This week's topic is a question from our sister site Anarchy101.org. Check it out if you haven't already!
Do you tend to call what you're against the totality? civilization? power? capitalism? the state? kyriarchy? society?
I have gone through stages of using capitalism, civilization, and christianity as thing-i-was-railing-against. Is it more useful or harmful (and in what circumstances) to combine all-the-bad, or separate things out?
We thecollective invite you to discuss your favorite anarchist actions from the distant and/or recent past, or in an imaginary future. Of course, definitions of "anarchist action" will be questioned as well and we expect to see many different ideas about the designation of an action as anarchist. However, this thecollective contributor suspects that even those that would dismiss the idea of an "anarchist action" completely still have a special place in their hearts for some kinds of behavior. What might those be?
The Bay Area Anarchist scene is in ruins. NYC isn't much better. All the big cities that have, in the past, been the it places to go for anarchism in North America are now priced out of reach. Where do we go to meet f2f now?
Intimate violence is something that occurs within any community, and among anarchists in general there has been a long running attempt to define and resolve it in a way that is supposed to reflect our politics. Tools such as call-outs and accountability processes were adopted and developed with the intent of countering a culture in which intimate violence is denied, hidden, or thrown back at the person claiming to have been wronged.
What's your list of things that you think all anarchists either should do or already do? Are they concrete things or abstract? How often do you live up to your own list? What are the things that are crucial (like, if folks don't do them they're not anarchists)? Put another way, is your list mostly definitional or aspirational (remember, Ursula Le Guin says she's not good enough to be an anarchist). Is your list a response to current events or to your life thus far?
This May Day, we are taking a look at the remembrance of things past. Anarchist commemorations, celebrations, and events that have garnered an annual follow-up or situations that may.
Back in the 19th century visions of a new anarchist society were first articulated, and right before that century ended Peter Kropotkin published 'Fields, Factories and Workshops', a book that was groundbreaking in laying out how an anarchist society could operate.
What are some examples of things you've strongly believed in the past but don't currently, actions or protests you once thought were effective, or moments that changed the course of your political/anti-political growth or somehow informed the way you view or approach things today? What caused you to change or move away from your former views, methods, assumptions, etc.? Has a negative experience ever proven useful for provoking some sort of personal turning point?
It can be tricky finding compatibility in dating and relationships at the best of times. So how do anarchist views and ways affect these things, especially considering anarchists make up a tiny percentage of the overall population?
Does dating within established anarchist circles help? Or does this become stagnant at some point?
For people living outside major centres, how do you find people to date who are of like mind or even who are not hostile to your ways?
Strong relationships are built on good communication. While the anarchist diaspora is not synonymous with insurrectionary culture its influence is felt clearly among any publicly self-identified parties. Regardless of lifestyle we, as anarchists, carry a certain weight among us. To evade this association is to ignore our edge as innovators. However, the deeper our connection with our anarchist principles the less relatable we become to those unfamiliar with the Beautiful Idea.
