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Bucky

(55,334 posts) Tue Apr 12, 2016, 09:47 AM Apr 2016

someone help understand Anarchy. How does it work as a government? Is it just libertarianism? [View all]

I was reading up on the Spanish Civil War and apparently the Anarchists were a significant faction, even taking control of the Barcelona area for a while. But there's precious little explanation of how it's supposed to work and, frankly, the Wikipedia page degenerates into a bunch of in-speak gibberish.

Is it a left so left it's governmentless? Is it opposed to any form of human cooperative organization? Does it bust unions?

44 replies

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someone help understand Anarchy. How does it work as a government? Is it just libertarianism? [View all] Bucky Apr 2016 OP

Anarchists don't respect any authority. Dr Hobbitstein Apr 2016 #1

It means that there is no ruler (e.g. no government) and no hierarchy. DetlefK Apr 2016 #2

Mutual aid. Starry Messenger Apr 2016 #3

A secret society of Glass Repairmen. trumad Apr 2016 #4

. arcane1 Apr 2016 #27

It doesn't work AgerolanAmerican Apr 2016 #5

Pretty much this....^^^ Wounded Bear Apr 2016 #7

Real anarchy goes hand-in-hand with war and disaster. sofa king Apr 2016 #6

Whatever you say, Hobbes Warren DeMontague Apr 2016 #21

And for you here's "Hobbes' corollary to anarchy": sofa king Apr 2016 #42

Good explanation. Definitely the weakest members of a jwirr Apr 2016 #25

It doesn't, and it isn't... TreasonousBastard Apr 2016 #8

The human mind is a weird place The2ndWheel Apr 2016 #9

Anarchy means local rule, no ruling class. bemildred Apr 2016 #10

sounds like Feudalism Bucky Apr 2016 #16

No it doesn't, feudal societies were very class-ridden and structured. bemildred Apr 2016 #17

The lack of resources has a lot to do with what you are saying. jwirr Apr 2016 #29

Yes. Competition for resources is at the root of it. bemildred Apr 2016 #30

With the kind of problems we are facing in our world today jwirr Apr 2016 #31

Some of the smarter ones seem to get it, but that doesn't seem the way to bet. nt bemildred Apr 2016 #36

Not "anarchy" -- Anarchism Old Union Guy Apr 2016 #11

The one fundamental flaw in anarchism is human nature. Oneironaut Apr 2016 #12

Not possible... TampaAnimusVortex Apr 2016 #43

The correct term, I suppose, would be an alliance. Oneironaut Apr 2016 #44

No, it's not libertarianism. In fact, it can be quite socialist. Xithras Apr 2016 #13

Anarchism is much closer to libertarianism than to socialism. If you say "everything that impacts pnwmom Apr 2016 #24

Where on the left have you ever seen a non-governing system? Rex Apr 2016 #14

I disagree. The right is always about government daddy statism. MillennialDem Apr 2016 #33

Maybe the state is nothing but a machine for the oppression of one class by another tralala Apr 2016 #38

I never got the whole anarchy/anarchism thing. skypilot Apr 2016 #15

It's really more of a political philosophy Major Nikon Apr 2016 #18

Anarcho-syndicalism? pokerfan Apr 2016 #19

It doesn't work outside of very small groups anigbrowl Apr 2016 #20

...by design Major Nikon Apr 2016 #28

I'm sure there's a point in here but I'm not sure what it is anigbrowl Apr 2016 #37

The antithesis to anarchism is authoritarianism Major Nikon Apr 2016 #39

The basic idea, as I understand it, is that left to their own devices small groups of people Warren DeMontague Apr 2016 #22

So far, this is one of the better and more adult threads we've had here in quite some time. Hekate Apr 2016 #23

Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2016 #26

Chaos is more of a feature of authoritarianism Major Nikon Apr 2016 #35

Libertarianism is the OPPOSITE of anarchy. Libertarianism is getting government thugs to MillennialDem Apr 2016 #32

After that, the Mafia. n/t Yo_Mama Apr 2016 #34

It is very easy to understand Anarchy jmowreader Apr 2016 #40

It's the absence of government BainsBane Apr 2016 #41