One of the most rising movements I have seen of late is the voice of anarchy sweeping through the country. We have seen many movements come and go and few actually stick in the minds like the anarchy crowd is drumming up. From the truth movement to the Tea Party to the Libertarian crowd there is little to no doubt that anarchy is not only growing, but here to stay.
This movement is not a new movement, but it is highly misunderstood and misquoted by many. I have found myself guilty in this aspect myself and still, through many social media contacts, am coming to understand what it really entails and the attraction to it.
If the first thing you think of is punk rock and out of hand youth when you hear the term anarchy then I can tell you firsthand, you have been misled in understanding anarchy as well. Inside the anarchy crowd is young, old, rich, poor, and the spectrum is wide. Many lifestyles and ideology encompasses this crowd, but the most intriguing and guiding light to the cause is self governing and a voluntary society.
With the political winds blowing in the direction they are it’s easy to see why this idea has picked up steam and participants. Out of control legislation and a global military that is used for nation building, among other reasons, have been stated for many people turning to anarchy.
Just like inside all “political parties” there is a wide range in defining anarchy. I think of anarchism as a type of thinking versus rules and laws. I am still grasping the wide spectrum of Anarchism myself though.
The term “anarchy” comes from the Greek word “anarchos” meaning without ruler. Until the 19th Century, the term was actually used in a positive light to describe a political belief, and it was only later that it became used to describe chaos.
Philosophical Anarchism states that the State lacks moral legitimacy, that there is no individual obligation or duty to obey the State, and conversely, that the State has no right to command sovereign individuals. It in return though does not advocate violence to eliminate the State, but calls for a gradual change to free the individual from the oppressive laws and social restrictions of the modern state.
Many people have made the cross over from the Republican Party to the Libertarian Party under these same thoughts pertaining to self governing and the shrinking of government as a whole. The two ideologies are closely related and often gets brought up in debates between the two participating groups. At the end of the day I believe both parties agree on a voluntary society and individual rights being key in the society we live.
Libertarianism advocates maximizing individual rights and free will while minimizing the role of the state. And Libertarian Socialism takes that concept a step farther by advocating a worker-oriented system that attempts to maximize the liberty of individuals and minimize the power of authority. This is what we are seeing in the Democratic Party through the power play of Unions.
I have found in researching Anarchy defining it is hard to do as far as pinning one whole label on the movement, but the basics include self governing and withdrawal from the State.
One element inside the Anarchist movement I am seeing more and more of is the Ano Capitalist group which is a political philosophy which advocates the elimination of the State and transfer the power back to the people through open markets, private property, and individual sovereignty. The little research I have done I feel this could play a very important role in today’s times and crony capitalism we are experiencing.
If you haven’t looked into anarchy, the real meaning of anarchy, I urge you to look into it. If for no other reason than to get a better understanding of the term and all it means. Once you break down the sterotypes we have all had regarding anarchy I think you will see the true meaning and that is that everyone has the right to live as they see fit without oppression from the State. That includes a forced society and turns it into acts through voluntary means and ideas.
I am looking forward to learning more on the subject and will be engaging in more conversation getting to the heart of the movement. Regardless where you fall in the political spectrum we can all agree that the expansion of government is intruding in our natural right to live our lives the way we want to. From wars that are not declared to a gross spending of our taxes, the current way of doing things is broken with no signs of getting turned around any time soon.
Written by: Michael Howell
Fighting The Tyranny 