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The Structure of Anarchist Society
Anarchists forward the idea of a society where man can shape his own life
without being subject to force by his equals. Equality is thus an important part
of anarchism and freedom, since every man and woman naturally is a free being;
they are equally free though limited to their own ability and subject to the
laws of physics and nature. But within this framework of rules, such as bodily
strength, gravity and the earth’s revolving around the sun, only our minds set
the limits for our achievements. Man is therefore the king of nature’s
creations, the very top creation of evolution.
This creativity and
richness possible is today limited by the evils of force-based society.
The history of man is a history of aggression. In old times tribes used violence
to conquer the richness of other tribes, simply because it was possible and
seemed easier than to produce such richness using one’s own energy and effort.
City states, kingdoms and imperial powers followed in the same method of
conduct: stealing the richness of others through the use of force and
aggression.
Thousands of years of human history, i.e. human lives,
have been wasted to the pointless struggle man against man to steal the fruits
of the others’ labor. The result of this darkness is striking: a society where
any action creates both winners and losers is a losing society on any level. A
society where creation is punished by the use of force of the non-creating is a
barbarian society with only limitations. The possibilities are constantly
overshadowed by the limits of one man to stand tall against the aggression of
the multitude. Force feeds force in an ever increasing circle of pain,
oppression, exploitation, and poverty.
The abandonment of such oppressive
conduct is the solution for mankind to break the evil circle of force. It
includes the abandonment of all force-based structures of contemporary society
in order to break the chains of man. This is anarchism: breaking the man-made
chains that hold our faces down in the mud; breaking down the castles of our
oppressors; freeing our fellow men to the life they have earned and will build
for themselves through hard work and fellowships; defeating the political class
to establish the force-free society where men will live peacefully beside
men--where force is only a last resort and a means of defense.
The goal
is obvious to the anarchist and anyone wishing to knock down the aggression of
our age: the source of force, oppression, exploitation, aggression, and usury
must be abandoned and crushed. The state must go.
Despite this correct
identification of what must be, many anarchists tend to make fixed plans for the
structures of post-state society. Such plans or blueprints of post-state society
are the virus eating the anarchist movement from the inside. Anarchists
forwarding such “free” blueprint societies as truths or must-be’s are as
dangerous adversaries as the state itself.
Anarchism, the force-free
society, does not allow for a model or blueprint to be realized or enforced.
There can be no compulsory structure of post-state society under anarchism
unless a new state, new government, is instituted. Under anarchism one man
cannot force his will upon others, and a multitude cannot force the one
individual. The very essence of anarchism is voluntary conduct--the use
of voluntary means to reach agreements of societal change.
Voluntary
conduct and equality go hand in hand, if one is not respected so is the other
restricted. There can only be equality if every man is respected for what he is,
wants, and chooses. There is only voluntary conduct if every man’s actions and
choices are equally respected and unhampered. From this follows the core of
anarchist thought: every man (i.e. man, woman, and child) is free to choose
whatever he sees fit as long as it does not involuntarily limit the choices of
another.
Contrary to this is the forceful blueprint society of today and
throughout history. The future under anarchy cannot be planned or controlled.
The meaning of anarchy is the absence of forceful structures through which one
or many individuals can control others’ choices. There cannot be a mandatory
blueprint for anarchist society, since all individual choices have to be
equally respected. There can only be hopes, dreams, and plans to create one’s
own Shangri-la, to create the future one wishes for oneself and companions. In
freedom and equality there can be no king, no minister, no master, and no god.
With no gods or masters, i.e. in anarchy, who will stop the hard-working,
the intelligent, the lucky? If there is a structure to stop them, it will not be
anarchy. Effort, intelligence, and luck may upset equality through the choices
of the achieving, intelligent and lucky. Such “inequalities” are bound to come
about in freedom, since people are different and choose differently. Any
restrictions put on the hardworking, intelligent or lucky will mean the end of
anarchy and freedom and the birth of force, coercion, and through these
oppression, exploitation, and usury. Forceful societal structures are not
compatible with anarchy, even if the results of voluntary choices and agreements
by free men under anarchy to us are seemingly unjust or inappropriate.
If
such inequalities effected by anarchists voluntarily working alone or
cooperating with equals are stopped “spontaneously” by the actions of other free
men and women cooperating only to subdue the successful, anarchy will
inescapably lead to the formation of government. The very people seeking to
strengthen freedom and equality are the very end of freedom themselves. Turning
to force to uphold freedom can only further restrict what freedom is left.
Force, aggression and coercion are incompatible with anarchy.
The turning
to violence as means of conduct will start the circle of force yet again. If
aggression and violence is used under anarchy, people will eventually realize
that “crime pays” and hence plunge into the use of violence for an easy profit.
Thus, they elevate themselves over others through the use of force against their
fellow men--only to forfeit the products of free men’s labor. Such a mafia
society is not anarchy; it is chaos and fascism. Such a society is even worse
than the oppressive monopoly structures of the state. It is mob rule. And it is
no doubt the end of freedom and anarchy.
Anarchy offers many promises and
opportunities, of which all can be realized in a not too distant future. Such
state of freedom or anarchy can serve as the means and basis to fulfill our
personal hopes and dreams, but a free society cannot be shaped, steered,
governed or ruled without losing what freedom there is. Creating a blueprint for
anarchist society, or demanding certain behavior of our fellow men, is a
creation of government. An anarchist making a blueprint for all people in
anarchist society does not seek anarchy, but seeks the powers of the state: to
shape the wills and actions of free men and the structures of society.
Under anarchy, a society under freedom and equality, one has only the
right to oneself and answers only to oneself. It is not a society without
masters, but a society with only masters. Under anarchy your plans are
realizable in accordance to your efforts and skill, and cannot be limited or
restricted by other men. Your blueprint for anarchy is thus as true as any
other: it is applicable to your future only.
Welcome to anarchy, where
you are the master of your ability and labor and where no restrictions apply.
Any limitations are only in your own mind, yours to overcome.
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