| Revision as of 02:28, 14 July 2008 editAnarchocelt (talk | contribs)260 editsm moved User:Anarchocelt/Celtic anarchism to User:Anarchocelt/Post Colonial Anarchism: there's not enough on Celtic Anarchism in particular to make a whole page, it makes more sense as post colonial anarchism which can incorporate Panther Anarchism,← Previous edit | Revision as of 03:17, 14 July 2008 edit undoAnarchocelt (talk | contribs)260 edits re-worked the page to include a section on Celtic Anarchism but tro be able to focus on post-colonial Anarchism as a wholeNext edit → | ||
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'''Post-Colonial Anarchism''' is a new tendency within the larger anarchist movement. The name ' is taken from an Essay by Roger White, one of the founders of ] and a well known activist in North-American ] circles. The essay outlines PCA as an attampt to bring together disparate aspects and tendencies within the existing anarchist movement and re-envision them in an explicitly anti-imperialist framework. Where traditional Anarchism is a movement arising from the struggles of proletarians in industrialized western European nations - and thus sees history from their perspective - Post colonial Anarchism approaches the same principles of mutual aid, class struggle, opposition to hierarchy, and community-level self management, self government, and self-determination from the perspective of colonized peoples throughout the world. In doing so it does not seek to invalidate the contributions of the more established anarchist movement, but rather seeks to add a unique and important perspective. The tendency is strongly influenced by ], Anti-State forms of ], ], and many other sources. | ||
| == Issues in Post-Colonial Anarchism == | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Post-Colonial Anarchism is syncretic and diverse, incorporating a wide range of sources, as is to be expected from a tendency which draws from such a wide range of perspectives. | ||
| == History == | |||
| ⚫ | === Nationalism === | ||
| ⚫ | The most basic aspect of the tendency is the belief that pre- |
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| ⚫ | ] have a long history, going back to ]'s early involvement in the ] movement. Anarchists have participated in Left-Nationalist movements in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and many other nations. Modern Anarchist organizations working on national liberation struggles include the ] in ]. | ||
| === Celtic Ireland (650-1650) === | |||
| In ]ic ] society of the ] and ] period, courts and the law were largely ], and operated in a purely stateless manner. This society persisted in this manner for roughly a thousand years until its conquest by England in the seventeenth century. In contrast to many similarly functioning tribal societies (such as the ]s in West Africa), preconquest Ireland was not in any sense "primitive": it was a highly complex society that was, for centuries, the most advanced, most scholarly, and most civilized in all of Western Europe. A leading authority on ancient Irish law wrote, "There was no legislature, no bailiffs, no police, no public enforcement of justice... There was no trace of State-administered justice.<ref>Joseph R. Pedea, “Property Rights in Celtic Irish Law,” Journal of Libertarian Studies I (Spring 1977), p. 83; see also pp. 81–95. For a summary, see Peden, “Stateless Societies: Ancient Ireland,” The Libertarian Forum (April 1971), pp. 3–4.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | At root, the basic difference between Anarchism and Anti-State Nationalism is that in nationalism the primary political unit is the nation, or ethnic group, whereas in an anarchist system the primary political unit is either the individual (in individualist anarchism) or the local community (in social anarchism). Post-Colonial Anarchism is therefore clearly distinct from any form of nationalism in that it does not seek to use the Nation as the primary political unit. Just as Social Anarchists seek to create a socialist economy but oppose the tyranny of marxist state socialism, Post-Colonial Anarchists advocate for self-determination, the defense of local cultures, and an end to imperialism; but oppose the tyranny of nationalism. | ||
| All "freemen" who owned land, all professionals, and all craftsmen, were entitled to become members of a ]. Each tuath's members formed an annual assembly which decided all common policies, declared war or peace on other tuatha, and elected or deposed their "kings." In contrast to tribal organizations, no one was stuck or bound to a given tuath, either because of kinship or of geographical location. Individual members were free to, and often did, secede from a tuath and join a competing tuath. Professor Peden states, "the tuath is thus a body of persons voluntarily united for socially beneficial purposes and the sum total of the landed properties of its members constituted its territorial dimension.<ref>Peden, “Stateless Societies,” p. 4.</ref> The "king" had no political power; he could not decree or administer justice or declare war. Basically he was a priest and militia leader, and presided over the tuath assemblies. The Tuath is thus one of the earliest verifiable examples of Stateless and non-hierarchal political organization in the western world. | |||
| ⚫ | === Race and Racism === | ||
| Celtic Ireland survived many invasions, but was finally vanquished by ]'s reconquest in 1649-50. | |||
