ti . $1.50 .r' g . i-\'|- '|','rt ' I Anarchist Society .5i’: I _~‘ ,1 Ii: li *1 & Its Practical Realization iii".1 i' X L_' "1 R -QFYHIWII“ rprrrrwvrr 1-I-y-p-|-rpjli-I-r ‘K. '~\.-\.,___ -v-ru- 1 3%’ 1 L - 1 MM-ii”:'1I- 2 i;~(i"‘~ mi .1 -_,. _’¢J/,? + § I __- ._1 ‘ . r_____ +- X """._""5-,1-."~'_f*_I-f"'"-~.-=..~.~,.--F \ |' 1" L J’ -.. L -.a - ‘IJ a I ‘I 1 J"'. __ _ 1 ' e ‘ff-__. I !m~ ;».::¢\¥—*-T ' l Ifi/3'"1."! l F7»?\ TIQUHPH-I.. if \ “I V.,..‘_-.‘. I""""f;:_-,-__ 5;?"-~.~,<1:;__e,._n a . E '-"If-..__\,4':fl%!.'J . --.'__“_._____'_' ' '- - Rh _. i I "_" "" - _- ______ .--v-v-'- - __-wq-.~,_ . I ~ If I T: -...---.,_. 1-. - --u-n____- __._r_',,-i" I ’ --I"'“‘"" . ______.._-_---... I __-. , Z?» |\ s» dJ_ '- _:.-1"“. Q " I ' ,...______I. .15; '"-¢$.’.." /1‘ (3 . \ Grap-hit: byi.Clifford Harper by Graham Purchase See Sharp Press ir San Francisco 1k 1990 'I'- 7;3%-';_.:-_;TI ‘'-.‘g"aw.;_‘:.|-._!-_'_1'*.'=i‘,,'I_ 4' 1 é *- I Anarchist Society S & Its Practical Realization by Graham Purchase See Sharp Press at San Francisco ‘k 1990 I. The Historical Failure of the Marxist-Communist State Foreword The recent political changes in Eastern Europe have shown us that the marxist experiment with centrally imposed, authoritarian state socialism has been a tragic failure in both economic and human terms. Even One of the most consistently levelled and damaging criticisms of anar- persons who are hardened and relatively indifferent to the general chists is that they lack a positive vision of the future. Unfortunately, welfare have been disgusted by the corruption, bankruptcy and sheer many anarchists have done nothing to counter this criticism and have moral rotitenness of the dictatorial state-communist system (as in actually made the situation worse by their insistence that anarchism is Romania). an anti—organizational and/or anti-programmatic ideology. This is far That the era of Marxist-Communism has ended is beyond dispute. from the truth as a brief look at the writings of the most outstanding The people of Eastern Germany literally voted with their feet. Lured by anarchist theorists—Rocker, Kropotkin, Malatesta, Berkman, etc. — the promise of jobs, department stores, Akai TVs and Mercedes cars will show. But it is a damaging and enduring myth. they crossed the border to the west at a phenomenal rate. Separated by a A contributing factor to the endurance of this myth is the fact that wall of ignorance for so many years, the peoples of the eastern bloc are anarchists have produced remarkably few works over the last half- naively convinced that the limited freedoms offered by western-style century outlining positive visions of an anarchist society. For that reason liberal democracy will somehow solve the many problems they face. l’m very happy to publish this much-needed pamphlet. I believe that it’s Nothing could be further from the truth! As we approach a new an important step forward in convincing our fellow citizens that anar- Millennia we are surrounded by a multitude of seemingly incurable chism is a practical and desirable alternative to the authoritarianism social and environmental problems— global in nature -— which capitalism which permeates so many aspects of daily life. and the “two party” system are unable to solve. Beyond this, the It should be emphasized, however, that in this pamphlet Graham so-called liberal democratic state, newly equipped with terrifyingly Purchase is outlining one possible way in which society might be organized efficient methods of centralized social and information management, along anarchist lines. He is not arguing that his vision should be imposed; can be but a fragile guarantee of freedom and continued progress for the he is offering his vision in the hope that it will serve as a road map for the broad masses of the people. _ voluntary reorganization of society—or, at the least, will stimulate others Despite the internal disintegration of international communism, to reconsider their own desires about the type of society in which they coupled with the emergence of a “grass roots” and overtly radical ecology want to live and to work toward the realization of their desires. movement (which owes little or nothing to marxist ideology), a significant sector of the organized left appears unable to reject a narrow -— Chaz Bufe and outdated marxist dogma. The Marxist-Communist states have produced environmental destruction at least equal to that of the western capitalist states and have certainly failed to guarantee human liberty and individual self-determination. If we are to convince the people of the Copyright 1990 by Graham Purchase. Reprint permission will be gladly given desirability of non-exploitative and non-capitalist social relationships, in to not-for-profit anti-authoritarian periodicals. Commercial publishers should, order to secure human freedom and environmental survival, we must however, contact See Sharp Press, P.O. Box 6118, San