brainwashed from birth. l was there to Cullen, Brian Morris, Jean Robinson, The Voluntaryist: P O Box 1275, Gramling pay respects to the departed person, not Steve Booth, Doreen Frarnpton, SC 29348 USA. Edited by Carl \X/atner. $20.00 for six issues. to the state apparatus. which had Sigurdur Hardarson, Toby Crowe, Violet harnessed his last remains, but I was Jones, Brian Bainford, Colin Johnson, Freedom: from Freedom Press, in Angel seen as at fault. I should have gone Dennis Gould, Richard Alexander, Jon Alley, 84b \X/hitechapel High Street, London along with the ceremony anyway. l Purkis, Chris Tame, Diane Jones, Emily El 7QX. 50p per issue, should have conformed. Also - and this Johns, Dick Martin, Larry Gambone, is a good one - it was suggested l should Sam Olive,Joe Peacott, Dave Robinson, Imagine: A sceptical journal of philosophy have acquiesced, just in case the state Ed Stamm, Mike Long, NH Fisher, John and politics. $3.50 or subscription $5.00 lirom had got it right about god! Rety, Mike V., Simon Rios-Roots, John P.O. Box 8145, Reno, NV 39507 USA It is the social pressure arising out of Pilgrim, Donald Rooum, Harold Any Time Now: Anarchist decentralisl “policing” by others which is one of the Easthope, Colin Ward, Dave Dane, Dick magazine edited by Dick Martin with regular psychological weapons of the state. Frost, Desmond Gaffney, Matt Saabo, contributions i S fromi Larry Gambom-.

Social ostracisation can be more cruel Kevin O’Connor, John. Atherton,. Subscription by donation to ATN, Affinity Volume 4 Number 1 Autumn / ‘Winter 2003 £1 ()0 than a prison cell and in a technological VU D Runacre, Dean Kendall, D. Place, Argenta, B.C., Canada (VOG 1B0) age where images of the state are seen l-lowarth, ‘Tracy’, Rory Bowskill, Wendy’ everywhere, it is not easy to publicise or McElroy_, Ken MacLeod, Richard The Cunningham Amendment give credibility to other ways of living. Garner, Richard Bendall, Peter Le Mare, The Journal of the East Pennine Anarcrisps. Moreover, there is the fear of the Cindy Milstein, Chaz Bufe, Takis Dedicated to revolutionary acts of joy and irreverence in a world increasingly weighed unknown. Life under state control may Fotopolous, Dave Cunliffe, Barry down by sterile bureaucracies. lead to moans, groans and criticism, but Paternan, the late Peter Neville, l

beneath the heel of conformity,I‘; . then life widiout govemment cannot be The Individual published by the Society for imagined. llowever, as long as anarchist lndividual Freedom 6 Swan Terrace, ll" lastings TN34 3i {T writers and their work remain available,

then others can extricate themselves, like The Free Press Death Ship published by rnanv of us have done, from the state a " Virilet Jones P O Box 55336, Hayward (IA machine. 94545, USA

Jean Robinson

\- Friends of SUBSCRIPTIONS Total Liberty Subscriptions for Total Liberty are ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS available at 8.00per 4 issues (£5.tltl for low-income). Total Liberty currently As editor l would like to extend my The Match! A Journal of Ethical appears twice a year, but aspires to thanks to the following individuals, Anarchism; Post office Box 3012, Tucson, appear on a quarterly basis. Total l_..iberty distributors, writers and radical Arizona 85702 USA $2.75 Send cash or is a non-profit making venture. Back stamps only. bookshops for the help, encouragement issues 2-'12 available. and support; financial, practical and Global Tapestry: A journal celebrating Xerzd 619.5‘/J, .s'lamp.s‘ or pomu’ orders wade moral which they have given since the Anarchism and poetry £2.40 per issue. payable to J P Szfirrarkz to Total liberty, first edition of Total Liberty was Subscription £9.00 UK (cheques payable to 47 lligh Street, Belper, Derby l)l£5(> published in l997. 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For details send to thc Laurens Otter, Bill \X/’hitehead, Steve Green r‘marchist. above address. l6 tenure) of property and free exchange of value of their labour, one who works inevitable in any truly free society. superpower, and economically by a important that such journals re-examine goods and services both now and in any harder or better than another will People have varied needs, wants, and Contents range of multinational corporafions, it is ideas, and do not cling to those parts of future anarchist society. We believe that possess or have the ability to acquire mental" and physical abilities and are easy to feel disempowered and helpless the anarchist ideology which are no individuals should retain the full value of more things than someone who works therefore unequal in many ways. Some in the face of such awful accumulations longer relevant or which have been whatever they produce and should be less or is less skilled at a particular produce more, some produce less, and Editorial ...... Page 2 of political and economic might. It is shown to be based upon false principles. free to occupy and use only that land occupation. But economic inequality there is no injustice in the fact that this Individualism and Equality easy to feel it is not worth the effort, or Larry Gambone’s Ariana"/Jiir Creda, which they can put to use without would not have the same significance in would result in different amounts of by Peacott ...... Page 2 that the effort is ultimately pointless. published in Total Liberty Vol. 3 employing the labour of others. Of a non-capitalist anarchist society that it wealth. A society or community that A Teenage Anarchist Speaks by That perhaps we should follow Number 4, and reproduced again in this course, being anarchists, we also does in today’s societies. Patrick MacLeod Cullen, 16...... Page 3 prohibited those who so desired from Volta.ire’s advice and cultivate our own issue, outlines some of the more maintain that individuals would be free The differences in wealth that arise in It‘s a VI/onder Anything Works retaining the full value of what they garden. While there is no choice but to important anarchist principles. For to pool their labour, property, an.d/or an individualist community would likely by Larry Gazmbone ...... ii’ FD U1 produce in order to create an artificial U0 be realistic about the minuscule current Respect My Authority! example, that we reject violence as a land in order to increase their economic be relatively small. \V1thout the ability to economic levelling would infringe on the by Richard Griffin ...... Page 6 level of influence of the various tactic, that genuine anarchists act with efficiency, better provide for others in profit from the labour of others, freedom of individuals and thus violate a Getting that Message Out There anarchist journals, it is important neither respect and responsibility towards need, or simply enjoy the company of generate interest from providing credit, basic anarchist principle. by Steve Booth ...... Page 7 to underestimate it, nor to forget the others, that we act ethically, that we are their fellows. But these would still be or extort rent from letting out land or .As for those who produce little or Government, Society and its possible future influence we may have. resolutely against the state, that we are voluntary, private arrangements, wherein property, individuals would not be nothing because of some disability, there Critics by Dick Frost ...... Page 8 In some of the darkest days of the opposed to taxation, that we oppose the individuals concerned would share capable of generating the huge quantities are other means of providing for the less Wefl Fares the State Soviet Union, when few in either Russia coercion, that we accept that anarchism die products of their labour and of assets that people can in a capitalist fortunate than communal economic by John Griffin ...... Page 10 or the West were predicting the collapse does not imply any particular economic Reviews by contribute to the joint project as long as system. Furthermore, the anarchist with arrangements. There is a long tradition of that hellish leviathan, there were system but leaves us free as individuals R. Alexander &J.P. Simcock ...... Page ll they see fit, while retaining their freedom more things does not have them at the of groups of individuals taking care of A Reply to VI/endy McE1roy opponents and intellectuals who and communities to choose our way of to leave the enterprise if and when they expense of another, since they are the sick, injured, and otherwise incapacitated by Joe Peacott ...... Page 13 circulated ideas and literature in small life for ourselves. Further that we are so desire. result of the owner’s own effort. If people through voluntary organisations A Comparative Study by editions, in often hand typed and hand not sectarian but support all those Although individualists envision a someone with less wealth wishes to have from friendly societies to cooperatives Peter Good...... Page 14 written formats, keeping alive debate, seeking to oppose authoritarianism and society based on private property, we more, they can work more, harder, or of various sorts to trade unions. People Automatic for the People by Jem stimulating thought about a different statism in all their guises. oppose the economic relationships of better. There is no injustice in one who value private property are no less Robinson ...... Page 15 and better future. In a related way, that \\I/’e anarchists do not believe it ethical capitalism, whose supporters misuse person working 12 hours a day and six benevolent than those who favour free Acknowledgements, Friends of is perhaps our only present task, to to act by the maxim {bar the md.t_/':r.rIz]j/ the words like private enterprise and free Total Liberty, Subscriptions...... Page 16 days a week in order to buy a boat, while collectives, and would figure out any maintain an alternative tradition, to /;re.<.m.r. The means we use determine the markets to justify a system of monopoly another chooses to work three eight number of ways to care for those in maintain it alive, not moribund, alive ends we achieve. If we act unethically ownership in land and the means of hour days a week and is content with a need of assistance from others. with new ideas and ways of doing things and dishonestly now, that will deterniine production which allows some to skim less extravagant lifestyle. If one can so that if ever the global dominance of the sort of organisation or society we off part or even most of me wealth generate income only by hard work, Inequality in the Commune and the current regime stumbles or retreats create and people will be able to see produced by the labour of others. Such there is an upper limit to the number Collective EDITORIAL there will be anarchist and libertarian such actions for what they are: cant and a system exists only because it is and kind of things one can buy and own. Vi/hile individualists concede that ideas worthy of being acted upon. So hypocrisy. Those in the movement who protected by the armed power of More important, though, than the there would be some economic journals such as The Matchl, TCA, believe in achieving anarchist ends quote he primary purpose of government, which secures title to actual amount of economic inequality inequality in the society they promote, publishing a journal such as Total Freedom, Any Time Now! small as they ...‘by any means necessary...’ have lost unjustly acquired and held land, between individuals is whether die their critics among other anarchists Liberty is, at the very least, to are, of little influence as they are now, touch with their own humanity, with monopolizes the supply of credit and person who has more wealth thereby often presume that the kind of societies keep alive the ideas associated with still have the important role of helping ethical principles and with the core money, and criminalises attempts by acquires more power or advantage over they envision would be completely anarchism. This not an easv task. In a keep alive and of updating the best that values of anarchism. . J workers to take fiill ownership of the others. In a statist world, one can buy egalitarian and free of inequity. But, period when the globe is dominated there is in the libertarian and anarchist JPS means of production they use to create political favours with one’s money and although the collectives proposed by politically by the actions of a single tradifions. And in this role it is wealth. This state intervention in influence govemment action affecting anarchist syndicalists, communist economic transactions makes it oneself and others. This would not be anarchists, and libertarian socialists impossible for most workers to become an option in an anarchist society since might well be free of economic truly independent of the predation of there would be no government or other differences, this would likely take place capitalists, banks, and landlords. political structure through which only at the expense of the liberty of INDIVIDUALISM AND INEQUALITY lndividualists argue that without the individuals or groups could coerce some of the members of such state to enforce the rules of the capitalist others and use their greater wealth to communities, creating an inequality in economy, workers would not allow further aggrandise themselves through individual freedom. themselves to be exploited by these political means, as happens in a society Economics: A Means or an End about how economic exchanges, the equal freedom of others, is the most thieves and capitalism would not be able of rulers and subjects. It is unlikely that people in any future for Anarchists? decision-making, and social relations important goal of anarchists. According to exist. But even if money could not buy world would all be of one mind about would take place in a libertarian setting. to this view, libertarian economic and power in a libertarian community, some everything, any more than they are ll anarchists seek a world free of For instance, many anarchists seem to social interactions should serve to Inequality in an Individualist might object to a private property today. Some will wish to live and work consider economic equality as their promote and protect the autonomy of government and every other Society system and its inevitable inequality on alone, interacting with others only when primary aim, and a libertarian social the participants. And individualists coercive institution. This is what One of the criticisms of individualist another basis. They may believe that necessary. Others will wish to WOI1; in makes them libertarians. But this is order organised on some sort of believe that an anarchist society based economic proposals raised by other economic differences are necessarily groups and share everything. And often the only thing on which they can collective or communal basis as the way on private property, free exchange, and unjust, or that people unable to work anarchists is that a systemi. based on others, perhaps most, will prefer One of to achieve it. They seek anarchy because use and occupancy land tenure would be agree among themselves. private ownership would result in some much or at all because of physical these models to another at different Different anarchists have all sorts of they believe it is the best method of best suited to this purpose. level of difference among people in limitations would be unable to obtain times and for different purposes, or even priorities and visions for the future attaining economic parity. regard to the quality or quantity of the resources to make a life for some combination of the two. And any society. Their ideas about what goals are lndividualists, on the other hand, Private Property and Capitalism possessions they have. In a society themselves. lndividualists would argue anarchist society worthy of the name most important to achieve in an believe that individual freedom of Anarchist individualists advocate where people are able to realise the full that economic inequality of some sort is must allow for this. action, as long as it does not impinge on anarchist world influence their thoughts private ownership (or in the case of land, *1 J 2

