Anarchism
“Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.”
― Edward Abbey
From: Anarchism & Environmental Survival
by Graham Purchase
Anarchy—literally, simply "no state" or "without a state"—calls for the replacement of the state and capitalism by federations of economically cooperating, ecoregionally integrated communities. Today, anarchism is emerging as the only credible philosophy of survival—whether it’s called "anarchism" or not.
What the present power elite calls order is but one form of social order (hierarchy), and it’s a type which causes a great deal of environmental disorder. Far from advocating disorder, anarchists argue for a new kind of order rooted in the natural ecoregional organization of life on Earth. In place of the nation state, anarchists argue that the organization of space and place should be based upon the natural geographical region. In place of centralized government, anarchists argue that the primary unit of economic, social and political life should be the self-governing, self-sufficient, and ecoregionally integrated village, town or city. In place of agribusiness, anarchists argue for a local, small-scale, permacultural approach to food production. In place of industrial capitalism, anarchists argue for the production of socially necessary goods and services using environmentally integrated technologies organized by workers for the benefit of themselves and of humanity, rather than for a ruling class of parasites and environmental hooligans. This is the real "new world order," one which anarchists have been advocating for generations.
From: Eco-Anarchism not Eco-Socialism
By Ted Trainer
"Settlements enabling a high quality of life for all the world’s people despite very low resource use rates must involve all members in participatory deliberations regarding the design, development and running of their local productive, political and social systems. Their ethos must be non-hierarchical, cooperative and collectivist, seeking to avoid all forms of domination and to prioritise the public good. They must draw on the voluntary good will and energy of conscientious citizens who are eager to contribute generously and to identify and deal with problems informally and spontaneously, and to focus on seeking mutually beneficial arrangements with little if any need for industrial infrastructures and transport networks, bureaucracy, paid officials or politicians.
Regional and wider issues can be tackled by the characteristic Anarchist mechanisms of federations and (powerless) delegates bringing recommendations back down to town meetings.
The principle of “subsidiarity” is evident in the practice of grass roots politics, the avoidance of hierarchies, and the central role of town assemblies.
The very low resource costs that are essential for sustainability are achievable because of the proximity, diversity of functions and integration, the familiarity enabling informal communication and spontaneous action, and the elimination of much transport etc. Many Eco-villages operate according to such Anarchist principles, achieving high levels of sustainability and quality of life.
― Edward Abbey
From: Anarchism & Environmental Survival
by Graham Purchase
Anarchy—literally, simply "no state" or "without a state"—calls for the replacement of the state and capitalism by federations of economically cooperating, ecoregionally integrated communities. Today, anarchism is emerging as the only credible philosophy of survival—whether it’s called "anarchism" or not.
What the present power elite calls order is but one form of social order (hierarchy), and it’s a type which causes a great deal of environmental disorder. Far from advocating disorder, anarchists argue for a new kind of order rooted in the natural ecoregional organization of life on Earth. In place of the nation state, anarchists argue that the organization of space and place should be based upon the natural geographical region. In place of centralized government, anarchists argue that the primary unit of economic, social and political life should be the self-governing, self-sufficient, and ecoregionally integrated village, town or city. In place of agribusiness, anarchists argue for a local, small-scale, permacultural approach to food production. In place of industrial capitalism, anarchists argue for the production of socially necessary goods and services using environmentally integrated technologies organized by workers for the benefit of themselves and of humanity, rather than for a ruling class of parasites and environmental hooligans. This is the real "new world order," one which anarchists have been advocating for generations.
From: Eco-Anarchism not Eco-Socialism
By Ted Trainer
"Settlements enabling a high quality of life for all the world’s people despite very low resource use rates must involve all members in participatory deliberations regarding the design, development and running of their local productive, political and social systems. Their ethos must be non-hierarchical, cooperative and collectivist, seeking to avoid all forms of domination and to prioritise the public good. They must draw on the voluntary good will and energy of conscientious citizens who are eager to contribute generously and to identify and deal with problems informally and spontaneously, and to focus on seeking mutually beneficial arrangements with little if any need for industrial infrastructures and transport networks, bureaucracy, paid officials or politicians.
Regional and wider issues can be tackled by the characteristic Anarchist mechanisms of federations and (powerless) delegates bringing recommendations back down to town meetings.
The principle of “subsidiarity” is evident in the practice of grass roots politics, the avoidance of hierarchies, and the central role of town assemblies.
The very low resource costs that are essential for sustainability are achievable because of the proximity, diversity of functions and integration, the familiarity enabling informal communication and spontaneous action, and the elimination of much transport etc. Many Eco-villages operate according to such Anarchist principles, achieving high levels of sustainability and quality of life.