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Title: The New Anarchism Author: L. A. M. Date: August 1919 Language: en Topics: introductory, anarchist history, Libertarian Labyrinth Source: Retrieved on 2020-06-11 from https://www.libertarian-labyrinth.org/anarchist-beginnings/l-a-m-the-new-anarchism-1919/ Notes: Freedom (London) 33 no. 363 (August, 1919): 47
This is not the beginning of a new cult. It is a restatement of what we
want and what we intend to do towards realising it. The New Anarchism is
the old Anarchism in new clothes. It is set out in a way that he who
runs may read.
We want to place certain ideas before the people. These ideas we believe
will contribute towards the making of a better people and a better
world. Anarchists are not alone in holding such ideas. But the ideas of
Anarchists differ essentially from others in some main points.
The world has so evolved by now that most nations are more or less
self-governing States. That is to say, we have nations such as the
British, French, German and many others spread over the five continents.
They are Empires, Monarchies, Republics, according as the main body of
each nation has asserted itself. In the main, however, the controlling
force is the Government, however it may be elected. These Governments
rule the people by laws already framed, new laws being added as
circumstances arise.
The main body of the people have had nothing to do with the framing of
these laws; they were there when they were born into the world. The new
laws are invariably framed without consulting the people. These laws are
made for the preservation of the State or the defence of the realm.
Most of these laws are property-protecting laws. They are laws against
theft of property, destruction of property. And as most of the property
is held by a few “owners,” it follows that the laws are made for the
benefit of the few, not for the benefit of the nation.
A man who starves has no right to take bread where he may find it. That
is one instance.
The laws are upheld by judges, lawyers, policemen, jailers and hangmen.
Property inside the country is protected in this way. Outside the
country the property of individuals in a nation is protected by an army
and a navy. These are to prevent other nations interfering with the
rights of property of other people resident or holding property in those
countries. The property in any given country is, as we said, held by a
few. The land belongs to a few landlords. The mills, mines, factories,
docks, ships, and so forth are held by a few capitalists. The rest of
the nation, having no property from which to get a living, have to work
for these property owners. This is the case in all countries. Each
nation is, therefore, divided into the Haves and the Have-nots: the
masters and the workers. This is described by most Socialists as the two
classes of capitalists and workers (or proletariat).
Now as to the “rights of property.” The land was made by no one;
consequently, it cannot have “ owners.” The whole of the nation is,
therefore, entitled to free access to the land. The mills, factories,
docks, ships, and so forth were made by the workers; the pretence that
the workers were paid for the work will not hold. The full value of work
done is never paid; otherwise there would be no “profit.” The workers
are, therefore, robbed of the value of their work in the form of
“profit.”
So far the Anarchists and the Socialists agree. Where they differ is in
the cure. The Socialists want all the land and all the industries, all
the buildings and the ships to belong to the nation, nominally, but
really to the State. This State will be a Parliament elected by the
people, and this State will control all industry. Consequently there
will be only one master—the State—and the people will have to work on
the terms of the State. This State will control everything, and,
consequently, the State will have to make laws for the control of the
people. In order to uphold these laws the State must have recourse to
some punishments that will make the disobedient obey these laws. The
people, then, will be well housed and fed, but they will be exploited by
the State. In other words, they will still be slaves, although well-fed
slaves.
The Anarchists, being for the fullest freedom possible, are in all cases
against the State; that is to say, against government. The individual is
unable to develop where he is controlled from above; progress and
evolution are thereby hindered. The individual is, however, not always
able to battle for himself ; and individualism lends itself to abuse by
the strong, who invariably turn out despots or tyrants. They can only
develop themselves at the expense of the community. The Anarchist is,
therefore, for co-operation, or a Communistic state of society. The Law
of Nature is that the best progress is made where individuals are bound
together by mutual aid. With the present rate of progress of
civilisation, it is impossible for an individual to be independent of
others.
The Anarchist suggests, therefore, that the best form of society, and
the most natural, is where men can form together in free organisations
for the common good. These free organisations are impossible under a
Government, therefore government must go. No free organisation can do
anything unless there is free access to the land and to industry. The
land and industry are held by a few “owners” as private property. It
follows then that private property must go.
The essence of Anarchism, therefore, is free land and free industry. The
people, organising themselves in groups and communities, will then be
able to supply all their wants without the interference of a State or
Government. And since the people will look after their own wants, there
will be no money, either as wages or for exchange. This means the
abolition of the wage system.
Free land, free industry, free exchange, and the people looking after
themselves in free organisations—this is the essence of Anarchism. This
is what Anarchists want. We now come to
The Anarchists do not pretend to put forth a cut-and-dried plan, an easy
method of changing society for the better. The saving of the people must
be the work of the people themselves. They have only to decide what they
want done and to do it. This is the main thing of all, that this change
must be accomplished by the people themselves. They have only to take
over the land and work it. They have only to take over industry and run
it for the good of all. This does not mean that the land and industry
will be run on the same lines as at present. It is sufficient to say
that all useless work will be cut out, and science brought to the aid of
cultivation and industry. This will save an enormous amount of labour,
and mean more leisure all round.
Anarchists want to hasten this change; they, therefore, do all they can
to spread their ideas by publishing literature and by speaking. They try
always to point out that any trouble and distress that may arise cannot
be cured by the State. The trouble (or “questions”) of poverty,
unemployment, lack of housing, and so on, are part and parcel of the
present system of ownership by the few and toil by the many. They can
only be done away with by changing the whole system, and running the
country as the Anarchists suggest.
It is not necessary for the people to proclaim themselves Anarchists—and
wait for something to happen. They will have to make something happen by
doing it themselves. Once they have got the idea, it only remains to be
carried out, and they are the ones to do it.
This is Anarchism and How to Get It.