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Anarchists?
2003-03-29//12:08 p.m.

Kia Ora-

'I wanna destroy passers by/Cos I wanna be anarchy...'
-Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols), Anarchy In The U.K., 1976

With the war and with protesters there's been a lot of talk lately about anarchists and anarchy. But is this an accurate description? A vast majority of them are poseurs through and through. Most of them are just going through the motions while the cameras are on. Most are barely in college and are the ones with the 'A' and a circle drawn around it scratched onto their notebook because it was cool.

OK to make sure we're on the right page, let's first start with the definition from the 1972 edition of The American Heritage Diction Of The English Language:

anarchy (an'er-ke) n. 1. Abscence of any form of political authority. 2. Disorder and confusion. [Gk. anakrhia.]

These anti-war protesters may be lobbying for a lack of government rule, but they in no way are true anarchists. Their cause is clear cut--they have an agenda and a rule of law that is all unto their own. They just don't want the current political authority ruling over them, they would rather have their own body of (anti-)government. Anarchy is not bound by any such rule. And anarchy is a paradox. Wouldn't calling your self an anarchist label you and box you in to a certain group, thereby negating the title of anarchist by definition?

Anarchists are individuals, not gangs or groups. Sorry, but anarchy is totally self-serving. Not that it's a bad thing, just that's the truth.

Just because you're unwashed, or have dreads, or wear a Crass shirt, or lie in the street obstruction traffic doesn't make you an anarchist (though I dare say it would make you an idiot). Just because you ran away from home to join a collective because you were cut off from mommy and daddy's credit cards, that doesn't make you an anarchist. I dare say that 95% of these so called 'anarchists' even have a clue what the word really means--they just pose and play because anarchy is cool. (And I do want to acknowledge that there are some real anarchists out there and that this is not directed at them--those fuckers are hardcore!) I suggest that there is a better definition that fits:

hippie (hip'e) n. A member of a loosely knit nonconformist group, esp. one that rejects conventional solical mores.

It all comes back to the fucking hippies. Which makes me think of another defition:

nihilism (ni'hil-iz-em) n. Systematic denial of the reality of experience and rejection of all value or meaning attributed to it. [nihil, nothing].

Put on your jackboots, boys, it's hippie stomping time!

Keep the faith,

-N.

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