My writing for this blog has suffered greatly due to the events in my own life, yet at the same time, I have found that there is a new spark under me pushing me harder toward the over all goal.
I have not only found myself a new job, but yet have moved to a community which is like a bubble in time; having all the modern appliances and attitudes of the present day, yet the enclosure of the 1950’s. I feel as Janis Joplin did during her childhood, an outsider, who has the draw of being different; I have become a parlor trick.
It is in this community that I have found others like me-outsiders on the fringes of the community-who seek refuge here from some of the attitudes that have prevailed within the communities that we come from. We have come to accept that the communities that we move into and expose become ‘trendy’ and lose their meaning. So again we move on ward and up ward looking for another place to plant our roots.
There is a small cafe among this group of lost outsiders, an organic and vegan one: Greengos. I found myself lost in conversation with the shop owner about everything becoming ‘yuppyfied’ and ‘trendy’. Even our beloved Cass Corridor (Midtown) Detroit, has gotten itself a Whole Foods; another corporation begins to suck the life out of the independent, and community.
He explained that he noticed a cycle, people allow these corporates to move in thinking that their lives will become easier, and they realize too late that these corporations are doing anything but helping the people. Corporations work only for themselves and slowly kill off independent competition and the populace by enslaving all in dependence.
It was on my walk home that I processed these ideas. I wondered about my new community and the life I had started to build; one far from the previous move. I moved to a community which was already enslaved to the corporate masses, and had no notion of the ideals from which I came. I have spent the better part of my Detroit life in groups that scoff at anything but supporting locally owned business, how was I to survive being ideal in a community with no support? It dawned on me that it is within these communities, where the hippy and the punk find it hard to live, that we must live, nurture and enlighten. It is us that will spark and educate the people on the dangers of the massive corporates and by working in the most closed minded communities, one makes the greatest difference.
It is hard making a living and wanting revolution, not all of us are lucky enough to work in booming independent vegan grocery stores. Making the choice to work for independents and not feed the corporate machine is not always easy. Some independents can even be borderline monopolies. Others are often disorganized, and sometimes become more volunteer work than a paying job. Still it is here where the small dent can grow to a creator of thought.
While we work on making a living and surviving, there is also the fact that we need to keep strong in our convictions for change. Finding the things that are amiss, and working on changing them, even in the smallest ways. Supporting the local owned grocery store, cafe, and other ventures by paying the extra money, helps to belittle the corporate. Build the cliental that wants the change by educating your patrons, and your friends, demand organic and fair prices for all those involved.
Repeatedly, people who want change fall threw the cracks, or become jaded by harsh experiences. It is easy when working within small movements to get discouraged and down hearted. Many times we have to sallow our pride and work for the corporation, and give in to the greed to survive.
Working for change is hard, but person by person, conversation by conversation, word by word, each of us can plant the seeds of change and revolution. Nothing changes if all the like minded people who agree with each other close themselves off to the rest of the world. It is by planting these seeds in the toughest and most unlikely places, that change can be the greatest.
Seeds of Change
Spritual Anarchists
Can an anarchist have a spiritual practice? Opposite spectrums, at first glance, yet with a close look into the core idea of anarchy, paganism and yoga, the three acknowledge the same truth.
Anarchy intends self-rule and self-preservation. Focusing solely upon the individual, with no centralized ruling system; anarchy contains pure individual freedom. The life style of equal respect for each life in regards to each individual’s ideas and passions, no need for centralized rule. No power or life force tells another what to do.
Paganism, an earth bound spirituality, encourages the practitioner to find their own connections with the universe. In the early stages, a student decides what path to follow, and which Gods they want to pray to. All Gods are one, all Gods are the Universe, but they are different representations. (One would not pray to a God of vengeance, or want the vengeful energy, in a love spell.) Often a pagan spirituality has Magick, or spell work. Everyone looks at spell work differently; at times it is viewed as another form of prayer. Magick is the changing of energy or karma, for a purpose.
Yoga has no real definition. It focuses around different scripture writings, mainly the Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the Eight Limbs of Yoga. At the base is the idea of oneness with the universe, as well as an individual practice which takes on a “to each their own” feel. Yoga non-judgmental based practice, believes that everyone must embark on their spiritual path alone. Only by one’s own deep inner nature can the true nature of the Universe and Self be found. The ‘inner guru’, or third eye, never fails, each universal truth every yogi comes to. The philosophers and instructors help a student navigate threw the murky waters of spirituality. Each yogi determines their own philosophy. Formal yoga schools help educates the prevention of injury, and different scriptures to help navigate.
These ideas parallel. A person must focus on their self, to find a path. When embarking in Magick, one must determine their deities, ideas, and place in Magick. Yoga holds that within the philosophy of oneness within the Universe, the Universe expresses each being individually. Anarchy professes individual freedom and self-preservation. All three encourage an individual’s own path.
Yoga, paganism and anarchy teach that there is nothing more important than one’s own discovery to themselves. In each an individual takes responsibly for their actions, makes their own mistakes and walks their own path.
- Be in the Now
- Paganism teaches one must be happy with what the universe has already gifted them, before they can ask for more. It is in this space of looking around and marveling at the wonderful gifts and beauty of the universe, that a pagan can begin to see what needs change and what the best way of achieving that change would be.
- Yoga: One of the biggest emphases in a yoga class is the idea of being in the now. “No warrior is too far in the future, nor the past. They are in the present moment, and delighted to be so.” A common phrase to hear while in Virabhadrasana (Warrior) I or II. Again you can not gain anything until you are content with where you already are.
- Anarchy, having no tying factors outside of self-preservation, has the freedom to go out and enjoy the gifts in the present. There is nothing to plan for, there is only what is at hand.
