Anarchy after A NOTE ABOUT C.A.L. PRESS Leftism The publication of Anarchy afler Leftism by the Columbia Alternative Library signals the opening salvo of a new book publishing collective dedicated to the uttcr destruction of the dominant society. The collective members, Jason McQuinn, Paul Z. Simons and John Zerzan, while having in the past worked on a Bob Black variety of projects, found in the course of discussion (and to their mutual consternation), enough points of philosophical agreement to commence a venture the first fruits of which you hold in your hands. This publishing project is dedicated to bringing to the discerning public not only the newest and most devastating critiques of the awful mess we ca1l society, but also to keep in print those "classics" which have lapsed into publishing oblivion. Now, not only will our ideas be on evcryone's mind, our books will also be on their shelves. We welcome proposals for furthcr books or pamphlets. No manuscripts, please. If you have an idea, contact us at: CA.L. Press, POB 1446, Columbia, MO 65205-1446 Jason McQuinn Paul Z. Simons C.A.L. Press John Zenan Columbia Alternative Library CONTENTS Anti-copyright @ 1997 Bob Black This book may be freely pirated and quoted. 7 Preface, Jason McQuinn The author and publisher would like to be informed at: 11 Introduction c.A.L. Press 17 Chapter 1: OLD MAN Columbia Alternative Library MURRAY BOOKCHIN, GRUMPY POBI446 Columbia, MO 65205-1446 USA 31 Chapter 2 T IS INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISM? Bob Black WHA POB 3142 50 Chapter 3 Albany, NY 12203-0142 USA LIFESTYLE ANARCHISM Printed in the United States of America 60 Chapter 4 ON ORGANIZATION Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data 76 Chapter 5 STATIST Black, Bob. MURRAY BOOKCHIN, MUNICIPAL Anarchy after Leftism / Bob Black. Columbia, MO : CAL. Press, 1997 Chapter 6 Includes bibliographical references and index. 88 REASON AND REVOLUTION ISBN 1-890532-00-2 1. Anarchism. 2. Anarchists. I. Title. 103 Chapter 7 320.57 IN SEARCH OF THE PRIMITIVISTS PART I: PRISTINE ANGELS 10 987654321 6 ANARCHY AFrER LEFrISM PREFACE 122 Chapter 8 IN SEARCH OF THE PRIMITIVISTS PART II: PRIMITIVE AFFLUENCE Leaving the twentieth century, leftism of every stripe is in disarray and defeat-anarcho-leftism included. And Murray 130 Chapter 9 Bookchin's Social Ecology is certainly no exception to this FROM PRIMITIVE AFFLUENCE TO trend. LABOR-ENSLAVING TECHNOLOGY Bookchin, one of the best known of contemporary North American anarchists, has spent much of his life staking out 138 Chapter 10 his own personal eco-anarchist ideological territory under the SHUT UP, MARXIST! banners of Social Ecology and Libertarian Municipalism. He is the author of a steady stream of books from the sixties to 140 Chapter 11 the present, including his classic collection of essays titled ANARCHY AFTER LEFTISM Post-Scarcity Anarchism published in 1971, his excellent volume on the history of the Spanish anarchist movement 151 References written in the seventies, and his failed attempt in the eighties at constructing a philosophical magnum opus in The Ecology 171 Index of Freedom. Bookchin has never been content with merely constructing one more radical ideology in competition with all the others. His dream has always been to lead a coherent left-wing ecological radical grouping into a serious contest with the powers that be. However, his attempts at constructing such a grouping (from the Anarchos journal group in the New York of the sixties to the recent Left Green Network within the Greens milieu) have never met with much success. In his latest book, Social Anarchism or LifestyleAnarchism, Bookchin aims to pin the blame for his lifetime of frustration (despite his decades of valiant effort!) on an evil anti- 9 8 PREFACE ANARCHY AFIER LEFTISM socialist conspiracy which has subverted his dreams at every an uncharacteristically generous spirit, from giving Bookchin turn: the dreaded specter of "Lifestyle Anarchism." For his due anyway. , Bookchin, lifestyle anarchism is a contemporary manifesta­ Bob's defense of anarchy in Anarchy after Leftism Isn t tion of the individualist anarchist currents which have always meant to express solidarity with those targeted in the latest bedeviled the world anarchist movement proper. The fact attacks framed by Bookchin's pidgin dialectics. Nor is Bob that the anarchist "movement" itself has always been more really interested in rescuing anarchist ideology from itself. He just wants to set the record strai t by c1earin away of a p�lymorphous insurrectionary milieu encompassing ?" � everythmg from anarcho-syndicalists, anarcho-communists worse than useless polemics. DefendlDg the potential for and anarcho-futurists to anarchist