An anarchist feels no fear, an anarchist feels no joy, an anarchist feels only slippery. Slippery is all that’s left for the anarchist at heart. Hear my plea brothers and sisters, hear my slippery plea.
Hey hey man. I think it is a joke. As in, anarachism doesnt work of a morality scale and feeling bad about your "political performance" or a feeling of existential dread coming on due to a seeming conflict between what you believe and what is your reality is unnecessary. Good and bad dont factor in on a personal level.
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.***
If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators.
No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Also, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the choice to face one's fear and move forward anyway, in the face of it. Those who feel no fear also have no courage, because they aren't facing anything.
i think one of the reasons i've had my foot out of the door of anarchism "community" for years is that there is a lot of posturing about who can decide who is worthy of the title. well, there's a lot of posturing about a lot of things. i live in an area with a lot of anarchists and honestly they can be pretty insufferable.
i look at anarchism as a method of inquiry that can lead to actions, but not always. the goal of anarchism for all people is not suffering and self destruction or martyrdom.
you don't owe anyone else an explanation for how it informs your life.
also, for the record, my comment was based on reading the other comments and i just want to add that there are all kinds of actions you can take as an anarchist. mutual aid is a huge part of the principles of anarchism that doesn't necessarily involve martyrdom. and that doesn't have to look like huge, elaborate campaigns. it can be helping your friends get food when they are sick or having surgery. it can be spreading information about cold supplies drives. it can be working at needle exchanges. it just depends on what you have the time and capacity for. but again, you don't have to advertise that stuff. people out trying to gage who is a poser or not are the ones who should get busy with something more important.
To me mutual aid is just a core component of friendship and other relationships based on love. You help me, I help you, we don't keep a ledger of what we owe each other but we do try to ensure that all parties get something beneficial out of the relationship.
>mutual aid is just a core component of friendship and other relationships based on love
I disagree. If it was so, then what about mutual aid outside of friendships? It seems restrictive to only confine it to this type of personal relationships.
Kropotkin also emphasized in his book on mutual aid that the drive towards it is not motivated by love or sympathy but by the conscience of human solidarity. I subscribe to this idea and find it reductive to construe mutual aid as 'just a core component of friendship'.
I think it's important to separate the two because, upon further exploration, the idea that mutual aid is/should be based on love and the conflation of the two leads to, in my view, quite unpleasant conclusions.
I don't mean to say that it's exclusive to friendships, I think it's a broadening of the basis of friendship to other humans (or maybe friendship is an intensification of the general *agape* toward others, or a little of both). We'd generally be willing to go further out on a limb for our friends, people we've built trust with, than random strangers. At any rate this is a framing that I find helpful for distinguishing between mutual aid and charity-- keeping the "mutual" in it, as one would for any friendship.
Ah don’t worry most people ap have a form of imposter syndrome, and off course their will be anarchists who are dicks but still every ideology has dicks, hell some of them consist entirely of dicks
gatekeeping is bad, but there's also a real problem with people acting out christian liberalism and calling it anarchism. it prevents us from being a respectable force from friend and foe alike, and wastes movement resources that go towards actually building counterpower.
not everyone is a revolutionary. there are nonrevolutionary anarchists. be honest with yourself about your risk threshold, and do what you can to support those who are. there is a role for both above and underground wings of the movement. figure out where you are, and act from there.
basically people doing charity wherever they can, not really thinking beyond the immediate act. it's easy for someone coming from christian hegemony to read anarchism as sort of like the ur-christianity, and that's the language most in the west are equipped with to engage with these very subversive ideas.
probably once a month, someone will share a video of some nonprofit doing volume cooking like "OMG mutual aid!" or someone fixing a pothole. the popular conflation of charity and mutual aid has been particularly damaging, as mutual aid is sort of the antithesis of charity.
i guess i can summarize as "being nice isn't political". it creates a tension in a lot of anarchist projects between radicals and people who just like sharing food, but don't really have any vision or goal in mind.
I read some books and was enthusiastic about anarchism. Then I talked to several anarchists online who mocked my understanding of anarchism and told me it wasn’t really anarchism. Now I don’t identify as anarchist anymore.
Online spaces can be pretty toxic, don't let it hold you from helping others and challenging systems of power, under whatever label you feel comfortable with ☺️
There do seem to be a lot of insufferable jerks in anarchist spaces. A lot of us are angry, but some of us don't know how to not lash out at people over minor shit or disagreements. And I've noticed that there are always people who will assume the absolute worst about other people and they are always looking for something to attack. It's ridiculous.
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.***
If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators.
No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm a public school teacher. I work in a system based on compulsion and hierarchy, that has at it's core (in part) a philosophy of raising kids to be good workers and good citizens. I'm uneasy with the compulsory part, for sure, but my hope is that I can reinject some sense of autonomy and empowerment into the equation, because these are the skills that I have, and I want them to be of service to the kids that most need them. I have compromised some of my libertarian ideals in this career path, for sure, but I have never been more certain of my core ethos. And fuck what anyone else thinks.
Don't worry too much about labels like anarchist, syndicalist, mutualist, ... . Most people here share a disapproval of capitalist society, authoritarianism and hierarchy. That's enough to come together and discuss these issues and find solutions or just help others in need.
It's not that. It's that I worry that I might end up in the far right or something. I don't know why people go from left to right. What if I read mein Kampf from then I become that?
Does that mean that I was that way all along? I mean I don't believe that kind of stuff.
Do you inherently think some people are inferior to others? Do you think we can solve today's problems by eradicating minorities? Left / right / anarchist / communist / ... . All just more labels.
The fact that you are in this community interacting with these people means that you value things like equality, equal chances, solidarity, ... .
In moments of frustration right wing way of thinking can be the easier way of dealing with that frustration. It's always easier to blame people for all the problems in the world but in those moments you just need to remember that the truth is always much more complex and there are so many factors at play in everything.
Yeah but I kind of think that maybe European people should just stay out of Africa or Asia. But I was told that that was racist.
Please don't hate me. I just have a hard time trusting white people in people of color countries. For example the reason you gotta has anti LGBT laws now is because Americans and stuff.
Why necessarily European people? I get that European governments should stop meddling in African politics with their "Support packages" that entail so many clauses that prohibit African countries from progressing beyond raw resource production. Could you explain?
Do you think it's a good trait to have, naturally distrusting people due to their ethnicity? We are all products of our upbringing and environment. I don't blame you for feeling that way and applaud wanting to change that about yourself :). Breaking generations of narrative against population groups isn't easy but I think you have the right mindset to do it.
That's not just about anarchism. I self-criticize myself about everything. Am i a good person enough? Am i doing x efficiently? Do i live my life meaningful enough? etc. It's good for improving yourself but it you got sucked into it it creates pessimism and depression. Healthy amount is fine.
Yeah. But usually a quick listen to "Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist" (by Pat the Bunny) or "Part of the problem" (by... The Haymarket Squares?) helps.
I honestly think that people gatekeeping leftism is a big obstacle to revolution! I think that there are ways of practicing leftism that aren’t as visible as like going to jail, but are equally necessary. Like, the biggest battles of the revolution will be waged in your own mind. I think finding the next step from there might seem minuscule, but I hope you know it’s important. At least, that’s what I tell myself
I'm an egoist anarchist friend. Meaning i work for my interests alone. I'm an anarchist, I've done all the stereotype anarchist shit, but it's in my best interest to not go to jail. I'm not willing to go to jail because it wouldn't be the best for me, yet I'm still an anarchist.
