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Title: Reclaiming Primitivism
Author: Fierce Dreams
Date: 2014
Language: en
Topics: Primitivism, the Left, Australia, anti-civ
Source: https://fiercedreams.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/reclaiming-primitivism/

Fierce Dreams

Reclaiming Primitivism

“Far from being a utopianist ideal, anarcho-primitivism worked for

humans and our relationships with the earth since the dawn of our

species. It is an easily observable fact that before technology,

society, the work week, or the alienation of our current day malaise we

knew how to live, we knew how to play, we knew how to eat and we knew

how to thrive. Without police stations, churches, interstate commerce or

monetary greed. Just like all other creatures we knew what to do and not

to do because we were connected to the earth, instead of at war with

her.” Back to the Primitive, Walter Bond

BUT WE CAN’T GO BACK!

When the topic of primitivism is discussed on internet messageboards,

infoshops, and anarcholeftist bookfairs around the world, the term is

met usually with a wave of reflexive eyeball-rolling, closefully

followed by a chorus of disapproval. The organisationalists and

urbanarchists, civilisation’s reformists and apologists, continually

assert that they are living in the ‘real world’ and operating with

‘common sense’. They say they are challenging the system via the proper

and correct channels, making a difference in their community, and

fighting for social justice. All this wishful thinking and activist

programming deliberately avoids the basic tenets of ecology,

anthropology, and the geopolitical dimensions of industrialism, mass

society and domestication. Furthermore, if one questions the premise and

foundations of civilisation, some (who have an allegiance to cities,

technology, and mass society) tend to take it personally and react

defensively; discouraging, derailing, and sabotaging attempts further

analysis.

PLASTIC SKIN, DIGITAL VEINS

The contemporary disconnection and estrangement from life’s natural

processes is profound and all encompassing. Despite civilisation’s

smokescreen, the fact remains that the things we need don’t simply

materialise. It comes from somewhere specific. What we eat either comes

from the earth, sea, forest, garden – or from a fluorescently lit

building, wrapped in plastic. The ability to flick a switch and stay

warm, the artificial lights and glowing screens, all arrive from

somewhere. Usually a network of coal fired power stations pumping out

electricity along power lines, as opposed to traditional methods; a

campfire or the sun. For those who have not totally abandoned the idea

of community, this phenomenon also doesn’t appear from thin air. It

either forms from people living together, creating trust, helping

eachother and resolving problems. Or – from a facilitating mechanism

that sells an idea of community; such as a mall, internet messageboard,

punk show, or workplace. Beyond just the basics of survival, all the

trinkets and tawdry thrills of civilisation also arrive from somewhere

else. In Australia, plastic niknaks usually come a factory in China,

entertainment from America, building materials from the jungles of

Indonesia, diamonds from Africa, and the list goes on. Failing to

recognise the implications of all this globalised production and

importation, the red anarchist hordes (herds?) dismiss out of hand the

anarchoprimitivist assertion that civilisation itself is the problem and

the enemy. There remains an acceptance of factories, cities, and

technology, and a stark failure to delve deeper or imagine a radically

different way for humans to live and function. The failure of the left

is the inability to confront the reality that as domesticated humans,

living within the confines of civilisation, we will never be in control

of our own lives, communities, or fate. The liberal lemmings seem

content to plod along, pleading for things to be slightly tweaked and

adjusted until civilisation flows smoothly, efficiently, and with an

‘acceptable’ minimum of oppression.

LIFE WITHOUT LEVIATHAN

The difference between civilised and non-civilised life is deeper than

we can probably imagine. Rather than systematically dominating and

exploiting the earth and reaching as far as possible, band societies

were seamlessly integrated with the natural elements and nonhuman

animals, As Kirkpatrick Sale points out,

“The fossil record indicates little of the adversarial relationship with

other creatures that existed at the core of Sapiens hunting society, and

permits the conclusion that they must have lived in a deep, permeating

bond with the natural world that the philosopher Owen Barfield has

called “original participation, ” a “primal unity of mind and nature”.

Addiction to civilisation is understandable and nearly unavoidable. The

civilising process took generations to take hold and will take

generations to undo. But buried beneath he layers of psychosis,

abstraction, and synthetic substitutions there is a lifeway and a source

that has not been eliminated from humans. This has been explored deeply

by the important work of anti-civilisation theorists,

anarchoprimitivists and many prominent anthropologists. Our species has

remained unchanged significantly for hundreds of thousands or millions

of years, depending whose research you believe, but our habitat has

changed greatly. The greatest threat to any species is habitat

destruction and this is no more true than for humans. Humans genetic

makeup has not changed and their needs have not changed. To paraphrase

Marshall Sahlins, ‘rich’ peoples are the ones who have their needs met.

