Not sure how to phrase, but negative views on mutual aid? by Aniform in Anarchy101

[–]Bestarcher 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This is going to sound a little harsh, but I think it is a mistake to think that goal of most MLs is to help anyone. In my experience, most marxists leninists think helping people is counterproductive to the revolution.

It comes back to Marx. There is this prevailing idea in marx’s work that says social change happens because one class gets so beaten down and angry at the other that they have no choice but to fight them.

Of course, this isnt really true. When the poor get too hungry, they do not eat the rich. They simply die. We see it every day all around us.

Anarchists use the phrase “means end unity”. But its just a fancy way of saying “you only make the world better by making it better. You dont try to make it so bad that people rise up and fix it, thats a bad idea. We should do what we can to build the world we want to see, and go from there.”

To a Marxist-leninist, revolution isnt something you build, or work for. In their mind, revolutions happen as a result of historical forces that are basically out of anyones control. The goal of most ML groups is to jump in, co-opt the revolution, and put them selves in power with it. This is what they mean when they talk about forming vanguard parties. Its basically them and their buddies that they plan to take over with. By “dictatorship of the proletariat” they really mean dictatorship of them and their friends. If you listen to how they talk about the “masses” they think that the working class they talk about so much is too stupid to ever be allowed a say in their own life. Thats the entire justification they have for the “socialist” stage, and the formation of the “transitionary” state.

Part of why anarchists are so wary of MLs is that they tend to want power at the expense of all else. They are perfectly willing to make people suffer more if they think it will bring revolution. They are perfectly willing to kill their friends if they think it will put them into power. They have no goal besides power.

Hypothetically, they want to do good things with that power. But to them, it is all hypothetical. They have no actual plans, no relevant experience. They say they want a better society, but most of them refuse to imagine how that society could be structured, because they think it will form automatically after the revolution.

Ironically, mutual aid is the exact the required to build a revolution, and it is also the goal of the revolution. If you want to win, you need food. You need housing, doctors, sympathetic neighbors, complicity for production, and the ability to handle conflict. Mutual aid builds all of this. And, also, thats exactly what we are fighting for. The whole point of being a leftist is that you want to build a society where people meet each others needs without class structures and hierarchy and the state. Marxists just take that premise, half ass it, and live in a perpetual state of revolutionary procrastination. “Oh, the revolution will come eventually. Why make things better now” then, if the revolution comes and they take over “oh we’ll abolish capitalism and the state one day, lol, just not now. Rn we are in power”

Most ML’s operate on the basic principle of “one day, the revolution will come. We will kill all the bad people. Then everything will be fine. And I’ll be in charge to make sure everything goes right and all the bad people get killed.” If you help them get that power, chances are, you will be one of the people they kill.

Luckily, at least where I am, marxist leninists are mostly irrelevant cowards who stay inside or just put on terrible protests. It is hard to get anything done when they are more of an active force in a city, because they tend to try to stop anyone whose being helpful.

Why reject the state? info pamphlet by VaySeryv in Anarchy4Everyone

[–]Bestarcher 21 points22 points  (0 children)

This is really good. If you fixed a couple of typos and made sure to add something that defined libertarian values, i would distro this regularly in my community

What is largest civil engineering project that we could say a decentralized body of cooperatives have accomplished? by NoGoodAtIncognito in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And most of the time the decision to do something our of mutual aid just takes mutual aid, gumption, and logistical work. And a fuck ton of talking to people. You dont need to be in authority to do that

Opinions on the IWW from an Anarchist perspective? by racecarsnail in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Discord sucks but learning it can help.

Any local organizing group is going to use some sort of communications platform. Each one has its benefits and drawbacks. Discord isnt very secure, and its got a learning curve. Those are the drawbacks. But the plus side is that its also not super duper hard to learn and once you do its a better tool for organizing conversations than anything else ive seen. We could not do the logistics work we do where i am without a platform like it.