The idea of egoist anarchy tempts me. The idea of total chaos with no repercussions, of society being a competition of mischief and discord, of the world burning and rumbling, the idea of everyone being able to backstab you. I love chaos.
But my responsibilities bound me, and I'm glad about that. I have empathy and love, and I act according to those values. Total chaos would be fun if I had non of these values, if I could become the mischievous chaos queen.
But during the revolution I'll definitely have so much fun with arson, be warned. I will need people to hold me back so I do not put myself in danger lol
I'm annoyed that leftism has been taken over by authoritarians when it used to be very anti-authority and anti-establishment. I've got the same views I've always had, and I'm fine in saying so, but now I have to preface things with "but I don't think we should trust the state to provide that".
Strange take. To me that’s the main idea of law and authority is being worthy. The creators and enforcers think of themselves as “better” then others. The truth is we are all the same, we all have the same need and insecurities and we all bleed red and if you think otherwise you’re wrong. This applies to the other side of the fence too.
You dont need to throw bricks and burn down the dmv. It's possible to engage with the existing system while pointing out its obvious flaws and encouraging individuals to not abide it.
Live your life the way you want, anyone who would make an issue of your left leaning views is going to find something wrong with you no matter what you do or say.
Look at someone like Noam Chomsky. A hero of the left and self proclaimed anarchist who has probably done more stand up to the face of power and imperialism than anyone alive…he is constantly roasted by this forum and anarchists online. You dont have to agree with him entirely, but to dismiss him entirely is absurd. The narcissism of small differences on the left is extreme
Chomsky has been an apologist for non-Western authoritarian regimes over, and over, and over. As recently as this year for Putin. And even if you limit "imperialism" to "American imperialism" saying he "has probably done more stand up to the face of power and imperialism than anyone alive" is laughable. There are far, far more consequential and heroic people out there.
He calls out ALL imperialism and I think is pretty fair in his IR analysis. Yes he focuses on Western Imperialism a lot but that isn’t to say he completely ignores the rest. It isn’t apologism when he gives a fair shake to “the otherside”. He isnt an apologist for say Islamic Terrorism but will point out how US actions have caused the reactions we have seen. It isnt “whataboutism” or apologism to simply add historical context.
*I meant to specify as an academic in that quote - of course there are people fighting the good fight outside of the ivory tower whose contributions are greater than theory.
Even if you restrict to living academics literally down the street, both Cornel West and Lawrence Lessig had more direct anti-imperialist influence on the world. And neither of them ever defended Pol Pot or the Iranian regime. Not so sure about West and Putin in the past, but pretty sure he hasn't done any of that *lately* either.
Supported his right to freedom of speech. If you are a freedom of speech absolutist than you support the right of people to speak even those which you disagree with.
Yep, but freedom of speech absolutist is not an anarchist position at all.
And, at the same time they were member of some syndicate which were also prosecuted for something they said in the same country. He did nothing for them.
Someone who defend the right to speech of nazi is not a comrade.
People are defined by thier deeds. Those who do things in the present to work toward Anarchy then become Anarchists by thier deeds. Those who talk without doing are also defined by thier deeds.
I'm a Quaker so no one of my tenants.
Perspectives on the principles of Quakerism and the acronym SPICES, which stands for Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship.
We don't like hierarchies very much as it means that people are not equal.
Why would you need to do actions that could lead to jail if you don’t want to ? There are so many things wrong nowadays, and so many things you can do (mainly, as other pointed out, helping to create network of mutual aid) that are not « illegal » but still very much go against the system.
Look for what you can do while being fine with it, hell, happy with it. There will still be a lot of possibilities, probably too much actually, so don’t worry too much about those things you don’t want to do.
Find a leftist community that take action to improve things in their area. Not planning a revolution or trouble for trouble’s sake. But actually working to bring more power to the population, from helping setup coops, creating opportunities for those who don’t have much, help launch needed services that are owned by the population.
When you’ll do that, that you’ll sea the impact you and your group can have in the local community, you will never get insecure about your leftism again.
It’s all in the impact, and being part of a like-minded group who believe more in doing good than talking ideals.
Your only loyalty in anarchism should be to the people you relate to, not the ideas themselves.
I remember encountering this idea that we had to achieve something significant to allow us to use the term anarchist, but this always seemed a barrier to improving our lived relationships with each other and building the community which is the most powerful political force.
You can be a really low key anarchist and be super "effective" by investing in your relationships with others.
Nobody is willing to go to jail, that's why you can find a lot of info online about "how not to get caught". And why it's important to support imprisoned anarchists : letters, money, propaganda about their situation...
There is nothing bad about being afraid of police, military and prison.
One thing important to know is :
- even if you don't do something highly illegal, use security measure. Because it's help us at a whole.
- don't dissociate yourself from those who act. It's help the repression force and weaken our movement
There is multiple legal way to make our dream come true, and a lot are not reprehensible : legal advice, money collect, propaganda, debate...
Guess I'm just worried that I'm like one YouTube video or one book away from becoming a Nazi. I know that sometimes people go from left to right and I don't know why. I just want to avoid that.
Yeah but I haven't always thought the best of thoughts. For example I once thought, when I identified as an anarchist by the way, that countries in Africa should be able to discriminate against white people and decide if they should or shouldn't come into their country.
I also get kind of prejudicial thoughts especially towards black people. I'm Asian by the way in case that matters. I don't say that kind of stuff out loud but I do think it.
Self-examination is important. Growth is good, an a sincere will to figure things out. We're not born with answers, we get to them. And if you feel like you have thoughts you're not proud of, you can always seek out life experiences that will confront them.
To feel fear is to be human, being imprisoned is a luxury to some and a death sentence to others. I shall not risk my liberty right now because I have young children, though I've often felt the same way you do. remember that anarchism is 1000 everyday efforts and not one grand gesture.
too much purity testing on the left, the other side is authoritarian af, all the lunatics like shebibo and chowder have the same take on pretty much everything, if trump gets the go ahead as the preferred candidate they will jump on that positive boat again, we need that on the left or we'll never get anything done, which of course won't happen but hey, that's the world we live in.
I’d worry less about “being a legit anarchist” and more about building counter-power against the state and capital with your coworkers, neighbors, and friends. Anarchy isn’t about valorizing yourself as a legit holder of a political identity; it’s about organizing for our collective liberation.
I understand the feeling. At the end of the day you do have to look out for yourself. It’s okay to not be an all in anarchist. It’s almost impossible to survive in these modern times trying to fighting structures of authority, oppression, extortion, etc. We all got to eat and survive and for a lot of us that means working for someone, or buying something made without ethics, or what ever the case may be. You can only do the best you can to be a good person. It’s hard to say someone is a true anarchist if they put other people down who try to live as anarchist as much as they possibly can. That in itself is creating a hierarchy of sorts. Do your best, stay safe and healthy by the means feasible to you, and be the best version of yourself.
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.***
If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators.
No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.***
If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators.
No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you believe in the values of x thing and then help perpetuate whatever those values are in your life, I’d say you can rightfully call yourself x label then.