By these standards, many of the most affluent are deeply impoverished.

This is shown wherever we care to look; shown through civilised folks’

fractured minds, depleted and weak bodies, untrusting and hostile

communities, and complete reliance and misplaced trust in the

technosphere.

Most anarchists continue to ignore the obese, depressed,

internet-fixated elephant in the room. They prefer to push aside

important questions until after a mythical moment of ‘total collapse’,

as if it isn’t unfolding before our eyes. This persistent, irritating,

and presumably Hollywood-infused attitude contains a basic oversight –

any ‘primitive skills’ take a lifetime of consistent practice and

adjustment to even gain a low level of competency. Wouldn’t be better to

attempt to break our addiction sooner, rather than later, while we have

a chance? Are these folks waiting for total crisis and meltdown to try

to learn fundamental ‘nuts and bolts’ life skills?

THOSE WACKY, ZANY, MADCAP, SUICIDAL, HOMICIDAL, GENOCIDAL

‘PRIMITIVISTS’ …

The term anarchoprimitivism, and the general abbreviation primitivism,

was apparently not of the early writers’ own invention, but a peculiar

label that after some time they couldn’t shake it. Nowadays it is often

thrown around by the left in a dismissive or pejorative tone, a

shorthand term of several pathetic and glib refutations. “We can’t go

back”. “The train has left the station”. “That ship has sailed”. This

echoes and reinforces assumptions of linear progress, and that

‘primitive societies’ are an evolutionarily inferior, infantile previous

version of current-day civilised humans. A ‘work in progress’ that has

culminated in modern day civilised human societies, the zenith, the

pinnacle, the triumph. Between the lines is a hostile and condescending

attitude toward noncivilised peoples, equating primitive societies as

backwards and in the early stages of ‘development’. Never mind that

these societies continually astound any social scientist that cares to

study them, displaying a way of being in the world that seems almost

magical to our dulled senses and skills.

When someone proclaims themselves an anti-capitalist, they encounter

little resistance amongst anarchists. However, if they proclaim

themselves anti-civilisation they encounter a barrage of scepticism and

sneering. The typical shallow criticism revolves around their perceived

‘shortcomings’ as a primitivist or anti-civilisation anarchist. They may

use cars or computers, live in an urban environment, and work a steady

job for pay. The potshots will usually be focused on the fact that they

need civilisation to survive, as if we have a choice at the moment. My

response to this kind of cross-examination has been to ask, ‘Are you

against capitalism and wage slavery?’ The reply has always been yes.

When I ask, ‘Did you spend money this week?’ usually the answer is

silence.

I make no apologies for advocating a primitive way of life and do not

run away from the term primitivist, even though I do not live in a

nomadic band society, and live as a civilised human being myself. I

don’t care at all about what standards others hold me to, I define these

for myself, set my own challenges, and expect others to do the same.

However, I take the position that civilisation is the enemy, and nothing

much will change until it is dismantled or nosedives by itself.

Primitivism is a direct personal response to the onslaught of

civilisation in my life and the world around me, and it describes

generally the kind of world myself and other anarchoprimitivists would

prefer to live in.

“When critics of anarcho-primitivism suggest we are “hypocrites,” they

often make the hidden assumption that we are all autonomous individuals

situated within a society that places no constraints on our ability to

survive. The insinuation is that we can ‘love it or leave it’ and simply

walk away. This is simply not the case. First, this ignores the fact

that civilized institutions and the individuals who run them have been

actively destroying alternative lifeways for thousands of years. Second,

and related, if our choices are to work or die, many understandably

choose the former. If our choices are to pay the rent or be homeless,

many understandably choose the former. Wavering between two awful

options is not unfettered choice. Rather, this choice is always mired in

points of coercion.”

