TB began this discussion on 16 February 2006 on the World In Common discussion forum.

Hi all,

What do you all think about a dialogue with anarchists?

To refresh my memory about what anarchism is all about, I read through the following question and answer section on libcom.org:

http://www.libcom.org/thought/faq/secA1.html#seca11

To my mind, as an ‘ultra-left’ socialist, anarcho-socialist or whatever the label might be, about 80/90% of this seemed to be opinions I could agree with. So where could the differences lie, between anarchists and socialists – according to the summary I have just read?

Well, I picked out a few points and I would be interested to get some feedback from as many as possible of you – perhaps there are some anarchists on this list?

Differences (bearing in mind there are many discussions going on between anarchists and perhaps all might not agree with all of the below):

• “Such an economy (anarchism) will be based on mutual banking and the free exchange of products between co-operatives, artisans and peasants” Mutual banking? That means that money will still be in existence – do anarchists not believe in the abolition of money?

• “Only associated labour will ‘decrease the powers of external wills and forces over the individual’ during working hours and such self-management of work by those who do it is the core ideal of real socialism.” A society based on ‘associated labour’, ‘co-operatives’, ‘working hours’..... It does not sound from this as if anarchists have got as far as anarcho-socialists in imagining how totally different a socialist society will be. Very few ‘working hours’ will be necessary to produce what society needs – there will be a flexible workforce, not an army of factory workers doing the same job, day in day out.... Or have I misunderstood this passage?

• Marxism Although in agreement with Marx’ analysis of capitalism and his labour theory of value, it seems that as well as totally rejecting Lenin, anarchists also saw in Marx’ writings the danger of the ‘Red bureaucracy’ that ‘would institute the worst of all despotic governments’ (Mikhail Bakunin). So it seems that anarchists are in two minds about Marx.... Does anyone know what passages of Marx’ writings they might be bothered about as regards his ideas containing the possible germs of authoritarian state capitalism?

• Central planning Anarchists are totally opposed to ‘central planning’, a concept forever married to state capitalism – but maybe also advocated by some within the anarco-socialist movement?

• Mutual societies, co-operatives Anarchists seem to support these – whereas anarco-socialist perhaps doubt their usefulness within capitalism – unless they are ‘infused with socialist consciousness’?

• “Anarchism has remained a creed that has been worked out in action rather than as the putting into practice of intellectual ideas”. Hmmm. Maybe something we as anarcho-socialists could benefit from thinking about? How can we engage more – show people something in them here and now, rather than forever deferring their satisfactions?

I look forward to an overwhelming amount of comments.

TB

My initial response to this:

Hi TB,

Thanks for starting this discussion – fascinating! I’ve not caught up with all the contributions you’ve sparked off but my reaction to your specific queries is a general point: I suspect that anarchists do not agree (with SPGB comrades in partic.) that the Revolution has to wait until sufficient of the working class are persuaded of the need to overturn capitalism – then it happens worldwide. I gather anarchists see people – small community nodes or workplace groups – living ‘life despite capitalism’, so that Revolution grows organically. For that to happen, forms of banking, money etc. would be needed, but their exploitative side guarded against in various ways.

love, Chris

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