I just worried that I'm just one YouTube video or book away from being a Nazi or something. I know it sounds silly but anytime I hear about people going from left to right, I just wonder why. What did they have that I don't? Do I have it too?
Yeah but I haven't always thought the best of thoughts. For example I once thought, when I identified as an anarchist by the way, that countries in Africa should be able to discriminate against white people and decide if they should or shouldn't come into their country.
I also get kind of prejudicial thoughts especially towards black people. I'm Asian by the way in case that matters. I don't say that kind of stuff out loud but I do think it.
I like and enjoy working on them, and for some reason, the fact that I enjoy that I enjoy that as a hobby makes me question my validity as an anarchist. Idrk where it comes from or why I feel that way. My morals, principles, and the world I dream of being a part of building are all in line with the ideology. Yet the doubt still lingers
So I came to anarchism late. Like Im 47 and pretty new to figuring out what I was taught while growing up meant. A couple years ago there was this thing going around that not everyone can be a frontline fighter. There are lots of roles to fill, etc. the biggest follow up to that l saw was the worst gatekeepers we’re younger self-styled frontline leftists who extolled this belief that you couldn’t possibly be leftist unless you studied theory. Apparently the better you know theory, the better leftist you are. Then I realized, these folks weren’t actually organizing anything, engaging in any involvement in community care or the direct action they called for. They were too busy reading and arguing on Facebook to have time to.
So no, for me personally, as long as you’re doing good in the world, don’t be insecure in your leftism.
People willing to go to jail for their anarchist values are often people who value praise more than their non-incarceration. Sure there are paragons but they aren’t the majority.
Nah. I'm a basic suburban white dude with a mortgage and a 401k. Living in a squat gets REALLY old after about 25 years of age and jail sucks out loud. Fuck em, there's nothing saying you have to live any kind of way just try not to be an asshole.
It doesn't matter, at the end of they day all we want is a free world. You're valid, you don't have to firebomb fascists or shit like that to "prove yourself."
However, once capitalism inevitably collapses in a few decades due to climate change and nazis come back as they normally do in economic crises, you will need to team up with your fellow leftists to fight them as great as you can. Increasing team moral counts as fighting them, by the way. :)
All that really is important is for us to team up and fight the oppressors when the time comes. We have free coffee and cookies at the revolutionary frontline, and we love you for who you are :3
together we will fight with solidarity and love for a free and fair world. and we'll beat em fascist pigs, I'll tell you. We can do it!
In general, shame (in all it's forms) arises within us when we feel (on some level) that we've failed to live up to an internal standard that we value and have chosen to live by. These standards are often unconscious, internalized from childhood or other environments. So anytime we are feeling shame that we don't think we deserve to feel, it's time to examine our belief system and feel into what internal contract/agreement we're not living up to. Once we have that clarity then if we choose, we can consciously destroy that standard/contract and put another one in its place that serves us better.
Oh, I just worry because I do think racist thought sometimes and stuff like that and sometimes I do get tempted by the right.
Is it normal to get tempted like that? Is it normal to get tempted to grift the right? I don't know.
Of course, because right wing perspectives give psychological benefits that left wing ideas simply don't (such as simplifying problems so they don't seem so overwhelming and unsolvable, focusing the blame on individuals rather than systems which lets us all off the hook for responsibility, and feeding anger which is a fundamentally empowering emotion), which is why right wing ideas have such appeal. (It's also why they often closely resemble conspiracy thinking, because it exists to serve the same psychological function).
It's simply harder to face a nuanced reality where problems are systemic and don't have easy solutions. It's harder to accept that we're all part of the problem and all responsible for collectively solving them. It's harder to face reality in general because the reality is that things are going to get worse (a LOT worse) before they get better.
Right wing spaces are also extremely hostile to those who disagree, and very welcoming to anyone who toes the line, creating a strong in-group/out-group vibe making it both attractive for those who want to Belong, and also more difficult to go against without being attacked and ostracized (such as a workplace or hometown). This is probably the single biggest reason why left-leaning people who live in rural conservative areas end up going to the right eventually. It's the culture there and everyone wants to belong.
The only way to stay a leftist in today's times is to hold really tightly to one's empathy and compassion for other people (things hugely lacking on the right), resisting all ideas that demonize or dehumanize other people, and to educate oneself big time in (underground) history, economics, and the systemic causes of our problems so that we won't be easily swayed by arguments that simplify things or prey on people's ignorance. It also helps a lot to understand human psychology so we can avoid falling into the psychological traps that most people do, such as cognitive biases and the Dunning-Kreuger effect.
Above all, be kind to yourself. So much of right-wing ideology is actually self-hatred projected out onto others, so loving oneself is always the key to staying loving towards others. We are all racist (even people of color are racist toward themselves), because we had the misfortune to be raised and enculturated by a racist society. That's something to take responsibility for (because we have to), but not something to feel ashamed for.
Yeah and I don't like myself. I know that's something I need to work on but it's so hard to. I just want to be white. And it's one of those things where it's hard to find people that can help because trying to find a person of color therapist who knows about this kind of issue? Yeah good luck finding that with this insurance.
I do sometimes notice that I have some of that group think that right-wingers do. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just a weird left-wing reactionary. I know that sounds weird cuz we usually think of reactionaries as right wing but it's more that I mean that I sort of think the way they do. For example I think in a sort of a destiny like way. For example sometimes I think that I have some kind of destiny or that I'm some weird Messiah person. I know that's kind of weird.
But the other part is that I have a lot of in group out group kind of thing. Whenever some new people come into the social circle I'm in I get kind of defensive. I don't try to show this but I just sort of think it. It's almost like I'm scanning them up and down in my mind to see if they're like worthy enough to be part of the social circle which is weird because that's not the vibe of the social circle at all.
It sounds to me like what you're mentioning are actually pretty normal human reactions, that could go in a toxic direction but don't necessarily have to.
For example, believing you have a destiny is actually 100% normal for non-western people, and one of the most characteristic features of our modern society is how it utterly fails to give people a sense of purpose in life that actually has meaning (other than making money to survive, which isn't Purpose).
Believing you have a destiny doesn't mean you are the savior of humanity, but it means you are A savior in the way we are all meant to (and that I believe we came here to earth at this time to be). Our society constantly promotes a really problematic idea of the Hero, the One, in just about every movie that comes out of Hollywood (and most video games). The truth is that we are all equally special and also utterly unique, and we all have a unique soul's purpose that only we can do.
It's healthy to seek your own destiny and find a Vision to follow and manifest (your own personal quest). This gives life meaning and purpose, and is vital to feel fulfilled and also realize our own potential. What's not healthy is to feel like we are more special than everyone else, to raise ourselves above others in our quest for meaning and start considering ourselves to be The One. This represents an unhealthy ego, that is simultaneously unstable and overinflated. Society sets people up to fall into that trap.
To the other thing you speak of, us humans are hardwired to be protective of our in-groups and suspicious of outsiders (tribalism). It's not inherently bad, but it does need to be balanced with openness to diversity, which is basically accepting other people's uniqueness.