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People in a society based on individual how they treated an entirely peaceful ideology to children and teenagers acknowledge it ourselves, anarchistic. As noted above, individualists believe who view the world differently. Many ownership of property and tenure of means that the vast majority of each We organise ourselves into groups, we that pooling of resources, land, or who advocate some form of communal protest by children and students, how land would be able to choose whatever generation grows up ignorant of cope when a teacher doesn’t arrive for a anything else by autonomous individuals society are as committed to personal they attacked a sit-down protest, and economic or social system best suits anarchism and what it stands for. Even lesso11, we set up activities such as a five- can be fully compatible with individual liberty as are private property advocates. how one policeman punched a child of their interests, personal relationships, freedom. Unfortunately, however, there But there is a tendency on the part of nine in the face. those children and adults who disagree a-side football tournament at lunch with geographic location, and temperaments, with anarchism, must agree, under the no help from teachers, we set up a are some anarchists who advocate the many anarchists to present a “one size In addition to this, we were declared without sacrificing the option of principle of free speech, that anarchist school magazine that criticises the staff, outright abolition of private property, fits everyone” economic model for the truants, and our families made liable for changing their minds and making other the school, and the establishment, and not allowing any Opportunity for those future, not‘ realising the possible prosecution - for what?’ Allowing us to thought should be allowed the same arrangements whenever they decide to engage in debate, which the government scope in schools as, say, Labour’s. All so on. Surely we, as anarchists, should who prefer a different economic implications of such an all-encompassing r do so. VI/hile some amount of economic itself claims to want? In reality, the the mainstream political parties in take advantage of this, and reclaim the arrangement. If such an economic ideal. inequality would be unavoidable in such Britain have youth wings, such as the word ‘Anarchy’ from the Sex Pistols and model was imposed on the world, those government, like all governments, a world, schemes which seek to bring Yottng Conservatives, but anarchism, by the Daily Mail. who wished to live otherwise would not For Economic and Social merely wishes us children to listen to the about absolute parity in wealth and its very nature, doesn’t - and shouldn’i. In closing then, the central message of have the freedom to do so. Allowing Freedom Party Line, to agree and to shut up. So I possessions i would simply produce But we, as anarchists (of all sorts) must my article is this: please, as marchists, do people no altemative to joining the local Individualists see the economic system take great pleasure in providing a another kind of inequality, where raise awareness of anarchist ideas and whatever you can to help us young commune or syndicate would simply they propose as simply the means to an differing view for my classmates and individual wants and desires would be ideals. anarchists in our ongoing crusade to replace the tyranny of state capitalism end. And that end is a free society of teachers to listen to and to debate. I subservient to those of the group, and By sending free copies of magazines or wrest the word anarchism from the with the oppression of an involuntary free individuals. We believe that only have noted, however, that, largely thanks limits would be placed on the freedom pamphlets I to school libraries, for politicians, the media and the state’s “community.” There would con~ free economic exchange, based on to the equating of anarchism with chaos of those who wish to live their lives in instance, or by putting them in public portrayal of ‘anarchism I chaos’. For us sequently be an inequality between the private property, can produce and in the media, the vast majority of people their own way. Such social inequality libraries. I have recently introduced Torn! children are willing to listen, and act - as society, or more likely, the committee or protect every individual’s autonomy, seem to believe that anarchism stands between and among individuals and we showed in our opposition to the other “delegates” who presume to their freedom to live as they see fit, for a violent revolution, with executions, Lz'[9ert)/ and Freedarrz to my school library, groups and the limits on liberty which it and was rewarded by seeing them read, illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. represent it, and the individual. The which we believe is the essential goal of internment camps, and Soviet-style would produce are precisely what during lunchtime, by thirteen to nineteen Without our support, anarchism in this group will make decisions and the the anarchist project. Moreover, while secret police. individualists, and, one would hope, all Furthermore, even when I have year old boys who live in ‘Windsor, an country, at least, is doomed to stagnate dissenting individual must comply. such an arrangement would encourage other genuine anarchists, seek to area not renowned for its revolutionary at best and to shrink or die at worst - for Thus, in many a collective or commune and reward individual initiative, more convinced people that this is not the eliminate from the world. tendencies! all ideas need new blood with new views no one will be poore.r than another, but collectively-oriented people would be case, and that Bakunin predicted l\*"Iar*a’s _]oe Peacott Surely this is a good omen, if boys and opinions, ever evolving and ever some will certainly be less free. free to construct whatever group Communist Manifesto would give way whom I know ignore newspapers such changing, and this must be the future of This is not to imply that all communist enterprises they wish by coming together to such a dictatorship, they say “Ah yes, as the Times and the Telegraph, will sit anarchism. or collectivist anarchists believe in and sharing production, consumption, but surely ifit works, we should be in an down and seriously read the text-heavy imposing their economic views on those or both. anarchist society nottri-7*” A valid point, you might say. Yet in fact it is us Total 1-.-il)erty, or read, and then think anarchists who are largely to blame for about, Ii'reedon1’s articles. For this opinion. Our inability to express our schoolchildren are, even if we fail to