Francisco, CA 94101 if they wish to publish this pamphlet or portions of it. develop a language and a program that draws upon socialist traditions other than that of Marxist-Communism. Social anarchism is prominent amongst these alternative traditions of revolutionary social organization Anarchist Society 3 Its Practzral ReaZz'zatz'0n was originally published in slightly dif- and reconstruction. ferent form as a series of articles in the Australian anarcho-syndicalist paper Anarchism as an organized political force holds as its ideal the Rebel Worker in 1990. attainment of a rationally conceived, ecologically harmonious, non- exploitative and non-capitalist social ~-system. Anarchism, however, unlike other more or less progressive political, social and economic philosophies, regards the state in all its form as an inherently corrupt, hierarchical, authoritarian and unworkably bureaucratic mode of social control that is incompatible, indeed inimical, to the practical realization ___ _ _ __ ____ _ . .i___i_ ___§._.. ._-E ,_.__, _.|_ .' _-i= -_.. I I _ 4 Anarchist Society C‘? Its Practical Realization Anarchist Society C6’ Its Practical Realization 5 of a sane, just and ecologically integrated society. Social anarchism, social and political institutions, so it stands to reason that representative unlike Marxist-Communism does not seek to impose socialist conceptions government and the nation state represent only one of many possible upon the people from above by means of centralized state structures. It modes of social organization. hopes, rather, that the people, in an attempt to produce a self-managed, We as a species constructed the institutions of government and state, directly democratic and ecologically sustainable social system, will and likewise we can dismantle them. We can replace them with better organize themselves from the bottom upwards—at the level of forms of social organization, forms that do not rely upon constituted individual communities, interest groups and workers’ organizations. authority and large and inefficient centralized bureaucracies. Evolution Whether or not you agree with anarchists in believing that genuine is an ever-open book, and the nation-state, which has been with us but a social change in the direction of a socialist-ecological society can only few thousand years, is but a small paragraph in a long and come about with the destruction of centralized bureaucratic mis- ever-changing story. management, it is abundantly evident that the marxist attempt to The future of our planet and our continued evolution are under grave impose socialism from above has been a tragic failure. The Marxist- threat. Important social r/evolutionary choices must be made. The Communist concept of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” or “worker’s nation-state has not been particularly successful in solving the enormous state” has always resulted in the absolute dictatorship of the Communist social and environmental problems we as a species collectively face. Party— that is, dictatorship pure and simple! This is a prover: historicalfact. Governments have not solved the problems of violence and war. Indeed until quite recently the Russian and American governments were ll. The Place of the Government Er the Nation State in threatening to blow one another up with nuclear missiles and probably destroy the entire eco-system of the planet in the process. (Destruction of Social Evolution the earth is the least desirable evolutionary development imaginable). According to archeological and anthropological evidence, humans Governments have consistently failed to preserve the integrity of our have never lived as isolated, solitary beings. There were of course always soils and forests. The imperialist empires of the last few centuries, for outcasts and hermits who preferred or were forced to live alone; such example—the most extensive form of state/government exploitationl people, however, have been the exception rather than the rule (like the domination yet known to our species—inflicted irreparable environ- rogue elephant or the lone dolphin). Humans, like so many animals mental damage not merely upon particular ecological regions, but upon (from ants to elephants to monkeys), have evolved into socially complex entire continents. The introduction of new animals ill-suited to the and intensely sexual beings. Partly from the needs of survival and partly prevailing ecology and the exploitation of local bio-resources—fertile from the need to feel the touch of other kindred living beings, the human lands, forests, game, etc. -to provide raw materials for the short term species has socially co-evolved in the most intimate fashion. Empirical benefit of distant imperial-states has resulted in huge tracts of land being evidence from the study of monkeys and other primates assures us that turned into pitiful deserts. our species was social before ‘it was human.