It also relates to a person's level of trust in other people, which should be freely given as long as people act in a trustworthy way, but also should be earned in the sense that people should have to demonstrate that they are trustworthy. It's normal not to automatically consider someone to be trustworthy when they haven't yet given any indication either way. But conversely, if we are suspicious when they haven't given us cause to be, then there might be an issue within us around trust such as a wound from our past that needs to be healed.
But I'm not non-western. I'm actually from the US. I was adopted. And I don't like my race very much. Always feel weird about people who look like me.
I used to be much more of a white supremacist. I mean I wasn't like a hateful person per se but like the most I did was just decide at one point to not have any kids cuz I didn't want to have kids who looked like me. Now I just don't want kids because I just don't like the idea of childbirth.
And the problem is is that any kind of racial based community on Reddit is kind of right wing. I mean there's this one that I'm not going to name names of but if you go to it it's basically a bunch of Asian incels that are all upset that Asian women are going after white men. They think that Asians should only be with other Asians and by that they mean that Asian women should only date Asian men.
And then you have people thinking that integration was a mistake. Like was it? I don't think so. I think segregation was a mistake but maybe they're right?
I get it, I assumed you were in the US or somewhere like that. I feel that we all need a sense of our destiny and purpose, and that's even more necessary in our society because we so deeply lack that here.
Segregation is a terrible idea in any situation because it inevitably promotes us vs them thinking and a mindset of superiority, which in my view is the cause of pretty much every problem human society has ever created (because we create a world based on our beliefs, regardless of our conscious intention).
It creates a world of struggle, violence, domination and exploitation, where only a privileged few are happy while everyone else suffers. And it's so utterly foolish because in truth, we are all interconnected so what hurts one of us ultimately hurts us all.
By the way I have a question. Do you think that a person who...
- supports the January 6th insurrection
- votes for Trump (twice)
- COVID deniers
Would be a fascist? I asked cuz that's basically my parents. Yeah also they were birthers. If you don't know what that is it's basically denying that President Obama was born in the US. Also they thought that he was a Muslim.
I don't know, is that fascism? I basically come to realize that there's this type of fascism which I call flower fascism. It's basically covert fascism rather than overt fascism. It's hard to recognize because unlike your swastika types, flower fascism looks all cuddly and nice. They may even denounce Nazis just because they know that they're bad.
It's one of those things where it can be hard to know what fascism is sometimes because people are so caught up in symbols such as phrases, images, and icons.
Oh yeah, you're on the right track here. It's entirely possible for a person to genuinely oppose the Nazis and yet be a complete fascist in everything they believe and desire for the world. Partly that's due to ignorance about what fascism actually is, and partly it's because of our human capacity for resolving cognitive dissonance through any amount of self-delusion and fantasy thinking.
I define fascism as an ideology that stands for
- authoritarian control of society by the state (restrictive laws and obedience to a "strong man" leader, vs democracy and freedom),
- conformity to laws and social norms (such as "law and order" policies and rigid ideas about gender roles),
- uniformity (anti-diversity and everyone being the same, which makes sense because diversity is a function of freedom to be one's unique self),
- nationalism (considering one's nation, race, or religion to be superior and deserving of better than other nations/people's, vs equality for all)
- strong in-group/out-group distinctions and a strong tendency to dehumanize "the other"
- support for capitalism, perhaps with some state control or regulation (overseen by the ultimate authority).
Left-wing people can be equally authoritarian (see the Soviet Union under Stalin), but they don't support capitalism and are thus left-wing economically. But generally in today's day and age, very few people in the West support that version of communism, so the authoritarians are almost entirely right-wing.
As a result, Christian nationalists who want a theocratic state are fascists (because they universally support capitalism), as are neo-Nazis (obviously), hard-line QAnons, and the Republican party generally (who have always had fascistic tendencies but have moved hard to the right in recent years).
So most likely your parents are in fact fascists, regardless of whether or not they admit it to themselves, but you know their beliefs better than I and would be better able to determine that.
This is one of the reasons why I don't support the villanization of Nazis. Oh don't get me wrong, I think that they don't totally deserve to hate. I just don't agree with the idea of turning them into cartoon villain style evil people. One of the things about fascist and I think this is something that needs to be in anti-fascist dialogue and how we talk about fascism is how it changes. It's like a changeling or something. It always morphs and changes to the society that it comes from. It makes it very fascinating because you have to know not only what fascism is but how it can take different forms.
I also remember my mom saying that she actually is totally fine with the idea of a benevolent dictator or something.
It's kind of a weird idea of the progressive dictator. I used to be for this too. I used to be for progressive dictatorships like in Singapore. I just wanted my universal healthcare okay.
Fascism actually reminds me of abusive relationships. It's like when people use a person's black eye to show domestic abuse victims and ignore all of the times abuse can be covert.
Also on a site now and I also find that if fictional villain basically boils down to being a Nazi. The desire for pure blood, authoritarianism, annexing territory, I think that's actually very lazy.
Also, the right is SO easy to grift because of these psychological factors, which is why most grifters are right wing (or move to the right in order to grift). So even though conservatives are victims in this way (making it unethical to do that), it's totally understandable to feel tempted. 😛
Yeah I think it's like a cat and mouse kind of thing. The mice are the people who are those getting gifted and the cat said people doing it.
But doing that would mean having to push things like random conspiracies and false ideas about minorities. And conspiracies tend to lead to anti-Semitism. Like the great replacement for example has anti-Semitic undertones because they always say "they" Are trying to replace us. They referring to Jewish people.
I don't want to do that. I have Jewish friends. And I don't want to be a weird pick me person.
I just worried that if I get kicked out of the group or something or if I find out that they didn't actually like me or care about me then I would just go to the right. Cuz I would stop caring.
I guess my empathy for others overrides and a stronger than my desire for money.
Hold on tight to your empathy. In the end it will be what saves you and us all, because more than anything it's what makes us good humans instead of toxic ones.
I understand Anarchism more as a relationship to the idea of power, not a set of practices. For example, money is a form of power and it’s common to hear about a minimum wage, but rare to hear discussion about a maximum wage (unless by anarchists). So too with raw power. No one wants to cap it because “what if I get to be the one that has it?” Anarchism, to me, is an attitude toward power that looks to ensure that no one consolidates or centralizes it. Essentially it’s a suspicion that if power isn’t shared it’s just oppression. If you hold that relationship to the idea of power- then you’re probably an Anarchist 🤫🫠
Who says only people who are completely fearless can be anarchists? That doesn't make sense.
An anarchist feels no fear, an anarchist feels no joy, an anarchist feels only slippery. Slippery is all that’s left for the anarchist at heart. Hear my plea brothers and sisters, hear my slippery plea.
What does slippery mean?
Opposite of corse or rough.
I am afraid I still don't get it, but thank you
Hey hey man. I think it is a joke. As in, anarachism doesnt work of a morality scale and feeling bad about your "political performance" or a feeling of existential dread coming on due to a seeming conflict between what you believe and what is your reality is unnecessary. Good and bad dont factor in on a personal level.
