I know anarchists don't like these step by step guides or blueprints towards overthrowing capitalism and replacing it with an anarchist society, but I've been having difficulty lately trying to understand in any way how this would be done, and what action we need to do now to make this all possible.
Wondering if anyone can help me out with that, or point me somewhere that has a good explanation. Currently I am trying to work through the Anarchist FAQ, but it is quite long and I am not sure where I should focus, plus I thought I'd ask if maybe someone here knows of something better to have a look at it?
Something else that bothers me is that I think maybe anarchists focus too much on direct action and activism, not that there is anything bad about it, but I don't see how it can achieve anything other than making small gains in the present.
We don't seem to focus on building organisations and communities that empower local people, can challenge the existing political structure and replace it with an anarchist society.
And since these anarchist organisations don't really exist, people can't see proof of anarchism working in action, neither do we have much to offer people.
I made this step by step
I made this step by step guide
http://postimg.org/image/8bx1o7ypn/
However the big thing is to get to the place where the state is smashed. There are a lot of traps that the movement has to be careful to avoid. Like getting organised for political parties or take nonviolence as a dogma.
Bakunin developed a method for better organising. Its called the Platform. So you can read about that. Like in this book
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Flame:_The_Revolutionary_Class_Politics_of_Anarchism_and_Syndicalism_%28Counter-Power_vol._1%29
The platform was used by the anarchist movement in Ukraine. It was criticised too for being "Just one step away from Bolshevism".
Well lets say that you want to rob a bank. How would you do it? Would you rob the bank - aka direct action - or would you pay someone to rob the bank for you - representative action?
If you paid someone what guarantee do you have that he would not just run away with all the money from the robbery?
Thats the problem. You cant trust people in representative action thus what you have left is only direct action
If you think there should be more organisations you can go and make it. Dont wait for other to make it for you. Well at least you can try.
Half of this will be done by capitalism itself. Capitalism isnt working too. Then you can argue that capitalism is exploiting workers. Then you can argue capitalism corrupts political power. But then you will still have to argue why anarchism and not some other socialist alternative. Thats the real challenge. What you can do is point out that other socialist alternatives arent working. And that in the end there is only one real socialist option and its anarchism.
Cheers for the response
Cheers for the response Gulai. I am not criticising direct action though, as in the working class acting for itself, just don't think that demos and protests and sit ins and activism is enough though to bring about revolution. I also find it kind of off-putting in a way just because a lot of people don't go or can't go to these events and the people who do are students and activists. So a lot of people don't understand it, can't really relate to it and view the people engaging in it as being crazy in some way. I've seen it before when there is a demo on and passer-bys are looking at us funny and wondering something like 'what is this lot shouting about?'.
On the point about building organisations and you said if I want to do this I should do it myself, couldn't this be said for anything? If I want a revolution I should do it myself, if I want anarchism I should do it myself. In fact this is often exactly what people say when bringing up the issue of revolution, if I am unhappy with something I should try to change it myself don't expect other people to get on board with it.
On the Last point. Ok we can argue something like this, but is it really going to win people over? Especially people who don't get involved much in politics or don't care much for political theories? But if they seen actually existing anarchist organisations working then that is a big benefit for us.
I believe it starts with an
I believe it starts with an online petition.
A comrade from the CLT has
A comrade from the CLT has worked out a draft of an anarchist program. I may ask them if they wouldn't mind sharing it. We always tell them it's bourgeois delusion! (Jk).
Study Russia, Spain, France (revolution and 1871 commune) and even the 1848 revolutionary attempts. Look at mass insurrectionary strikes in the history of your country.
It happens with the Democratic dictatorship of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie, my friends! ;)
Gulai Polye
Gulai Polye writes:
Not quite. Bakunin died in 1876. The Platform was a text published in 1926. To be found here: http://libcom.org/library/organisational-platform-libertarian-communists-dielo-trouda
So what Bakunin created was not called the Plaform. Whether the Plaform conforms to Bakunin 's organizational concepts is a matter for debate.
It was developed by Makhno
It was developed by Makhno and company in Paris, wasn't it?
Bookchin wrote a four-volume history of the revolutionary movement. It's a tough read because it's just defeat after defeat, but he wrote it essentially for antistatist consumption, almost as a 'what not to do' guide. Unfortunately it's excessively rare, and each copy costs a considerable amount. I asked the one guy I know who has them if I could scan them onto the web and he was essentially like, nar fuck off, but I'm hoping they emerge eventually.
Maybe because Bookchin never
Maybe because Bookchin never got around to devising the antidote.
The first stage of the
The first stage of the revolution is obviously to arm comrade John McDonnell and enroll the most revolutionary workers in the Maoist guerilla training program. I believe the next step is some kind of five year plan.