| Post-Colonial Anarchism is self-consciously anti-racist, though different groups have differing ideas of what that means. ]-identified groups seek to bring together the perspectives of people of color within the Anarchist movement and have a strong commitment to combating white supremacy, but are often reluctant to recognize the validity and importance of anti-imperialist struggles in Europe. Indigenist thinkers like ], by contrast, make a point of showing support for such movements and actively encourages white anti-racists to explore and learn from historical and ongoing anti-imperialist struggles in Europe. All the various strains of Post-colonial Anarchism, however, are explicitly opposed to and denounce claims of racial superiority by any group and see the abolition of racism as a fundamental goal of Anarchism. | |||
| == Ecology == | |||
| == African Anarchism == | |||
| ⚫ | The |
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| == |
== Celtic Anarchism == | ||
| ⚫ | The most basic aspect of the tendency is the belief that pre-conquest ] societies had strong aspects in common with Anarchist ideals of how society should be structured, and that modern Anarchists would do well to investigate these early models. Celtic Ireland, prior to ]'s invasion, is held up as a positive example. The tendency is thus similar to ] in that it seeks inspiration for anarchism in the history and practices of ancestors, rather then relying solely on political theory and speculation. There is also a strong movement to seek out the good in the ongoing anti-imperialist movements in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Bretony, Cornwall, and Galicia. | ||
| While many Anarchists are ], many others have sought spiritual inspiration in a wide range of traditions ranging from ] and other eastern philosophies to ], ], and ] religious traditions. For Anarchists in the Atlantic Isles and among the ] who are interested in indigenous and tribal traditions, the desire to avoid ] has led many to investigate ]; which seeks to reconstruct and revive ancient Celtic religious practices in a modern context. The process works in the other direction as well and some individuals who enjoy the ] of these religious traditions find themselves drawn to Anarchism. | |||
| === |
=== Ecology === | ||
| ⚫ | The influence of the modern revival of Celtic culture on Anarchism are particularly evident within the radical wing of the ] movement, particularly ]. ] is one of the largest networks organizing around these issues and is organized along anarchist lines with many of the people who work under its banner self-identifying as anarchists. It is perhaps natural that the ] and ] Earth First movements in particular would seek inspiration from and consciously seek linkages with Celtic identities, given that the ancient Celts are commonly portrayed as being more in touch with nature then modern consumer society. The Earth First Journal, the main publication of the movement, organizes its printing schedule around the Neopagan ], which consists of four Gaelic festivals and four Germanic ones, with issues named for ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. <ref></ref> | ||
| ] and/or ] have grown immensely in influence in recent years. Prominent Anarchist Pagans such as ] have gone out of their way to incorporate ] into protests and Neopagans are very much present in the ] movement. While explicitly Pagan Anarchist groupings like ]<ref></ref> are a minority both within the Pagan community and the Anarchist movement, they are quite assertive in promoting the idea of a linkage between their Neopagan spiritual practice and the ideals of liberty, egalitarianism, and mutual aid that form the basis of Anarchist thought. | |||
| === |
=== Post-Colonial Anarchism in Ireland === | ||
| ⚫ | The armed struggle against British rule in Ireland, particularly up to and during the War of Independence, is portrayed as a ] struggle with the Celtic Anarchist mileau. Anarchists, including the Irish ], support a complete end to British involvement in Ireland, a stance traditionally associated with ], but are also very critical of Stateist ] and the ] in particular. In two articles published on Anarkismo.net, Andrew Flood of the WSM outlines what he argues was the betrayal of class struggle by the IRA during the war of independence,<ref> from Anarkismo.net</ref> <ref> from Anarkismo.net</ref> and argues that the Stateism of traditional Irish Nationalism forced it to place the interests of wealthy Irish Nationalists who were financing the revolution ahead of the interests of the vast majority of Ireland's poor. The example of the ], a workers militia which was led by ] and based in the radical wing of the Irish union movement, is held up as a better example of how the larger revolutionary movement could have - and should have - been organized. | ||
| Recent years have also seen an attempt to revive the ancient ], both in the form of organized churches such as the ], and by individuals who seek to re-envision Christianity along lines more consistent with ideals of gender equality. ] has a long tradition going back at least to ], with some claiming that its roots go back much further. Within Anarchist circles, attempts to ground Christian Anarchism in Christian history lead adherents to look to the early Christian church, prior to the adoption of Christianity as the State religion by the ] Emperor ]. The Celtic Christian church was the last Christian church in Western Europe to be brought under the control of Rome, and is thus seen as an inspiration for Christian Anarchists seeking an example of an early egalitarian Christianity. | |||