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— --. A Teenage Anarchist Speaks: by Patrick MacLeod Cullen, 16 IT’S A WONDER ANYTHING WORKS by authoritarian hierarchies. Now, not all the work, don’t have any real say in it. “Anarchism won’t work - it’s never been our parents, but the state. The state visited an old friend a while back. have been a left-leaning person for \‘-Fe got into a conversation about hierarchies are authoritarian. For The same holds true for the politicians tried, and anyway, who would keep the itself, however, far from encouraging my entire life, and rejected church the irrational and inefficient nature e:»;ample, there are status hierarchies. and bureaucrats who are supposed to people in order without police?” this display of political awareness, and religion at the tender age of of govc rnment bureaucracy and he made I7.-veryone admires Luciano Pavarotti, represent us. They can’t possibly know Firstly, most children are popularly stamped down on it. I was present at the three. Mv liberal views, on subjects as but he can’t fire us or put us in jail, for what our real needs are. Onlv we know assumed to have little or no inclination anti-war demonstration by school- the point that such problems weren’t diverse as sextialifv, f1-'@@d01T1 Of he has no coercive power. It is the our real needs, but we have little ability towards social responsibility or politics, children and some students in just limited to the state. “It’s a wonder expression and society in general, power to coerce that creates the to do anything about it. This creates a and any that do are assumed to be Parliament Square on the 19th of March, anything works,” he said and gave however, didn’t fully take root in the problem. situation where those in control are pa.rroting the views of their parents. the day before war was declared. I saw, er-zamples from the corporate sector. anarchist cause until about the age of The system of top-down coercive acting n1ore or less blindly, since they However, as recent events have shown, firsthand, the way the establishment sent .~\nd he was right. \-"’irtually all large eight or nine, I decided to write this institutions suffer from such problems. institutions is based upon something lack accurate information about what is 3115516 On the .public perception of us children are quite capable of huge numbers of police — I counted at least l()() - with extra barriers and \li-"’hy they do is an interesting question. fundamentally irrational. Those in going on below them. anarchism and politics from the view of organising - both spontaneously and backup from other police units to I think the reason lies in organisation. control don’t do the actual work on the The sort of person who gets along well a teenager after having been asked by a rapidly - protests, dissension and prevent us getting out of hand. I saw .*\lmost all large-scale institutions are run shop floor or office, and those who do in an authoritarian hierarchy is the ves- classmate for the hundredth time; individual views at odds with not only 4 5

