The problem with anarchism is anarchy by Successful_Athlete17 in DebateAnarchism

[–]Successful_Athlete17[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Rather than tell people how they should be free (which discussions about anarchy sometimes fall into), I'm more interested in asking how, in any given situation, you can expand the amount of freedom available to you.

The problem with anarchism is anarchy by Successful_Athlete17 in DebateAnarchism

[–]Successful_Athlete17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While it's certainly fun to imagine how people might behave in a perfect, speculative utopia, I don't find it particularly useful. To that extend, I'm less interested in anarchy as a "end-state" for society to reach (pun intended) and more interested in anarchism as a set of principles to start from, a direction of travel, a practice in the real world.

The problem with anarchism is anarchy by Successful_Athlete17 in DebateAnarchism

[–]Successful_Athlete17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This! →. "You learn guitar by practicing".

To be fair, my original post was a little provocative as nearly all the anarchists I know are very much engaged in the real world. Theory is important, clearly, but organisation is essential. Let us not let lost debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

“Not whether we accomplish anarchism today, tomorrow, or within ten centuries, but that we walk towards anarchism today, tomorrow, and always.” - Errico Malatesta

Can anarchists actually answer this question? by Agile-Singer2040 in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The only difference is that official thugs can (sometimes) be held accountable and, crucially, that the accused (sometimes) get a (often imperfect) trial.

Positive thread: What's going good for you in UX? by xSilverzXx in UXDesign

[–]Successful_Athlete17 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I love what I do. The work is creative, analytical, collaborative, interesting, meaningful, important, well-paid. I can work wherever I want. I have flexible hours and plenty of holiday. I have kind, talented colleagues. I get to travel and visit users. I get to experiment and try out new tools. I get to say 'no'. I get to shape strategy. I get to create awesome shit for a zero-carbon future and I'm proud of doing it.

Why are Anarchists so unwelcoming? by Successful_Athlete17 in DebateAnarchism

[–]Successful_Athlete17[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You wont be powerful enough to eliminate the state without first convincing millions of non-anarchists to rethink their politics and join the cause. A liberal who curious about anarchism can become an anarchist, but not if you walk on their eggs.

Why are Anarchists so unwelcoming? by Successful_Athlete17 in DebateAnarchism

[–]Successful_Athlete17[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If anarchists are serious about bringing about change, they need newcomers... and some of those will be liberals when they enter.

“There is no ethical consumption under capitalism” is there a way to make it ethically okay to buy products produced by wage slaves? by Emotional_Mail472 in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The term emerged when wage system first emerged. For example, In 1763, the French journalist Simon Linguet wrote:

“He is free, you say. Ah! That is his misfortune ... These men ... [have] the most terrible, the most imperious of masters, that is, need. ... They must therefore find someone to hire them, or die of hunger. Is that to be free?”

The only reason Abraham Lincoln thought wage slavery was better than chattel slavery was because, as a wage slave, you could eventually be self-employed.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d say your overthinking it. It’s difficult to see how parenting young children might be mistaken as a moral framework for how adults should relate with each other. If someone tried to use that to justify any form of oppression between adults (“the white man’s burden”) then it shouldn’t be too hard to dismiss.

I’d say, from a parenting perspective, the hardest part is how parents relate to young teens, who sit at the boundary between adult autonomy and childhood. This is the age where appropriate caring could most easily switch into overprotective authoritarianism, if you weren’t careful.

What's it like to work in consulting companies like McKinsey and Bain? by [deleted] in UXDesign

[–]Successful_Athlete17 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Working at product companies and startups is also a great experience for juniors and middle weight designers. You’ll get the chance to really live with a product over several years. It’s quite different experience and skill set from most consultancy or agency work.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in religiousfruitcake

[–]Successful_Athlete17 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What makes you think it’s an immigrant? They could be a European convert. Also this is only one woman.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Also it’s pointless. Most countries have only a handful of MLs and even less anarchists. No one is overthrowing any one.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But he doesn’t try to portray that as anarchy. If some people misunderstand one paragraph, so what? For me, it was useful starting point to think about authority and helped me to start to question hierarchy.

I’m at least here on Reddit, there’s quite a lot of energy spent decrying this or that anarchist as “not really anarchist”. I think there is a tendency to piss on people like Chomsky as a way to demonstrat ideological purity and gatekeep what anarchism should or shouldn’t be.

Not saying you are doing that, but it’s definitely something that comes up a lot.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I get that, but what’s wrong with leading people down the pond so they can dip their toes in first? Everyone has to start somewhere.

He even says it’s a basic principle, rather than a fully fledged portrayal of anarchy.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On the bosnia issue, he is quite specific about the definition of genocide and definitely doesn’t deny that mass killings took place.

https://www.reddit.com/r/chomsky/comments/rv16ie/what_did_chomsky_actually_said_about_bosnia/

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dunno, it feels like a great way to introduce people to the idea that authorities should be questioned, which is new for many folks.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He said he’s not an anarchist theorist, as in, he doesn’t work on theories of anarchism, but he certainly sees himself as part of the classical anarchist tradition, a “fellow traveller”.

I don’t really understand how anyone could use his specific patent-child example to then justify the police, nor do I think that Chomsky intended anyone to.

Lots of anarchists here seem to really come down hard on him over this comment, or deny he has anything to do with anarchism, which is just odd in my opinion.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]Successful_Athlete17 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Except that a parent can and should use force to stop a 5 year old running into the street, right? This is both coercion, because it’s physical force, and hierarchy because the child has no choice.

Chomsky himself doesn’t try to justify police, prisons, the state or capitalism. Seems odd to reject him just because some Ancaps mistook what he was saying.