Engels called 'political indifferentism', or Hegel, 'the beautiful soul'. Anarchists in my experience are too quick to absent themselves from the political struggle that is before them, because it does not conform to an abstract ideal of the just."
James,
I think anarchism per se (let's not quibble what it means for a second; I'm referring to the broad tradition of Goldman, Kropotkin, "fellow traveler" Chomsky, David Graeber, etc.) have excellent, excellent long term goals and answers.
For immediate, running, on-the-ground, day to day issues, like universal healthcare, yeah, some folks who call themselves anarchists get tripped up because, hey, "Aren't I supposed to be anti-state? So that means I can't support govt-funded/controlled healthcare ... uh-oh." Same with welfare or minimum wage being raised. Me, I support universal healthcare, enlarging the US's Medicare system to all. And expanding environmental laws. Does that make me not an anarchist, because I support these hideous "statist" things? Chomsky has tried to address the absurdity of anarchists who might take away food stamps from the poor in the name of being anti-statist. The libertarian right try to impress this definition of "anarchism" upon folks.
If one practices an anti-authoritarian methodology, however, it seems way more authoritarian to deprive people of what little support they get in the form of food stamps, old folks' Social Security ("the State"), than to take it away. In fact, public assistance, as a sort of public strike fund, weakens the power of private corporations' hold over your life, giving you some breathing room outside their power. It seems like it expands the scope of human freedom to support guaranteed social insurance. And expanding the scope of freedom, "expanding the floor of the cage" as Chomsky said, is what anarchism also should be about.
If the above doesn't make me an anarchist -- that I support Social Security being strengthened, folks getting fed, minimal guarantees of health care -- fine, I'm not an anarchist. More's the pity for anarchism then. Whatever you call it, though, I think it's the right thing to support.
-B.