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to tackle the thorny issue of authority as lost its revolutionary zeal and Op@nne(SS_ be a route to freedom. Authority though Authority justifies what we do or do not man. Thus bosses end up hearing only well. Greed and competition have pretty is less visible. Sometimes it is in our do. what they want to hear and not the There are many ways in which much disappeared only to be replaced by heads‘. Some times it manifests itself Consider your evening meal. Are you truth. The main concernof everyone in individual and group authority can be conformity. ’ behind closed doors in our homes. It is going to have meat with your potatoes such a structure is to protect their arse. enforced: foot-draging, rioting, le Guin’s novel highlights not only multi layered and textured but itguides -':-“I -.3"-=" '. I ”’a”":iI I‘-TE-i"."'=1 1, - 1|” -z l--‘ti;-6-{s I and vegetables tonight? What gives you _ -Ilfii :-. Mistakes are only a problem when found '1 ‘H. . i . q _... . .'|' -Ti’-' ” ”' ' I intimidation, threats, gossip, gestures, the manifestations of authority but -also what we do. People will look for the right to, de facto; take the life of an out, and for those on the upper levels of strikes, patriarchy, sexism. Ever noticed its sources, many of which in modem authority for their actions in any society _, ta ‘é="[email protected]"Q:-"‘ s;;i§.'; animal (if you gave up eating meat 87 the human dog-pile, these are easily H-".1 - "j"'"'1'§.;i=-5'-;1"."’""’ _ '1 "fie any of these behaviours on anarchist society stem from its eteonomie including an anarchist one. Pennywise __ 5' _.__,_. *_|______. _q,:.l_i._Isr tn ‘rs;-.‘:.E:-__.:. c::.i..‘§an’ less animals a year would die)? The blamed on subordinates. This increases I‘-_;_:|;__:l___23$‘-=-. l".-’--. f__r ..|___.::"1! ‘I . __.._=¢.i_::_,__ .;._;_:1a_ J 1,:-*" -§‘-.- T ".':-‘j.'_"§i""r ii ”"-i"-lI1‘=i email discussion boards? The list taken superstructure. Given this it is might want to fuck authority but do they - .-,__._. L ___|_:_:*-u __:I-:._;=- __;:_:r -_ n, 0 .4 Cambridge philosopher Peter Singer has P’ 7.: '. t=":'='-' -' *1 the bitterness of the lower ranks. Y‘ f-_ in In reasonable to assume that if we q if _ .. ' gr‘, 1",... - F from T/he Expan'erzrr ray" Aatlvorzky in Early or we really have a firm grip on what it 6, ' ’ " pit ' -. .< - I Iflt - I made a pretty solid ethical case against Sociopathic personalities are attracted to .- I ' " Modem England edited by Paul Griffiths, dismantle this, changes of attitude and is? the eating of meat in his books Animal power. They are master manipulators (Macmillan, 1.996) shows authority is a action will follow over time. Christianity Richard Griffin =~ t I.-4-T I|’_,lJ .._. :q_‘ -. _ .Lll1erar.z'0n and Pracziznzl Er/yin‘. Christians and filter upward. States and real hornet’s nest! \‘-Ve experience it all in England for example is no longer in a corporations are founded by brilliant ‘Its _ justify (claimf authority) to eat meat .* =1-"5" F daylong. position to enforce its authority on our ET‘' "lib" ‘ it I '_‘W -r-— ‘" ’ W because they believe that god put sociopaths, but in time end up in the Anarchists certainly do not believe that lives as a whole, although at an animals on the earth for the use GETTING THAT hands of dullards, who then run them audiority in itself is wrong. Most would i11(liVl(.'lllfll l€V'€l tllfiitfii €:1I€ Still PEQPIQ and (exploitation) of humans. This is the into the ground. Creative individualists — argue, for example, that in an industrial families who determine their eejjoos MESSAGE OUT THERE source of their authority to eat animals. the sort of people who tell the truth - are dispute the authority of the majority according to the Bible. Soelohiologjsts You also hear people justify eating filtered out. Thus, the brutal and the who vote to strike should supercede the have considered why religion has THE GARSTANG -MARKET TEST animals on the grounds that if we didn’t inferior take command and the wishes of the minority who do not want evolved as an idea tl'1ITOLlgh()1_1t human Respect My they would die anyway. This is an institution becomes starved for history and across the wol-lel_ Their aybe this is wrong but I have a interesting argument which implicitly to strike. There is a moral authority of knowledge and intelligent ideas. solidarity which exceeds the rights of the conclusion is that religion as 3 soul-ee of strong feeling that never Authority! states that humans have created a power Authoritarian structures punish individual. \Xlhile this may be true in ultimate authority has been necessary to before in the history of the structure that has made farm animals subordinates for not obeying the respect of a collective dispute, anarchists ensure human order. Most people eould world has the anarchist message been so ennywise are a west coast US subordinate to us. This power commands of those on high. Hence, the would not of course argue that the rule in the past be compelled to behave if needed, the case for anarchism been so punk band. It is not too often I relationship gives us the right to eat folks at the bottom fear and distrust of the majority should always dominate. they faced an eternity of dsmhejjon for clear. The state is totalitarian, corrupt, get inspired to write something animals. those at the top. This leads to mutual This tension between the individual transgressing. What fomis of authority dying on its feet. Our alternative is vital. for Total l.z'be/fy after listening to Most people of course don’t bother to resentment and the order-takers find a and the community has been inherent in would bind an anarchist society Yet it becomes harder and harder to put Pennywise but there is a track on their consider why they eat animals. Modern hundred ways to ignore the rules or anarchism since at least I8"-14 when together? our political philosophy across. In many 2.001 album release Imid ayfrlie Free called shopping ensures they do not need too. thwart their masters. A climate of Stirner’s 'l’l1a Ego and z'l.t ()1;--at was Not all sources of eutlloplty see cases, anarchists have turned completely rather bluntly ‘Fuck Authority’ in which l Packaging and niarketing of meat continual conflict is engendered and published. Most anarchists believe that external to us. Michel Foucalt observed inwards. Partly, this is a consequence of the band assert the need to challenge products in supermarkets take the ethics much energy is wasted by both parties, at the social level freedom “is anchored that many of us internalise notions of the power of capitalism in all aspects of prevailing norms and values. The track out of meat eating (and much else). energy much better spent doing the task in a social being that celebrates appropriate behaviour and belief We life, especially advertising and all the got me thinking. ‘Where does authority Shopping distances us from the at hand. individualisation” (_/"Ti'lt2l’SL”/?Z”..l’77Z by Sean belteve for example that capitalism is various Bread and Circus type come from? How does it manifest itself? consequences of consumption. Authoritarian hierarchies are a hold- Sheehan, Iioci 2tl('l3). Does this really natural and permanent. \7Ue beeome our distractions. Partly it is a result of official What should anarchists do about it? Is Shopping then could be seen as another over from the Late Bronze Age and are square the circle though? I--low possible own gaolers. These beliefs are reinforced propaganda excluding and mis- there such a thing as anarchist authority? form of authority for eating meat. On rooted in superstition. The Bronze Age is it to take account of the interests of every time we open a newspaper or representing. Partly it follows from our Can authority be a force for good? \l§/hat the other hand so could the fact that our tyrant, as a representative on Earth of the individual when they are out of step watch the TV or talk to work colleagues, own inefficiency. is the "relationship between authority and families eat meat. This makes eafing the Sky God, was considered sacred. with the majority? llow meaningful is although not when we re ad Total Lzlyergyl PRODUCT PLACEMENT power? These are critical questions, meat appear normal. It is what we do. The divine aspect of the tyrant lay in the the right to consideration if ultimately In fact as anarchists know there are Garstang is a small rural town in which I do not believe the libertarian tilhere is a whol.e other debate about title and had nothing to do with the type the majority will claim ethical or moral plenty of ways in which people subvert Lancashire, which I take as a milieu has given jsufficient thought to. whether humans evolved to eat meat or of person he wa.s. lie could be, and l authority for what they do? prevailing norms. No form of authority representation of the ordinary public. Addressing authority is likely to be the not. The answer is almost certainly yes almost always was, cruel, stupid and t If there is one work of fiction all is universal and all powerful, Resistehee The ‘Garstang Market Test’ basically biggest challenge we will face trying to (although in the past we probably ate psychotic, but had to be adored and anarchists should read it is Ursula Le and transgression is possible but what ls says we have to be able to put our create a truly free world. Anarchists have l much less than we do now) but as obeyed nonetheless. Some of his (}uin’s 1974 science fiction classic The 1fllf61'€SliI1g lS lillillf p€Opl€. w'h() tfgnggfegg message across to ordinary people. If it mostly pointed to the power of the state ‘ vegans show you do not need to eat glamour rubbed off on his subordinates, I.)é.iy)0.i‘.t‘r.~‘.i‘ed. In this book she imagines a.n against prevailing norms and values cannot be understood, if it cannot make and religion as the sources of authority meat to stay healthy. Which takes us and the common folks had to love and anarchist world on the moon Anarres. In frequently seek to justify their eehons sense to the ordinary people on in modem capitalism as well as the back to the original question - by what obey them as well, even though they theory every one is free. There is no claiming an alternative authority. Those Garstang Market, then it isn’t going to economic system itself. Hence Bakunin’s authority do some humans claim the were little better than sword wielding state, there are no laws. The trappings of who trash McDonalds on anti—capitalist work. slogan ‘No Gods, No Masters’. right to eat meat? Hell’s Angels. power have gone but authority remains. (l€fi1OS ]LlSlT1l:_y' lllfilt‘ £lCtlOI"1$, Ql3in1i11g 311 SIMPLE, DIRECT, SUSTAINED Authority, the means by which decisions How is it this archaic and irrational In I.e (iuin’s finely crafted story authority for their violence. It isn’t just the words, though these are and actions or their absence are given The point of this discussion is not to .' ," system still exists? The power to coerce authority resides in the community and I believe that anarchists need to think important, it is also the way we say it. legitimacy is a much more slippery and try to convince you to become vegan but is psychologically satisfying to the the status quo. One character says “you more deeply about the notion of We are in competition with multi complex notion than this however. to try to illustrate the complexity of the minority who have the “privilege” of can’t crush ideas by suppressing them. authority. lt is a much more diffieulr and national advertising, cultural hype notion of authority. Too often anarchists ruling over us. Domination is a You can crush them by ignoring them. fuzzy concept than power. Power is very around Potter, or news and While there is no doubt that the state have concentrated on the big sources of compensation for a weak ego. This low By refusing to think — refusing to tangible as anyone who has been on 3 propaganda. \l(-that we do has to compete still attempts to stamp its authority on us authority such as the police, courts and self-esteem is the result of family and change”. On Anarres society has demo will know! We can confront it, with this, whether we like it or not. It whether we like it or not as the decision laws at the expense of every day sources societal repression, the logical outgrowth become a hetlvv mass that individuals or subvert it and dismantle it in many ways. has to be better than they are. Our to support the US invasion of Iraq like community, family or customs. As of a system. based upon coercive new ideas or creative. endeavours find it The great insight of classle shsfehlsts message therefore needs to be simpler, shows, we as individuals and as part of sources of authority are also locations of hierarchies. Thus, a vicious circle is impossible to emerge from. W'hile was to realise, unlike marxists, the more direct, more colourful, stylish, and groups though also make decisions that power dismantling the state and its engendered which perpetuates considerably better than the nearby importance of power structures like the linked to clear and crisp images. It needs affect others. WE frequently claim or trappings alone will be insufficient to domination down through the ages. capitalist world of llrras, Anarres has state. Taking over the state would 11€x_;@f to be repeated, over and over again, not Larry Gambone seek authority for our decisions. create an anarchist world. We will need i. 7 6

