The essay simply explains one core tenant of anarchism: that humans rely on cooperation and trust on a core fundamental level in everyday situations, even in capitalism. Societal structures collapse once that base-level of cooperation doesn’t exist.
Because people who will not cooperate may be rare, but they are not vanishingly rare. They are common enough that we need explicit rules backed by the violence of the State to enforce them. Everyone knows this at a base level too. That loud neighbor. That guy flipping you off in traffic. The woman at the store eyeing the jewelry case a little too hard. If we didn’t have laws, and cops to enforce them, these people would do what they wanted regardless of what anyone else wanted.
Which leads to the follow-up bullshit of “if you just destroy the protective power of the State, all the bad people will actually be good people!” Yeah and rainbows shoot out my ass when I fart, too.
Lol, and you complain about Graeber writing bullshit. xD
In what way is your “bad person” example any better that the waiting for the bus example Graeber gave?
If humanity was that sellfish, it would have died out about 100000 years ago. You’re spouting unscientific bullshit and act as if you’re the only reasonable person in the room. Classic lib moment.
I dunno about 100,000 years ago, but around 50,000 years ago is when we finished exterminating the Neanderthals.
Humans are not inherently good.
But regardless of how good or bad we are, surely you realize how insane it is to suggest that there could ever exist a society that is 100% free from bad actors, both internal and external? Because in a society without cops the one willing and able to resort to the most violence is king.
So the problem with cops is not that they might be local folks handling domestic disputes, it’s that they keep you from squatting inside a building that is “for lease” owned by the company two towns over? Is that the capital interests part?
While that part is much televised, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen an officer do any of that. I HAVE seen police perform a core function of keeping the peace between individuals on more then one occasion.
Sure, any instance of that is a problem, but besides stopping strikes these all seem like things your neighborhood “us vs them” group might do. Or, in the case of eviction, just the regular members of the community. Admittedly, in the eviction case though that’s only for delinquency in “rent to own” probably.
Point being, by and large community policing is a standard function of society and I think it’s the standard function of police EXCEPT perhaps in large metros where police are enforcers outside their own neighborhoods.
While that part is much televised, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen an officer do any of that. I HAVE seen police perform a core function of keeping the peace between individuals on more then one occasion.
You understand that this is pretty much nothing but anecdotal evidence, right? Maybe ask a minority or precarious workers how they see the cops. The peace police keep is mostly a fiction.
but besides stopping strikes these all seem like things your neighborhood “us vs them” group might do.
Not if the militia is delegated by the community. The community wont order its’ militia by consensus to beat up part of the community.
Point being, by and large community policing is a standard function of society and I think it’s the standard function of police EXCEPT perhaps in large metros where police are enforcers outside their own neighborhoods.
That’s not the role modern police took in a historical context. It has been created to maintain private property relations and that still is its’ core function.
I suppose we will have to use our sets of anecdotal evidence and agree to disagree.
I can’t argue that police reform is unnecessary because it is. Despite that face I don’t think you can say that police aren’t also making DUI arrests, responding to neighborhood disturbances, providing safety and first response for incidents on the road, and other non-state enforcing sorts of issues. Public perspective is important, but I think the ACAB crowd would also be inclined to tell you that anarchists are fundamentally dangerous, animal rights protesters are disruptive and misguided, and a bunch of other stuff that is “valid opinion” but is hardly accurate or well considered.
I would contend that ANY policing or militia unit will eventually come to be an enforcer of private “property relations” to a greater or lesser extent for any society that permits the accumulation of wealth or value, but that’s not the fault of the rule enforcing groups. Someone has to keep the peace. (Maybe here’s your whole political point idk).
The last thing I’ll say is
Not if the militia is delegated by the community. The community wont order its’ militia by consensus to beat up part of the community.
This is bogus. Little towns in middle America do exactly this. Progressivism vs conservativism here near the birthplace of the KKK is not a quiet and harmonious affair as signs, graffiti, and even open displays of aggression show. People are nasty and people are good, but there are both types for sure.
I don’t think any of your principles in this thread are wrong per se, but I’m not seeing how they scale beyond a small town.
No, the article is explaining something similar to what Graeber called “everyday communism”. That cooperation is a fundamental piece of life in human society.
That’s not the same as saying that everybody is a little goody too shoes inside their heart.