- Self Discovery
- Pagans are encouraged to ask themselves questions. Many pagans know that they are to go down the path of paganism early on in their lives, some as early as four or five years old. The ideas and opinions are completely up to the individual student.
- In yoga’s Eight Limbs, the Niyamas (or self restraints) encourages the idea of study in scripture and self observation.
- Anarchy’s self-rule requires one to truly know themselves. A true anarchist is not afraid of following trends, if it is something that they truly enjoy. One can not rule themselves and live by their own passions, if one is unaware of what those things are.
- No Central Power
- Neither of the three believes in a centralized power. There is no one figure head or group of people telling any one of the three what to do.
Revolutionize the Media
More than a few times, I find other countries report aboutUnited Statesbetter than theUnited States. Not petty reports, but rather huge accusations, and actions that our country takes that our news ignores. Our media, once “The Watch Dogs of the Government”, now changed to, “The Lap Dogs of the Government.” Using what does not get reported to make the reader the ignorant.
More information gets reported in the newspapers from other countries about our policies and actions, than in our own. Newspapers do not inform the citizens but rather keep them in the dark. Brainwashing reports in the news emphasize a society of zombies.
The Taliban allegedly receives funds from Pakistanto acquire much wanted nuclear weapons. K.V. Prasad in The Hindu reports, he includes President Obama’s warnings to the Taliban about acquiring nuclear war heads. Shockingly this story showed up in the back pages of The New York Times, and appeared in The Hindu on the front page.
USnews curtails to the wishes of the Government. Stories print to distract. Cheap, meaningless stories, fed to the public. Fox News reported with urgency what Sarah Palin tweeted about President Obama. Simultaneously, the rest of the world reported that The United States accused a high official inIndiaof money laundering and human trafficking.Europe,AsiaandAfrica, reported this story on the front page. TheUnited Statesmedia ignored our actions.
Content drives a story. Reporters must answer: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Rarely news stories answer why, and too few readers are calling for an answer.
Politics and the English Language by George Orwell warns about the allowance of the English language’s liberties. Words become empty and definitions lost, this allows for manipulation. Case in point: the word socialist and the current debate about President Obama.
Scary, the people of the nation are poorly informed, and making poorly informed opinions. Revolutionize the media inAmerica, dispel the ‘lapdogs’ and bring back the ‘watchdogs’. Ask: why?
A Profession of My Anarchist Ideals
I realize little explains or illuminates my political views. Here in this essay, I wish to inform you about what I believe and why.
As it may be obvious by now, I am an Anarchist. Anarchy is self ruled people living freely by their own passions; and respecting each and every life force in peace.
“Anarchism is the great liberator of man from the phantoms that have held him captive; it is the arbiter and pacifier of the two forces for individual and social harmony. To accomplish that unity, Anarchism has declared war on the pernicious influences which have so far prevented the harmonious blending of individual and social instincts, the individual and society.”[1]
Anarchy frees and encourages followers to think for themselves. The state imprisons, and cages people removes their freedom and destroys their souls.
“Anarchism, then, really stands for the liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion; the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property; liberation from the shackles and restraint of government. Anarchism stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals for the purpose of producing real social wealth; an order that will guarantee to every human being free access to the earth and full enjoyment of the necessities of life, according to individual desires, tastes, and inclinations.”[2]
Emma Goldman states that if people are children, then their leaders are children as well; the concept of “the blind leading the blind”.[3] She asserts the laws of man are not in tune with the laws of nature, there fore unjust. Anarchy gives people the freedom to follow their own desires and live according to nature’s laws. Any government, Goldman continues, justifies one class of people suppressing another.[4]
Anarchy is choice. Anarchy allows all beings to live their passions, without infringement or constraint of another, by any means. The ‘dangers of human nature’ become moot, people expand, owning the idea of respect for all living beings.
“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”[5]
Society’s productivity grows when all have our own choice and not one member becomes silenced by the ideas of the majority.[6] Governments use influences in the media and education; twisting rhetoric, subject matter, as well as celebrity personalities, to guide and determine a ‘normal productive person’ in society. This takes away the freedom to live up to one’s own nature and desires. Freedom makes up people’s hearts, drive, and self; governments cages and kills this freedom.
Anarchy will only work after an enlightenment of the masses; the pure freedom of the individual is a gradual process. People must evolve to these freedoms. Jean Jacques Rousseau, in his work The Social Contract, affirms that a people must desire their freedom.[7] He affirms that a people chose and give themselves into subjugation, the ruler does not have the power to rule over them. It is the conscious desire, and will to take back and preserve this freedom, that determines freedoms of society.[8] The masses may not yet be ready for anarchy’s freedom, but forward momentum towards individual freedom must replace steps backwards towards control.
These ideas do not invite violence, death, or destruction; but rather a peaceful society, where each and every person lives their own life by their own prescriptions.
“Destruction and violence! How is the ordinary man to know that the most violent element in society is ignorance; that its power of destruction is the very thing Anarchism is combating?”[9]
This space I blog, reblog, ideas of anarchy upon my page. Keep this in mind while reading and commenting on my posts.
[1] Goldman Emma, Anarchism: What it Really Stands For, 1910, http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1910s/anarchism.htm (April 2011)
[2] Same as above
[3] Goldman Emma, Anarchy Defended by Anarchists, (Metropolitan Magazine, vol. IV, No. 3; October 1896), http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/goldman/mostgold.html (April 2011)
[4] See above
[5] Mill, John Stuart, On Liberty, 1869, http://www.lkwdpl.org/thinkingcity/inquisitor.htm (April 2011)
[6] See above
[7] Rousseau, Jean Jacques, The Social Contract, 1762, http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon.htm (April 2011)
[8] See above
[9] Goldman Emma, Anarchism: What it Really Stands For, 1910, http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1910s/anarchism.htm (April 2011)
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