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will do; and we tend to prefer the devil succeeded because they created a new just for days or weeks but for months, in the circle, a new emblem which Market want something much better Thomas Hobbes, who makes frequent we know, though bad, to the alternatives reality/myth puts the cart before the years; all across different media, in identifies us as anarchists, but it should than this, they demand a product which appearances in TL - not surprisingly boldly promised by little known horse. Myths are spun around the facts different circumstances. Posters, also represent quality, integrity, progress. delivers. Sit down and write out a list of since his ideas snap persistently at the revolutionaries. Coercion is seldom of existence. So are revolutions. stickers, T-Shirts, websites, books, It might be something positive like a all the positive things you can think of heels of anarchism. necessary. Larry Gambone says quite rightly but magazine covers or inserts, on leaflets distinctive plant, a tree or a beehive. about anarchism and 'the anarchist Larry does not deal in his article with This tolerance of bad Government (is too hopefully that large majorities of the dropped inside library books, hidden in Over time, if this became associated movement. RX/hat have we achieved? the theory of coercive government but there any other?) was something john people are quietly rebellious. They want tourist brochures, or handed out at with other ‘positive campaigns and Wliat successes have we got under our Joe Peacott reviews, in TL Vol.3 No.2, Locke, intellectual father of liberalism, less government, decentralisation, election time. If we cannot reach activities, the emblem might take on a belts? Then, try to tell the Garstang two interesting pamphlets by Richard also recognised. A few years after community power, lower taxes, etc. - through to the everyda.y people, then we quality assurance aspect, like the safety Market people about them. Or, if you Garner about Hobbes which raise the Hobbes, Locke wrote that rebellion and other such “libertarian positions”. will have less and less impact on the kitetnark. can’t think of any, go out there and issue. Sadly, people ‘who share some ideas, situation, less relevance. DELIVERY create some first. Hobbes argued that the State was should never happen because the people were almost infinitely patient. Rebellion beliefs or desires with libertarians are QUALITY STANDARD If we just think of anarchist Steve Booth, essential to protect the people from the not necessarily of that ilk. The high KITEMARK propaganda as a form of advertising, this Editor chaos of lawlessness, lawlessness being was caused by really stupid Government Tory libertarian who wants lower taxes, To go with this, we need a new symbol will not mean very much. The Green Anarchist worse than anything that even the worst - so stupid it deserved to be overthrown. Locke justified rebellion against tyranny, less Government and the symbol, some.thing different from the A customers and stall holders on Garstang State could do. The State would arise. out of — or be accepted because of - rational as to a lesser extent did Hobbes. decriminalisation of drugs, or the self-interest. Garner, however, believes (Hobbes said that rebellion was justified working class red neck who hates the that enlightened self-interest could if Government had become so bad that police and has no respect for other produce a co-operative, peaceful society it was actually worse than the condition people’s property would string up the. in which the lawlessness which of lawlessness; however, it was justified consistent anarchist. It is never safe to inevitably occurred would be controlled in the end only by success!) trust people who hold specific views and Government, Society and its critics: by private individuals and groups. The point I am making, following prejudices with which we agree. I was I am not that optimistic. His argument Hobbes and Locke, is that, in liberal once helping in Palestine with a student Dick Frost responds to previous issues of Total Liberty depends on people being free to develop democracies, Government does not rule whose hostility to Israe.li occupation I co-operative structures. Given a by force; the people are willing to be shared but who wanted a united hy are exploitative societies so a peasant at the plough, keeps its head only to fester for 20 or 30 years before struggle over the distribution of scarce tolerably oppressed and will put up with Palestine-Israel state ruled according to often stable? The question down waiting for the rain. they seep like poison into the realm of resources. the most likely outcome of bad regimes far beyond the demands of Sharia law. has been raised several times How could 25 million adults tolerated truth, their virulence spent. any free market is the success of the reason. We have only to look around the Larry, Richard Griffin, Steve Booth in recent copies of TL. In Volume 3, understand the intricacies of any policy — Occasionally, institutionalised child most powerful gang, leading to its world or glance at a few pages of history and others see hope in co-ops, LETS Number 2., IPS writes that, “however the facts, the legal jargon, the arcane abuse, police atrocities, hospital scandals establishment as the Government...the to see the truth of that. schemes, allotments, credit unions and depressing it may be, we must conclude vocabulary, the history, exceptions, or prison riots provoke inquiries, old, old story. However, I do not agree with Steve so on. Richard likens such alternatives that they (ruling elites) carry out their implications, speculations — the sheer reports. recommendations and promises. Hobbes is generally taken as the Booth (TL Vol. 3 No. 3) that the State is to the embryonic capitalism in 14* I-leads roll to safer jobs and cynics wait murderous work with the consent of the weight of it? \Vhy should we try? apologist for State power (as Gambone now more authoritarian than ever. century Florence. Rory Bowskill, in his for the next tragedy. We do not wait in majority of the governed”. On the The fact is that Govemment of even describes it) but he does not simply say Though it has closed circuit television review of “Permaculture” (TL Vol. 3 following page, Larry Gambone writes: tiny states cannot be by the people. It is vain. that people should obey Government and sophisticated eaves-dropping No. 2) suggests that alternative networks How is consent imaginable in such a “The state consists of the rule of a small done to the people and is usually because the alternative would be worse. technology, I doubt that it is more which provide food, health, education and often conspiratorial elite forcing the tolerated, like the weather. And when, political system? I am not demeaning He says that people will (almost) always “total” than Elizabethan England, etc. undermine both the state and the people. The system is not intended mass of the population to do i.ts after a tedious ten or 15 years, the willingly accept and obey whatever Calvin’s Geneva, Germany under either capitalism and he envisages a time when bidding”. people are pissed off, they kick out to serve them. In England its basic government they find themselves living the Gestapo or the stazi or Stalin’s “a call for total non—compliance with the outlines stem from a settlement, which It is possible that both these Tweedledum and vote in Tweedledee, under no matter how bad it is. They tyranny. State... will be responded to with statements are true; no doubt they could theoretically in support of, and broke the power of the crown and desire order and security and they expect But what is to be done, given the enthusiasm by millions. . .” be made to fit together. Certainly some opposition to, 30,()O() word manifestos established the power of landowners, to get it if they obey the law. This does supine nature of consent? Steve I have helped set up two LETS regimes are violently oppressive but in very few have seen and even fewer have who subsequently bent sufficiently to let not mean they consent to the actions of suggests we shun “those who actively schemes, have friends who “home in the wealthy capitalists o.f industry. the liberal democracies, other factors read. Hope and habit triumph over “their” government; they tolerate them participate in the regime”. Considering school” their children, and have been in They happy few were “the people” and rule. experience yet again. to ensure a degree of security, in spite of the extent of the State, I cannot even various little co-ops and one sad they were able effectively to control the Even this is only part of the picture, its many failings. imagine how this might work. I wonder commune. However much I sympathise, For most of the time we, the people, for we know that government is not system: they owned it and it served Hobbes saw around him such how I would be effected since I live on I do not see these swallows as give consent to very few of the actions only incomprehensible, it is also them. acquiescence: the breakdown of society State benefit! harbingers of summer. Many people Through the trick of representative of government. Some decisions -- like secretive, dishonest and corrupt. into civil war; the acceptance of the Richard Griffin (TL Vol. 3 No. 3) says involved are not seriously libertarian: govemment, they later gave the masses that to invade Iraq — are clearly opposed Apathy isn’t enough. The development Cromwellian Commonwealth; the both that “people... have... intemalised they do not want to see the end of the charade of democracy. That is what by the majority. But most are simply of the atomic bomb was astate secret; disorder of the weak government which the idea of the State, becoming in the government as they know it, nor of we have still and its tatters conceal less incomprehensible and beyond the Egypt was invaded in I956 on the basis followed Cromwell’s death, and the process their own prison warder” but private property as they enjoy it; few and less each year our naked possibility of either blind or informed of a plot by the UK, France and Israel; happy return of a monarchy which was that we can “create new ways of being”: doubt the value of family life and they powerlessness. That any anarchist consent. Only full-time civil servants the supply of arms to oppressive regimes far less efficient and much more corrupt that we can “imagine (the State and certainly are averse to the risks of should even discuss the value of voting have a half-way adequate grasp of the was covered up. Scandals - like the than the Commonwealth. The people capitalism) away. I doubt it. So does serious change. (Wendy Mclilroy in. TL Vol. 3 No. 4 facts on, say, education, health service Profumo affair and Bloody Sunday - are were as willing to accept Cromwell as Richard. He says (after Foucault) that refers to a debate on the subject in funding, refugees, genetic engineering, buried in inquiries by complaisant Charles as long as each imposed peace people generally find it impossible to Many support altematives out of hope .-*\.merica) surprises me. China, water reserves, energy, etc. judges. ~ and order. perceive an alternative reality to the State or for ideological reasons; such support None of this means that we are Politicians readtheir briefs; Parliament The stories of colonial murder since Wliat Hobbes describes is the inherent myth. Handfuls of~ anarchists, Flat lacks the reliable basis of need. They governed by force (Gambone). This stages truncated debates, the Press grab I945 - I ignore the outrages of the social nature of homo sapiens, which Earthers, religious cultists, et al may withdraw just a little way from accepted argument is often taken to be the for titbits of a policy to sway, deceive or previous 300 years — in Kenya, Cyprus, inclines us all to obedience because we create alternative realities in their minds norms; they do not withdraw from the message of the great l7‘h century writer illuminate their readers. The public, like Aden, Malaysia are denied and buried, need society. Any effective structure but his claim that the great revolutions State. As Larry says, thc “democracies” 3 9

