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Title: Anarchism: The New Identity Politics Author: Anonymous Date: 2002 Language: en Topics: green, Green Anarchy #9, identity Source: Retrieved on 1 January 2010 from www.greenanarchy.info/anarchism-the-new-identity-politics.htm Notes: This article originally appeared in Green Anarchy #9 (Summer 2002).
After such recent anarchist events as the San Francisco Bay Area
Bookfair and the Total Liberation Conference it seems increasingly clear
that significant populations of the self-described anarchist movement in
North America manifest anarchy in the context of either a historical
society much like the society for creative anachronism (SCA), or a
literary society. Anarchism has become an ideology to be debated,
discussed, argued, while sipping coffee or re-enacting some historic
moment in anarchist history (e.g. Mayday). These are the benign aspects
of anarchist identity politics. These types are often thoughtful, just
steeped in their own gray matter, or wrapped in whatever the hippest
clothes of the scene are. What’s missing ultimately is either
revolutionary praxis or just as important the experience of anarchy in
their daily lives. They have adapted a fiery and primal instinct toward
freedom and non-domination into a form of social identity that is either
solely hip, or content existing within the walls of the cranium.
The malignant form of the anarchist identity politics often takes the
form of anarcho-philosopher-intellectual, who, while tragic, never seems
to even attain the hip aspect of anarchist subcultures, is just left
ensnared in the cortex endlessly picking from the anarcho-salad bar of
ideas, though never finding the right dressing. This type of anarchist
identity politics is unstable, unlike the syndicalist urbanites that
accept 99% of the totality of modernity (capitalism, coffee culture, new
CDs, book stores, hip clothes, clubbing, Sony Playstations, etc.), the
anarcho-philosopher-intellectual stands alone, scratching the chin,
peeling away layer after layer of thought in order to distill the most
self-serving, unbinding, individualistic, holy grail of pure anarchism.
This project must never be obstructed by action, nor the actual
experience of anarchy, it must take place on internet discussion boards,
in small circles of cynics, barricaded from the necessity of struggle,
within the ivory towers of cyber-space, distant from accountability.
Both the benign and malignant forms of anarchist identity politics can
be cured by the holistic traditional medicine of action and experiential
anarchy. By leaving the coffee shop, hip clothing store, discussion
board, or annual conference and taking a trip into either a wild place
or taking action beyond going to meetings you will certainly break the
spell of any case of anarchist identity politics. Does it seem strange
to anyone that so many anarchists make no priority to leave the range of
the police state ever, i.e. taking a trip to the forest or visiting
tree-sit campaigns? Because it is not enough to say I’m an anarchist
period. Even if an entire subculture in a hip urban scene allows this
illusion to flourish, you must rebel. Because the species and cultures
going extinct everyday don’t care if you are an anarchist, your identity
means nothing, its your action towards anarchy and your experience of
anarchy that makes you an anarchist, or at least one that’s worth
anything. Anarchism as intellectual project and hip culture has
sterilized the wild spirit of anarchy, which can only be regained
through the experience of action and wildness.