| ⚫ | Anarchists are extremely critical of the I.R.A., both because of its use of terrorist violence and because of its internal ]ism. From the Anarchist view, British and Irish nationalisms are both Stateist, authoritarian, and seek to dominate and exploit the Irish ] to empower their competing ]s. Anarchism would instead create a political system without States and where communities are self-governing on the local level. The achievement of home-rule, or political self-determination, is therefore a precondition for and a consequence of Anarchism. At root then, the Anarchist objection to Irish Nationalism is that Nationalists use reprehensible means to demand far too little. Still, Anarchists seek to learn from and examine the liberatory aspects of the struggle for Irish independence and the WSM includes a demand for complete British withdrawal from North Ireland in its platform. | ||
| === Liberation Theology === | |||
| == Chicano Anarchism == | |||
| ] priests and missionaries have played a large role in the spread of Catholicism since very early in the history of the Catholic Church. In Latin America in particular, many clergy embraced what was known as ], which has been described as "a marxist interpretation of the gospel" <ref></ref>. While there are clear differences between ], the two share a basic commitment to social justice and have influenced each other over the years. Liberation Theology has also been influential within Irish Nationalist movement. | |||
| == Panther Anarchism == | |||
| Anarchism, and especially ], have traditionally been associated with ] and ] and these ideas remain powerful among Anarchist Celts, as well as among the larger Anarchist movement. | |||
| ⚫ | == Nationalism == | ||
| ⚫ | ] have a long history, going back to ]'s early involvement in the ] movement. Anarchists have participated in Left-Nationalist movements in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and many other nations. Modern Anarchist organizations working on national liberation struggles |
||
| ⚫ | At root, the basic difference between Anarchism and Anti-State Nationalism is that in nationalism the primary political unit is the nation, or ethnic group, |
||
| === Irish Nationalism === | |||
| The armed struggle against British rule in Ireland, particularly up to and during the War of Independence, is portrayed as a ] struggle with the Celtic Anarchist mileau. Anarchists, including the Irish ], support a complete end to British involvement in Ireland, a stance traditionally associated with ], but are also very critical of Stateist ] and the ] in particular. | |||
| ⚫ | In two articles published on Anarkismo.net, Andrew Flood of the WSM outlines what he argues was the betrayal of class struggle by the IRA during the war of independence,<ref> from Anarkismo.net</ref><ref> from Anarkismo.net</ref> and argues that the Stateism of traditional Irish Nationalism forced it to place the interests of wealthy Irish Nationalists who were financing the revolution ahead of the interests of the vast majority of Ireland's poor. | ||
| ⚫ | Anarchists are |
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| Still, Anarchists seek to learn from and examine the liberatory aspects of the Irish Nationalist movement and the WSM includes a demand for complete British withdrawal from Ireland in its platform. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| Celtic Anarchism is like many other fusions of Anarchism and Nationalism in that it is elf-consciously anti-racist. Celtic identity is defined along ethnic lines, not racially. This is significant because in diaspora communities in particular Celtic people's have had very high rates of inter-racial marriage for generations and there are millions of self-identified Celts around the world who are not "white". By adopting a Pan-celtic outlook that explicitly opposes racism and the race system itself in favor of an emphasis on shared history and culture, Celtic Anarchism stands in stark contrast to certain forms of so-called ], ], and other post-fascist movements that appropriate anarchist rhetoric to promote "voluntary" racial segregation.<ref> On Anarchism and Nationalism. From CelticAnarchy.org. http://celticanarchy.org/?p=67</ref> | |||
| The explicitly anti-racist and anti-race-system outlook of Celtic Anarchism is rooted not just in the commitment to social justice and egalitarianism, but in the historical experiences of Celtic peoples around the world as victims of racist and white-supremacist policies. | |||
| == Notes and References == | == Notes and References == | ||
Revision as of 03:17, 14 July 2008
Post-Colonial Anarchism is a new tendency within the larger anarchist movement. The name ' is taken from an Essay by Roger White, one of the founders of Jailbreak Press and a well known activist in North-American APOC circles. The essay outlines PCA as an attampt to bring together disparate aspects and tendencies within the existing anarchist movement and re-envision them in an explicitly anti-imperialist framework. Where traditional Anarchism is a movement arising from the struggles of proletarians in industrialized western European nations - and thus sees history from their perspective - Post colonial Anarchism approaches the same principles of mutual aid, class struggle, opposition to hierarchy, and community-level self management, self government, and self-determination from the perspective of colonized peoples throughout the world. In doing so it does not seek to invalidate the contributions of the more established anarchist movement, but rather seeks to add a unique and important perspective. The tendency is strongly influenced by Indigenism, Anti-State forms of Nationalism, Anarchist People of Color, and many other sources.
Issues in Post-Colonial Anarchism
Post-Colonial Anarchism is syncretic and diverse, incorporating a wide range of sources, as is to be expected from a tendency which draws from such a wide range of perspectives.