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millions of people who have an affection foolish to open the doors to others. permit a fair degree of freedom and do what we believe is or could be useful. any individual or structure which claims rough idea of where they are trying to for the NHS certainly, and who are That said, I’m all in favour of a wholly most of us enjoy bits of it. I support alternative structures; I would to act in our name or which claims SO rightly distrustful of any changes which voluntarist solution provided I/Jere is the Where alternatives are making life support the Manchester People’s Forum power over us; hierarchies which are So, let’s assume that we have go beyond say, slimming down rzeeenaqji degree ofserial reipoasibiligjl present to better for the most deprived and but with greater scepticism. Such functional and temporary. There are consolidated a successful revolution. D0 bureaucracies. Nobody, apart from the make it zwrié. In conditions that were exploited — where the beneficiaries are organisations attract ideologues: diey are also, of course, liberal rights which we we now throw all the pieces in the Treasury and HMG likes means-testing. uncertain, I would expect libertarians to the organisers and controllers — we Swiss cafes for exiles who stay at home. should support while they are necessary welfare jig—saw into the air, and Most would be opposed to a slash-and- encourage pilot studies before taking glimpse through rose-tinted glasses the What we have to face is that — such as equality before the law, the encourage people to sort it all out for such a difficult step. new world. If such self-regulating anarchism insofar as it is concerned with rights to assembly, freedom of speech, themselves? We keep saying that free burn approach eipeczlelér if 2'1‘ were to come emf that their were no clear plans" fin" a zwiaele The provision of health and welfare actions were to grow, what might they society is a reforrnist movement, though and so on. people can accept responsibility for their services are major functions. which give not achieve? This is Rory Bowskill’s with a revolutionary objective. Hence \Vny are altematives like LETS own lives, and don’t need the State, but all-irzeluriee alternative. If the system of financing remained the modern state much of its legitimacy. dream again; but sadly, self-help through we should seek improvements at every schemes and others I have spoken about can they? ALL of them? The elderly? broadly the same as it is now, We should not be sitting back resting cooperative organisations has usually point as long as those improvements are worth more to anarchists than the The disabled? The just plain feckless? contributions would be compulsory, and on what is essentially a 19th Century been a stage towards full membership of clearly on the road to utopia and are reform and improvement of institutions No, but in my view, we need not be as such unacceptable to many anarchists. critique devoid of clear and practical mainstream society. Examine the sign-posted as such. There are which exist to satisfy human needs and so reckless. Alongside the factories, I don’t like it either, but see no practical alternatives. alternatives of the last near-two hundred principles of anarchist organisation which almost everyone has to use? National Insurance could also be alternative, given my view of the years: the co-operatives, building which could and should be adopted now collectivised, with broad policy made Footnote. I should own up to pinching the societies, sock clubs, the Trustee Savings by any organisation intent on serving the [The editor invites responses for subject to referenda. It sounds clumsy, population’s general j psychological title of this essay from Colin Johnson, Bank, Workers’ Educational Association, public as opposed to making money. inclusion in the next edition of Total but there are ways of making local profile. We should also consider the who used it for an article in Freedom even the trade unions. What can These principles include total openness, Liberty] organisations responsive to local needs corrosive effect on social solidarity which would arise if there were to be many years back. withstand the power of capitalism? total accountability, the absolute right of within overall budget allocations. Not All this negativity (on my part) will get the people as users, patients, clients, easy, I grant you, but surely preferable to widespread dodging of contributions, accompanied by fraudulent claims. john Griffin us nowhere. W/e must all act; we must voters, to question and get answers from starting all over again from scratch. Whatever anarchists may think (or Having just got rid of one form of prefer not to think) out there are parasitism, capitalism it seems to me

WELL FARES- THE STATE

owards the end of the Major contributions, paid mainly by those in like to acknowledge that these informal Iraq. Corrine’s Iraqi father was once an links with the Italian leader Silvio Government, and after a series of work in proportion to income. Of arrangements we re hopelessly REVIEWS SIS agent in Baghdad and later in Berlesconi, which fleshes out the brief course, those who pay for z'iz,tzrmm:e inadequate to meet the totality of London so she has a unique view on flurry of articles that appeared in the benefit cuts from 1970 Michael Lobster 45: Published by Robin Portillo in a rare moment of candour, should expect to receive some payout people’s needs, or that there were events. Torn Easton follows this up with press a month or so ago. Another major "Ramsay, 214 \‘I/estbourne Avenue, came to remark that he foresaw state commensurate with their contributions; instances of contributions being stolen. a long article on the British American focus of this issue is the harassment of Hull, HUS 3]B. Price: £3.00. benefits becoming reduced to the forced shift towards means-testing We are right to attack the grotesque Project and the war in Iraq. If you ever individuals by covert agencies of the “nugatory” (trifling) levels. How pleased reneges on that principle. Revealingly, over-reliance on prescription drugs, to Cheques payable to “Lobster”. need to explain why the New Labour state. In this issue the cases of Robert he must be to see Labour’s “reforms” - Blair has said that most people saw NI encourage preventative medicine, Government so slavishly follows the line Henderson and Malcolm Kennedy are derisory indexing of payments and huge contributions as “just another tax,” they healthy eating etc. but when will we get or those who haven’t seen from Washington, this is as good a place highlighted, including an extended (and rises in Council Tax - pushing steadily in are, but he omitted to point out that down to brass tacks: how would Lobster magazine, it is best to start as any. Any discussion on Iraq for those not up to speed on the law in that direction. To be fair, Labour has they are an /y)y'>0r/ieeered mx. {trey are anarchists ensure that those unable to described as a neatly DTP’d and will eventually lead on to the subject of this area, pretty unintelligible) look at the increased those benefits that are means- zrzrerzdedjbr er .iperg'fZepzeiyf>a,te. work or afford private medicine, printed monochrome, bi-annual 48 page oil, and Alfred Mendes’s piece, “The secrecy ruling on Malcolm I

