this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2026
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IDK how Western anarchists think anything will be built. Are people supposed to just spontaneously self-organize to build solarpunk high speed rail?
Yeah, you don't know what Anarchism is I guess, and that's fine. The media has made you believe a certain idea on purpose. It's important to recognize this though and learn.
Anarchism is not "no government." I'd argue government is required for anarchism to function. Instead, it's "no hierarchy." You don't put people in positions of authority and leave them there to let them cement their control. Sometimes you do need a leader, but it needs to cycle. Often it could just be an organization where the members vote to decide the direction though, no leader required.
No one expects spontaneous organization. That's what the media wants you to think Anarchism is. No, it's structured organizations, but designed to not put some people above others.
Edit: You've got to love this community. You try to provide information, and you get downvoted for it. No comments disagreeing or anything. It's purely just "you didn't lie to support my idiology, so you get a downvote." If you think I'm wrong, leave a comment explaining why. If you just downvote then you prove me right.
I enjoy a bit of anarchist dunking but at the end of the day I see us as allies against a very imposing enemy so, personally, am not very interested in contesting anarchist theory. I will say though that your characterization of a largely ML community as accepting media narratives is probably the least charitable way you could have approached this disagreement. Then again, you were coming into an uncharitable take so I'm not holding it against you.
This, I second that. Excluding theMilei types of the "anarchist" right, of course (in truth they are turbocapitalists).
I keep thinking of Durruti in the Spanish Civil War. Someone who fights fachos deserves respect in my view.
The debate around what future is the best communism, if Lenin-style or ancom, is largely academic. Top-bottom and bottom-top politics are two sides of the same dialectic (socialism vs communism). It needs to be solved dialectically, but only after the Trumps of the century have been buried in the dumpster of history.
Therefore, thinking from historical materialism, I prefer to think of anarchism as part of a socialist or leftist tradition and not as an ideal society. The first is useful (Durruti), the second is political fiction. Fun but fantastical.
Media meaning movies and everything else. Where else do people hear about what Anarchism is? Clearly not from theory. Take it however you want, but media dictates what we know until we look further ourselves. If someone has an opinion of Anarchism (or whatever else) that doesn't match reality but matches the portrayal by the media, I think it's reasonable to assume that's where it's coming from.
Also, I didn't say ML. I was referring to this particular person (and anyone else who shares an identical view too, obviously).
And yes, we're allies. Leftists want to divide leftists constantly. We're trying to do the same things. There's far too much "purity testing" and needing to believe identical things or being outcast. Not just here, but many leftist spaces.