Re: “Anarchism is never the answer”

In response to Anarchism is never the answer, published January, 15, 2009.

Mr. Dumont seems to have a rather limited understanding of the complexities of anarchist theory (“Anarchism is never the answer,” Jan. 15 edition). Even a cursory view over the Wikipedia article on “anarchism” would have shown that the majority of his assumptions are incorrect.

Like the Republican Party, anarchism is a big tent, incorporating a large array of anti-statist ideas and theories. There is no “true anarchism” as Mr. Dumont claims. From communist to individualist and everything in between, anarchism runs the gamut. One would be hard pressed to find two anarchists who agree with each other.

Contrary to what Mr. Dumont believes, we, the anarchist, want the “pooling [of] efforts and working towards a common goal.” We want “combined efforts supporting one another!” We just belie that we do not need hierarchy and domination to do so. Does Mr. Dumont believe that individuals cannot accomplish anything without a boss giving orders?

Maybe Mr. Dumont has been listening to too many nihilistic punk rock songs. Anarchism is not just riots and bombs and sex pistol songs (oh my!). We do not want to destroy society. We wish to abolish all Coercive combinations, the most Coercive being that between the individual and the state.

Let us use Mr. Dumont’s computer analogy. We could repair our faulty operating system, we could even elect to get a new one, but that does not change the fact that the system is part of a computer that is faulty and Coercive. Anarchists say there is a fake and exploitative relationship between humans (as individuals and the computer (the state) and its operating system (capitalism). We are captive to our screens. When our system breaks down we panic, unable to waste our time browsing facebook or porn. We fix the system with the full knowledge that it will break down again, just for the safe and calm glow of forced and unreal cyber relationships.

Instead of being a slave to the fantasy world of capitalism and the state, we smash the computer, slow down and start having real life, face-to-face conversations of other individuals.

Anarchists look to create a world where people can grow and build though mutual respect between individuals rather then though domination and submission.

Matt Antosh
Anarchist agitator extraordinaire

– Matt Anosh

Published in Volume 63, Number 18 of The Uniter (January 29, 2009)