I have to know what you mean by anarchist, because a lot of the principles you have espoused in your short time on this board raise questions for me, given my understanding of anarchy.
Anarkid wrote:What attracts me to this activity is the fact that I am an anarchist. No, not some kid with a can of spray paint and a chip on my shoulder. I am a real anarchist.
I find this assertion particularly interesting, in that it seemingly delegitimizes every "kid" spreading anti-globalization messages at a global assembly (such as the G20, G8, WTO/IMF, NAFTA, etc.), every "kid" utilizing graffiti to indicate a squat, every "kid" who uses graffiti to obscure surveillance, every "kid" who uses graffiti as a form of spreading information or engaging in self-expression in a society where this is heavily commodified and available (legally) only to those who can afford to pay for it, every "kid" who _________ (you fill in the blank...but you see where I'm going), while setting yourself in opposition to all of these people as supposedly superior. A
real anarchist...whatever that means.
And so here you have trashed entire groups of people (most of whom are not "kids"...but you don't think they are, you're just belittling them), apparently because it makes you feel superior to them. So again, I have to ask. What is a
real anarchist? And how does creating this
hierarchy serve
your "anarchy"?
Is this what it means to be a
real anarchist?
Anarkid wrote:I believe that no man has a right to tell any other man what he can or cannot do with his own property, body, mind, soul, and life.
If so, what's with the heavily gendered language (here and throughout your other posts)? Where is the deconstruction of patriachy? Again, your language has a foundation in the structures of domination and continues to reveal an adherence to hierarchies.
Anarkid wrote:I believe that you are the supreme ruler of your own life and property and anyone that interferes with your freedom to do as you wish (without harming others) is a criminal.
Now this is a particularly interesting phraseology to encounter from a self-proclaimed anarchist. You are the "supreme ruler" of your own life? Really? I understand the concept you are driving at, but it seems like an odd way to put it (given a context of "no gods, no masters" as well as other anti-authoritarian frameworks usually present in anarchist thought).
Additionally, unless I'm mistaken, you have explicitly voiced support for private property (here and elsewhere). But how else am I to understand "I believe that you are the supreme ruler of your own...property" when you present no differentiation from "property" as currently understood? Why the emphasis on property? What about the commons? Again, this seems odd coming from a self-professed anarchist...especially a
real anarchist.
Finally, your declaration of a criminal class is somewhat troubling, to say the least. While there are mechanisms for autonomous communities to remove people from their midst, generally speaking, the people removed are not referred to as "criminals," nor are they treated in the manner that dominant society tends to treat people it has criminalized. To my mind, this presents further engagement with authoritarian, hierarchical structures on your part. I find this to be at literal and political odds with a term that literally means the absence of hierarchies.
Anarkid wrote:I hope to one day retire into the woods and live a simple, peaceful life with no bills and no reliance on anyone but myself. Grow and kill my own food, solar power for my own electricity, and a well for my own water.
Anarkid wrote:I believe that you are the supreme ruler of your own life and property...
When I first read these, I instantly thought of something a friend of mine once said:
“Some anarchists see anarchy as the ability to do whatever they want without having to be accountable to anyone else for their actions. I personally think that that kind of attitude is just the standard American “rugged individualism” bullshit repackaged as a faux-radical alternative, because it doesn’t challenge the fundamental alienation from each other we suffer under capitalism and the state.”
Anarkid wrote:I belive in the non-aggresion principle.
Anarkid wrote:I have always been a proponent of the "if you don't work, you don't eat" approach in life. I belief that no one deserves anything and if you want something it is up to you to acquire it by any means necessary (as long as you do no harm to others in the process).
When I read this...I'm left with one conclusion. You are a libertarian (in the American sense of the term) rather than an anarchist. American libertarians tend to use the terms as though they're interchangeable (see: anarcho-capitalists
![Laughing](/forum/images/emoticons/laughing.png)
) although most anarchists would likely disagree vehemently. In re-reading much of your writing on this site, this is the only conclusion that comes to mind, especially in light of your support for private property and heavy emphasis on individualism, as well as your phraseology. Would you agree? Do you identify as a libertarian?
I just thought it bears examination, given your name the fact that little one-liners related to this keep popping up in your various threads.
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The OHTIn New York, we wrote the legal number on our arms in marker...To call a lawyer if we were arrested.
In Istanbul, People wrote their blood types on their arms. I hear in Egypt, They just write Their names.
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