“Oh you’re an anarchist? Then solve literally one problem that doesn’t create ten other, worse problems. Seriously, just one. Please”
imagine there is a evil capitalist who makes your fav social network unfree. and there is a anarchisticly organized fediverse that gives you a save haven from it.
Lemmy is not anarchy. The fedivierse is not anarchy.
Anarchism is not the absense of rules, it’s about free association, cooperation and avoiding unjust hierarchies.
That is not the definition of anarchy. Anarchy is defined by the absence of laws and structure in a society. What you are describing is uptopian, or the wikipedia definition of anarchy, which is completely incorrect.
Errico Malatesta, Anarchy - “The word Anarchy comes from the Greek and its literal meaning is without government: the condition of a people who live without a constituted authority, without government”
Peter Kropotkin, Anarchism - “Anarchism is the name given to a principle or theory of life and conduct under which society is conceived without government - harmony in such a society being obtained, not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between the various groups […]”
The main point is a lack of vertical hierarchy, that nobody is being subjugated or forced. For a society to function, it needs cooperation, and anarchical coorperation means that it’s done willingly by all the parties involved, without any compulsion. You can still have structures (as in roles people play in a society). Orwelll wrote in “Homage to Catalonia” how the army he was in had regular soldiers and officers, but the officers couldn’t “order” the soldiers to do anything, and they often argued and explained why they needed the soldiers to do whatever. A wild free-for-all where some strong and brutish people can form a gang and do whatever they want with others is how some anarchists see governments.
So it’s technically true that there are no “laws” because there is no government to punish you if you don’t follow them, and there’s no vertical structure where someone is your boss who you must obey, but people might get a wrong picture with just that, so I provided a bit more context. I’m not an expert on anarchist theory by any means, but it’s not Hobbes’ natural condition of mankind.
Anarchism and anarchy are not the same thing.
Well technically each user could have their own instance if they choose to do so. They’d be free to interact with who they choose to interact with and block who they wouldn’t want to interact with. They’d be free from any outside hierarchy. Many user choose not to do this, but that doesn’t mean the system is inherently hierarchical.
(I’m excluding the fact that not every user has the capital to host an instance)
Its still not anarchy, its federation. Anarchy is 8chan or any of the random TOR image boards. Lemmy is still a clearnet site and is subject to the overarching clearnet rules. If it wasnt, lemmy would be a very different place.
I think you’re describing anomy, the absence of norms and rules?
No, the wikipedia definition of anarchy is completely wrong and is edited by actors who seek to change its definition. It honestly reads like some cope. Anomie is defined by the breakdown of society, it wouldnt fit the defition of unregulated by default society that is non-clearnet forums. The classical definition of anarchy, which is the most correct definition, is what I am describing here. The absence of rules and societal structure, pure lawlessness.
So, who’s in charge?
Anarchy has a well defined meaning.
This is my biggest problem with your phrasing, and I know that it just boils down to semantics - and that feels like absurd reductionism, is that “anarchisticly organized” is essentially a matter/antimatter reaction of a phrase that leaves the reader with nothing of substance.
Now for something truly controversial:
Capitalism is the purest form of anarchy.
“anarchisticly organized” is essentially a matter/antimatter reaction of a phrase
Mate… i have to wonder if you’ve read anything at all. In your life.
Probably the most common thing said among anarchists is “organise, organise!!” Anarchists are all about people organising.
capitalism is the purest form of anarchy
Controversial doesn’t mean stupid. Capitalism is antithetical to anarchy. It inevitably and irresistibly trends toward monopoly, no matter how you slice it.
It also cannot exist without a coercive state apparatus, and in absence of one, will make itself the state, essentially reinventing feudalism.
Not to gloss over anything you said, but I’m going to address the core of it.
