This is a wide-ranging interview I recently did with two anarchist pro-freedom campaigners, MA and WS, from Brighton, England. Illustration by Ken Avidor.
For decades philanthropic organizations such as the Rockefeller and Ford foundation as well as many others of the same ilk have poured millions into subverting prominent Leftists and their political movements.
Great piece, thank you for staying true to the root value of anarchism which is resistance to tyranny in all forms. It was also heartening to see Keith McHenry of Food Not Bombs has chosen correctly. I was one of a gaggle of of people arrested in San Francisco in the early 90s for the "crime" of serving food to the homeless.
I have been deconstructing the philosophy of classical liberalism for two decades, in an effort to fully understand and justify my own ideological inclinations. That process has finally led me to anarchism, which is the inevitable destination when the principles and premises of that philosophy are carried to their logical conclusion.
I finally get here only to discover that even "anarchism" has been, as a movement, undermined by statist controlled opposition. Yuck!
Still, though, nothing can fully mar the joy I feel at finally understanding the truth…even if the truth might not be fully realized in human social life for generations…
There is strong anarchist sentiment and counter-cultural living here in central Victoria through the permaculture. David Holmgren was attacked but resilient
What a great and enlightening piece. Gives me encouragement to do more mostly for my grandchildren. I attended protests against lockdowns etc and was amazed at the diversity of ages and classes there. It was reassuring to see but sadly never enough of us. Thank you for letting me see there are others out there.
A Greek anarchist group "Contra Dystopia" (Κόντρα Δυστοπία) were the only ones to not only openly doubt and defy the covid narrative, but also join the anti sci-fascism demonstrations organised mainly by right wing and religious groups. Lots of fundamentalists there, but also A LOT of regular people and other leftists who didn't buy into it. But you had to be there to see them. The news only showed the screaming, unhinged fundamentalists; naturally.
So a lot of the "comrades" who seem to value their image a fair bit more than ideology and principles, wouldn't be seen DEAD next to those they look down upon (while simultaneously pretending to defend their rights). Even if they believed that force vaccination was a bridge too far.
Which they didn't.
They happily aligned with all these entities they were supposed to be fighting against (for reasons long and well established).
It was heartbreaking and liberating in equal measure.
We got to see everyone's real colours. Now we know where we're standing,...and it ain't crowded
WOW. GLAD I HAVE FOUND YOU! I have been wondering where I might connect with people awake to the madness, without the overlay of red-pill capitalist flag-waving. I am excited to look into your work. Great interview- clear and concise. Thank you!
Greetings from Florida. Over the past year there has been a motion in my heart towards what your words describe in this piece. It has given me more courage.
It's very hard for me to align with any political group or ideology or religious belief. I never really have and I guess I'm not going to start now especially after the last decade of confusion and deliberate attempts at finger pointing and blame casting between all the very well funded factions.
I remember reading a long time ago the phrase "Walking away from the King." I imagine that's what a true anarchist would strive for and possibly those who call themselves libertarians too.
The problem I perceive with all these ideologies is that they tend to fall apart when applied to the "real world." In practical reality, people tend to organize into groups and the inevitable conclusion of that (due to natural forces and human behavior) is that a pyramid structure is established with alpha personality types rising to the top of the heap. And eventually, we get the sociopaths and psychopaths taking up positions either as front men or behind the scenes masterfully pulling the strings and dictating the activity of the herd.
Any movements that attempt to push back or replace the existing order will have to (at some point) look inwards and understand that they will become the thing they were trying to replace. Just read Animal Farm to see how it ends... every single time.
IMO the closest we have come to achieving these lofty goals is embodied in the US constitution. If it has to be written again for a new audience then so be it, as long as the core values pertaining to individual freedoms are maintained.
I think this is all we can hope for unless people want to drop out to a log cabin in the woods which is hardly practical for the vast majority of people today.