Cricket, For the Civilized to Leave Civilization

LIVE WILD OR DIE TRYING

This article argues for a return to the word primitivism as a

description of a tendency in anarchism, without irony, disclaimers or

asterisks. The Collins Dictionary defines primitive ‘as of or belonging

to the first or beginning; original’. In world that has detoriorated

into the abstract, a return to the primtive, the foundation, is the most

appropriate response possible. In a society where all interactions are

mediated and scripted, it signals a move toward immediacy and

spontaneity. In a world where the division of labour of and

specialisation has become unquestioned, it is an expression of a

tendency toward self-reliance, and directly threatens ideas of the

commodity. In the context of a ubiquitous mass society that worships

increasing complexity, it reveals a hope for simplicity and a degree of

reliability. As a response to the homogenisation of our world it

proposes a unique sense of place and a path to become connected to it.

Primitive skills inherently are against concepts of technology and

domestication. A primitive tool, as opposed to an instrument of

technology, is easily replicable, replaceable and available to all

members of a community. I tend to think of primitive skills as the

primary and fundamental skill set for our species, which we have lost as

we have become dehumanised under civilisation’s stranglehold.

I argue for a redefinition of ‘primitive skills’ beyond the usual

connotations. The clichéd, typical usage of this term refers to someone

who maybe does some hunting or skinning, gathers roadkill or wild

edibles, and can make fire with sticks. As useful and necessary as these

skills are, and have been for humans for our entire time on the planet,

they are barely scratching the surface of what I would define as a

‘primitive skill’. The immediate correlation between these type of

skills and ‘primitivism’ is what limits it to a small subculture or

novelty act rather than a more radical current with more potential. The

avalanche of abysmal reality ‘survival’ shows have not helped at all –

relegating this practice to just another hobby within ‘the spectacle’.

The trend of hipster ‘professional rewilders’ who write books on the

topics or run workshops claiming to be an authority on the subject are

equally irritating. However, the kinds of skills that have been largely

lost, abandoned or neglected were the day to day tools for our

non-civilised ancestors and modern day tribal band societies. Without

techno-industrial system supporting us like an iron lung, civilised

humans will one day need them too.

These include

• The art of conversation and getting along with people

• Bird language and identification, stalking and observation of patterns

• Appreciation of sunrises, sunsets, storms, and general attention to

the seasons

• Learning to keep a fire going/ relationship with fire

• Self defense and martial arts, making weapons

• Stealing and raiding from the enemy, setting traps

• Singing and dancing as a group (Rather than just by ‘professionals’

for entertainment as others watch. Nowadays this practice is considered

embarrassing, daggy and lame. However rotting your brain and

binge-watching 12 hours of your favourite TV show is totally acceptable.

Go figure).

• Becoming mobile, resilient, mentally and physically strong.

• Practicing and refining concentration and focus.

• Hunting, fishing, diving, drying and preserving food.

• Cordage and container construction.

• Shelter construction/ improvisation.

• Guerilla attacks, going unnoticed, stealth.

• Foraging and scavenging. We can start treating certain products

properly so they will not make us sick, but also not being squeamish.

• Working on awareness, attunement, concentration, focus, and balance

outside of the urban habitat.

• Paying attention to the moon, stars and tide. Navigation without

Google Earth or topographic maps. This is greatly discouraged by

‘outdoorsy’ types wearing North Face and Patagonia clothing!

• Breaking the sedentary existence and staying active. Eating wild foods

and using non- chemical medicine.

• Fostering relationships with human and nonhuman animals.

• Conflict resolution. (Nowadays folks throw out friendships like

yesterday’s trash (or recycling).. An unwillingness to forgive, and a

propensity toward trash talking, gossip and simply being an asshole

seems to be a trait of civilised people. Primitivists are not immune

from this, quite the contrary they can be some of the biggest assholes

imaginable, I should know! But I don’t think this should be encouraged.

Without civilisation folks won’t have the luxury of hanging onto petty

squabbles, and they would be sorted out in different ways, usually face

to face, possibly with a respected mutual friend or elder assisting.

• Teaching is the original primitive skill but we have become inept at

sharing and listening, distracted, unfocused, impatient and bored. No

skill has been learned properly until one reaches the level where they

can pass it along…

“One person’s choice to leave might involve reading a few pages of a

plant-identification guide at night between a full time job and intense

familial commitments. Another’s might look like attending primitive

skills events and leveraging every possible chance to inhabit wild

spaces. Another’s might look like writing books and treatises that

catalyze further ‘momentum’ against civilization.”

Cricket – ‘For the civilized to leave civilization’

‘I DUNNO, THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOME KINDA LIKE IDEOLOGY….’

