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Title: Economic Nihilism Author: Bobby Whittenberg-James Date: December 27, 2010 Language: en Topics: anti-civ, economics, nihilism, primitivism Source: Retrieved on July 6, 2011 from http://veteranarchy.blogspot.com/2010/12/economic-nihilism-anarchist-case.html
Economics can be defined as a field of social science mostly focused on
analysis of the production, consumption, and distribution of goods and
services. The economy can be defined as the system developed to control
and manage the production, consumption, and distribution of those goods
and services. Note that the focus is not on meeting needs, maintaining
symbiosis with the local bio-region, ecosystem, or the planet. There’s
nothing about keeping land bases healthy, or species survival. Nothing
is mentioned about replenishing, just production, distribution, and
consumption.
The cycle of production, distribution, and consumption is not to be
conflating with people coming together to find ways to best meet their
needs and fulfill their lives. Like an organization, the first priority
of an economy is to continue to exist and generally to grow. In most
cases an economy has to continue to grow to exist. Like an organization,
as a result of self perpetuation being a priority, the existence of that
economy takes priority over the individuals in the economy, the land
base upon which the economy is imposed, and the planet. In the same way
that an organization is not an accurate representation of the wills and
desires of its individual members, an economy is not an accurate
representation of the needs and desires of the individuals in that
society and the ways in which they want to fulfill those needs and
desires.
As anarchists we seek to abolish the economy and economics and all that
they entail, be it markets, remuneration, central planning, industry, or
work. As such we are economic nihilists, declaring that there to no
value in any system of production, consumption, and distribution of
goods regardless of whether that system is feudalist, mercantilist,
capitalist, socialist, or communist. Not only do such systems have no
value but they are a means of social control, harmful and deadly to
people, non-human animals, eco-systems, and the planet and ergo must be
destroyed completely and absolutely. Whether the economy is run by a
capitalist, fascist, or socialist regime, or even if it is a
participatory economy, it is still a system of authority that is imposed
upon people, non-humans, and land bases.
Many anarchists, from anarcho-capitalists to mutualists to
anarcho-communists, define themselves by their economic theories, the
ideologies and dogmas to which they adhere. I am not saying that these
people are not anarchists, but that their dogmas are not anarchistic and
their implementation does not result in anarchy. When what one perceives
as anarchistic in theory is in practice authoritarian or hierarchical,
what then? Do we cling to our economic systems and theories, declaring
them infallible, and externalizing blame (Ex: “Capitalism hasn’t failed,
we just have the wrong people in power” or “socialism didn’t fail, it
just hasn’t been implemented right”)? Do we jump to the next economic
experiment like the voter jumping to the next party? Or do we realize
that anarchy and economics are mutually exclusive and can not be fused,
despite the prominent use of red and black or yellow and black flags and
the prefix “anarcho-”, and continue to look beyond dogmas and
prefabricated economic models for something more desirable? Will we seek
economic freedom, or freedom from economics?
Where we abdicate personal responsibility we grant other people, or
structures authority. If we give responsibility for meeting our needs,
expressing our desires and acting towards fulfilling those needs and
desires to councils, unions, federations, organizations, parties,
politicians, religions, or any other entity, we grant them authority. It
is no different when we abdicate to an economy and economic forces which
alienate us from our power and autonomy and make separate the business
of coordinating the logistics of life and living it. There may not be a
dictator anywhere in sight, but try going against the rules put in place
by the economic order under which you live and you will likely find that
it is you versus a giant, system that has all of the built in features
to weed out or crush anyone that doesn’t fall in line. Because most
civilizations have developed ways of getting people to identify more
with their economy than other people, you will likely find people who
will want to crush dissidents as well.
The capitalists seeks to manipulate production, consumption, and
distribution in a way that brings them the most profit. The socialists
seek to manipulate them in a way that gives them absolute control and
power, and at least in rhetoric, serves society. The anarcho-economists
seek to free economics from government and corporations, but fail to
seek freedom for people, non-humans, and the planet from economics.
The economy is one of the key pillars of civilization; uncivilized
peoples do not have economies. In most cases they have developed ways of
living where face to face accountability, responsibility, and
independence are maintained. The autonomous person, band or tribe needs
food, so they grow it, forage for it, or hunt for it. If a friend and I
are walking through the woods or down a city street for that matter and
we see a peach tree and pick peaches and eat them, this is not
economics. We were hungry, we saw something we could eat, and we ate it.
Prairie dogs, ants, geese, salmon, bees, and every creature you can
think of has found a way to meet their needs by adapting to the world in
which they live, but we do not speak of “buffalo economics” or “fire ant
economics.” This is not economics. This is life.
Even with supposed “anarchist economics” (sic) or “participatory
economics” each individual is subjugated to the economy and economic
forces. The needs of the economy are placed above the needs of each
person. Keep in mind also that much like with direct democracy,
participatory economics tend to be dominated by the kind of people that
would run for office anyway. Good luck, however, finding someone when
seeking accountability.
We are not reformists. We do not seek the right economy or even the best
economy, the right people in charge of the economy, or even a counter
economy. Rather we are economic nihilists who seek to destroy economics
and economies altogether. If we truly seek liberation and anarchy it is
not enough to oppose only capitalism and/or socialism. Anarchy stands in
opposition to all economies and economic systems, regardless of the
rhetoric of those implementing them. Economics presupposes a break from
the face to face accountability and personal responsibility that is
integral to anarchy. We seek not to reform economies or create new and
better systems, but to destroy them outright, along with the state and
civilization and every last vestige of authoritarian society in favor of
autonomous individuals engaging in voluntary association and mutual aid.
Fighting For Anarchy,
Bobby Whittenberg-James