Have you considered that the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence might be the evidence of a colossal con job created by sly lawyers and their legalese?
Hi Frances! Yes, I agree 100% with that consideration and without going too far down that road (although many others have in various books on the subject) the Founding Fathers of America are no more trustworthy IMO than all the other characters that have pulled the strings throughout history. I understand (and believe to be true) the claims that the British establishment backed off from the colonies so as to rule over them as a corporation via the method of the hidden hand. And America became the largest corporate entity in the history of the world and it still operates under that methodology to this day including it's centralized military, Big Pharma, Big Agra and Big Media operations.
That said, the values contained in the Constitution are more or less noble, it's just that we don't need permission or any written words to validate what we innately know to be true. If given a choice, most of us would prefer to be free and not under the authoritarian dictates of the state.
In practice though, society functions because most people submit to the set of rules as laid out by their government and the legal system and after much consideration I'm not sure a system of industrialized civilization can operate successfully without this set of rules and the acceptance of them by the majority of the working population.
For now, the human species operates much like a network of ant colonies. If this is to change in some way, it would most likely take the form of increased automation and changing roles for the humans involved or a collapse back to simpler ways of life if they are even possible.
Human values can be as noble as we like..... if they are written and signed by people registered at the Temple Bar, they are null and void. If a contract is signed by members of the same organisation, allegedly representing both sides of the agreement, then they have no more legality than an internal memo. That is the essence of my article (as linked above).
Well... try proving that in a court of law. (just kidding)
For some reason I didn't see the link (link blindness setting in)?
I'll give it a read. I assume you favor a system of common law or natural law based on basic values of do no harm?
In that case, I would like to see such a system rise up to replace the one we have. As you say, this is entirely possible if the majority of people will it into action and from what I can see it's already happening at a certain level and if everything goes well (we can allow for a few ups and downs) we should reach a tipping point (maybe only 15 to 20% of alignment with these ideas required) relatively soon.
And that could potentially lead to a complete revamping of the entire human experience inside and out much like the transformation we observe of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
"I assume you favor a system of common law or natural law based on basic values of do no harm?"
I have no idea what form of law would be ideal. I just know that one based in the edicts of the Roman Empire must be dismantled because it is creating Totalitaria.
Well... good for you! Now apply your logic to billions of people currently living in cities, suburbia and small towns.
Here... I'll help you... it wouldn't work.
And another thing... the minute anything goes wrong in the cities and suburbia the zombies will pour out into the surrounding countryside and beyond looking for anything edible. And the gang members among them will probably want a little more than that.
Of course, I hope things don't get THAT bad, but the way things are going... who knows.
Good luck with that! Hope you got some zombie traps set up for when the hordes arrive in stolen trucks loaded with as much guns and ammo they could loot from the local stores and cop shops.
Like I said we are better shots then these assholes and we know how to use guns. For example a stolen gun isn't much good if it isn't sighted in. We will snipe them from hidden positions in the woods with "deer rifles" accurate to 100s of yards out. They will stick to the roads because they are as dumb as dirt and they won't even know what hit them. Knowing the territory and fighting on your home turf is a huge advantage, that's for example how the Viet Kong and Taliban were able to defeat the U.S. military with vastly inferior weapons. It will be as easy as the American revolutionary patriots who hid behind trees picking off redcoats...
You are delusional. I've had this conversation many times over the years with your type. Again, you are simply delusional. There is no defense against reasonably well organized and determined waves of drug gang or cartel members unless you have a well trained and provisioned military of your own.
If the American military had wanted to or been allowed to win in the situations you mention they would have made mincemeat of their opposition. They were ordered to stand down or hold back in all of these encounters.
I repeat, you will not hold off waves of hundreds of attackers. You will be overwhelmed. They will use fire to smoke you out. Then they'll roast you and yours on a spit and move on to the next farming community and do the same again.
They lose a few? No problem. They'll learn from their mistakes very quickly and adapt their strategies for the next community they hit.