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gone mainstream or have more application of permaculture and social of orgy tort, 2.2»/oereos if ls ooh» opposed lo aren’t forced to work by armed communities were voluntary. McElroy, prestigious joumals in which to publish ecological ideas in the here and now. poremolirfir" govemment ie to orgy rirzroriorz A Reply to capitalists, ignores the very real however, seems to share the to further their academic careers). That Trainer develops the theme that 2.2»/f1ere.i"0222egooem or/Jeri. Aizorelvz'.rt,t z'rz.r.i.tr flier economic coercion caused by this conventional view that most communist said Looner" remains required reading for western industrial society is people row and should gooem Z’l?€7775€l’Z!€.$’ lo alliance of capitalism and the state. anarchists are closet authoritarians and anyone who wants to peer below the unsustainable and supports his argument participatory rep/.i"_ orzd not are r¢reser2lo1fz'z1e.r to McElroy People don’t voluntarily work for wages potential bomb-throwers, and implies surface of events and the flim-flam of with a host of stafistics from a wide 22»'l}07i‘ipower loot been gzoerz. . .’ (our italics.) n her article on individualist or pay rent, except in the sense that that communist economic arrangements the mass media. My only grumble is that range of sources and projects. The ideas The Conserver Society pg I90 anarchism in the October 1984, New most people “voluntarily” pay taxes, are less likely to be voluntary than it only comes out twice a year! Do also and practical suggestions made by Of course not all of us will agree with Libertarian (reprinted with Because one recognises when she or he capitalist ones, an assumption with no check out the web site at www.lobster- Trainer certainly show the influence of Trainer’s interpretation of anarchism, permission of the author in TL Vol. 3 is up against superior force, and chooses basis in fact. _ magazinecouk run by Ian Tresman Murray Bookchin’s .forz'ol Ecology, but that said it is a po.r.iIz'oe rather than No. 4). \X/‘endy McElroy mistakenly to compromise in order to survive, does I do not quarrel with McElroy’s Richard Alexander Kirkpatrick Sale’s I~1’:mroa leole and pry’oroz-‘z'oe definition, which is rare in non-- claims that modern-day individualist not make these activities voluntary; at definition of "herself as an individualist also Colin W'ard’s oelrrorely in /slelzoo. anarchists. anarchism is identical with anarchist least, not in the way I envision voluntary anarchist. However, I dislike the fact Trainer’s utopian vision is essentially The contents of Trainer’s ‘Conserver capitalism. She ignores the fact that relations in l an anarchist society. that she tries to equate the term with The Conserver one of hope, for it outlines in detail "what Society’ fall] into four sections: Part one there are still individualist anarchists Benjamin Tucker, when he spoke of his anarchist capitalism. This is simply not is possible ooze in the restructuring of being the introduction which looks at who reject capitalism as well as ideal “society of contract,” was certainly true. I am an individualist anarchist and I Society society and communities along more the reasons why a Co.o,teIrz»er" lonely is communism, in the tradition of Warren, not speaking of anything remotely _am opposed to capitalist economic Reviewed by sustainable and community orientated needed, followed by an overview of Spooner, Tucker, and others. resembling contemporary capitalist relations, voluntary or otherwise. I do, lines. He advocates a network of what constitutes a (’§‘orzs"e-roe?‘ lottery. In her overview of anarchist history, society. however, support the freedom of people Jonathan Simcock ecologically balanced, permacultural Part two lists the detailed changes McElroy criticises the individualists of McElroy also e makes invalid to live in voluntary capitalist communities, socially, economically, Trainer believes are required, these being the past for their belief in the labour assumptions about strategic differences communities if they so choose, although politically self-reliant, and yet not divided into three headings ‘easy’, ‘core’ theory of value, because it fails to between communist’ and individualist I think few people would if they ~d a culturally isolated. Of course Trainer is (i.e. not so easy!) followed by distinguish between profit and plunder. anarchists. Surely, communists are as real choice. I would prefer to live in a not an anarchist and Trainer does not ‘consequences’. Under these tliree Some anarchist individualists still believe likely as individualists to leaflet tenants community based on principles like call this an anarchist society, yet for headings Trainer discusses very practical that profit is theft, and that living off the encouraging them to refuse to pay rent those of the communities in which many it would be hard to tell the matters: Food and Agriculture, Ilousing. labour of others is immoral. And some or to resist eviction. Communists don’t Josiah Warren participated. Such difference. Indeed at several points in Vliater and Sewage, Living Lightly on the individualists, both past and present, routinely put guns to people’s heads as principles, neither capitalist nor the book Trainer quotes anarchists such Earth, Building - Self-sufficient agree with the communist anarchists that their primary method of organising for communist, are what individual present-day capitalism is based on as Colin Ward -on the zero-sum clash ‘I Communities, the Economy, Energy, anarchy, Many individualists, as well as anarchism means to me. between society and state ...‘If we want Values, Community, Third \Ii-"orltI economic coercion, not on voluntary many communists, however, do support Joe Peacott to strengthen society we must weaken Development, Peace and Security, contract. Rent and interest are mainstays violence in self-defense. Communist the state...’ or comments favourably on Education, Inequality, Government. ’ of modern capitalism, and are protected anarchists are also as likely to be means- flil¢j>rz'rzred rail‘/Jpemzzmon ¢:y"z‘/Je anarchist ideas acknowledging the virtue Part three of the book gives numerous and enforced by the state. Without these oriented as individualists. I know some our/Jorfrooe From New l1'oertor2'orz # 74, jzme of the ovzoreliz'.i‘r as opposed to raorrvzlrl‘ examples of existing communities and two unjust institutions, capitalism could communist or collectivist anarchists, and 7985) view of issues concerning social change, projects which are implementing not exist. These two institutions, and the although we differ in our economic society and history. Trainer believes ‘sustainable’ ideas in practice. Some of money monopoly of the state, effectively preferences, they are as committed to The Conserver Society: anarchism is more in tune with these are in the USA, some in Canada, prevent most people from being voluntaryism as I am. As McElroy says, decentralist and ecological ideas than Europe and Australia. economically independent, and force in an anarchist society communist and Ted Trainer. Pb Zed marxism Part four of the book is titled Toe them into wage labour. Saying that capitalist (and individualist and Books London £15.00 Trwz.itz'z‘z'oo and looks at the possibilities coercion does not exist in capitalist mutualist) communities could exist side ISBN 1 85649 276 1 Trainer makes his own views about for society wide change beyond economic relations because workers by side, as long as all of these govemment clear. ...‘Although we do I individual and isolated actions, and need many arrangements, laws and beyond merely ‘educational’ projects

treaties which govern all nations, the last I-|__'|-—g__—___lI.. (such as the Centre for Altemative An Anarchist Credo espite now being 8 years thing we need is even more centralised, Technology in mid \X.~"21lES). Ilis since its first appearance this big and bureaucratic power. Indeed the conclusion is that in seeking to create a 0 Anarchism is not terrorism or I Anarchists are resolute anti-statists other devil figure, but are rooted in remains a book worth relevance of existing states and nations Corz.i‘e:n/er .3’otz'e{}~" the main area of action and do not defend either “limited the power to coerce. Only the I violence and anarchists do not I reading. In essence it puts in practical would be greatly reduced. Your country >— for the present is educational. This is the support, aid or sympathise with states” or “welfare states”. abolition of coercion will overcome terms many ideas derived in part at least and its boundaries would be much less same conclusion many anarchists have terrorists or so-called liberation 0 Anarchists are opposed to all these problems. from writers such as Kropotkin, Murray important than your bio-region ie the also come to about the prospects for movements. coercion. Poverty, bigotry, sexism I Anarchism does not posit any Bookchin and Colin Ward. Indeed area around you which forins a more or creating a.n anarchist society. I Anarchism does not mean and environmental degradation particular economic system but only many readers of Total l..z'oeri*y may less distinct and integrated ecological Trainer’s book is worth reading, not irresponsibility, parasitism, cannot be successfully overcome desires that the economy be non- already be familiar with the works of system within boundaries set by only because it is a mine of information criminality, nihilism or immoralism, through the State. Anarchists are coercive and composed of Ted Trainer. His books previous to this mountain ranges, rivers, climatic or and good ideas, but because it integrates but entails the highest level of therefore opposed to taxation, voluntary organisations. include the well known /*ll7t772’(l0?2‘ other geographical features. The some of the best of classical and ethics and personal responsibility. censorship, so-called affirmative 0 Anarchists are not utopians or /i lj‘l2eer.»rte,' §.e.i:lo:z'.rzo'lele Deoelopozeizr orzo’ ,foez'ol question is why can’t everything be done contemporary anarchist ideas into a action and government regulation. sectarians, but are sympathetic to (.‘/Jongge (first published I985), and in these local and participatory ways, wider ecological / permaculture 0 Anarchists do not need scapegoats. any effort to decrease statism and Developed to Deer/9.‘ .Re£l2z'o/king ‘Third Worlel especially when most functions have movement. Given that it is available 0 Anarchism does not mean hostility Poverty and environmental coercion and the replacement of Deer-'elopoeem.‘ (first published in 1989) both been reduced to a small scale and few through mainstream bookshops it may destruction are not ultimately authoritarian relations with from Zed Books, London. big or centralised systems are needed. hopefully introduce anarchism as a toward organisation. Anarchists only desire that all organisations be caused by transnationals, IMF, the voluntary ones. Traine r’s work ‘flee Coo.teiroer _l’oez'ery: Wliol zit laezag rezone.-ozerzded l.'l£’f'"6’ zit .o'o1p_ly II-m—___|_..._m_m_|-III-—$|_ concept to new readers. Larry Gambone /AIlrer/zarz'z1e,t For l_iz4,tzoz'tzo/2z'lz'{y almost t*lo,tu’eol e1f!d7Z‘l}l,t'?72’. /IIZo'I7"t;'/)l.l’7?2’ it zroyoitezrzolelj-* voluntary and that a peaceful social USA, the “developed world”, imperialism, technology or any qualifies as a manual for the practical o/Zen zezterpfirelerl or /Jezag opposed lo__goz1eivzeeerzI (I) See page I91, 2l(i and page 217. order will exist only when this is so. I2 I3