Nationalism
Anarchism and Nationalism have a long history, going back to Bakunin's early involvement in the Pan-Slavic movement. Anarchists have participated in Left-Nationalist movements in China, Korea, Vietnam, Ireland, Britanny, Ukraine, Poland, Mexico, Israel, and many other nations. Modern Anarchist organizations working on national liberation struggles include the CBIL in Brittany.
At root, the basic difference between Anarchism and Anti-State Nationalism is that in nationalism the primary political unit is the nation, or ethnic group, whereas in an anarchist system the primary political unit is either the individual (in individualist anarchism) or the local community (in social anarchism). Post-Colonial Anarchism is therefore clearly distinct from any form of nationalism in that it does not seek to use the Nation as the primary political unit. Just as Social Anarchists seek to create a socialist economy but oppose the tyranny of marxist state socialism, Post-Colonial Anarchists advocate for self-determination, the defense of local cultures, and an end to imperialism; but oppose the tyranny of nationalism.
Race and Racism
Post-Colonial Anarchism is self-consciously anti-racist, though different groups have differing ideas of what that means. APOC-identified groups seek to bring together the perspectives of people of color within the Anarchist movement and have a strong commitment to combating white supremacy, but are often reluctant to recognize the validity and importance of anti-imperialist struggles in Europe. Indigenist thinkers like Ward Churchill, by contrast, make a point of showing support for such movements and actively encourages white anti-racists to explore and learn from historical and ongoing anti-imperialist struggles in Europe. All the various strains of Post-colonial Anarchism, however, are explicitly opposed to and denounce claims of racial superiority by any group and see the abolition of racism as a fundamental goal of Anarchism.
African Anarchism
Celtic Anarchism
The most basic aspect of the tendency is the belief that pre-conquest Celtic societies had strong aspects in common with Anarchist ideals of how society should be structured, and that modern Anarchists would do well to investigate these early models. Celtic Ireland, prior to Cromwell's invasion, is held up as a positive example. The tendency is thus similar to Indigenism in that it seeks inspiration for anarchism in the history and practices of ancestors, rather then relying solely on political theory and speculation. There is also a strong movement to seek out the good in the ongoing anti-imperialist movements in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Bretony, Cornwall, and Galicia.
Ecology
The influence of the modern revival of Celtic culture on Anarchism are particularly evident within the radical wing of the Environmentalist movement, particularly Deep Ecology. Earth First! is one of the largest networks organizing around these issues and is organized along anarchist lines with many of the people who work under its banner self-identifying as anarchists. It is perhaps natural that the British and Irish Earth First movements in particular would seek inspiration from and consciously seek linkages with Celtic identities, given that the ancient Celts are commonly portrayed as being more in touch with nature then modern consumer society. The Earth First Journal, the main publication of the movement, organizes its printing schedule around the Neopagan Wheel of the Year, which consists of four Gaelic festivals and four Germanic ones, with issues named for Beltane, Eostar, Brigid, Samhain, Yule, Mabon, and Lughnasadh.
Post-Colonial Anarchism in Ireland
The armed struggle against British rule in Ireland, particularly up to and during the War of Independence, is portrayed as a National Liberation struggle with the Celtic Anarchist mileau. Anarchists, including the Irish Workers Solidarity Movement, support a complete end to British involvement in Ireland, a stance traditionally associated with Irish Republicanism, but are also very critical of Stateist Nationalism and the I.R.A. in particular. In two articles published on Anarkismo.net, Andrew Flood of the WSM outlines what he argues was the betrayal of class struggle by the IRA during the war of independence, and argues that the Stateism of traditional Irish Nationalism forced it to place the interests of wealthy Irish Nationalists who were financing the revolution ahead of the interests of the vast majority of Ireland's poor. The example of the Irish Citizens Army, a workers militia which was led by James Connoly and based in the radical wing of the Irish union movement, is held up as a better example of how the larger revolutionary movement could have - and should have - been organized.
Anarchists are extremely critical of the I.R.A., both because of its use of terrorist violence and because of its internal Authoritarianism. From the Anarchist view, British and Irish nationalisms are both Stateist, authoritarian, and seek to dominate and exploit the Irish Nation to empower their competing States. Anarchism would instead create a political system without States and where communities are self-governing on the local level. The achievement of home-rule, or political self-determination, is therefore a precondition for and a consequence of Anarchism. At root then, the Anarchist objection to Irish Nationalism is that Nationalists use reprehensible means to demand far too little. Still, Anarchists seek to learn from and examine the liberatory aspects of the struggle for Irish independence and the WSM includes a demand for complete British withdrawal from North Ireland in its platform.
Chicano Anarchism
Panther Anarchism
Notes and References
- the EarthFirst! Journal
- Insurrection in Ireland from Anarkismo.net
- Insurrection in Ireland from Anarkismo.net