[lbo-talk] Anarchism, was Cuba

[Chuck]

B. wrote:

> B.: Dunno if this gets me out of the anarchist club,
> but I believe in voting strategically. I don't think
> it's an either/or thing: that is, I don't think either
> you do the noble thing of grassroots community
> organizing OR you "support the system" by voting. I
> think you can vote strategically to hopefully stave
> off the worst of the lot of ruling bastards while at
> the same time doing necessary groundwork. Many
> anarchists hate this view and will try to kick you out
> of the clubhouse for doing it. "You VOTED!? YOU SON.
> OF. A. BITCH! Now I will write an article outing you
> for bing a poseur," etc.

Many anarchists? Try MOST anarchists!

The anarchist case against voting and participation in statist political 
systems is not some kind of hipster attitude about politics. It is a 
fundamental political stance that is based on our political beliefs and 
POLITICAL PRACTICE.

See *direct action* for one thing anarchists do instead of voting.

Yes, some anarchists do vote in elections. That is much more the case 
since the turn of the 21st century. There are many more anarchists out 
there these days, including a few who are really social democrats but 
want to call themselves anarchists because they think that anarchism is 
a spikier version of social democratic politics. Other anarchists who 
vote do so out of bad habits brought on by years of educational 
indoctrination and social conditioning. Others tail after leftists and 
want to fit in, so they vote. Others, including B. here, probably vote 
because they see it as some kind of pragmatic form of political practice.

But voting anarchists are a minority in the movement. We have no way of 
kicking them out of the movement, but I've come to conclusion that these 
confused souls should be urged to adopt a more appropriate political label.

I'm not going to review the history of anarchist opposition to 
electoralism, but it goes back to Bakunin vs. Marx.

What boggles my mind is that these voting anarchists would advocate 
participating in something that: 1) is completely against their 
interests; 2) supports the statist system; and 3) is opposed by most 
non-anarchists. Most Americans don't vote. They clearly reject the 
current political system and see through it. Approval rankings for the 
U.S. Congress are at all time lows. It's even gotten to the point where 
LIBERALS, of all people, are cynical about the political system. (See 
Doug's comments about his cruise discussions).

Yet, some anarchists see something of value in voting?

Or look at the system in another way. What kind of significant social 
change has been achieved through voting in the past 30, 50 years?

Bueller? Bueller?

I'm just astounded that a bright guy like B. would argue that through 
voting, we can "stave off the worst of the lot of ruling bastards."

Come on, B.! Do you really think it would make a difference if the 
Democrats were in power instead of the Republicans? Sure, Bush may be 
the worse case scenario, but let's remember all of the things that 
Clinton did to make Bush II possible.

And which major party cares if anarchists (or leftists) for that matter, 
vote?

Chuck
Infoshop.org