REJECT CAPITALISM,
MOBILISE THE WORKING-CLASS WHO ARE FORCED TO SELL THEIR LABOUR TO SURVIVE.
Why should we have to work in a job that we hate* our whole lives, only to retire when we’re, at this rate, laid out in the back of a van on our way to the morgue?
Why can’t we spend our time doing what truly lights us up inside/
doing all of the things that we genuinely love?
We can’t do this, because we have no control…
Like puppets on a string, we are at the mercy of a capitalist society which benefits the few at the expense of the many. The only way that we can gain back our control, (I say ‘back’ but, have we ever really had it?), is, in my opinion, to reject and, ultimately, to abolish, the very systems and institutions that uphold such a tight grip over our freedom. It is only then that we will be able to feel truly happy…
*I know that some people really love their jobs, and, that’s great if you’re one of the few people who have been able to; follow their ‘calling’, but, for most of us,
We don’t.
We can’t.
For most of us, we have no choice but to take on the jobs we hate or, at the very least, have no passion towards, because no one is going to help us if we don’t. And so, we just end up ‘living for the weekend’, wishing the week away so that we can, finally, do what we want to do with our lives. The problem with this, however, is that, when the weekend finally does come, we feel too tired after all the extra hours we’ve been putting in at work, (extra hours we’ve been putting in, not so that we can go on a ‘big spending spree’ and ‘treat’ ourselves, but just so that we can live), to dedicate any time and energy to our passion(s)/ to the things which, if we did dedicate adequate time and energy towards, we could potentially make a living out of…
We don’t actively choose to just ‘not bother’ going after what we really want in life, though, in case that wasn’t clear.
We are not just ‘lazy’ or ‘lacking in discipline’ or ‘willpower’,
what we are lacking in, is choice…
We are lacking in choice because;
our control (over our lives) is in the hands of a corrupt, capitalist driven society-
it is in the hands of the Tories…
The working-class are therefore kept trapped in this cycle- dead end job, feeling depressed, lacking a sense of purpose in the world. It’s why the whole Molly Mae ‘We all have the same 24 hours in a day’ thing really struck a chord with so many people, because, whilst yes, we do all have 24 hours in a day, factually speaking, what we have to/get to do in those hours differs so much.
The working-class likely work full-time, covering long hours just to get by. When they get home from work they’re tired, but they can’t sit back and relax because they have the cleaning to do- house-work– they have childcare to sort out.
Unlike the middle and upper-classes, the working-class don’t have the luxury of a cleaner, or a live in nanny. They are alone, essentially working two jobs- one paid, one unpaid. To say that someone in such a position has the same opportunities to, for example, set up a business, as Molly Mae who is obviously in a very privileged position has, is ridiculous, and, quite frankly, it’s insulting.
The above is my political/philosophical stance, and, it’s one which is largely agreed upon in the ‘Anarchist’* movement.
*Anarchism (translated from the Greek term, ‘Anarkhia’, meaning, ‘without rulers’) is skeptical of all justifications for authority. It seeks to abolish the institutions which it claims maintain unnecessary coercion/domination/hierarchy/power in society (e.g. The government), with it’s ultimate goal being to achieve liberty, harmony, and true social justice in society at large…
I know what you’re thinking, this all sounds very farfetched, it would never work. I had the same doubtful questions when I first started reading up on Anarchism, but then I realised, the only reason why it sounds so farfetched is because we’re yet to experience anything that even remotely resembles freedom in our society. People therefore question its plausibility (which isn’t surprising, really)… To go from being governed so much, to being, ‘free‘, really is quite the jump. But, it is possible. If only everyone would open their eyes to the corrupt nature of society, then we would all see this- just how possible it is- for ourselves…
‘Given that all types of authority are commanding, a person cannot engage in autonomous and rational decision making under the state. Moreover, the controlling nature of authority deprives people of the freedom and autonomy required to explore their individuality to the full. Consequently, people have to be freed from the control exerted by all forms of hierarchical authority such as the state, church and patriarchal relationships. An individual can only be truly free when everyone has the freedom to fulfil their potential, because, liberty can only exist if equality is present.’
Due to Anarchism very much being on the far left of the political spectrum, it is often considered to be a ‘radical’ ideology, and, at that, one which most people believe symbolises chaos and disorder…
If you can escape the stereotypical thinking/negative connotations of what Anarchy is, though, then you will realise that; Anarchism is in fact a very peaceful ideology, a very positive one, in fact. Not ‘causing chaos’, (unless you’re an extremist), which is what we are told Anarchism does, but, through the rejection of all coercive relationships (the state/government= anti-statism, racism= anti-clericalism, etc.), creating voluntary, not imposed, order, putting people first, not profit.
