The Vajra Parrot Squawks!

Like all ideology, it's all too easy to subscribe to a belief system - political or religious - and become enmeshed in intellectual principles rather than common sense.

Soon the principles take over, and one becomes alienated from real life and contrary opinions. Real life is eventually subverted to intellectual principle, which transforms into just another cultish totem to be slavishly obeyed; party policy becomes the mantra which bores the shit out of everyone at parties.

Everything that doesn't square with this idol becomes polarised as 'evil' and demonised.


This is my criticism of New Labour. In essence, some nice ideas. Unfortunately, the show was hijacked by idealogues who set up their totem and sacrificed common sense (and civil liberties) to it with blatant disregard for the common good, while others looked on with incredulity. Those on the inside of the cult were blind to the nonsense they perpetuated; as if they believed they were following some divine law. How sad people still think like this...

Anarchism doesn't mean chaos. In fact, this is a label foisted on it by those who bow down to the authoritarian totem. It simply means 'without leaders' - and when I look at the self-serving, corrupt parasites that 'lead' most of the countries of the world, it reconfirms my conviction that society would be better off without this class of professional whoremongers.

If anything, Anarchism as a political principle requires respect for others and discipline. Without these two things at the heart of any anarchist philosophy, then anything claiming to be Anarchist is just fomenting rebellion for the sake of change - and this isn't good enough.

I believe very strongly indeed that everyone should have the right to be free and be their own master, without interference from politicians, but I also recognise that this has the same Utopian edge to it that we see in other ideological movements. Sure, we should all be free to do whatever we judge is right ... but is everyone disciplined enough to be free without affecting the freedom of others? Has everyone the vital responsibility which goes hand in hand with freedom?

It's a conundrum. I'm afraid I can't set up my anarchist totem in the marketplace and claim that it is a cure all for the evils of society. But I can assert my belief that, if people were educated sufficiently about rights *and* responsibilities, society might be ready to move towards more freedom. Until people can be responsible, what purpose does anarchist politics serve, other than sweeping the old order away and leaving the masses to set upon one another like animals?

More to follow.