Nowadays it is impossible to advocate anything without being labelled an

ideologue, dogmatic, prescriptive, or creating some kind of party line.

All of the above diatribe may sound prescriptive, and of course to the

ever-growing posse of nihilists it will surely sound as if I am

espousing an ideology. I am willing to live with these accusations! At

some point rebels need to establish a position and say what they are

interested in, and stand their ground, or simply float around following

the latest trend or current of analysis forever. Of course,

anti-civilisation theory is critical; and is changing, adapting and open

to critique. It should go without saying that these practices are simply

some ideas and an incomplete suggestion of what one might classify as a

primitive skill, and these ideas are very generalised and broad-brush

attempt at creating this picture of skills useful for life without

technology. Some skills will appeal more to some people than others. All

of them can be practiced in an urban, rural, or bushland environment if

one is to use their imagination. At some stage these were the everyday

skills that everyone possessed. Apart from the logical rationale for

retaining primitive skills for practical purposes and personal

empowerment, fun, and entertainment, it also offers some remedy for the

pathology of civilisation, counteracting the symptoms of frustration and

anxiety that infiltrate our daily lives.

The question of what is a primitive skill do not need to be modelled on

what we have seen on ‘Dual Survival’ or Ray Meares’ programs (as good as

they are), but rather, ‘What are the broad skills we need to create a

long term community outside of civilisation? How will we not only

survive, but remain happy and healthy? How do we defend ourselves

against the encroachment of civilisation’? Many have already started

asking these questions, but there appears to be reluctance to embrace

the term primitivism. Many others have advocated terminology such as

anarchoprimitivism and primal war, and encouraged primitive skills, but

it is certainly becoming a dirty word in contemporary anarchist circles.

I would like to state for the record that anarchoprimitivists are here,

and not going anywhere. We will be around, annoying you with our

unassailable logic that civilisation sucks, and if some say we aren’t

primitive enough for their liking, that’s just too bad.

“Domestication is a disease. Yet even in the poodle, wolf genes remain.

Given time enough and freedom, wildness returns”. (Laurel and Skunkly,

Rewild, Resist)

I believe that the antidote to this disease of civilisation is to start

to break the patterns instilled in us from birth and reinforced through

all the institutions of civ. This process can be practiced anywhere,

anytime, with a response appropriate to the situation. To resist

domestication simply go outside. To escape the trap of wage slavery work

less, share and scam whenever possible. To restore your health change to

a diet with less processed foods. To practice your attunement to the

natural world one can stalk or create a sit spot for themselves. To

break the subservient docility enforced on us, some may choose to lash

out at civilisation in a direct way, of dismantling the physical

structures and apparatus’ as they exist. This could have a healing and

cathartic effects, as well as benefits to their habitat.

“Get outside and break your dependence upon the civilized matrix as much

as possible. Spend as much time as you can, & do whatever you can, to

live your life outside of climate-controlled house-boxes, clock-time,

work, industrial technology, the mass media & the cash economy. These

all come together to create a false environment where the politics of

domination make the psychology of alienation not only inevitable, but

absolutely necessary on many levels. Learn the various arts of primitive

self reliance— tracking, gathering, hunting, trapping, fishing, shelter,

crafts, calling Fire, etc—and integrate the lessons into your whole

life. Also, be open to having your encounter with these arts change you

in fundamental ways—primitive survival is often a question of being, not

of technique. Let your resistance to civilization spring naturally from

this fundamental shift in being, and the revolution in which you take

part will be Primal in both character and effect.”

RedWolfreturns from reclaim rewild

A prevalent criticism of anarchoprimitivists remains that they don’t ‘do

anything’ or urbananarchists/activists do not see any concrete position

taken by anti-civ anarchists. I have tried to open up the idea of

primitivism and widened the parameters for myself, and I use the word

without irony and with commitment. I hope that one day the

competitiveness and the limits imposed mass society will wither away,

and we can include any rebels that wish to strip away the technological

and digital layers of repression and confinement. All of the things we

don’t need, that are forced upon us by civilisation’s superstructure, we

can begin to let go of and/or destroy. My project will be to steal what

we need, and burn the rest, living one day as wild creatures in

liberated habitat.

It takes years of socializing to subdue the power & beauty of a child’s

primal instincts. This process is reversible. It is possible to become

feral by overcoming the numbness of the civilized condition & become

fully human. We can be wild again.

Griffin ‘Reclaim Rewild’