My name’s Alex. I’m a propagandist and agitator from Louisville, Kentucky. I spend my time writing, organizing anarchist events in Louisville with NO BORDERS Collective, and taking on the Spectacle in any way I can. My current interests center around anarchist theory, critical disability studies, and where/how the two intersect. Much of my future work will focus on these issues.
I write a great deal about the anarchist movement, and anarchism in general. I use anarchism — a broad social theory/ philosophy that unites a very heterogenous pool of philosophies, theories, and individuals, on the basis of broad commonalities — as a lens to view current events, history, and a multitude of oppression forms. While anarchism is largely about negative freedom (i.e., freedom from), it is as much concerned with positive freedom (i.e., freedom to). Anarchists want to dismantle the State, capital, disableism, heteronormativity, racism, and all forms of domination; however, they want to be free to associate voluntarily and freely, to cooperate instead of compete, to participate in mutual aid, and organize without leaders or rulers. A tall order, to say the least. But we feel, as anarchists, like these principles –the tradition of striving for anarchy — are worth preserving, through practice and theory.
I view anarchism as a critique, as a way to live in the present and experience non-alienated relations — as opposed to planning for a glorious revolution (though I certainly wouldn’t oppose anti-authoritarian-spirited revolutions), and a way that only our future could be. Anarchism is the view that “power-over” social relations must be dismantled, and no group or individual should have power over any other group or individual.
Since new forms of domination and oppression forms would surface before we could blink in an “anarchist” society, I see anarchism as a useful lens in any kind community, social relationship, or interpersonal relationship. A critique of hierarchy — if it is legitimate — will always have great merit.
