On the Subject of Anarchism

So it's come to my attention that anarchism is greatly misrepresented these days, especially with CNN dominating the news, so Anarchist's in general have been getting a lot of bad publicity. Due to the media's influence, Anarchist has basically become another word for terrorist. This suits governments in general just fine, as Anarchists tend to cause people to think and begin questioning the role the government plays in their lives. But make no mistake. Under no circumstances can you equate political Anarchists with terrorists, as Anarchists generally don't advocate the use of force to solve their problems.

This is the first in a series of posts on the general subject of Anarchism. Through this blog, I hope to dispel common myths about Anarchism, outline various Anarchist principles, and hopefully inspire other Anarchists to think outside the box and break away from the monotonous thinking of the mass media.

Now, know what you're probably thinking. Isn't a blog a form of mass media? My response to that is simply this. If you can't beat them, join them. It's time someone gave Anarchism a chance to speak. So this first post will debunk common myths about Anarchism.

5 Common Anarchist Myths

1. 
   
   Anarchism advocates survival of the fittest

This is the number one thing I hear when I tell people I'm a political anarchist. Saying that Anarchism is survival of the fittest is a half-truth. Anarchism does not specifically advocate survival of the fittest. It advocates a free market, in which the number one problems with society, slackers, are forced to work for their own profit or live a life of toil. If you work in a free market, you can survive and go on to become very profitable, both to yourself and society as a whole.

2. Anarchists are actually Communists

This is the most ridiculous myth I've ever heard. Apparently, some idiots confused anarchism and communism and managed to equate the two. Anarchism and Communism are two entirely difference ideologies, and while there are Anarchists who support Socialist policies, Individualist Anarchists, of which I am one, usually despise Communism and all it stands for.

3. The Anarchist Symbol is a Satanic Reference

The capital A surrounded by a circle is by far the most used symbol for Anarchism. Some, however, say that the Anarchy symbol is a reference to Satanic cults. This is simply not true. The anarchy symbol is actually a monogram, derived from the letters A and O. The A is derived from the first letter of Anarchy, while the O is derived from Order. Together, they stand for Anarchy is Order, the Anarchist motto, and the first line of a quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, a socialist- anarchist in the 1800's.

4. Anarchists support Violence

Anarchists abhor violence because it violates another individuals rights. One of the base principals of anarchism is that you cannot get what you want by exploiting an individuals rights, be it by violence or theft.

5. Anarchists are actually terrorists

Anarchists are by no means terrorists in any way, shape, or form. Anarchists do not support violence, guerrilla warfare, or violent revolutions of any form, but instead believe in changing the government by winning public support.

Well this was the first of my On the Subject of Anarchism posts. I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for the continuation of the series.