[lbo-talk] Anarchism, was Cuba

[B.]

James Heartfield wrote:

"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.