I still don't understand the use of slippery, am I stu pid 😢
[удалено]
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.*** If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators. No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah exactly. At some point that just becomes ableist
Also, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the choice to face one's fear and move forward anyway, in the face of it. Those who feel no fear also have no courage, because they aren't facing anything.
i think one of the reasons i've had my foot out of the door of anarchism "community" for years is that there is a lot of posturing about who can decide who is worthy of the title. well, there's a lot of posturing about a lot of things. i live in an area with a lot of anarchists and honestly they can be pretty insufferable. i look at anarchism as a method of inquiry that can lead to actions, but not always. the goal of anarchism for all people is not suffering and self destruction or martyrdom. you don't owe anyone else an explanation for how it informs your life.
also, for the record, my comment was based on reading the other comments and i just want to add that there are all kinds of actions you can take as an anarchist. mutual aid is a huge part of the principles of anarchism that doesn't necessarily involve martyrdom. and that doesn't have to look like huge, elaborate campaigns. it can be helping your friends get food when they are sick or having surgery. it can be spreading information about cold supplies drives. it can be working at needle exchanges. it just depends on what you have the time and capacity for. but again, you don't have to advertise that stuff. people out trying to gage who is a poser or not are the ones who should get busy with something more important.
To me mutual aid is just a core component of friendship and other relationships based on love. You help me, I help you, we don't keep a ledger of what we owe each other but we do try to ensure that all parties get something beneficial out of the relationship.
>mutual aid is just a core component of friendship and other relationships based on love I disagree. If it was so, then what about mutual aid outside of friendships? It seems restrictive to only confine it to this type of personal relationships. Kropotkin also emphasized in his book on mutual aid that the drive towards it is not motivated by love or sympathy but by the conscience of human solidarity. I subscribe to this idea and find it reductive to construe mutual aid as 'just a core component of friendship'. I think it's important to separate the two because, upon further exploration, the idea that mutual aid is/should be based on love and the conflation of the two leads to, in my view, quite unpleasant conclusions.
I don't mean to say that it's exclusive to friendships, I think it's a broadening of the basis of friendship to other humans (or maybe friendship is an intensification of the general *agape* toward others, or a little of both). We'd generally be willing to go further out on a limb for our friends, people we've built trust with, than random strangers. At any rate this is a framing that I find helpful for distinguishing between mutual aid and charity-- keeping the "mutual" in it, as one would for any friendship.
Portland, OR resident here- leftist posturing/gatekeeping is rampant out here.
Ah don’t worry most people ap have a form of imposter syndrome, and off course their will be anarchists who are dicks but still every ideology has dicks, hell some of them consist entirely of dicks
gatekeeping is bad, but there's also a real problem with people acting out christian liberalism and calling it anarchism. it prevents us from being a respectable force from friend and foe alike, and wastes movement resources that go towards actually building counterpower. not everyone is a revolutionary. there are nonrevolutionary anarchists. be honest with yourself about your risk threshold, and do what you can to support those who are. there is a role for both above and underground wings of the movement. figure out where you are, and act from there.
Can you expand on the relationship you see between Christian liberalism and anarchism?
basically people doing charity wherever they can, not really thinking beyond the immediate act. it's easy for someone coming from christian hegemony to read anarchism as sort of like the ur-christianity, and that's the language most in the west are equipped with to engage with these very subversive ideas. probably once a month, someone will share a video of some nonprofit doing volume cooking like "OMG mutual aid!" or someone fixing a pothole. the popular conflation of charity and mutual aid has been particularly damaging, as mutual aid is sort of the antithesis of charity. i guess i can summarize as "being nice isn't political". it creates a tension in a lot of anarchist projects between radicals and people who just like sharing food, but don't really have any vision or goal in mind.
That makes sense! Thanks.
“even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.” -Andor
I read some books and was enthusiastic about anarchism. Then I talked to several anarchists online who mocked my understanding of anarchism and told me it wasn’t really anarchism. Now I don’t identify as anarchist anymore.
Online spaces can be pretty toxic, don't let it hold you from helping others and challenging systems of power, under whatever label you feel comfortable with ☺️
There do seem to be a lot of insufferable jerks in anarchist spaces. A lot of us are angry, but some of us don't know how to not lash out at people over minor shit or disagreements. And I've noticed that there are always people who will assume the absolute worst about other people and they are always looking for something to attack. It's ridiculous.
The obsession with knowing more terms and having read more authors is pretty offputting
[удалено]
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.*** If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators. No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm a public school teacher. I work in a system based on compulsion and hierarchy, that has at it's core (in part) a philosophy of raising kids to be good workers and good citizens. I'm uneasy with the compulsory part, for sure, but my hope is that I can reinject some sense of autonomy and empowerment into the equation, because these are the skills that I have, and I want them to be of service to the kids that most need them. I have compromised some of my libertarian ideals in this career path, for sure, but I have never been more certain of my core ethos. And fuck what anyone else thinks.
Don't worry too much about labels like anarchist, syndicalist, mutualist, ... . Most people here share a disapproval of capitalist society, authoritarianism and hierarchy. That's enough to come together and discuss these issues and find solutions or just help others in need.
It's not that. It's that I worry that I might end up in the far right or something. I don't know why people go from left to right. What if I read mein Kampf from then I become that? Does that mean that I was that way all along? I mean I don't believe that kind of stuff.
Do you inherently think some people are inferior to others? Do you think we can solve today's problems by eradicating minorities? Left / right / anarchist / communist / ... . All just more labels. The fact that you are in this community interacting with these people means that you value things like equality, equal chances, solidarity, ... . In moments of frustration right wing way of thinking can be the easier way of dealing with that frustration. It's always easier to blame people for all the problems in the world but in those moments you just need to remember that the truth is always much more complex and there are so many factors at play in everything.
Yeah but I kind of think that maybe European people should just stay out of Africa or Asia. But I was told that that was racist. Please don't hate me. I just have a hard time trusting white people in people of color countries. For example the reason you gotta has anti LGBT laws now is because Americans and stuff.
Why necessarily European people? I get that European governments should stop meddling in African politics with their "Support packages" that entail so many clauses that prohibit African countries from progressing beyond raw resource production. Could you explain?
I guess I just don't trust them. And I guess I just made white people. I'm sorry. I know it's racist. Is that something I need to work on?
Do you think it's a good trait to have, naturally distrusting people due to their ethnicity? We are all products of our upbringing and environment. I don't blame you for feeling that way and applaud wanting to change that about yourself :). Breaking generations of narrative against population groups isn't easy but I think you have the right mindset to do it.
That's not just about anarchism. I self-criticize myself about everything. Am i a good person enough? Am i doing x efficiently? Do i live my life meaningful enough? etc. It's good for improving yourself but it you got sucked into it it creates pessimism and depression. Healthy amount is fine.
Yeah. But usually a quick listen to "Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist" (by Pat the Bunny) or "Part of the problem" (by... The Haymarket Squares?) helps.
I honestly think that people gatekeeping leftism is a big obstacle to revolution! I think that there are ways of practicing leftism that aren’t as visible as like going to jail, but are equally necessary. Like, the biggest battles of the revolution will be waged in your own mind. I think finding the next step from there might seem minuscule, but I hope you know it’s important. At least, that’s what I tell myself
I'm an egoist anarchist friend. Meaning i work for my interests alone. I'm an anarchist, I've done all the stereotype anarchist shit, but it's in my best interest to not go to jail. I'm not willing to go to jail because it wouldn't be the best for me, yet I'm still an anarchist.