They'll attack at night, use stealth, take hostages, and set fire to everything. Or they'll simply lay siege and block your exits.
Lately I've seen a poster in the street advertising for anarchist conferences. I said cool. Then the program was all about radical feminism and the genre question...
I think it just sounds cool to say I'm an anarchist without even knowing what it entails exactly so people identify as such but are just fake.
I can say the more I read your writings the more I feel strongly about being anarchist.
I've never felt the need to include myself in a political group. I think there are good ideas everywhere. But anarchism strikes many chords inside me!
During the covid era I was desperate to see absolutely no reaction from the university students. From what we were enduring I really thought I would have the chance to live a revolution like in the 70's. People were brain-dead...
In 1997 I was demonstrating at APEC in Vancouver. In 1999 I was demonstrating at the WTO in Seattle. I remember Indymedia. In the anti corporate globalization movement there were many anarchists not just the Black Bloc. While I do not consider myself an anarchist there are many aspects from anarchism such as mutual aid that I like, and I loved working with many anarchists on different issues in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Fast forward to 2023: where the heck did all the anarchists go? It was shocking for me to see so many anarchists in Canada go pro mandates and pro vaccine while I opposed both along with conservative friends.
I strongly feel that the fight is not left versus right anymore. Instead it is freedom lovers versus authoritarians (left and right).
Excellent. Thank you. Most illuminating and well written. God bless you. Amen.
For decades philanthropic organizations such as the Rockefeller and Ford foundation as well as many others of the same ilk have poured millions into subverting prominent Leftists and their political movements.
Great piece, thank you for staying true to the root value of anarchism which is resistance to tyranny in all forms. It was also heartening to see Keith McHenry of Food Not Bombs has chosen correctly. I was one of a gaggle of of people arrested in San Francisco in the early 90s for the "crime" of serving food to the homeless.
I have been deconstructing the philosophy of classical liberalism for two decades, in an effort to fully understand and justify my own ideological inclinations. That process has finally led me to anarchism, which is the inevitable destination when the principles and premises of that philosophy are carried to their logical conclusion.
I finally get here only to discover that even "anarchism" has been, as a movement, undermined by statist controlled opposition. Yuck!
Still, though, nothing can fully mar the joy I feel at finally understanding the truth…even if the truth might not be fully realized in human social life for generations…
No one has strengthened my spiritual sword arm more in the last few years than you, Paul Cudenec. Thank you truly 🌳🧡🌳
There is strong anarchist sentiment and counter-cultural living here in central Victoria through the permaculture. David Holmgren was attacked but resilient
What a great and enlightening piece. Gives me encouragement to do more mostly for my grandchildren. I attended protests against lockdowns etc and was amazed at the diversity of ages and classes there. It was reassuring to see but sadly never enough of us. Thank you for letting me see there are others out there.
Cheers Bill.
A Greek anarchist group "Contra Dystopia" (Κόντρα Δυστοπία) were the only ones to not only openly doubt and defy the covid narrative, but also join the anti sci-fascism demonstrations organised mainly by right wing and religious groups. Lots of fundamentalists there, but also A LOT of regular people and other leftists who didn't buy into it. But you had to be there to see them. The news only showed the screaming, unhinged fundamentalists; naturally.
So a lot of the "comrades" who seem to value their image a fair bit more than ideology and principles, wouldn't be seen DEAD next to those they look down upon (while simultaneously pretending to defend their rights). Even if they believed that force vaccination was a bridge too far.
Which they didn't.
They happily aligned with all these entities they were supposed to be fighting against (for reasons long and well established).
It was heartbreaking and liberating in equal measure.
We got to see everyone's real colours. Now we know where we're standing,...and it ain't crowded
driving across the country on empty highway, noticing that the military was sire transporting a lot of stuff at that time also.
Well said, every word.
