Living in this world amongst government apologists and supporters can be frustrating. I have, at times, found myself becoming extremely angry at what I perceive as the “statist’s” inability to reason and their desire to keep me locked up in the same cage that they have chosen for themselves. There have been times that I’ve gone off on hostile tangents regarding people’s support for politicians…but you want to know a secret? I usually feel pretty bad about it afterwards. I sometimes forget that I wasn’t always the staunch anarchic critic of government that I am now. Though, I have always had my doubts about, been wary of, and questioned the state and its motives, there was a time in my life when I did still crazily believe it was necessary. Yes, I once believed in the nonsense idea of "necessary evil" and I have to remind myself of where I started in order to empathize a bit more with those who may not have gotten past that yet.
It isn’t the easiest thing to watch the world burn and see people begging the arsonists (pyromaniacs) to be the firefighter heroes as well. Anarchists generally not only want freedom for themselves, but also for others to accept freedom for themselves. Many of us struggle between wanting to grab hold of freedom and wanting to shake those who we thnk make it harder for us to maintain that freedom – voters, namely. The freest thing I think any of us can do is to live our lives as far outside of the state as we possibly can despite its far reaching arm and despite those who would try to use it against us. While was at Liberty Fest in Brooklyn in October 2015, Carla Gericke, former President of The Free State Project and now Vice President of its Board of Trustees, said something that really stuck out to me; “be the free you want to see”. Those words really hit me and they make a lot of sense. They serve as a reminder that free people are doers.
I also think of those famous words by Albert Camus,
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
Perhaps, instead of yelling at these people and telling them how ridiculously inane they are, we can start SHOWING them what anarchy is all about. We can do things like use Steemit and other blockchain-based entities, barter, trade, use bitcoin, create, produce, avoid taxation as much as possible, unschool your children, grow your own food, build things with your own hands, etc– show the world the beauty of voluntary and agoristic action and lifestyle. Actions truly do speak louder than words; people tend to shut down when we become violent with our words. Yes, it is certainly true that the state is violence, but that isn’t how many people see it. The inundation of government propaganda and brainwashing from when we are young is difficult for many people to overcome; when you have lived believing in something for so long, much of the time letting go of that belief can cause a fear response. Cognitive Dissonance is certainly a scary thing because it shows how the mind can be manipulated so much that it is near impossible (but not totally impossible!) for many people to flip the switch back to discernment.
It took time, research outside of my own biases, as well as the help of writers, thinkers, and actors (no, not Hollywood) for me to release my attachment to the state. What if, instead of damning others to Hell for wanting to support and sustain the state, we help them to see why the state is an enemy to all of us and be a tiny bit more open to their concerns, questions, and fears. Let’s help them see the beautiful and vast possibilities that a free life can bring.
I am making a personal commitment to being kinder in my approach to activism. I will still speak with passion and fortitude, but I will take care not to insult. My goal is to encourage people to become more open and aware; this cannot happen if I am creating a wall of anger and hatred between us. It was hard for me to accept this truth – volatile environments either breed volatile response or cause total shut down. I want ‘em bright, alert, and curious enough to stick around and consider my ideas enough to go seek more for themselves.