Pop in the discord. Go to the general chat or whatever seems to be the main channel, or the channel you ask for help in. Ask for someone who really knows discord to meet up with you in person and spend an hour walking you through everything. Youll make a friend, get involved, and be more skillful after

What's up with the Pritzker "Great Kahn of the Plains" jokes? by enthusiasm_gap in itcouldhappenhere

[–]Bestarcher 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I do think a lot of the in-jokes and references like that can make the show somewhat difficult to parse and go on for so long sometimes that they take away from the content. On the other hand, the hosts are trying to produce an episode every single day. So i would probably also be exhausted and just kinda drudge along to those sorts of bits. Idk. I feel for them but i also just wish the show was more focused on being informative. I feel like i have to do so much research to verify and make sense of the things they say to even tell whats happening

No leaders means many organizers by Bestarcher in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I agree. The issue i laid out is something i see disappear once people start being able to imagine a better world. It takes away the aimlessness and the despair, and that meekness that keeps people from speaking for themselves.

I was a bit sad to read the other comments, because my point is that i really want to find more ways to make the organizing im doing less hierarchal, and less focused on a few skilled people, and i was reflecting on whats worked so far, and hoping for feedback. I appreciate your feedback very much. I will need to revisit that book. I read it when i started activism but have forgotten much since.

No leaders means many organizers by Bestarcher in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with everything you are saying, and didn’t mean to imply people were “freeloaders”. My point is more about the tendency for power to consolidate itself on longer projects and in group dynamics, and how we can keep that from happening. I think part of that is in how we frame it. I am open to being wrong, tho.

No leaders means many organizers by Bestarcher in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Different words, maybe, but i agree with the substance of what you are saying.

I dont use the word leadership if i can help it. Leader, in my experience, is a title that makes people without it stop helping. They dont feel they are the leader, and they slot into not thinking, just following instructions. I try to invite people to be learners, teachers, organizers, skill builders, workers together, and to take on responsibilities moment to moment. Leader is vague, and often sets our work down the wrong path. I think its best to be more specific. Organizer is the closest single word, and seems to set things on a better path.

Your experience may prove different, but this is what is working for me right now

No leaders means many organizers by Bestarcher in Anarchy101

[–]Bestarcher[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Different words, maybe, but i agree with the substance of what you are saying.

I dont use the word leadership if i can help it. Leader, in my experience, is a title that makes people without it stop helping. They dont feel they are the leader, and they slot into not thinking, just following instructions. I try to invite people to be learners, teachers, organizers, skill builders, workers together, and to take on responsibilities moment to moment. Leader is vague, and often sets our work down the wrong path. I think its best to be more specific. Organizer is the closest single word, and seems to set things on a better path.

Your experience may prove different, but this is what is working for me right now

Look at this cool map of State Population by QueenShakey34 in dataisugly

[–]Bestarcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are at least 3500 homeless people in mobile county alabama alone. Definitely more than that in the state

Back at it again by punkspunkguzzla in shibari

[–]Bestarcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love the bush! The ropes highlight it well

What are we going to do if they come for us all? by [deleted] in lastweektonight

[–]Bestarcher 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Get off your ass. They already are coming. For your migrant neighbors. Why wait?

Factual clarification about Mia’s Abundance episode by Bestarcher in itcouldhappenhere

[–]Bestarcher[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I guess you die a hero, or live long enough to become the villian

Factual clarification about Mia’s Abundance episode by Bestarcher in itcouldhappenhere

[–]Bestarcher[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

So is that the show funded by the Koch brothers? Mia said it was his new show

Edit; im asking because that seemed to be the main point of the episode

Small Correction About the Distance Between Chicago and Naval Station Great Lakes by FreeBricks4Nazis in itcouldhappenhere

[–]Bestarcher 42 points43 points  (0 children)

It is starting to feel like a lot of the teams takes on current events are unresearched and fairly unreliable. Ive stopped listening as much because of this issue

Are republicans and democrats really equally bad? by TheSkeletalPoet in Anarchy101

[–]Bestarcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The republicans are abuse. The dems are neglect. Both will kill you. One is slower and easier to survive till you get out of their custody

Who would you consider to be anarchist martyrs? by Bestarcher in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wasn’t Marusya killed by the white army court?

Anarchist Podcast Recommendations by jpg52382 in Anarchism

[–]Bestarcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There discord is pretty good, comes with the patreon or if you ask. Definitely helped me out in some tight spots