By: Anonymous

Anonymous
Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:49:03 +0000

Against Utopianism
Also, Anarcho, I should thank you for attempting to popularise the notion that anarchism or some kind of libertarian socialism, and those who fight for it or think it worthwhile or attainable, are somehow deluded utopians. This vile calumny, popularised by all sorts of reactionaries and pseudo-democratic liberal and leftist reformists, has done huge damage to realising a democratic, emancipatory, and libertarian mass movement. Its probably the argument I most come up against when I meet average people or talk to friends. Apparently, we can send people to the moon and travel the stars, turn men into women and women into men, but the idea of social ownership, proven in both theory and practice as a practical and realisable form, is crazily utopian- let alone advocating an increase in healthcare or welfare spending. Or 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs' which has also been realised on different levels many times before, not as an oppressive social norm, but as perhaps the most democratic and libertarian, harmonising both self-interest and a basic collective responsibility that defends social freedoms- i.e. housing, shelter, education, etc, by definition simply an extension of individual freedom to all, a free union of a freely associating humanity- and a relatively more equal, democratic, libertarian and cooperative societies have been proven to produce better outcomes for human beings- see the book The Spirit Level. So the question remains- What is To be Done? If we don't start becoming hugely influentual soon, humanity is literally fucked. Conservative, liberal, and social democratic approaches seem entirely incapable of dealing with severe existential threats, and I would say they are the most solipsistic utopians of all. And the Far Right is gaining almost everywhere. How do we stop this? Also, check out my blog http://theredstartwinklesmischievously.wordpress.com/ A place of irrelevant wisdom, hilarious nonsense and revolutionary reflections.