I’m well familiar with anarchist theory. One of my best professors in college was heavily into anarchist philosophy and we’ve had many in depth conversations. I don’t want to sit around and do high brow discourse. I want concrete actionable plans. What’s the plan?
Again, these are all nice in theory. I love councils. I love cooperatives. Where’s the practice, though? I need more. I need a concrete actionable plan. Not high level discussion of structure. Not more conversations about frameworks. I need a plan. I’m a hands on learner.
Also, none of this is mutually exclusive with harm reduction. You can work towards building a classless, stateless society etc while also reducing harm in the now. They are not at odds and anyone that says otherwise is talking from privilege in my opinion.
These are the practice! Join/Start cooperatives. Join/Start worker’s unions!. Join/Start neighborhood communes and so on! Anarchism is all about action right now!
Also, none of this is mutually exclusive with harm reduction.
First of all, elections are not “harm reduction”. Actual harm reduction is actually doing what I wrote above.
Second of all, yes it is. You cannot put your effort into direct action for mutual aid, AND waste your time electioneering as well.
I agree that building more coops and councils is a good start. I do want us to be politically effective too, though. When I say “politically”, I’m not talking about electioneering or participating in liberal democracy. I’m talking abeut building power. Expanding the message. Growing coalitions. Growing the movement. That can’t be done if all were focused on is endless gatekeeping and purity testing 24/7.
For example: I’m having another conversation with someone else in this thread and all they’re fixated on is labels and tags. No thoughtful discussion about strategy. And this is my main frustration with the cause (not you in particular): If we spent 1% of the energy we do gatekeeping and alienating everyone on actual meaningful implementation the world would have turned into an anarchist utopia decades ago. Also, I disagree that taking one day to cast a vote ballot is asking too much. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. If casting a vote helps my Latino or Vietnamese brothers from landing in an ICE detention facility I’ll do that while also campaigning and inviting more people to join the anarchist movement. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
I agree that building more coops and councils is a good start. I do want us to be politically effective too, though. When I say “politically”, I’m not talking about electioneering or participating in liberal democracy. I’m talking abeut building power. Expanding the message. Growing coalitions. Growing the movement. That can’t be done if all were focused on is endless gatekeeping and purity testing 24/7.
All that is done naturally by taking part in horizontal orgs.
Also, I disagree that taking one day to cast a vote ballot is asking too much.
Then you’re missing the forest for the trees. Elections is not “one day to cast a vote”, it’s years long process wasting millions of volunteer work hours, mental health and goodwill.
But you response shows me you were just wasting my time. You weren’t trying to learn, you were trying to prove a point to some imaginary audience.
The electoral system is not going away overnight. You can build the new world while lending a hand to those in need.
If you can’t be bothered to cast one ballot on one day of the year to help your brothers and sisters, then that betrays a level of callousnoss and sociopathy I want no association with. And I see all too often in this crowd. It’s quite sad.
Ever heard of prefiguration
I’m well familiar with anarchist theory. One of my best professors in college was heavily into anarchist philosophy and we’ve had many in depth conversations. I don’t want to sit around and do high brow discourse. I want concrete actionable plans. What’s the plan?
Prefiguration?
Again, these are all nice in theory. I love councils. I love cooperatives. Where’s the practice, though? I need more. I need a concrete actionable plan. Not high level discussion of structure. Not more conversations about frameworks. I need a plan. I’m a hands on learner.
Also, none of this is mutually exclusive with harm reduction. You can work towards building a classless, stateless society etc while also reducing harm in the now. They are not at odds and anyone that says otherwise is talking from privilege in my opinion.
These are the practice! Join/Start cooperatives. Join/Start worker’s unions!. Join/Start neighborhood communes and so on! Anarchism is all about action right now!
First of all, elections are not “harm reduction”. Actual harm reduction is actually doing what I wrote above.
Second of all, yes it is. You cannot put your effort into direct action for mutual aid, AND waste your time electioneering as well.
I agree that building more coops and councils is a good start. I do want us to be politically effective too, though. When I say “politically”, I’m not talking about electioneering or participating in liberal democracy. I’m talking abeut building power. Expanding the message. Growing coalitions. Growing the movement. That can’t be done if all were focused on is endless gatekeeping and purity testing 24/7.
For example: I’m having another conversation with someone else in this thread and all they’re fixated on is labels and tags. No thoughtful discussion about strategy. And this is my main frustration with the cause (not you in particular): If we spent 1% of the energy we do gatekeeping and alienating everyone on actual meaningful implementation the world would have turned into an anarchist utopia decades ago. Also, I disagree that taking one day to cast a vote ballot is asking too much. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. If casting a vote helps my Latino or Vietnamese brothers from landing in an ICE detention facility I’ll do that while also campaigning and inviting more people to join the anarchist movement. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
Thanks for listening to my Ted talk, I’m done.
All that is done naturally by taking part in horizontal orgs.
Then you’re missing the forest for the trees. Elections is not “one day to cast a vote”, it’s years long process wasting millions of volunteer work hours, mental health and goodwill.
But you response shows me you were just wasting my time. You weren’t trying to learn, you were trying to prove a point to some imaginary audience.
The electoral system is not going away overnight. You can build the new world while lending a hand to those in need.
If you can’t be bothered to cast one ballot on one day of the year to help your brothers and sisters, then that betrays a level of callousnoss and sociopathy I want no association with. And I see all too often in this crowd. It’s quite sad.
Disengage