The die-hard proponents of the great revolution, the Marxists, and even, among the libertarians, those who swear by THE revolution as the prerequisite for the slightest hint of social change, have tried everything to obscure a part of the anarchist tradition: labeling their ideas as utopian, as obsessions, relegating practical attempts to laughable folklore... And yet! A major part of these ideas are emerging from the shadows, now more than ever. Which ones? ---- Those championed by the comrades who start from the principle that anarchism is for today, not a hundred years from now. Refusing to sacrifice their present to the future, to spend their lives working towards a collective omega that is-always-coming-it's-definite-it's-coming-soon, these libertarians, often from the ranks of individualist anarchists, undertook to develop concepts upon which many actors in contemporary emancipatory movements still rely. From these effective activist practices remain concepts (albeit sometimes cannibalized by capitalism), such as fair trade, cooperatives, veganism, free communities, free credit, educational alternatives, and free unions. For many, however, these ideas have now become so ingrained in our customs that, adopted by our society, they now constitute victories (to be defended).
Advancing step by step towards the anarchist ideal within an alienating bourgeois social framework is no easy task. This may involve the need to live alongside, or at least differently from, the prejudices instilled by those in power, the pressures of an ultra-hierarchical world of work, and the consumerist mindset.
In the context of a global reactionary counter-offensive, these effective and concrete initiatives may seem, as we have already mentioned, derisory or utopian. Yet, modest achievements are of paramount importance; they are living embodiments that something else is possible, they are paths forward, suggestions. Even in an ocean of authoritarian capitalism, amidst the flood of far-right media, a small glimmer of light produced by a group of companions who come together to found a cooperative kitchen or a library is beneficial. Liberating.
As E. Armand said at the beginning of the 20th century: "Lighthouses, however, have their purpose. We don't wait for the sea to disappear before lighting them."
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8868
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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