Capitalism is an emergent property of human behavior. It didn’t fall out of the sky, we invented, of our own will, and to the peril of many. How can any collection of humans, however organized they may be, prevent whatever their ideal state of anarchy is from changing into capitalism over time? I feel that it’s a very important question for anarchy because if any society wishes to have its members enjoy max freedom, the very first question that should be asked is “are we defining a cap on freedoms, or are we not? If we do, should we enforce it, and if so, how?”, the subtext being how to execute the answers without immediately establishing a state. (This you stated, essentially, and we agree)
And keep in mind that what I may or may not know doesn’t impact the question at all. The question stands on its own. How does anarchy survive the human condition, and humanity’s predispositions?
Capitalism is an emergent property of human behavior
This sounds deep at first, but upon thinking for a second is a truism on the lines of “that’s just the way the world works”. Everything humans have done as a society is an emergent property of human behaviour. Capitalism, mercantilism, fascism, communism, anarchism, feudalism, slave society, empire… and so on. These are all also emergent properties of human behaviour.
It didn’t fall out of the sky, we invented, of our own will, and to the peril of many.
This also is just a truism. Yes, of course it was invented. It’s a social system. These aren’t inherent. I didn’t claim otherwise.
How can any collection of humans, however organized they may be, prevent whatever their ideal state of anarchy is from changing into capitalism over time?
…By being organised and connected and educated. A society that has managed to erode the state and revolutionise society to live without hierarchy would be fundamentally different to the one now. To extrapolate behaviour in that society based on any behaviour you see in this one is fraught and must undergo further analysis based on the material conditions. But, based on anarchist, communist etc theory I’ve been exposed to thus far, such a society would not even by tempted by capitalism because - what is the point? We’ve moved past that. It’s in our history books and we look at it the same way that today we see feudalism.
I feel that it’s a very important question for anarchy because if any society wishes to have its members enjoy max freedom, the very first question that should be asked is “are we defining a cap on freedoms, or are we not? If we do, should we enforce it, and if so, how?”
This seems rather loaded. What do you mean by a “cap on freedoms”? Right after mentioning capitalism, it seems you’re equating capitalism, or maybe the concept of private property, with freedom.
the subtext being how to execute the answers without immediately establishing a state. (This you stated, essentially, and we agree)
There is no need for a state. People can organise together and make decisions together, then disperse to execute those decisions.
And keep in mind that what I may or may not know doesn’t impact the question at all.
Not sure what this means or how to address it.
How does anarchy survive the human condition, and humanity’s predispositions?
Define for me the human condition, and what you mean by humanity’s “predispositions”. These are not solid concepts.
“anarchy has a well defined meaning” it does, and if you had read anything about it before posting this you would know what it is.
Quite the opposite. If you read more, you might be less inclined to believe that.
I’ve been reading anarchist literature for nearly 20 years. Please enlightened me on where you got this well established definition that you definitely didn’t just make up on a whim.
Well that makes two of us, feel free to share yours.
No… Capitalism isn’t… I’d say the underground/drug world is though… And if you’ve experienced that then you will quickly understand life is war above anything else.
That is literally unregulated capitalism.
Isn’t that just freedom? Like …no one ever is going to homogenize humanity into an ideology… Imo. (Without fascist actions)
That’s why I just try to embrace chaos and maneuver with it… Like just be… Just exist…
I see faith in chaos as essentially being what religious people call faith in God. Except they misunderstand due to “God” being abused by the churches.
ok, some points, to define things:
Humans lived in stateless societies for longer than we’ve had recorded history.
States, social hierarchy, classes, money, religion, etc. are observed human behavior. They are the very result of humanity maneuvering with the chaos.
We use words like Capitalism as the names for models that describes some subset of human behavior.
(We see some groups of humans pooling the results of labor for redistribution and call the various forms of this different flavors of socialism.
We see other groups pooling the results of labor into separate pools fland segregating humans into groups defined by access to these various pools. We call these various forms of capitalism.)
We also see some groups force the behaviors described by various models directly on their members, (which are usually selected by physical proximity), through various means like manipulation, violence, coercion, enticement, etc. Sometimes this leads to a stable state, and we call these States, and sometimes it doesn’t and we call these Failed States. When their collective commonality isn’t geographic though, we have various names for them too (religion, for example).
