Anarchism is a widely disputed label, there are probably as many different kinds of anarchisms as there are different ideologies or traditions in statism. Therefore anarchism is used in a number of ways--by people who want to abolish the government, abolish capitalism, abolish violence, abolish technology, abolish large-scale production, or abolish society. But what does anarchism mean?
The new Anarchism.net tries to answer this question. The new site is what the name says--an anarchisms’ network, a network of, for, and by anarchisms. The organizers of the site of course believe in a certain kind of anarchism, but it is our hope and goal to provide a basis for discussion. All anarchists are welcome!
Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.
Collected here by the Rt. Rev. Wor. Dr. Y. Foo
The Alternative Media Project is the umbrella nonprofit for Infoshop.org, Practical Anarchy magazine, and several other publishing, journalism, and information dissemination projects.
In common with Liberalism, Anarchism represents the idea that the happiness and prosperity of the individual must be the standard in all social matters. And, in common with the great representatives of liberal thought, it has also the idea of limiting the functions of government to a minimum. Its adherents have followed this thought to its ultimate consequences, and wish to eliminate every institution of political power from the life of society. When Jefferson clothes the basic concept of Liberalism in the words: "That government is best which governs least," then Anarchists say with Thoreau: "That government is best which governs not at all."
In common with the founders of Socialism, Anarchists demand the abolition of economic monopoly in every form and shape and uphold common ownership of the soil and all other means of production, the use of which must be available to all without distinction; for personal and social freedom is conceivable only on the basis of equal economic conditions for everybody. Within the socialist movement itself the Anarchists represent the viewpoint that the struggle against capitalism must be at the same time a struggle against all coercive institutions of political power, for in history economic exploitation has always gone hand in hand with political and social oppression. The exploitation of man by man and the domination of man over man are inseparable, and each is the condition of the other.
