I have often been asked what my politics are but have been reluctant or at least unable to disclose my opinions by route of any popular definition. Actually that is an utter lie. Most who know me will have assumed that I am a lefty liberal green and by virtue of their association with me are either:
- Lefty liberal greens themselves and therefore far too discreet and sensitive to concern themselves with my politics;
- Raving Tories who assume that everyone must be a Tory unless of course they happen to be either black or bringing up a child on a single income.
However, the votes have been counted, the lines are now closed and I can confidently declare that I am an Anarcho-Socialist – although I am more than a little uncertain what that might actually mean. I might even be a Social Anarchist although I suspect my misanthropy would preclude me from most meetings, supposing of course that Anarchists have meetings – I mean how do these things work?
Anyway enough introspection as I’m pretty sure that us Anarcho-Socialists don’t encourage that sort of thing what with so many Duck Pavilions and Moats to destroy. What I think I actually mean to say is that i don’t believe that we should be bound by the authority of the State and subject to it’s punitive control. Nor for that matter do I believe in the efficiency of money to share our common inheritance or in its capacity to build and nurture a fair society. I choose instead to believe in the individual and am entirely convinced that individuals can legislate for themselves and trade amongst themselves whilst maintaining concern and respect for one another. I believe that absolute freedom is an absolute right and that access to our highest potential through our absolute liberty should not be rationed out for labour nor sold back to us for cash. I believe that as a whole and that as individuals we can manage ourselves without recourse to some Wicked Child Catcher to cajole us with threats or enticements of State Sponsored Alcho – pops.
Now I do understand that the term Anarcho-Socialist and mention of Anarchy is most likely to inspire an awful dread in most sentimental people. The term(s) come seemingly pre-installed with scenes of Hieronymus Bosch’s vision of hell complete with DVD extras of goat fucking debauchery and flaming sky lines. Add to it a nice Directors Commentary on how well the chaos is all going and the general picture would seem too imply that unregulated and unchecked human endeavor will herald a debauched and murderous society left to feast on its own vomit and bestial desires. Bollox. This is to imply that if it weren’t for The Law that we would each left to our own moral judgements inhabit and contribute to a global estate of paedos and granny molesters. It supposes that beneath us rests a latent core of evil and that without the steadying hand of the State that we will all be fucking chickens and urinating in lifts. Again – Bollox. I for one don’t need the State or a church or a community patrol officer (no matter how well intentioned) to remind me of my obligation not to fuck chickens or to dissuade me from eating the still beating hearts of pensioners. I strongly doubt that you do either. The notion that all humanity is otherwise a seething cauldron of sex pistols cocked and ready to flob in the eye of polite society is preposterous. Furthermore it is my firm contention that it is the State itself that is violent and that it is the state that we should all be wary of.
The State and it’s ridiculous long arm of law and order bothers me considerably. It flaps around all over the place like a distressed sleeve on an angry and irrational teenager. In seeking to maintain “order” the State is too eager to criminalize our many shortcomings and to punish our various vulnerabilities. The message is “play the game by our rules for our sake or be damned”.
And so the poor become polarized and seek satisfaction in shadow economies to be pursued by thug happy police, trading shifts at the coal face. Debtors are made bankrupt and purged through the courts to be stripped of all privilege whilst vulnerable drug users are chased down and banged up for their toxic addictions. The whole sorry massive mess that should be a responsible Society’s greatest concern is instead hung out to dry beyond the city walls as a warning to others. Meanwhile the State is at perfect liberty to raise armies and to legitimize slaughter on its behalf whilst chanting the Terrace War Cry ” We are the state, we are the state, we are, we are we are the state”
I mean common guys really? I mean either “War war is stupid and people are stupid” or Boy George isn’t really an 80s pop star in a permanently drug addled Crisis.
It would seem prudent at this point to attempt a brief deconstruction of the workings of the State as distinct from that of say government or democracy. This holy trinity has become enmeshed over time to mean about the same thing in most people’s eyes. Furthermore, democracy itself as a term and as a concept has been be-spoiled via its association with the free market economy and with laissez-faire Capitalism. Sorting this shit storm out is a colossal forensic exercise. Perhaps even one that has potential for a massive Time Team special with John Nettles doing a nice cameo. But I digress, mainly because I am aware of my own ignorance. But this is how I see things through my simple yet beautiful eyes.
- The State is a powerful monopoly of self interested compounded wealth. In my head it is the “Fairground”.
- The government of the day serves the State and in my analogy is the Dodgems or Bumper Car Operator in the state run Fairground.
- Every now and then we have an election and there ensues a mad scramble through a process called democracy to occupy as many of the dodgems as possible on behalf of one of the parties.
- We the proletariat, the voting majority, the great unwashed join in this scramble and ease the least distasteful of our candidates behind the wheel. Having been part of the hurly burly for a while, cracked a few heads and being generally satisfied that we have been well consulted and suitably involved we then leave the arena
- We now give the newly ensconced drivers some money and full license to cavort around on our behalf till the next time.
- Our money is then passed to the Dodgems operator who in turn then pays the Fairground. Simple.
Next week how to cure cancer with a spoon.