Even Ukrainian anarchists felt compelled to join the army to fight against Russia, despite opposing the concept of the state. One of them, Faust, joined to fight for the freedom of his loved ones.
"Anarchists aren’t known for their propensity to obey." That is what appeals to me: the standing up to political and military oppression, resisting economic oppression. It is an optimistic view of motivations of individuals.
This (anarchists in the army) is where the distinctiveness of Ukraine shines through. It's what I love about this part of the world. Semi-relatedly, have you ever done a profile of absurdist comic Olexandr Serdyuk and his fundraisers for the military?
Haha, I love the way Serdiuk does fundraising, actually I’ve been to a lot of auctions to fundraise money for Ukrainian army conducted by him and it’s always so funny!
Did you know how people like me in the US first heard about him? How the Qanon researcher and podcaster Travis View uses a photo of him as his avatar online? It's quite a cool story!
I am not an anarchist, and hold no anarchist ideals, but "Independent autonomous anti-authoritarian classless progressive feminist social socialist", hmm. I am pretty independent (for much of my life), definitely anti-authoritarian (lived in Apartheid South Africa - adored the country, loathed the government), classless (upper working class/lower middle class, perhaps?), progressive, feminist, socialist - sure. Also egalitarian, pro-diversity, Humanist and ecologically-aware all my life. I prefer a government that is socially capitalist, ethical & has non-religious morality. But I am not an anarchist! 😁
Too many Americans think anarchists are the Black Bloc guys who join in demonstrations in order to break things. I actually suspect my husband leans anarchist 😁.
There is a fine line between diplomatic um, sucking up for gain and actually supporting someone who is as bad as Putin in his own way, someone who definitely is not on the side of democracy. Sure, that is Americans’ problem to deal with, but it’s starting to come across as “Freedom and Democracy for me, but not for thee”.
This isn’t the win you think it is. Anarchists everywhere are far more likely to support Putin and Iran and China and North Korea because “they aren’t the US”.
Anarchists defy easy left-right labels. There are anarcho-libertarians just as they are anarcho-syndicalists. The point of the piece is not to cheer on anarchists (I'm not one), but to point out how political divisions can be bridged for the purposes of confronting a greater evil.
Agreed 100% on where the greater evil is. My point was that anarchists in the US, and likely many other places are firmly in the Russia-Iran-Islamist terrorist-China-DPRK camp, not the Ukrainian one.
"Anarchists aren’t known for their propensity to obey." That is what appeals to me: the standing up to political and military oppression, resisting economic oppression. It is an optimistic view of motivations of individuals.
It also shows a sense of unity across the political spectrum that it's hard to imagine right now in large parts of the West.
This (anarchists in the army) is where the distinctiveness of Ukraine shines through. It's what I love about this part of the world. Semi-relatedly, have you ever done a profile of absurdist comic Olexandr Serdyuk and his fundraisers for the military?
Haha, I love the way Serdiuk does fundraising, actually I’ve been to a lot of auctions to fundraise money for Ukrainian army conducted by him and it’s always so funny!
though i’m really not sure if we ever wrote about him in the Counteroffensive
Did you know how people like me in the US first heard about him? How the Qanon researcher and podcaster Travis View uses a photo of him as his avatar online? It's quite a cool story!
I am not an anarchist, and hold no anarchist ideals, but "Independent autonomous anti-authoritarian classless progressive feminist social socialist", hmm. I am pretty independent (for much of my life), definitely anti-authoritarian (lived in Apartheid South Africa - adored the country, loathed the government), classless (upper working class/lower middle class, perhaps?), progressive, feminist, socialist - sure. Also egalitarian, pro-diversity, Humanist and ecologically-aware all my life. I prefer a government that is socially capitalist, ethical & has non-religious morality. But I am not an anarchist! 😁
Too many Americans think anarchists are the Black Bloc guys who join in demonstrations in order to break things. I actually suspect my husband leans anarchist 😁.
There is a fine line between diplomatic um, sucking up for gain and actually supporting someone who is as bad as Putin in his own way, someone who definitely is not on the side of democracy. Sure, that is Americans’ problem to deal with, but it’s starting to come across as “Freedom and Democracy for me, but not for thee”.
Did the doggo get to see its picture?
This isn’t the win you think it is. Anarchists everywhere are far more likely to support Putin and Iran and China and North Korea because “they aren’t the US”.
Those are tankies.
Free tip: nobody gives two shits about the subdivisions of the far-left.
Anarchists defy easy left-right labels. There are anarcho-libertarians just as they are anarcho-syndicalists. The point of the piece is not to cheer on anarchists (I'm not one), but to point out how political divisions can be bridged for the purposes of confronting a greater evil.
Agreed 100% on where the greater evil is. My point was that anarchists in the US, and likely many other places are firmly in the Russia-Iran-Islamist terrorist-China-DPRK camp, not the Ukrainian one.