Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

zorblax wrote

This seems more like a critique of anarchists than a critique of anarchism.

6

tnstaec wrote

This isn't really about anarchism (which is only even name-checked twice). It's about the radical edge of the Social Justice Movement, which overlaps with anarchism, but both are distinct tendencies. There is a lot of dogmatism in the SJ movement, but it's found in both liberal and radical ends of the spectrum.

I guess my experiences were pretty different from the author. I became radicalized at college, but I'm a bit older. The SJ thing was just visible on the horizon at that time. The bigger concern in the activist scene was how various organizations were cannibalizing the anti-war movement.

4

Defasher wrote

They should be an individualist anarchist, obviously collectivism will lead to burn out, most people can't deal with that kind of constant scrutiny.

3

EdgyIndividualistBuffoon OP wrote

I mostly disagree with what they said about anti-oppression work. The words of oppressed people shouldn't be taken as the literal word of god obviously, because lets face it - even oppressed people can say and do oppressive and/or stupid things. But I think the general mentality that oppressed people should have their own voice and that more privileged activists shouldn't try and speak for them is a good thing.

They are right though, anarchist groups can get a little cultish sometimes, which is something I'm trying to avoid. I'm lucky that most anarchist groups in my town are pretty open to working with non-radical activist groups, and this has lead to it being a more welcoming and diverse scene. I don't think it's wise to have your whole life consumed by anarchism, live in an anarchist house, only listen to anarchist music, only date other anarchists, only go to anarcho-spaces. Yeah that is a good way to develop a herd mentality. But it doesn't have to be that way and I don't think it's an excuse to become a "social democrat" and take the "capitalist road to communism" (wtf).

1

Naokotani wrote

I guess im cultish because I actually stopped reading at the "capitalist road to communism" part.

3