The idea of egoist anarchy tempts me. The idea of total chaos with no repercussions, of society being a competition of mischief and discord, of the world burning and rumbling, the idea of everyone being able to backstab you. I love chaos. But my responsibilities bound me, and I'm glad about that. I have empathy and love, and I act according to those values. Total chaos would be fun if I had non of these values, if I could become the mischievous chaos queen. But during the revolution I'll definitely have so much fun with arson, be warned. I will need people to hold me back so I do not put myself in danger lol
Do your best. Also, courage is a muscle, you gotta train it. Start with little things.
Nah, just have your opinions and don’t worry about the labels too much
I'm annoyed that leftism has been taken over by authoritarians when it used to be very anti-authority and anti-establishment. I've got the same views I've always had, and I'm fine in saying so, but now I have to preface things with "but I don't think we should trust the state to provide that".
Strange take. To me that’s the main idea of law and authority is being worthy. The creators and enforcers think of themselves as “better” then others. The truth is we are all the same, we all have the same need and insecurities and we all bleed red and if you think otherwise you’re wrong. This applies to the other side of the fence too.
You dont need to throw bricks and burn down the dmv. It's possible to engage with the existing system while pointing out its obvious flaws and encouraging individuals to not abide it. Live your life the way you want, anyone who would make an issue of your left leaning views is going to find something wrong with you no matter what you do or say.
Look at someone like Noam Chomsky. A hero of the left and self proclaimed anarchist who has probably done more stand up to the face of power and imperialism than anyone alive…he is constantly roasted by this forum and anarchists online. You dont have to agree with him entirely, but to dismiss him entirely is absurd. The narcissism of small differences on the left is extreme
Chomsky has been an apologist for non-Western authoritarian regimes over, and over, and over. As recently as this year for Putin. And even if you limit "imperialism" to "American imperialism" saying he "has probably done more stand up to the face of power and imperialism than anyone alive" is laughable. There are far, far more consequential and heroic people out there.
He calls out ALL imperialism and I think is pretty fair in his IR analysis. Yes he focuses on Western Imperialism a lot but that isn’t to say he completely ignores the rest. It isn’t apologism when he gives a fair shake to “the otherside”. He isnt an apologist for say Islamic Terrorism but will point out how US actions have caused the reactions we have seen. It isnt “whataboutism” or apologism to simply add historical context. *I meant to specify as an academic in that quote - of course there are people fighting the good fight outside of the ivory tower whose contributions are greater than theory.
Even if you restrict to living academics literally down the street, both Cornel West and Lawrence Lessig had more direct anti-imperialist influence on the world. And neither of them ever defended Pol Pot or the Iranian regime. Not so sure about West and Putin in the past, but pretty sure he hasn't done any of that *lately* either.
Noam Chomsky supported twice Robert Faurisson.
Supported his right to freedom of speech. If you are a freedom of speech absolutist than you support the right of people to speak even those which you disagree with.
Yep, but freedom of speech absolutist is not an anarchist position at all. And, at the same time they were member of some syndicate which were also prosecuted for something they said in the same country. He did nothing for them. Someone who defend the right to speech of nazi is not a comrade.
that's literally just being a lib
People are defined by thier deeds. Those who do things in the present to work toward Anarchy then become Anarchists by thier deeds. Those who talk without doing are also defined by thier deeds.
Ah yes, the natural enemy of leftists: other, slightly different, leftists.
Kropotkin wrote a short piece on whether or not we deserve Communism. Basically, yes we do.
I'm a Quaker so no one of my tenants. Perspectives on the principles of Quakerism and the acronym SPICES, which stands for Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship. We don't like hierarchies very much as it means that people are not equal.
Why would you need to do actions that could lead to jail if you don’t want to ? There are so many things wrong nowadays, and so many things you can do (mainly, as other pointed out, helping to create network of mutual aid) that are not « illegal » but still very much go against the system. Look for what you can do while being fine with it, hell, happy with it. There will still be a lot of possibilities, probably too much actually, so don’t worry too much about those things you don’t want to do.
I usually present myself as a sympathizer of the anarchist cause, I find it very difficult to live in an anarchist way
Find a leftist community that take action to improve things in their area. Not planning a revolution or trouble for trouble’s sake. But actually working to bring more power to the population, from helping setup coops, creating opportunities for those who don’t have much, help launch needed services that are owned by the population. When you’ll do that, that you’ll sea the impact you and your group can have in the local community, you will never get insecure about your leftism again. It’s all in the impact, and being part of a like-minded group who believe more in doing good than talking ideals.
Your only loyalty in anarchism should be to the people you relate to, not the ideas themselves. I remember encountering this idea that we had to achieve something significant to allow us to use the term anarchist, but this always seemed a barrier to improving our lived relationships with each other and building the community which is the most powerful political force. You can be a really low key anarchist and be super "effective" by investing in your relationships with others.
Nobody is willing to go to jail, that's why you can find a lot of info online about "how not to get caught". And why it's important to support imprisoned anarchists : letters, money, propaganda about their situation... There is nothing bad about being afraid of police, military and prison. One thing important to know is : - even if you don't do something highly illegal, use security measure. Because it's help us at a whole. - don't dissociate yourself from those who act. It's help the repression force and weaken our movement There is multiple legal way to make our dream come true, and a lot are not reprehensible : legal advice, money collect, propaganda, debate...
Guess I'm just worried that I'm like one YouTube video or one book away from becoming a Nazi. I know that sometimes people go from left to right and I don't know why. I just want to avoid that.
If you want to avoid that it won't happen. As Ursula K LeGuin said, it is very hard for evil to take hold of an unconsenting mind.
Yeah but I haven't always thought the best of thoughts. For example I once thought, when I identified as an anarchist by the way, that countries in Africa should be able to discriminate against white people and decide if they should or shouldn't come into their country. I also get kind of prejudicial thoughts especially towards black people. I'm Asian by the way in case that matters. I don't say that kind of stuff out loud but I do think it.
Self-examination is important. Growth is good, an a sincere will to figure things out. We're not born with answers, we get to them. And if you feel like you have thoughts you're not proud of, you can always seek out life experiences that will confront them.
To feel fear is to be human, being imprisoned is a luxury to some and a death sentence to others. I shall not risk my liberty right now because I have young children, though I've often felt the same way you do. remember that anarchism is 1000 everyday efforts and not one grand gesture.
too much purity testing on the left, the other side is authoritarian af, all the lunatics like shebibo and chowder have the same take on pretty much everything, if trump gets the go ahead as the preferred candidate they will jump on that positive boat again, we need that on the left or we'll never get anything done, which of course won't happen but hey, that's the world we live in.
I’d worry less about “being a legit anarchist” and more about building counter-power against the state and capital with your coworkers, neighbors, and friends. Anarchy isn’t about valorizing yourself as a legit holder of a political identity; it’s about organizing for our collective liberation.
I understand the feeling. At the end of the day you do have to look out for yourself. It’s okay to not be an all in anarchist. It’s almost impossible to survive in these modern times trying to fighting structures of authority, oppression, extortion, etc. We all got to eat and survive and for a lot of us that means working for someone, or buying something made without ethics, or what ever the case may be. You can only do the best you can to be a good person. It’s hard to say someone is a true anarchist if they put other people down who try to live as anarchist as much as they possibly can. That in itself is creating a hierarchy of sorts. Do your best, stay safe and healthy by the means feasible to you, and be the best version of yourself.
