Anarchism Is Catching On Among Young Activists Disillusioned With Capitalism

Quote:
Brien Gartland goes "Dumpster diving" every day for his food. He raids the garbage bags outside gourmet groceries looking for slightly bruised mangos, unopened containers of rice pudding and the like.

Known as "Deadbolt," the bearded 21-year-old sleeps in a vacant building and refuses to get a job because he's disillusioned with capitalism and Western democracy, systems he believes exploit the poor and give power to the elite.
End quote

This is a quote from an AP story on DC Indymedia. There is one correction that leaps out at me, however. The young man's nickname is "Numbnut", not "Deadbolt".

I have proudly raised the black flag of anarchy a time or two. I guess I missed the meeting where leading a purposeless, hand-to-mouth existance was announced as a requirement to be an anarchist. Dammit, I was just getting used to enjoying my Barka lounger.

This modern version of anarchy has more to do with freedom without limits and less to do with freedom from limits, I think. Government, the free market, religion, all of the structures of modern American life, impose limits on us. The fewer, the better, I say. But there are still limits, because we must all interact, and that requires that each of us voluntarily limit ourselves. Anarchy doesn't mean survival of the fittest, but cooperation among equals for each individual's good.

Guys like "Numbnut" seems to feel that living an anarchist lifestyle means having no limits. Screw that, smelly boy. I don't want your unbathed and unwashed personage anywhere near me. And, get a clue. If it wasn't for the society that you distain, you wouldn't have dumpsters to dive. Oh, and you'd actually have to work for a living, because most of your fellow anarchists wouldn't feel like supporting your lazy butt.

These clowns from the story cited seem to have no clue that the money they live on, the handouts they get, hell, everything about their lives cries out in opposition to their supposed profession of anarchy. Dammit, boy, just where do you suppose food comes from? Someone, a whole lot of someones, worked very hard to see that there was food in New York City. You're not an anarchist if you don't value hard work, if you don't acknowledge that you can't survive on your own. Somebody made the clothes you wear, moron!

Your goal is to change our way of life to a consensus method of decision making. OK, well, first of all, it really screwed the Japanese and you would know that if you did any reading at all outside of your own opinions. Second of all, getting everyone to agree is tough. As group numbers get larger, it gets more and more difficult. You already know this, "Numbnut", because you dropped out when you could not reach a consensus with your friends and family. Consensus means nothing gets done, because unanimous agreement is impossible to achieve. Failing that, you fall back on democracy, which is merely tyranny of the majority.

So, basicly, "Numbnut", you've constructed this whole anarchy thing to justify your unwillingness to work, interact with society, and in general to be a lazy, intellectually barren dumbass.

My black flag goes up but not around dolts like you. So, back to the Barka lounger. If I think of it, I'll leave a moldy bagel on top of my trash can for you.
-- posted by Chuck at Saturday, January 18, 2003 | E-mail | Permalink | Main | 0 comments

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Saturday, January 18, 2003

Anarchism Is Catching On Among Young Activists Disillusioned With Capitalism