WOW. GLAD I HAVE FOUND YOU! I have been wondering where I might connect with people awake to the madness, without the overlay of red-pill capitalist flag-waving. I am excited to look into your work. Great interview- clear and concise. Thank you!
Cheers
Thanks. I read the article on the funding sources for many of those groups. Interesting.
Greetings from Florida. Over the past year there has been a motion in my heart towards what your words describe in this piece. It has given me more courage.
Thank you!
It's very hard for me to align with any political group or ideology or religious belief. I never really have and I guess I'm not going to start now especially after the last decade of confusion and deliberate attempts at finger pointing and blame casting between all the very well funded factions.
I remember reading a long time ago the phrase "Walking away from the King." I imagine that's what a true anarchist would strive for and possibly those who call themselves libertarians too.
The problem I perceive with all these ideologies is that they tend to fall apart when applied to the "real world." In practical reality, people tend to organize into groups and the inevitable conclusion of that (due to natural forces and human behavior) is that a pyramid structure is established with alpha personality types rising to the top of the heap. And eventually, we get the sociopaths and psychopaths taking up positions either as front men or behind the scenes masterfully pulling the strings and dictating the activity of the herd.
Any movements that attempt to push back or replace the existing order will have to (at some point) look inwards and understand that they will become the thing they were trying to replace. Just read Animal Farm to see how it ends... every single time.
IMO the closest we have come to achieving these lofty goals is embodied in the US constitution. If it has to be written again for a new audience then so be it, as long as the core values pertaining to individual freedoms are maintained.
I think this is all we can hope for unless people want to drop out to a log cabin in the woods which is hardly practical for the vast majority of people today.
Have you considered that the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence might be the evidence of a colossal con job created by sly lawyers and their legalese?
https://francesleader.substack.com/p/what-does-the-rule-of-law-mean
Even if it was re-written it would still be signed by members of the same enslaved profession!
Hi Frances! Yes, I agree 100% with that consideration and without going too far down that road (although many others have in various books on the subject) the Founding Fathers of America are no more trustworthy IMO than all the other characters that have pulled the strings throughout history. I understand (and believe to be true) the claims that the British establishment backed off from the colonies so as to rule over them as a corporation via the method of the hidden hand. And America became the largest corporate entity in the history of the world and it still operates under that methodology to this day including it's centralized military, Big Pharma, Big Agra and Big Media operations.
That said, the values contained in the Constitution are more or less noble, it's just that we don't need permission or any written words to validate what we innately know to be true. If given a choice, most of us would prefer to be free and not under the authoritarian dictates of the state.
In practice though, society functions because most people submit to the set of rules as laid out by their government and the legal system and after much consideration I'm not sure a system of industrialized civilization can operate successfully without this set of rules and the acceptance of them by the majority of the working population.
For now, the human species operates much like a network of ant colonies. If this is to change in some way, it would most likely take the form of increased automation and changing roles for the humans involved or a collapse back to simpler ways of life if they are even possible.
Human values can be as noble as we like..... if they are written and signed by people registered at the Temple Bar, they are null and void. If a contract is signed by members of the same organisation, allegedly representing both sides of the agreement, then they have no more legality than an internal memo. That is the essence of my article (as linked above).
Well... try proving that in a court of law. (just kidding)
For some reason I didn't see the link (link blindness setting in)?
I'll give it a read. I assume you favor a system of common law or natural law based on basic values of do no harm?
In that case, I would like to see such a system rise up to replace the one we have. As you say, this is entirely possible if the majority of people will it into action and from what I can see it's already happening at a certain level and if everything goes well (we can allow for a few ups and downs) we should reach a tipping point (maybe only 15 to 20% of alignment with these ideas required) relatively soon.
And that could potentially lead to a complete revamping of the entire human experience inside and out much like the transformation we observe of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
I would like to see that.
"I assume you favor a system of common law or natural law based on basic values of do no harm?"