To cut a long story short: anarchists believe that for the most part it is power itself, and the effects of power, that make people stupid and irresponsible.
Because people who will not cooperate may be rare, but they are not vanishingly rare. They are common enough that we need explicit rules backed by the violence of the State to enforce them. Everyone knows this at a base level too. That loud neighbor. That guy flipping you off in traffic. The woman at the store eyeing the jewelry case a little too hard. If we didn’t have laws, and cops to enforce them, these people would do what they wanted regardless of what anyone else wanted.
Which leads to the follow-up bullshit of “if you just destroy the protective power of the State, all the bad people will actually be good people!” Yeah and rainbows shoot out my ass when I fart, too.
Lol, and you complain about Graeber writing bullshit. xD
In what way is your “bad person” example any better that the waiting for the bus example Graeber gave?
If humanity was that sellfish, it would have died out about 100000 years ago. You’re spouting unscientific bullshit and act as if you’re the only reasonable person in the room. Classic lib moment.
I dunno about 100,000 years ago, but around 50,000 years ago is when we finished exterminating the Neanderthals.
Humans are not inherently good.
But regardless of how good or bad we are, surely you realize how insane it is to suggest that there could ever exist a society that is 100% free from bad actors, both internal and external? Because in a society without cops the one willing and able to resort to the most violence is king.
That’s not what anarchists are advocating, tough.
Anarchists aren’t against communities defending themselves. Cops are defendants of capital interests, though.
Edit: it’s also not about people being “good” or “bad”. It’s about limiting the potential of accumulation and monopolization of structural power.
So the problem with cops is not that they might be local folks handling domestic disputes, it’s that they keep you from squatting inside a building that is “for lease” owned by the company two towns over? Is that the capital interests part?
No, it’s the part where they’ll evict you and beat up/down protests, minorities and strikes part.
While that part is much televised, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen an officer do any of that. I HAVE seen police perform a core function of keeping the peace between individuals on more then one occasion.
Sure, any instance of that is a problem, but besides stopping strikes these all seem like things your neighborhood “us vs them” group might do. Or, in the case of eviction, just the regular members of the community. Admittedly, in the eviction case though that’s only for delinquency in “rent to own” probably.
Point being, by and large community policing is a standard function of society and I think it’s the standard function of police EXCEPT perhaps in large metros where police are enforcers outside their own neighborhoods.
You understand that this is pretty much nothing but anecdotal evidence, right? Maybe ask a minority or precarious workers how they see the cops. The peace police keep is mostly a fiction.
Not if the militia is delegated by the community. The community wont order its’ militia by consensus to beat up part of the community.
That’s not the role modern police took in a historical context. It has been created to maintain private property relations and that still is its’ core function.
I suppose we will have to use our sets of anecdotal evidence and agree to disagree.
I can’t argue that police reform is unnecessary because it is. Despite that face I don’t think you can say that police aren’t also making DUI arrests, responding to neighborhood disturbances, providing safety and first response for incidents on the road, and other non-state enforcing sorts of issues. Public perspective is important, but I think the ACAB crowd would also be inclined to tell you that anarchists are fundamentally dangerous, animal rights protesters are disruptive and misguided, and a bunch of other stuff that is “valid opinion” but is hardly accurate or well considered.
I would contend that ANY policing or militia unit will eventually come to be an enforcer of private “property relations” to a greater or lesser extent for any society that permits the accumulation of wealth or value, but that’s not the fault of the rule enforcing groups. Someone has to keep the peace. (Maybe here’s your whole political point idk).
The last thing I’ll say is
This is bogus. Little towns in middle America do exactly this. Progressivism vs conservativism here near the birthplace of the KKK is not a quiet and harmonious affair as signs, graffiti, and even open displays of aggression show. People are nasty and people are good, but there are both types for sure.
I don’t think any of your principles in this thread are wrong per se, but I’m not seeing how they scale beyond a small town.
Maybe, maybe not, but it is what the article was advocating.
No, the article is explaining something similar to what Graeber called “everyday communism”. That cooperation is a fundamental piece of life in human society.
That’s not the same as saying that everybody is a little goody too shoes inside their heart.
Not sure how else to interpet this
Seems pretty clear cut.
And that quote proves your point in what way, exactly?
That quote is saying that everybody is a little goody too shoes inside their heart.