What is Anarchy?

Denerick wrote: »

So you'd be willing and able to stand up to Al Capone?

Or perhaps society needs an overarching governing process to protect the weak from the brutal?

Its not daft or immature at all - its realistic. Anarchism is an adolescent ideology. Most grow out of it once they realise how much they are on their own already, even in the modern welfare state.

the counter argument is that we are beginning to see that the welfare state is a ponzi scheme, there is no way the up and coming generation is going to enjoy the same benefits as their parents or grandparentss. personally I'd like to have the choice of funding my own medical needs versus buying the latest flat screen tv. So to be honest in this case adolescents areahead of the curve:D
Also from a living arrangement perspective I equate the modern breakdown in family structures and local communities as being corellated to the rise of big government and the welfare state. So one has to ask, after one has provided welfare to the bottom 10% say , why the rest? it is not doing me any favours that I couldnt look after on my own account.

Denerick wrote: »

I think I mentioned before the time I was attending (Though not participating) in the anti-student fee's demonstration in front of the Dáil.

The horizon was littered with the black and red flags.

Never underestimate the ability of university students to be moronic idiots.

It nicely proves the point that university education isn't all its cracked up to be

sigh generalizations abound.

I generally don't like punk, though I like the Sex Pistols and appreciate the progressive dynamism of The Clash, I'm a metalhead, but I digress, does this make me a rationalist nietzschean? no..... I advocate for the idea that people who elect representatives can basically hold them to account, ie if the representative fails to represent the people they are shafted immediately through the democratic will of the people without the inteference of private interests. This requires a certain level of social maturity which is the crux. That is what I advocate for...

Right now we live in an era of democratic deficit, our society is modelled on the American capitalist system which is a sham democracy and likewise ours is also sham. This is in my opinion an historical/cultural/maybe even evolutionary legacy whereby authoritarnism is the order du jour but one we can overcome through insight and imagination. However to adopt such a position would be authoritarian in itself so I am open to recognizing some of the potential benefits of authoritarianism however much the system in itself disgusts me.

Ultimately I think technological progress coupled with a mass political awakening will cultivate the environment in which to practice liberatarianism whichever way one desires it to be, essentially a virtual reality bearing a relationship to forum board groups. This incorporates some problems, ie certain groups swallowing up others, cliques, monopolies etc but...with a world expanded beyond physical limitations finding ones societal niche and the greater range of choices would mean that the individual and their adopted society would mutually benefit. Imo the solution isn't in finding a one size fits all solution but in letting everyone find their own solution. There is no ideal/sustainable political system and technology will enable people to pursue their own utopias. Perhaps this will never happen but then what is science fiction today is science fact tomorrow.

Moreover I have attended university anarchist meetings and I can say based on my own experience that many of those who attended, note not all, but the majority had a clear understanding of anarchist theory and were not driven by reactionary sloganeering/politics. However I emphasize that this was part of my limited experience and I cannot claim that all student anarachists are like this nor, on the contrary, that all student anarchists are reactionary rebellious teenagers who wave black flags and are quote on quote liberal lefty pinkos.