I am an anarchist. And I understand that. I flip flop between having hope and thinking there is none. Some days I think we missed our chance and now we’re too far gone. Other days I look at movements like the Zapatistas and Rojava and think that their may be hope. Ultimately I don’t think any first world country is gonna have it happen. Maybe if a country had a successful anarchist revolution and society, it’d be able to inspire people in first world countries. But I do think our hope lies outside of first world countries. At least till there is a proper example to inspire people.
I do still try to put an effort into organizing where I live. As I think it is still important to do that. Even if I don’t think it will garner fruit till there is a true example of anarchism in action.
I’ve found that the most I can do is to touch people in my everyday, hopefully sparking some sort of revolution within themselves, but not in an intrusive or dogmatic way. I live in a particularly conservative area, and I find that they are just people, people whove been indoctrinated to the point of apathy, with a side of fear of the unknown ie racism etc. I’m knee deep in the shit, and it’s overwhelming sometimes.
I am not hopeful for any political or economic agenda. But I am hopeful of the human spirit.
It’s pretty resilient, but also malleable. You add in our self perpetuating ‘I me mine’ mentality and you end up with bad actors taking advantage of the majority, decent people.
I do agree that the 1st world, at least where I am, would need something pretty tragic to spark some sort of sweeping change. We are not taught self awareness, at least I wasn’t, and I think that’s where alot of our progress will need to come from.
I like the story about how Francisco Ferrer got the funding for his school. He taught Spanish to this old, heavily religious and conservative, rich woman. He was able to change her mind by being respectful and not attacking her beliefs, but by having respectful discussion with her. He was never the one to initiate the discussions, which helped keep her from getting defensive and shutting down. And she ended up funding his rationalist secular school.
I am an anarchist. And I understand that. I flip flop between having hope and thinking there is none. Some days I think we missed our chance and now we’re too far gone. Other days I look at movements like the Zapatistas and Rojava and think that their may be hope. Ultimately I don’t think any first world country is gonna have it happen. Maybe if a country had a successful anarchist revolution and society, it’d be able to inspire people in first world countries. But I do think our hope lies outside of first world countries. At least till there is a proper example to inspire people.
I do still try to put an effort into organizing where I live. As I think it is still important to do that. Even if I don’t think it will garner fruit till there is a true example of anarchism in action.
I really feel what you have said.
I’ve found that the most I can do is to touch people in my everyday, hopefully sparking some sort of revolution within themselves, but not in an intrusive or dogmatic way. I live in a particularly conservative area, and I find that they are just people, people whove been indoctrinated to the point of apathy, with a side of fear of the unknown ie racism etc. I’m knee deep in the shit, and it’s overwhelming sometimes.
I am not hopeful for any political or economic agenda. But I am hopeful of the human spirit.
It’s pretty resilient, but also malleable. You add in our self perpetuating ‘I me mine’ mentality and you end up with bad actors taking advantage of the majority, decent people.
I do agree that the 1st world, at least where I am, would need something pretty tragic to spark some sort of sweeping change. We are not taught self awareness, at least I wasn’t, and I think that’s where alot of our progress will need to come from.
I like the story about how Francisco Ferrer got the funding for his school. He taught Spanish to this old, heavily religious and conservative, rich woman. He was able to change her mind by being respectful and not attacking her beliefs, but by having respectful discussion with her. He was never the one to initiate the discussions, which helped keep her from getting defensive and shutting down. And she ended up funding his rationalist secular school.
No one is a lost cause.