newsgroup: alt.anarchism

While the net has been called the largest working anarchistic organization in the world, anarchism itself remains a sticky subject. It brings out people's passions, and a conversation about it can degenerate into a screaming free-for-all as everyone involved tries to show their own special brand of contempt for authority. Anarchism isn't just the Hollywood/Armageddon/Road Warrior chaos ensconced in pop culture. It's a political philosophy with a long history, a literary and oratorical tradition, and a lot of adherents. At its heart, anarchism is simply a philosophy of living without leaders. How you do that - how you organize (or not) voluntarily around those leaderless principles - is a debate that will never end. Alt.anarchism is where all the faces of anarchist thought and action are demonstrated and debated. The community here is capable of both the most interesting debates and the most absurd more-anarchic-than-thou flame wars imaginable. But you'll also find thoughtful discussions of how libertarianism and syndicalism might go together, along with calls for boycotts and direct action for specific causes. There are more than a few flat-out Government Sucks conspiracy buffs revealing the great truths about Area 51 or Flight 800. But at the heart of alt.anarchism are debates and discussions, as the endless details of self-rule are hashed over by people who really believe the world would be a better place if individuals governed themselves. -R.K.

Subject: politics

Geography: global

Format: newsgroup

Language: English

Cost: no cost