Anarchism stands for the liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion and liberation of the human body from the coercion of property; liberation from the shackles and restraint of government. It stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals…’
– Emma Goldman.
To me, this makes perfect sense and should not be seen as radical at all. In the same way that we would encourage a friend to leave a relationship if they were being coerced, we should also encourage each other to leave behind a society which is doing the same to us– using its sense of power to coerce us/to control us until we submit… In terms of why it does this, it’s because, a subservient society, which is what capitalism wants us all to follow, is a complicit one, and, a complicit society does nothing to question the control and coercion taking place, thus allowing it to continue/allowing Capitalism to thrive, and war and conflict to exasperate.
To expand further on anti-clericalism/the ‘dominion of religion’, the idea behind it is that, much like the state exists to control and coerce us, so too does religion exist to do the same. In its use of the concepts of heaven and hell, for example, people are forced into obedience. ‘If you live a good life and follow all the rules we tell you to follow, you’ll go to heaven. If you choose to ignore the rules and rebel against religion, you’ll go to hell’…
Delving a bit deeper now, there are two main ‘sub-sects‘ of Anarchism- ‘Collective’ Anarchism, and ‘Individual‘ Anarchism.
The former- ‘Collective‘ Anarchism- emphasises common ownership– the idea that private property must be abolished if we are to achieve true ‘liberation.’ This type of Anarchism therefore promotes communal living, (a communist ideology based on Marxist principles), whereby we cooperate with each other in order to solve societies most pressing issues (something which Collective Anarchists don’t believe we can do on our own/individually)…
In contrast, ‘Individual‘ Anarchism emphasises individualism, saying that living communally, (as Collective Anarchism demands), will in fact lead to a loss of freedom (the very opposite to that which Anarchism is trying to do- increase our freedom)…
To the more extreme end of the Individual Anarchism spectrum sits ‘egoism’, which argues that humans are inherently driven by their ego, and thus only care about themselves (i.e., that everything we do is, ultimately, for our own benefit).
‘Everyone is selfish but makes a poor job of not showing it.’
Whilst Anarchism is a political ideology in its own right, it does have many similarities to other ideologies, too. Collective Anarchism, for example, has many Socialism* based ideas…
*The stark opposite of Capitalism- private ownership of resources and means of production- Socialism is based on the need to move to a society in which everyone controls the means of production, thus not solely benefitting the few at the top at the expense of the many.
The difference between Anarchism and Socialism, though, is that Socialists aren’t in total opposition to the government as a concept (as long as it’s democratic), but they are in opposition to our government.
And, similarly, individual Anarchism has many Liberalism* based ideas, too…
*Liberalism= centered upon the individual.
Values= equality of respect, freedom of expression and action, and freedom from religious and ideological constraint.
How it differs from Anarchism is because, whilst Anarchism wants to abolish all power systems such as the government/capitalism, sitting on the far left of the political spectrum, Liberalists just want to reform it
(Liberalists sit somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum)…
(It’s important to note here that there are two definitions of ‘Liberalism.’
One is non-political, defined as being…
a ‘willingness to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own, i.e., ‘an openness to new ideas’,
whereas the other is political…
‘a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.’
Someone can therefore be liberal but not a liberal- there is a difference.
It’s all well and good knowing what these terms mean, but which political party should you be voting for based on each ideal?
Well, in the UK, despite us having many political parties, the two which always come out on top are;
1) The Conservative Party/Tories*
*(‘Tories‘ which, by the way, translates from the old Irish word ‘Tóraidhe’, literally meaning ‘outlaw’ or ‘robber’- how fitting)-
the leading right wing party,
&
2) The Labour Party-
the leading left wing party…
If you resonate with anything that I have said in this post around the themes of freedom and democracy/
if you have even an ounce of compassion for the less fortunate members of our society,
then you should absolutely be voting for Labour.
It’s true that no party is perfect, but, at least with Labour in power (because, let’s be honest, it’s going to be either the Conservatives or Labour. No ‘grassroots’ party is going to make the cut), the Tories and the class they represent (privileged) will be weakened, and Labour and the class they represent (marginalised) will be strengthened.
And so, this is why, despite me not agreeing with all of Labours views, I will be voting Labour in the next general election (2025), remaining hopeful that the many trade unions and socialist supporters within the party will help to incite more socialist change,
from within.
‘The history of progress is written in the blood of men and women who have dared to espouse an unpopular cause, as, for instance, the black man’s right to his body, or woman’s right to her soul.’
– Emma Goldman.
But please, even if you don’t agree with any party in its entirety, please please still vote. It is so important and does have an impact and can make a change.
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