About Anarchy

The word “anarchy” (ˈanəki/)

    Definition:
  1. a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems.
  2. absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.
    Origin:
  • From the ancient Greek ἀναρχία (anarchia), which combines ἀ (a), "without" and ἀρχή (arkhi), "ruler, leader" — "without rulers" or "without leaders."

Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates self-governed societies based on voluntary institutions — described as stateless societies or institutions based on non-hierarchical, free associations.

Theoretically, anarchistic society does not have any issue when everyone is nice, loving, and peaceful; things get very ugly when everyone takes power and justice into his/her own hands. This usually leads to chaos and destruction.

In deeply corrupted societies, government tend to exercise its power in an oppressive, burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. In order to restore balance, people tend to self-organise, in order to overthrow such structures and escape oppression.

As a consequence of several equally-corrupted governments, and in the fear of repeating the same mistakes, people choose to live without government or structure. Instead of putting their trust and hopes in new false leaders again, they choose a society without leaders. Often, this change does not happen peacefully, as leaders of corrupted governments do not want to lose the power and benefits they already have.

Anarchy is an antidote for oppressive government, but the fundamental flaw is that, by using violence, they are not becoming better than those oppressive governments. Although anarchy looks like something that is meant as a good alternative for destroying oppressive government, anarchy is also destroying the society. By failing to give adequate means/institutions that will protect citizens and carry out law and justice, anarchy creates a fertile ground for chaos, allowing everyone to take the law into his/her own hands.

Metaphorically speaking, anarchy is chemotherapy for a government affected by cancer; it destroys the cancer cells but also destroys the good cells. In most cases, it is not a cure, because a weakened body is more susceptible to the recurrence of cancer cells. This relapse, with an already weak body, can lead to a quick death. Ideally, what we want is to strengthen our immune system, so it can recognise and fight cancer cells and make the body stronger.

Therefore, we know that anarchy is not a solution, but we also know that totalitarian-democracy is not a solution, either, as it is just an aristocracy in disguise.

What we need is active, direct democracy — a mix between the two ends, a golden mean, a middle way. We need to be transparent enough that we can have positive feedback but not to such an extent that it will push us into a mass-surveillance police state. We need cohesion in society, but we do not want a cult.

We need guidance and things to strive for, but we do not want to end up in a control-freak world where we become slaves to our own goals.

“Then, one day, Siddhartha heard an old musician on a
passing boat, speaking to his pupil:
If you tighten the string too much, it will snap,
and if you leave it too slack,
it won’t play.”
Buddhism – the “Middle Way”

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