I am not an anarchist. I'm nothing else but me, whitout any label whatsoever, or with hundreds of different labels, so not a single one can really define me. I'm too much of a punk to be classic, too classic for a punk, too much of an anarchist to be a capitalist, too much of a capitalist to be a hardcore anarchist. Having said that, I must admit that, as time goes by, as my opinions evolve, my experiences accumulate, I tend to distance myself from capitalism and get closer to communism a la Guevara, and sometimes as far as anarchy.

1. Why being an anarchist? The real question would be Why being something other than anarchist? So far, Traditional political ideologies have led the planet to ruin (capitalism and imperialism) or have prevented freedom (authoritarian communism). Capitalism physically ruins the planet, using and abusing of its resources as if there was an unlimited supply of these, only caring about consequences for nature as long as it doesn't reduce profits (so considering that taking care of Nature is a source a profit reduction, which still has to be proven). Or these ideologies, like authoritarian communism, prevent any kind of freedom.

2. Anarchism is a syncretic, living and breathing form of political thought, practice, struggle and analysis. Anarchism is not limited to a historical series of theories. It's unnecessary to know by heart the complete work of Kroptokin or other writers having theorised about anarchism to be an anarchist.

3. Anarchism is a broad system of political thought, practice, struggle and analysis. Anarchism has a solid tradition of supporting the struggles of women, people of colour and similar oppressed groups. Anarchism encompasses anti-racist struggle and anti-oppression. Anarchism is about the liberation of all people from any form of oppressive system. The struggles of oppressed people are just as important as the struggles against capitalism, imperialism and other oppressive systems and institutions.

4. Anarchism is about the rights of an individual in the context of a community. A community can only be free and healthy if it is comprised of liberated, free individuals with full rights. Individuals benefit from being part of a greater community. The split between “individualists” and “collectivists” is mostly a false one, as an anarchist society would be based on an integrated meshing of community responsibilities and individual rights.

5. The revolution of everyday life. Anarchy is practical. We must build the type of society we want to live in. Putting our ideas into practice not only demonstrates the vitality of anarchism, but it helps us create the space for anarchy within the current system. Anarchy is more of a process than it is a magical moment “after the revolution.” In order for the idea of anarchy to take hold among people, they have to embrace it as an existing alternative to the present system. People become liberated when they “kill the policeman in their head”, not when a vanguard of revolutionaries seizes government power. Of course, sudden shifts in popular consciousness are possible.

6. Humans are innately anarchists. Cooperation, mutual aid, and solidarity are all essential human traits, without which the human species would not exist today. The basic ideas of anarchism, such as cooperation and egalitarianism, can be found in many human societies throughout the history of our species.

7. Anarchism is anarchism and shouldn't suffer from internal fights. I am not an anarcho-communist or an anarcho-syndicalist or an anarcho-primitivist. Too many anarchists waste time and resources promoting their narrow ideological take on anarchism. These labels often lead to factionalism and sectarianism, ruin the credibility of the movement and prevent its development.

8. Revolution of the mind. Anarchism cannot happen unless most of the population desires to live in an anarchist society. I am against any “revolution” which would intend to force anarchism on a society which isn't ready for it. The failure would be certain, and fast. I also reject extreme leftist revolutionary fantasies where “the capitalists and the rich will be shot.” Anarchism is not about mass murder of ideological opponents. I am for installing anarchism by showing the way, by the force of example.

9. Anarchists are not leftists. Anarchism is not a system that is part of the traditional left-right political system. Anarchism hasn’t been part of the Left for the last century, not since the late 19th century when early European anarchists split from the communists. Left, always pro-state, is inherently not compatible with anarchism. Anarchism vehemently disagrees with the authoritarian leftists who seek to seize the state with promises that it will “whither away.” No state seized by these leftists in the 20th century ever disappeared, rather they became totalitarian monsters which enslaved, terrorized and killed millions. Fortunately, the authoritarian socialist “experiment” seems to be over, being devoured either from the inside, like in USSR, or from the outside because of the capitalism hegemony, a bulldozer destroying everything on its way.
NB: One of the biggest problems in the anarchist movement is anarchists and anarchist groups which ape leftist rhetoric and strategies (such as workerism).

10. Anarchists oppose the existence of all governments and states. Humans are totally capable of running their lives and communities without the existence of governments and states. Anarchists do not seek to improve the state, nor are we interested in petitioning the state for change. States are the problem and it's not by trying to fix some of the failures the overall problem will be resolved. It's like giving anaesthetic to a patient in the final stage of a lethal disease. It doesn't cure them, it just makes their pain less unbearable.

11. It is in the interest of the anarchist movement to unify and work with a range of people sharing the same desires, the same ideology, the same vision and not let it be consumed by internal faction struggles. Labels and rigid ideological stands don't matter. What matters is to be an anarchist, to focus on what unites us instead of what divides us, and not reject our differences but learn from them to move forward. We shouldn't let dissensions, disagreements, and disputes prevent us from working together for the bigger picture that installing an anarchist, egalitarian, anti-patriarchal and self-managed system for the happiness of each individual and the community as a whole.

I will develop and detail my views on the subject more precisely in the future. I just wanted to discuss anarchism as a whole and may global vision of this system.

Fushichô

November 19, 2007