feminists, anarchist anarchy is merely an unpleasant task of menial anti-ideologi­ primitivists and anarcho-situationists doesn't really matter to cal labor that Bob has performed because no one else volun­ him. The important thing is that he has finally been able to teered to wash these particular dirty dishes; while he wants to get on with cooking another meal. name the anti-organizational cabal which opposes him and . .' But that's by no means all that's gOlOg on her . DlspOSlng to explain the esoteric links between its often seemingly � . unrelated or even mutually contradictory efforts! of Murray Bookchin's ideological and rhetoncal rubbish Enter Bob Black. gives Bob the chance to develop the grounds for a more general attack on the remain ng estiges of le tism while he's Now a lot of people don't like Bob Black. Many anarchists � � � would be abrmed if he moved in next door. Anyone with at it. Cleaning house of lefllsm IS a much bigger task than good sense would probably be upset if he started dating her dealing with one man's leftist career. So n one sense, by . � younger sister. Most everyone is loathe to provoke his anger drawing attention to his ineffectual polemiC, Bookchm has or face it head on. made himself an excuse for the beginning of a much larger And not without reason. Bob may be a brilliant critic and process of critique, a process that will undoubtedly continue hilarious wit, but he's not a nice guy. His infamous reputa­ to unfold with increasing militance into the coming century. tion isn't built on fair play or good sportsmanship. Maybe this is why Murray Bookchin's latest rant, Social Anarchism or LifestyleAnarchism: An Unbridgeable Chasm • The FiJlh Eswle's David Walson (aka George Bradford) has never criticizes Bob Black directly. In fact it never so muc h just written a valuable critique of major themes in Boo chin's work as mentions Bob's name. Even though it's obvious from the titled Beyond Bookchin: Preface for a Future Soctal� Ecology. book's contents that by all rights Bob should have received pubtished by Autonomedia (Brooklyn, NY) an Black & Red the same type of attempted (though ultimately feeble) (Detroit, MI). t was also sti�ulalcd by Bookchm? s abys��l S�clQl thrashing Bookchin reserved for George Bradford, John � . Anarchism or LifestyleAllarch,sm. However, Watson 5 work IS a�med Zerzan, Hakim Bey, et al. more lOwards defending anarcho-primitivism and rehabilitating a Obviously, Murray knows better than to challenge Bob to non-Bookchinist Social Ecologythan towards the crilique Bob takes a duel, even a rhetorical one. But that hasn't stopped Bob, in on in this volume of Bookchin's leftover leftism served in biode­ gradable ecological and municipalisl wrappings. 10 PREFACE It will require awareness and effor t from all this ta k, of us to finish � but it will be done. Bob s double critiqu . e in Anarch aifl ler incisiv Leftism only gains eness from the Y attitude of mpen nob/ has adopted �sse oblige he for his task Rath I� . INTRODUCTION er t an lettmg hIS past (and prese Own sordid nt) get th w y, motive � the lack of any (seemingly Bob'i� t revenge S avon muse) unleash his allows him to pen with just as � muc wit, but with herrings obscure fewer red This small book is nothing more than a critique of another put- doWns and tortur than ev ed self-justifications r. "The result I'S a small book, Murray Bookchin's Social Anarchism or Lifestyle ; rnad est feast ad e up . ' tently entert � af conSls- Anarchism: All Unbridgeable Chasm. His consists of the aining prose Imma' . be ' nent cn�l ue of a eminent social critic �� � wouJd­ a e more naIl obsolete I ' m the coffin of �ftism, anarchist_sty e You mIght not � I Edinburgh, Scotland & San Francisco, CA: AK Press, 1995. want to invite� Bob certa int a your house. I All references consisting solely of numerals parentheses are page mly WOllldn. 't B ut in . at least thank him dIshes. And for doing the references to this book. All other references-be they to Bookchin's let's get On with the next feast! other writings or the writings of others-follow an approximation Jason McQuinn of social-science citation style. That is, they consist of a parentheti­ Anarchy: A Journ al of Desire Anned cal reference to a source by the last name of the author and [he Alternative Press Review year of publication followed by, in some instances, specific page references. For example, (Btack 1994: 50) refers to page 50 of the book listed in the Bibliography as follows: Black, Bob (1994). Beneath the Underground. Portland, OR: Feral House & Port Townsend, WA: Loompanics Unlimited Sometime!> the author's name is omitted if, in context, it is provided or implied in the text, e.g., (1994: 50) where the text itself has identified Black as the source.