I have no idea what form of law would be ideal. I just know that one based in the edicts of the Roman Empire must be dismantled because it is creating Totalitaria.
https://francesleader.substack.com/p/totalitaria-snubbed
YOU are a totalitarian, YOU want to disarm the population just like the WEF crowd.
Do you have a better idea gun grabber? (Yes I have had a run in with this person, yes she is a gun grabber)
Well, I don't like gun grabbers... so that's something we have in common!
You are wrong, I am living in a cabin the woods and it's great, I even have broadband, at least for now.
Well... good for you! Now apply your logic to billions of people currently living in cities, suburbia and small towns.
Here... I'll help you... it wouldn't work.
And another thing... the minute anything goes wrong in the cities and suburbia the zombies will pour out into the surrounding countryside and beyond looking for anything edible. And the gang members among them will probably want a little more than that.
Of course, I hope things don't get THAT bad, but the way things are going... who knows.
LOL we are better shots than any of those assholes. They fuck around, they will find out.
Good luck with that! Hope you got some zombie traps set up for when the hordes arrive in stolen trucks loaded with as much guns and ammo they could loot from the local stores and cop shops.
Like I said we are better shots then these assholes and we know how to use guns. For example a stolen gun isn't much good if it isn't sighted in. We will snipe them from hidden positions in the woods with "deer rifles" accurate to 100s of yards out. They will stick to the roads because they are as dumb as dirt and they won't even know what hit them. Knowing the territory and fighting on your home turf is a huge advantage, that's for example how the Viet Kong and Taliban were able to defeat the U.S. military with vastly inferior weapons. It will be as easy as the American revolutionary patriots who hid behind trees picking off redcoats...
You are correct. What some apparently don’t realize is, at the very least, the simple math involved, I.e., the laws of averages and probability.
Nihilistic attitudes have no absolute value, no pun intended.
You are delusional. I've had this conversation many times over the years with your type. Again, you are simply delusional. There is no defense against reasonably well organized and determined waves of drug gang or cartel members unless you have a well trained and provisioned military of your own.
If the American military had wanted to or been allowed to win in the situations you mention they would have made mincemeat of their opposition. They were ordered to stand down or hold back in all of these encounters.
I repeat, you will not hold off waves of hundreds of attackers. You will be overwhelmed. They will use fire to smoke you out. Then they'll roast you and yours on a spit and move on to the next farming community and do the same again.
They lose a few? No problem. They'll learn from their mistakes very quickly and adapt their strategies for the next community they hit.
They'll attack at night, use stealth, take hostages, and set fire to everything. Or they'll simply lay siege and block your exits.
Hunger is a powerful motivator.
Lately I've seen a poster in the street advertising for anarchist conferences. I said cool. Then the program was all about radical feminism and the genre question...
I think it just sounds cool to say I'm an anarchist without even knowing what it entails exactly so people identify as such but are just fake.
I can say the more I read your writings the more I feel strongly about being anarchist.
I've never felt the need to include myself in a political group. I think there are good ideas everywhere. But anarchism strikes many chords inside me!
During the covid era I was desperate to see absolutely no reaction from the university students. From what we were enduring I really thought I would have the chance to live a revolution like in the 70's. People were brain-dead...
You can count me in the movement ;)
In 1997 I was demonstrating at APEC in Vancouver. In 1999 I was demonstrating at the WTO in Seattle. I remember Indymedia. In the anti corporate globalization movement there were many anarchists not just the Black Bloc. While I do not consider myself an anarchist there are many aspects from anarchism such as mutual aid that I like, and I loved working with many anarchists on different issues in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Fast forward to 2023: where the heck did all the anarchists go? It was shocking for me to see so many anarchists in Canada go pro mandates and pro vaccine while I opposed both along with conservative friends.
I strongly feel that the fight is not left versus right anymore. Instead it is freedom lovers versus authoritarians (left and right).