All_Nite_Dinah

Yes, I am talking about a complete change in mindset. I fully understand that at first it is difficult to grasp the concept that no one has to die in order for us to live, and that instead of having a society of competiition and death and destruction we could build a society that caters to the needs of everyone. That is the hardest part of talking revolutionary politics. Since birth people have the idea that capitalism is the only way to live, and that it is the best way to live. You are told that there will always be leaders and followers, and fed this idea of social darwanism. Fed the lies about communism, and before communism emerged as a threat fed lies about anarchism. Once you understand that there is MORE than capitalism you can begin to understand. In a anarchist society there would be no need to "charge whatever you want" because 1.There would be no reason to have more than someone else. 2. If one member of a collective group of a people is exploiting the other members they would have the ability to deal with it. 3. Once one understands that capitalism is fuled by surplus (be it labor or goods) and excess there is no need for things like $500 sneakers or $1 mil. cars. You have to try to understand that anarchism is a SOCIAL movement first, an economic idea second. If you can not liberate your mind from the confines of capitalist thought, you wil never be able to live as neither master nor slave. There is no way I could even hope to try to explain all parts of anarchist theory or answer all your questions, because I am far from a scholar on it. I dont know all the answers, but one thing I do know is that it is bickering over anarchism and communism that allows capitalism to thrive.

While we kick our feet and debate on the merits of socialism people are dying for no reason. This is not an exageration, only the stark reality of what our decadent culture has brought. You can argue that capitalism can be brought to a more "humane" form, but there will always be a need for "lower costs of production" and higher income, therfore someone will always be exploited. This is inherint in capitalism and can not be disputed. But once one frees ther mind of the lies that you are told about the benifits of competition and looks at the facts that are right there in front of there face, the homelessness, the poverty, the crime committed for material(capital) gain, the war, it becomes rather obvious that something must change. Keep in mind that capitalism as we know(post industrial) it today has only been around in the US for around 50 years, and already we are floating on debt bankrupting socil security(the supposed last stronghold for the poor) and engaged in endless wars. Go ahead and stand by capitalism or libertarian policies, but keep in mind that this system is weak and it's collapse is inevitable.

Before someone pulls out the example of the supposed prodigal son of capitalism, India. I would like to nip that in the bud. Look at the murder and suicide rates of India as coorelating with the GDP in of India. Or look at the amount of small farmers put out of work, giving up a traditional lifestyle carried out for generations to work in call centers for american companies. There was and excellent speaker on this topic in my town, unfortunetly I can't remember his name.

Indirect power to the people is better than no power to the people. Also keep in mind that most "socialist" countries in Europe are just social democracies. If you want to get into theory than according to Marx a true socialist revolution must occur around the world, it is impossible for one country to maintain a true socialist government alone.(Read the last line of the Communist manifesto) Hence the ability for countries to take the full leap into socialism. However something is better than nothing. Also ironicly the socialist candidate for president of france lost to Sarkozy who is a Gaulist. Taking control of the country at a time strikeingly similar to the social conditins of 1968.

This is baisically the point when you and I either agree to disagree, or you look at things in a different frame of mind. I repeat that the last thing I expect anyone reading this to do is become a devoted anarchist/socialist, as it is much easyier to just go wih the flow, than to voice opposition. Voiceing opposition can result in being beaten, arrested, and ortasized from your community. If you are genuinly intrested in anarchism or socialism I would recomend going to www. infoshop .org for alot of free resources. A much easier to read version of the stuff can be found at www. crimethinc .com which is a bsic primer to anarchist though without breaking down into in depth analysis. I also highly recomend touching bases with The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engles and What is to be done by Lenin. Civil disobedience by thoreau, The Conquest of Bread by Kropotkin, and Anarcho Syndicalism by Rudolpf Rocker for anarchist(Krpotkin and rocker anre anarcho syndicalists) thought.

If your still bent on the idea of competition being good read mutual aid by kropotkin. It was written in the hey day of social darwanist thought.

If you feel like you are pissed off and want to do something about it the best thing you can do is get educated. Learn as much as you can so that when someone comes spouting lies you can rebut them. That and quit living your life for some phony ideal of a house and a little house wife and two cars and a dog named spot. That has never been reality. Capitalism only truely worked for about 20 years following WWII, and even then people watched Leave it to Beaver and wondered why their lives wern't like that. Live your life for you not some silly capitalist. Buy less, work less, spend more time doing things you want, develop a way to make money without working, quit the system, and continue to agitate by going to protests and doing anything you can. There is alot that we can do once we start living or lives for ourselves. You can call me an idealist, but I'll call you jaded and boring.

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If I cant dance I dont want to be part of your revolution.

DEATH TO FALSE DUDES!