In my last post I got a great comment asking "How can you be an anarchist and believe in democracy, too?" To which I replied:
First, I don't believe in "either/or". I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect political theory or form of government because people aren't perfect. (I know that sounds ridiculously obvious to Kossacks like us, but you know very well that there are a lot of people who would be offended by that statement.)
I started to reply to you in full, but then I realized that to discuss my personal beliefs fully would take more than a comment or even a diary; it would probably turn into a hellishly boring manifesto (as these things tend to do).
The thing is, I know what I think would be a more viable sociopolitical paradigm, but I also know that it would be wrong of me to push that on anyone. I don't know whether anarchism would be viable on a large scale; a true anarchist society relies on everyone to do their part, and see above where I acknowledge that people aren't perfect.
I started to add here some of the things I saw and learned as part of the Boston Occupation, but that would be a whole 'nother post (maybe it will be!), and as I said, I'm trying to keep this from getting too long and convoluted.
So basically I'm going to say: I have to play the hand I'm dealt. I work towards a new sociopolitical paradigm, but I know full well it ain't gonna happen before November. In the short term, we have to make sure that the rights of each individual in this country are protected and where necessary restored, and I feel that I have a personal responsibility to do my part.
See the bold part? I know it's way late to the party, but I'm going to give it a go behind the squiggle. Please note that -- as I threatened in the block quote above -- it's gonna get long. Enter at your own risk.
EDIT: I told you it would turn into a manifesto! This has gotten so bloody long even behind the squig that I don't want to bore you by blathering on and on. Believe me, I could keep going for pages, but my thoughts are not so important that I feel the need to submit you to them. In fact -- and this is not about begging for validation or nuffin' -- I won't bother you with more unless you let me know you want to read it. It's all cool.
So here goes:
Were you at the Boston Occupation on Dewey Square? Do you remember a woman who sat outside the Legal Group tent every day knitting? That was me. (Hi! I'm Spider!)
Occupy Boston gave me the amazing chance to participate in the creation of a Temporary Autonomous Zone. It was awesome to be part of something that sprang up overnight like a mushroom and quickly grew from an encampment to a real village. It was even more awesome to participate in a living experiment in alternative sociopolitical paradigm.
The thing is, not everyone was there to create a new society, and that's what made it fascinating. Unlike a T.A.Z such as Burning Man, most people at the occupation didn't even realize until it was overtly pointed out that, as a non-hierarchical structure with no leaders, we were in fact an anarchist society.
I had known cognitively from the start that most occupiers were there specifically in protest of the corporate stranglehold on the USA's increasingly corrupt and dysfunctional government, and were primarily interested in fixing the current paradigm as opposed to replacing it. I also knew that our encampment was home to many residents who were mainly looking for a home that would welcome them and feed, clothe and house them without judgment. Yet it didn't hit me in truth until one evening, as the camp settled down and the only people on site were the ones who lived there 24-7. That's when I realized I no longer knew every occupier who walked by. That's when I realized we had become a real village, and that's when I started paying attention, because we had finally become a real sociopolitical experiment. In short:
Most people who live in any particular society have made no deliberate decision to be a part of that society. Most people who live in any particular society have no interest in taking an active role in running that society.
Herein lies the "flaw" in an anarchist society. We need everyone to take a proactive role. We presume that everyone understands that need and is willing to step up and do their share. In reality, most people won't.