Maybe Days

The anarchists’ way of operating was changing our very idea of what politics could be in the first place.

[…]

At its core, anarchism isn’t simply a negative political philosophy, or an excuse for window-breaking, as most people tend to assume it is. Even while calling for an end to the rule of coercive states backed by military bases, prison industries and subjugation, anarchists and other autonomists try to build a culture in which people can take care of themselves and each other through healthy, sustainable communities. Many are resolutely nonviolent. Drawing on modes of organizing as radical as they are ancient, they insist on using forms of participatory direct democracy that naturally resist corruption by money, status and privilege. Everyone’s basic needs should take precedence over anyone’s greed.

Thank You, Anarchists | The Nation

It is very, very good to see this kind of recognition of anarchist principles and methodologies represented correctly in a mainstream publication. The degree to which such a simple idea, such as “no one is more qualified than you are to decide what your life will be,” and the wide applicability of such an idea, is so often so heinously distorted speaks volumes to the degree of educational repression—that is, intentionally enforced ignorance—we are socialized with. It absolutely horrifies me.

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(via @sfslim)

Source: thenation.com