Anarchy Works

This book takes examples from around the world, picking through history and anthropology, showing that people have, in different ways and at different times, demonstrated mutual aid, self-organization, autonomy, horizontal decision making, and so forth--the principles that anarchy is founded on--regardless of whether they called themselves anarchists or not. Too well documented to be strictly mythology, and too generalized to be strictly anthropology, this is an inspiring answer to the people who say that anarchists are utopian: a point-by-point introduction to how anarchy can and has actually worked. Contents 8 Introduction 12 Anarchy would never work 12 What exactly is anarchism? 13 A note on inspiration 15 Repression 18 The tricky topic of representation 18 Recommended Reading 21 1. Human Nature 22 Aren’t people naturally selfish? 22 Aren’t people naturally competitive? 27 Haven’t humans always been patriarchal? 33 Aren’t people naturally warlike? 38 Aren’t domination and authority natural? 43 A broader sense of self 56 Recommended Reading 58 2. Decisions 59 How will decisions be made? 59 How will decisions be enforced? 77 Who will settle disputes? 82 Meeting in the streets 84 Recommended Reading 86 3. Economy 87 Without wages, what is the incentive to work? 88 Don’t people need bosses and experts? 93 Who will take out the trash? 102 Who will take care of the elderly and disabled? 103 How will people get healthcare? 105 What about education? 108 What about technology? 114 How will exchange work? 119 What about people who don’t want to give up a consumerist lifestyle? 122 What about building and organizing large, spread-out infrastructure? 124 How will cities work? 130 What about drought, famine, or other catastrophes? 139 Meeting our needs without keeping count 141 Recommended Reading 145 4. Environment 146 What’s to stop someone from destroying the environment? 146 What about global environmental problems, like climate change? 155 The only way to save the planet 160 Recommended Reading 163 5. Crime 164 Who will protect us without police? 164 What about gangs and bullies? 177 What’s to stop someone from killing people? 180 What about rape, domestic violence, and other forms of harm? 182 Beyond individual justice 189 Recommended Reading 195 6. Revolution 196 How could people organized horizontally possibly overcome the state? 196 How do we know revolutionaries won’t become new authorities? 215 How will communitfies decide to organize themselves at first? 231 How will a common, anti-authoritarian, ecological ethos come about? 238 A revolution that is many revolutions 251 Recommended Reading 253 7. Neighboring Societies 254 Could an anarchist society defend itself from an authoritarian neighbor? 254 What will we do about societies that remain patriarchal or racist? 261 What will prevent constant warfare and feuding? 263 Networks not borders 269 Recommended Reading 271 8. The Future 272 Won’t the state just reemerge over time? 272 What about other problems we can’t foresee? 276 Making anarchy work 277 Recommended Reading 278 It Works When We Make It Work 280 Bibliography 284 Introduction Anarchy would never work What exactly is anarchism? A note on inspiration The tricky topic of representation Human Nature Aren’t people naturally selfish? Aren’t people naturally competitive? Haven’t humans always been patriarchal? Aren’t people naturally warlike? Aren’t domination and authority natural? A broader sense of self Decisions How will decisions be made? How will decisions be enforced? Who will settle disputes? Meeting in the streets Economy Without wages, what is the incentive to work? Don’t people need bosses and experts? Who will take out the trash? Who will take care of the elderly and disabled? How will people get healthcare? What about education? What about technology? How will exchange work? What about people who still want a consumerist lifestyle? What about building and organizing large, spread-out infrastructure? How will cities work? What about drought, famine, or other catastrophes? Meeting our needs without keeping count Environment What’s to stop someone from destroying the environment? What about global environmental problems, like climate change? The only way to save the planet Crime Who will protect us without police? What about gangs and bullies? What’s to stop someone from killing people? What about rape, domestic violence, and other forms of social harm? Beyond individual justice Revolution How could people organized horizontally possibly overcome the state? How do we know revolutionaries won’t become new authorities? How will communities decide to organize themselves at first? How will reparations for past oppressions be worked out? How will a common, anti-authoritarian, ecological ethos come about? A revolution that is many revolutions Neighboring Societies Could an anarchist society defend itself from an authoritarian neighbor? What will we do about societies that remain very patriarchal, or racist? What will prevent constant warfare and feuding? Networks not borders The Future Won’t the state just reemerge over time? What about other problems we can’t foresee? Making anarchy work It Works When We Make It Work Bibliography Anarchism is the boldest of revolutionary social movements to emerge from the struggle against capitalism, it aims for a world free from all forms of domination and exploitation. But at its heart is a simple and convincing proposition: people know how to live their own lives and organize themselves better than any expert could. Others cynically claim that we need a government to protect us. They claim anarchy is impractical and utopian: it would never work. On the contrary, anarchist practice already has a long record, and has often worked quite well. The histories in this book show that an anarchist society can succeed at enabling all its members to meet their needs and desires. This book takes examples from around the world, picking through history and anthropology, showing that people have, in different ways and at different times, demonstrated mutual aid, self-organization, autonomy, horizontal decision making, and so forth–the principles that anarchy is founded on–regardless of whether they called themselves anarchists or not. Too well documented to be strictly mythology, and too expansive to be strictly anthropology, this is an inspiring answer to the people who say that anarchists are utopian: a point-by-point introduction to how anarchy can and has actually worked.