So, although Freedom (the general human ability to make choices and act on them) is the default human state, “Unregulated Capitalism” is the model that most closely describes the behavior observed in underground/black markets. It is the state that emerges when humans make the choice to engage in commerce without regulation: capital gets allocated according to the laws of natural selection instead of supply and demand, but the system is still dependent on the supply and demand. To put it another way, this is Natural Capitalism: The “I have all the capital because no one is strong enough to take it away from me” kind of capitalism.
“Unregulated Capitalism” is the model that most closely describes the behavior observed in underground/black markets.
Yes.
It is the state that emerges when humans make the choice to engage in commerce without regulation: capital gets allocated according to the laws of natural selection instead of supply and demand
No. Commerce without regulation existed for millennia, as you have correctly addressed here:
Humans lived in stateless societies for longer than we’ve had recorded history.
The black market is indeed commerce without regulation. That’s the unregulated part. But it isn’t just that. It is also a hierarchical system with privately accumulating capital at the tops of a steadily diminishing number of pyramids - that’s the capitalism part - with no overarching authority to regulate it. In short, unregulated capitalism.
Great post! I literally think you might be the first person that’s ever responded to my talk of chaos without offended defensiveness.
You’re literally describing capitalism. America is not capitalist.
Okay, but thats literally the problem with authority. Any problem it can solve can also go unchecked in creating 10 more.
Far more with authority than anarchy
Easy
Inequality is caused by hierarchy
Remove hierarchy
Inequality is solved
That’s like saying
Falling to your death is caused by gravity.
Remove gravity
Death solved.
Not really, because gravity is a law of physics, while hierarchy is an arbitrary social construct. If you think it’s natural to have people above you, that might be your kink, but not mine.
They’re both about as easy to arbitrarily remove… Your kink seems to be fantasy so get out your wand and get to work.
Social constructs are infinitely easier to remove than fundamental forces of the universe. Don’t hyperbolise.
Actually, its extremely accurate if you consider every aspect of nature is built off hierarchies. You think you can just wave a wand and remove it when every aspect of society is built off it. You’re either extremely naive or just stupid.
Nature also reproduces primarily through rape. Think twice before learning from nature.
You think you can just wave a wand and remove it when every aspect of society is built off it
Who mentioned wands?
Brain dead take lmao you think anarchic monkeys in the jungle don’t have hierarchy?
My dude
They are monkeys
We have a bit more intelligence and organisational skill than wild animals
So you’re saying that, with our intelligence, we can organize ourselves better than animals and not fall into… anarchy?
If we organised ourselves properly, that would be anarchy. “Fall into anarchy” suggests you believe anarchy means chaos and disorder. It doesn’t.
You obviously have not read Kropotkin’s Mutual aid.
But you still need to for lack of better word force people to partake in mutual aid? Right? That’s what I don’t understand about these discussions.
I tend to think more about chaos and war. Like chaos and war seems to be what life is regardless of any active governments.
you still need to for lack of better word force people to partake in mutual aid? Right?
What makes you say this? You think, despite tens of thousands of years of evidence that humans work best as a cohesive unit, and naturally tend to do this, that humans can’t work together?
I’ve known a lot of criminals/thieves and people that ruin people’s lives on purpose. They don’t budge for anything. The type of people that would kick the shit out of you because you accidentally made the wrong face or smiled wrong. I’ve seen people fuck up lives just for their own entertainment. Its really made me question life and society.
Yes, I also question society, and that is what I’m getting at. The society we have built actively encourages behaviour like this - we’re built around a zero sum game theory of success, where one person’s loss is another’s gain. Hyper individualistic ideology has eroded communities into pure atomised subjects with no connection to each other. We are taught and forced to only think of only ourselves, better only ourselves, further only our own careers, because any moment you take to help someone else, they are somehow “leeching” off of you. And, in a sense, they are, because of how we have set our society, economy, and political systems up. Those moments you take to help other people are moments you could be making money for yourself, or learning something for your own self improvement… And in a real sense could hurt you.