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axis. Another’s language can be received might rifle through your belongings. A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF APPLICATION FORMS FOR in such a way that its original meaning Media reports may highlight suspicions can get itself lost or, as in this case, AUTOMATIC FOR that my family would be part of an HOUSING BENEFIT AND AN AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD tragically warped. To begin again and insurance scam, making inflated attempt a reconstruction of the benefit THE PEOPLE? insurance claims. i form would demand a fundamental So. government harnesses the natural dd up all the words on an The tone of this language picks up on PLEASE NOTE. FROM 215T THE realignment of how one set of strangers human actions and shackles them to the American Express application the weariness of long-suffering benefit HOUSING BENEFIT / REBATE care for another set of strangers. For a state machinery in an illusion of form and you reach a total of clerks who can spot instant documentary COUNTER VVILL ONLY BE OPEN One summer in the 1960s, my start we could attempt to talk to each “common good” in an increasingly 12.8. There are a maximum of 44 answer anomalies. The words upped into ,BETW'EEN THE FOLLOWING HOURS: family’s ground floor flat and MONDAY-FRIDAY 9.00AM - 2.3OPM. other in a language that identifies us all two others on a council estate complicated world. Disputes, which boxes you may wish to respond to. capitals are being SHOUTED, much in J r fig W . _ _ as fellow citizens. For many this would would once have been sorted locally are On the Kirklees Metropolitan Council the manner of a tourist who shouts were flooded in a sudden thunderstorm. be rare human experience indeed. now channeled into the state process of Directorate of Health and Housing louder the more they are not being The endless fquestions required me to Neighbours and strangers from the Identification of the high against the low law and courts, stripping individual application form for Housing Benefit understood. Note (a) sets the weighting bare my material life before an estate, seeing the damage, turned up to is a process so ingrained within usthat responsibility and driving a further there are a total of 1134 words. There of the master/servant relationship anonymous administrative system. The help clean up and dry us out. Food was we barely fail to notice it. wedge between people. are 396 possible answer boxes you may throughout the document. very detail fatigued me, slowly pulled me provided for my family and we were It is a sad fact of modern life that most ‘The result is that instead of turning to be required to answer. It is much more comfortable to deal down, and always me sense, expressed given accommodation in neighbours’ of us are in hock to a variety of bone- themselves and their wider community I completed the former application with the language of American Express. frequently in capital letters, that I was homes. This was people working with crunching bureaucracies. Worse, we are for assistance, the people legitimise and form in something less than 75 seconds. The instructions on how to fill in: being SPOKEN DOWN to. I and for other people without the all almost immune to the fact that we become dependant on the apparatus of The Housing Benefit form needed three surrendered my trust into their hands involvement of any authority or comply unquestionably with the government figure. the state. They learn to distrust their hours work and only then after I had ‘Please useiblock capitals in ball poiiif or felt and_ began 3 PeriOd of waiting for demands they make of us. neighbour. If people are severed from assembled a small mountain of tip; notification. Consider that same scenario today. Ever expanding regulation suggests each other, then they pose no threat to documents dug up from various cubby- '" Hilda lived alone in a set of flats The basic human instinct to work that administrative solutions are not the ruling machine because their holes around the house. It was a tiring purpose built for the elderly on the together and help each other should still From the start your name is made to feel pointing a way to increased respect for personal lives are tied so closely to it. and unpleasant task. important outskirts of Huddersfield. Vfith help be present, but it has now been free individuals. Once you go down that Conveniently, they will also police the Both these organisations are from a neighbour she had completed the compromised and overlaid by I . '*w~:r‘w ' _.______Housing Benefit form. Once submitted road, they will argue, you come up government in a proliferation of laws, actions of others who attempt to tell established institutions. Both offer a ‘Please spell out your name as you wish it to she became increasingly obsessed by an against all sorts of untidy complications. regulations, directives, guidance, policies, them differently or seek to undermine form of credit and both will wish to I appear on your card using no more than 20 t No managerial structure can ever be initiatives, visions, etc. etc. which is the state structure in which they live. make investigation into the financial letters.’ overlooked entry on the form: flexible enough to deal with the serving to sever the ability of the They become the unwitting drones of standing of every applicant. From this It is not only in words that American 1'! ' ' complexities of being human. Knowing individual to enact with and help others the system. point onwards the similarities fade. Express gets its message across. There ‘I understand that a person who dishonestly this, institutions try to turn human life for the good of a community. Leo Tolstoy said “The truth is that the American Express is granting credit is well thought out use of colour and obtains housing benefit by any deception l will, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment around to fit the needs of the structure. state is a conspiracy designed not only to amounting to several thousands of typeface. The form itself feels i for a term not exceeding five years under the It’s an awkward position to find The state increasingly divides people exploit, but above all to corrupt its pounds. Kirklees Housing is talking in businesslike. It even folds itself. Should Theft Act 1978. VI/ARNING — GIVING yourself standing on the powerless side from each other, atrophying their citizens...” and that it’s education terms of single figures, at best tens of there be any doubts as to what American FFALSE INFORMATION COULD LEAD of the reception counter. You risk genuine helpful actions and in doing so, system is “the tendency of one man to pounds Express imagines you look like there is a TO PROSECUTION A compromising the value of your worth cleaving the people ever closer to the make another just like himself’. And Conveniently, American Express’s flattering photograph of two attractive The thinking processes of the elderly and your identity. You risk turning system. This means that instead of Emma Goldman said, “Ah, the people, form turns itself into a pre-franked, people, one casually holds the card, the living alone may well be different from yourself into a client, and thus, a turning to each other and their the people: they conspire with their ready addressed envelope that just needs other a briefcase. Handsome, worldly- an administrator working from an office. dependent on a distant and uncaring communities, the state is seen to be the masters to crucify their Christs and forge popping into .-a postbox. The very size wise and very laid back. Hilda’s life gradually became taken over state. only refuge from the vagaries of life. The their own chains”. of the Council’s form would prove Approaches from the lowly to the high by a belief that her application contained For me, the best thing these air- fact that the state has created or colluded Even those who are not quite sure will costly in postage. The only instruction follow similar patterns across a wide a misrepresentation concerning a minor conditioned Ilousing Benefit Offices in some of those vagaries is not often hold on to certain structures just available was that completed documents range of agencies. There is always building society account she held. Each could do would be to make up glossy in case they may be wrong. be “returned to the District Housing recognised by the people. considerable time spent in waiting and hour she expected the police to arrive packs with pictures of worldly-wise Sitting in a church at a recent funeral, I Manager.” I suppose people just processing. The extent of the and arrest her. Her pain was tenants on the cover. Inside would be So, in the flood example, it may well found it quite chilling how the returned them by hand. Anyhow, next to questioning requires an almost compounded by the horrifying the deeds to your house, a cheque for a be that today my family would have assembled large group of all political and the Receptionisfs kiosk there was a confessional honesty. And it all realisation that her trial and subsequent grand, and a little black flag to fly on turned immediately to govemment personal persuasions, nonetheless united stack of bulky completed forms. congeals into a dehumanising malaise. imprisonment would ruin the reputation your window-sill. Such a solution would agencies. The fire brigade and police in the mantra of the lord’s prayer at only The image each organisation has of its Vigilance is required in observing the of her son living in Southampton. As free-up acres of cube-farmed office would be called, possibly environmental a token gesture from the vicar. So far as potential clients is clearly reflected in the subtleties that take place when the she sat each day by the window awaiting space ready to be transformed into health, water authorities, local council I could tell, I was the only one not language used. powerful come to care for the the police, her images grew and twisted accommodation suites for homeless etc. Presumably, before any kind of bowing my head or chanting. There powerless. The clues are always to be themselves into all sorts of monsters. wanderers. work commenced, there would have to were a few disapproving glances from Note (a) on the Housing Benefit form found in the language used. Her fear and panic spiraled. In Bye the bye, neither of my applications be a “risk assessment”. OK, looking at it some who would otherwise mock the states: Not only did filling the form in use up desperation she decided to confess all to was successful. Bother! objectively, these agencies may be there authorities they were legitimising. Asking fime but so did securing a place in the r ' M M '7’ 4I*’4i'~7 7 7 W -M ;— the building society manager, and it was Peter Good to try and help, but there is a creeping afterwards why people felt compelled to j‘If you are living with relatives or friends as queue down at the Housing Office. he who contacted social services to say assumption that only the agencies can recite a collection of words designed lpart of their family IT IS NOT Even this time was to be restricted. that an elderly lady in his office could (Peter Good is on the editorial board of help out. In addition to this is the fear only to keep people in thrall to a NECESSARY FOR YOU TO COMPLETE Several large, badly stenciled notices not be stopped from weeping. T/Je Cunningham A/rzerzd/rzent) which the state has implanted amongst particular religion and therefore to a THIS FORM as you ‘are NOT ENTITLED were crudely sellotaped to the walls and Things are seen differently from A version of this paper first appeared in the people: fears such as picking up controlling group, I was told “respect jTO HOUSING BENEFIT.’ the doors: various positions on the master/ servant .ij>ea»éz'.tg_g Our .Mz'rzd.t, MacMillan, 1996. disease from dirty water, being sued for for the dead”. No - it is respect to the breaking people’s property in trying to state and its organisations which have l4 help, worrying about whether any guest harnessed the fears of those they have 15

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