What most people see as Anarchy

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#1
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Baronarchist
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Jun 29 2011 16:02
What most people see as Anarchy

If you state your leaning to the average person they wildly misunderstand the concept of Anarchism to mean a society where everyone does what they want, how they want, and fuck the consequences, rather than a society of democratically controlled worker confederations.

Is there actually a school of Anarchy which promotes this? I though maybe Anarcho-Primitivism but even thats a pretty big stretch...

Also, since I'm 17 and pretty new to this, does anyone have a good counter-argument to a stupid point like that?

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radicalgraffiti
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Jun 29 2011 16:19

i don't have time to write a real response right now, but the anarchist faq http://anarchism.pageabode.com/afaq/index.html deals with most common misconceptions about anarchism, you may find it helpfull

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Rob Ray
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Jun 29 2011 16:19

I suppose the really misanthropic end of individualist anarchism might qualify, but even so it's such a marginal group as to be basically nonexistent. There's a larger group of people who think that communism will be built through a kind of organic co-operation which will effectively end the need for rules, but that's still pretty tiny and if it's to be accused of anything it's utopianism rather than a desire for chaos.

The best counter-argument is just to refute it, tbh. People who come out with that crap won't have read anything about anarchist theory so just explain it's a socio-economic tendency with well over a century of pedigree and at its height, millions of supporters. Were they all mad chaos merchants? Do you look like a mad chaos merchant? If not, then maybe they should listen rather than pontificate.

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Mavis
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Jun 29 2011 16:28
Rob Ray wrote:

The best counter-argument is just to refute it, tbh. People who come out with that crap won't have read anything about anarchist theory so just explain it's a socio-economic tendency with well over a century of pedigree and at its height, millions of supporters.

This. Whenever people tell me that anarchists are all just angsty 13 year old punk rockers I just point out that its obviously nonsense. Was the Spanish revolution made by millions of teenagers who had listened to too much Dead Kennedys?

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Arbeiten's picture
Arbeiten
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Jun 29 2011 16:45

I agree with Rob. Anyone who says this is working off a dictionary/etymological definition of 'anarchy' in the looses sense. You could read merely one book by an anarchist and easily be able to refute it. Or in fact you can jsut look around this website wink

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Baronarchist
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Jun 29 2011 16:57

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expert on libertarian socialism but I can very easily disspell silly accusations like the one I mentioned in my OP.

Thanks for all your points, and the main reason I asked was because I wondered if there was any theory which I could compare my own anarchist beliefs on.

Like how most people can't imagine a fully re-organised society so they say "Who would look after the money then?" or "Well no one would help the disabled" or "Wouldn't those with more land and wealth get robbed by the poorest" And in those circumstances I can say, ask the anarcho-capitalists, I don't believe in that shit wink

I always refer people to the Anarchist FAQ but to be honest most people seem happy not knowing... neutral

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Aflwydd
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Jun 30 2011 10:08

My friends use the 'But nobody would work' line and think such a statement is bulletproof. I also refer people to the Anarchist FAQ but most people aren't actually interested in having misconceptions obliterated.

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the croydonian anarchist's picture
the croydonian ...
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Jul 4 2011 20:30
Aflwydd wrote:
My friends use the 'But nobody would work' line and think such a statement is bulletproof. I also refer people to the Anarchist FAQ but most people aren't actually interested in having misconceptions obliterated.

This is so true it hurts tongue