Look I’m not saying we have to switch to a total lack of hierarchy immediately. I just want us to start at the top and eat our way down and see how that affects things.
(Researchers going over ancient Internet history): Wow there must have been some SERIOUS food crisis going on from 2000-20xx! There’s so much talk about cannibalism and guillotines!
Have you seen what grocery stores are charging these days? Yeah, there’s a crisis.
My plan would help reduce that grocery bill a little bit(e) at a time
Just start eating at the top and reassess when everyone’s full.
On Lemmy, it’s more like “oh you’re an anarchist? You obviously haven’t read enough Lennin”
I’m entering my years as a senior anarchist, and I always find it funny when some in their 20’s who got their entire personality from a podcast tells me to read to read On Authority or State and Revolution or something. My dude, I actually read people I disagree with, do you? Because only someone that doesn’t would think those are profound criticisms.
some in their 20’s who got their entire personality from a podcast
You’re just creating this strawman because you disagree with the other side that is recommending you read about their beliefs, despite claiming that you read people you disagree with
I’ve read both those, that’s the point.
Still, that doesn’t imply the opposite about them
It’s does because they are very basic criticisms to the point of being kind of insulting. It’s a akin to asking someone with clinical depression if they have tried vitamin d supplements. The suggestion itself demonstrates their own cluelessness.
People keep saying that about lemmy, but I haven’t seen it. Maybe it is your filter bubble?
To be fair, your instance has defederated from the 2 large tankie instances.
Same here, these people constantly complaining about “tankies” seem to vastly outnumber the alleged tankies in my experience
Isn’t it the opposite here. Idk if when they say tankie they mean leftist hexbear users or maga type right wing people. That’s not trying to insult hexbear. I literally don’t know.
I get called a tankie or centrist here compared to reddit where only a few times I was called a centrist.
Tankie generally means a Marxist-Leninist, specifically ones that support the USSR under Stalin
Til!
deleted by creator
Removed my comment, you were correct I was misinformed
No worries, happy to see some humility online
I haven’t seen a single one personally
Your instance has defederated from them.
Uh-huh, expect I went to hexbear, it’s made up in the public consciousness
Because they don’t exist, people will say it’s because they were part of hexbear or another defederated instance but I’ve checked them out and they’re more or less the same maybe a bit more left leaning but certainly not tankies
I’m mostly convinced it’s bots or conservatives
Yeah I have an account on lemmy.ml and I don’t see it there. Maybe buried in the modlog? Which is public?
Pretty sure eating billionaires and pumping their Ill gotten gains into systems that help humanity would fix most issues. Kill off any greedy fucks
Not really anarchy is it?
Absolutely not lol.
It doesn’t have to solve every problem, but it does have to result in a better world than we have now, which it won’t.
This meme applies to any ideology sufficiently removed from the current state of things. Ideologies are fun, but conversations that ignore how much work is required to transition get boring after a while.
Which is why I think slowly eating our way down from the top is far more interesting and safe proposal than any pure ideology.
My house is on fire. I am gonna call firefighters.
Anachrist: First you should dismantle capitalism.
Funny, but not accurate
Yeah it’s more like:
HELP MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE, CALL THE FIREMEN
Anarchist: we don’t need the state to solve our problems, we can do this
BUT DUDE, MY HOU–
Anarchist: let’s get some buckets
Is it seriously your contention that effective firefighting can’t exist without a state?
No, not at all. A state isn’t necessary for anything
I am the anarchist in this joke
Anarchists aren’t against firefighters, though? Only the police.
They’re against the state and hierarchy in general
Firefighters aren’t inherently hierarchical. An anarchist society would still have firefighters.
Of course they aren’t inherently hierarchical.
That doesn’t equate to being anti-organization.
No, it doesn’t