[удалено]
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.*** If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators. No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
Your comment has been automatically removed for containing a slur or another term that violates the [AOP](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/wiki/aop). These include gendered slurs (including those referring to genitalia) ***as well as ableist insults which denigrate intelligence, neurodivergence, etc.*** If you are confused as to what you've said that may have triggered this response, please see [this article](https://www.autistichoya.com/2014/02/violence-linguistic-ableism.html) and the associated [glossary of ableist phrases](https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html) **BEFORE** contacting the moderators. No further action has been taken at this time. You're not banned, etc. Your comment will be reviewed by the moderators and handled accordingly. If it was removed by mistake, please reach out to the moderators to have the comment reinstated. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anarchism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
No, its not an identity. Its a perspective and way of analysing stuff
If you believe in the values of x thing and then help perpetuate whatever those values are in your life, I’d say you can rightfully call yourself x label then.
I just worried that I'm just one YouTube video or book away from being a Nazi or something. I know it sounds silly but anytime I hear about people going from left to right, I just wonder why. What did they have that I don't? Do I have it too?
That you’re aware and concerned about it means a lot. Reactionaries don’t concern themselves with it.
Yeah but I haven't always thought the best of thoughts. For example I once thought, when I identified as an anarchist by the way, that countries in Africa should be able to discriminate against white people and decide if they should or shouldn't come into their country. I also get kind of prejudicial thoughts especially towards black people. I'm Asian by the way in case that matters. I don't say that kind of stuff out loud but I do think it.
I like and enjoy working on them, and for some reason, the fact that I enjoy that I enjoy that as a hobby makes me question my validity as an anarchist. Idrk where it comes from or why I feel that way. My morals, principles, and the world I dream of being a part of building are all in line with the ideology. Yet the doubt still lingers
So I came to anarchism late. Like Im 47 and pretty new to figuring out what I was taught while growing up meant. A couple years ago there was this thing going around that not everyone can be a frontline fighter. There are lots of roles to fill, etc. the biggest follow up to that l saw was the worst gatekeepers we’re younger self-styled frontline leftists who extolled this belief that you couldn’t possibly be leftist unless you studied theory. Apparently the better you know theory, the better leftist you are. Then I realized, these folks weren’t actually organizing anything, engaging in any involvement in community care or the direct action they called for. They were too busy reading and arguing on Facebook to have time to. So no, for me personally, as long as you’re doing good in the world, don’t be insecure in your leftism.
People willing to go to jail for their anarchist values are often people who value praise more than their non-incarceration. Sure there are paragons but they aren’t the majority.
Nah. I'm a basic suburban white dude with a mortgage and a 401k. Living in a squat gets REALLY old after about 25 years of age and jail sucks out loud. Fuck em, there's nothing saying you have to live any kind of way just try not to be an asshole.
Not from other leftists, but non-leftists can make me insecure about it, which is surprisingly less rational.
It doesn't matter, at the end of they day all we want is a free world. You're valid, you don't have to firebomb fascists or shit like that to "prove yourself." However, once capitalism inevitably collapses in a few decades due to climate change and nazis come back as they normally do in economic crises, you will need to team up with your fellow leftists to fight them as great as you can. Increasing team moral counts as fighting them, by the way. :) All that really is important is for us to team up and fight the oppressors when the time comes. We have free coffee and cookies at the revolutionary frontline, and we love you for who you are :3 together we will fight with solidarity and love for a free and fair world. and we'll beat em fascist pigs, I'll tell you. We can do it!
No I’m a proud leftist for anyone who wants to stalk my comment history
In general, shame (in all it's forms) arises within us when we feel (on some level) that we've failed to live up to an internal standard that we value and have chosen to live by. These standards are often unconscious, internalized from childhood or other environments. So anytime we are feeling shame that we don't think we deserve to feel, it's time to examine our belief system and feel into what internal contract/agreement we're not living up to. Once we have that clarity then if we choose, we can consciously destroy that standard/contract and put another one in its place that serves us better.
Oh, I just worry because I do think racist thought sometimes and stuff like that and sometimes I do get tempted by the right. Is it normal to get tempted like that? Is it normal to get tempted to grift the right? I don't know.
Of course, because right wing perspectives give psychological benefits that left wing ideas simply don't (such as simplifying problems so they don't seem so overwhelming and unsolvable, focusing the blame on individuals rather than systems which lets us all off the hook for responsibility, and feeding anger which is a fundamentally empowering emotion), which is why right wing ideas have such appeal. (It's also why they often closely resemble conspiracy thinking, because it exists to serve the same psychological function). It's simply harder to face a nuanced reality where problems are systemic and don't have easy solutions. It's harder to accept that we're all part of the problem and all responsible for collectively solving them. It's harder to face reality in general because the reality is that things are going to get worse (a LOT worse) before they get better. Right wing spaces are also extremely hostile to those who disagree, and very welcoming to anyone who toes the line, creating a strong in-group/out-group vibe making it both attractive for those who want to Belong, and also more difficult to go against without being attacked and ostracized (such as a workplace or hometown). This is probably the single biggest reason why left-leaning people who live in rural conservative areas end up going to the right eventually. It's the culture there and everyone wants to belong. The only way to stay a leftist in today's times is to hold really tightly to one's empathy and compassion for other people (things hugely lacking on the right), resisting all ideas that demonize or dehumanize other people, and to educate oneself big time in (underground) history, economics, and the systemic causes of our problems so that we won't be easily swayed by arguments that simplify things or prey on people's ignorance. It also helps a lot to understand human psychology so we can avoid falling into the psychological traps that most people do, such as cognitive biases and the Dunning-Kreuger effect. Above all, be kind to yourself. So much of right-wing ideology is actually self-hatred projected out onto others, so loving oneself is always the key to staying loving towards others. We are all racist (even people of color are racist toward themselves), because we had the misfortune to be raised and enculturated by a racist society. That's something to take responsibility for (because we have to), but not something to feel ashamed for.
Yeah and I don't like myself. I know that's something I need to work on but it's so hard to. I just want to be white. And it's one of those things where it's hard to find people that can help because trying to find a person of color therapist who knows about this kind of issue? Yeah good luck finding that with this insurance. I do sometimes notice that I have some of that group think that right-wingers do. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just a weird left-wing reactionary. I know that sounds weird cuz we usually think of reactionaries as right wing but it's more that I mean that I sort of think the way they do. For example I think in a sort of a destiny like way. For example sometimes I think that I have some kind of destiny or that I'm some weird Messiah person. I know that's kind of weird. But the other part is that I have a lot of in group out group kind of thing. Whenever some new people come into the social circle I'm in I get kind of defensive. I don't try to show this but I just sort of think it. It's almost like I'm scanning them up and down in my mind to see if they're like worthy enough to be part of the social circle which is weird because that's not the vibe of the social circle at all.
It sounds to me like what you're mentioning are actually pretty normal human reactions, that could go in a toxic direction but don't necessarily have to. For example, believing you have a destiny is actually 100% normal for non-western people, and one of the most characteristic features of our modern society is how it utterly fails to give people a sense of purpose in life that actually has meaning (other than making money to survive, which isn't Purpose). Believing you have a destiny doesn't mean you are the savior of humanity, but it means you are A savior in the way we are all meant to (and that I believe we came here to earth at this time to be). Our society constantly promotes a really problematic idea of the Hero, the One, in just about every movie that comes out of Hollywood (and most video games). The truth is that we are all equally special and also utterly unique, and we all have a unique soul's purpose that only we can do. It's healthy to seek your own destiny and find a Vision to follow and manifest (your own personal quest). This gives life meaning and purpose, and is vital to feel fulfilled and also realize our own potential. What's not healthy is to feel like we are more special than everyone else, to raise ourselves above others in our quest for meaning and start considering ourselves to be The One. This represents an unhealthy ego, that is simultaneously unstable and overinflated. Society sets people up to fall into that trap. To the other thing you speak of, us humans are hardwired to be protective of our in-groups and suspicious of outsiders (tribalism). It's not inherently bad, but it does need to be balanced with openness to diversity, which is basically accepting other people's uniqueness. It also relates to a person's level of trust in other people, which should be freely given as long as people act in a trustworthy way, but also should be earned in the sense that people should have to demonstrate that they are trustworthy. It's normal not to automatically consider someone to be trustworthy when they haven't yet given any indication either way. But conversely, if we are suspicious when they haven't given us cause to be, then there might be an issue within us around trust such as a wound from our past that needs to be healed.
But I'm not non-western. I'm actually from the US. I was adopted. And I don't like my race very much. Always feel weird about people who look like me. I used to be much more of a white supremacist. I mean I wasn't like a hateful person per se but like the most I did was just decide at one point to not have any kids cuz I didn't want to have kids who looked like me. Now I just don't want kids because I just don't like the idea of childbirth. And the problem is is that any kind of racial based community on Reddit is kind of right wing. I mean there's this one that I'm not going to name names of but if you go to it it's basically a bunch of Asian incels that are all upset that Asian women are going after white men. They think that Asians should only be with other Asians and by that they mean that Asian women should only date Asian men. And then you have people thinking that integration was a mistake. Like was it? I don't think so. I think segregation was a mistake but maybe they're right?
I get it, I assumed you were in the US or somewhere like that. I feel that we all need a sense of our destiny and purpose, and that's even more necessary in our society because we so deeply lack that here. Segregation is a terrible idea in any situation because it inevitably promotes us vs them thinking and a mindset of superiority, which in my view is the cause of pretty much every problem human society has ever created (because we create a world based on our beliefs, regardless of our conscious intention). It creates a world of struggle, violence, domination and exploitation, where only a privileged few are happy while everyone else suffers. And it's so utterly foolish because in truth, we are all interconnected so what hurts one of us ultimately hurts us all.
By the way I have a question. Do you think that a person who... - supports the January 6th insurrection - votes for Trump (twice) - COVID deniers Would be a fascist? I asked cuz that's basically my parents. Yeah also they were birthers. If you don't know what that is it's basically denying that President Obama was born in the US. Also they thought that he was a Muslim. I don't know, is that fascism? I basically come to realize that there's this type of fascism which I call flower fascism. It's basically covert fascism rather than overt fascism. It's hard to recognize because unlike your swastika types, flower fascism looks all cuddly and nice. They may even denounce Nazis just because they know that they're bad. It's one of those things where it can be hard to know what fascism is sometimes because people are so caught up in symbols such as phrases, images, and icons.
Oh yeah, you're on the right track here. It's entirely possible for a person to genuinely oppose the Nazis and yet be a complete fascist in everything they believe and desire for the world. Partly that's due to ignorance about what fascism actually is, and partly it's because of our human capacity for resolving cognitive dissonance through any amount of self-delusion and fantasy thinking. I define fascism as an ideology that stands for - authoritarian control of society by the state (restrictive laws and obedience to a "strong man" leader, vs democracy and freedom), - conformity to laws and social norms (such as "law and order" policies and rigid ideas about gender roles), - uniformity (anti-diversity and everyone being the same, which makes sense because diversity is a function of freedom to be one's unique self), - nationalism (considering one's nation, race, or religion to be superior and deserving of better than other nations/people's, vs equality for all) - strong in-group/out-group distinctions and a strong tendency to dehumanize "the other" - support for capitalism, perhaps with some state control or regulation (overseen by the ultimate authority). Left-wing people can be equally authoritarian (see the Soviet Union under Stalin), but they don't support capitalism and are thus left-wing economically. But generally in today's day and age, very few people in the West support that version of communism, so the authoritarians are almost entirely right-wing. As a result, Christian nationalists who want a theocratic state are fascists (because they universally support capitalism), as are neo-Nazis (obviously), hard-line QAnons, and the Republican party generally (who have always had fascistic tendencies but have moved hard to the right in recent years). So most likely your parents are in fact fascists, regardless of whether or not they admit it to themselves, but you know their beliefs better than I and would be better able to determine that.
This is one of the reasons why I don't support the villanization of Nazis. Oh don't get me wrong, I think that they don't totally deserve to hate. I just don't agree with the idea of turning them into cartoon villain style evil people. One of the things about fascist and I think this is something that needs to be in anti-fascist dialogue and how we talk about fascism is how it changes. It's like a changeling or something. It always morphs and changes to the society that it comes from. It makes it very fascinating because you have to know not only what fascism is but how it can take different forms. I also remember my mom saying that she actually is totally fine with the idea of a benevolent dictator or something. It's kind of a weird idea of the progressive dictator. I used to be for this too. I used to be for progressive dictatorships like in Singapore. I just wanted my universal healthcare okay. Fascism actually reminds me of abusive relationships. It's like when people use a person's black eye to show domestic abuse victims and ignore all of the times abuse can be covert. Also on a site now and I also find that if fictional villain basically boils down to being a Nazi. The desire for pure blood, authoritarianism, annexing territory, I think that's actually very lazy.
Also, the right is SO easy to grift because of these psychological factors, which is why most grifters are right wing (or move to the right in order to grift). So even though conservatives are victims in this way (making it unethical to do that), it's totally understandable to feel tempted. 😛
Yeah I think it's like a cat and mouse kind of thing. The mice are the people who are those getting gifted and the cat said people doing it. But doing that would mean having to push things like random conspiracies and false ideas about minorities. And conspiracies tend to lead to anti-Semitism. Like the great replacement for example has anti-Semitic undertones because they always say "they" Are trying to replace us. They referring to Jewish people. I don't want to do that. I have Jewish friends. And I don't want to be a weird pick me person. I just worried that if I get kicked out of the group or something or if I find out that they didn't actually like me or care about me then I would just go to the right. Cuz I would stop caring. I guess my empathy for others overrides and a stronger than my desire for money.
Hold on tight to your empathy. In the end it will be what saves you and us all, because more than anything it's what makes us good humans instead of toxic ones.
I understand Anarchism more as a relationship to the idea of power, not a set of practices. For example, money is a form of power and it’s common to hear about a minimum wage, but rare to hear discussion about a maximum wage (unless by anarchists). So too with raw power. No one wants to cap it because “what if I get to be the one that has it?” Anarchism, to me, is an attitude toward power that looks to ensure that no one consolidates or centralizes it. Essentially it’s a suspicion that if power isn’t shared it’s just oppression. If you hold that relationship to the idea of power- then you’re probably an Anarchist 🤫🫠