Why I (sort of) love Anarchists

Sometimes a catchy title is worth a great deal............ But seriously, I have a point here. History and common sense will tell us that anarchy is a fool's errand and communism has proven to be a failed experiment in social engineering. The common Achilles heel for both of these belief systems is the assumption that at their core people are basically good. Systems such as government and capitalism are corrupting powers and somehow in the absence of these people will do right by each other. It all sounds good on paper, but somehow it just doesn't add up. Anthropologists will be the first to tell you that societies that lack formal government and organized economic structures are still far from Utopian. People still do wrong by each other, there is still crime and there is still unhappiness.

So why do I (sort of) love anarchists when clearly they "don't get it"? Well, maybe I have a perpetual fascination with the underdog (which I do), but there really is more to it. I really admire anyone who is capable of believing in the basic goodness of people. As a point of fact I disagree. I'm much more aligned with the Buddhists contrary to my Judeo-Christian upbringing. I just don't think people are at their core good or bad, they just ARE. The good and bad are in the choosing, the living, the doing, their BEING. Still, I have to give points to anyone who really believes in the basic goodness of people. I can't do it.

At heart I value a positive outlook and over time it is more and more clear to me that people who see possibilities where others see problems are the ones that change the world for the better. I suppose that is also where the anarchists and communists get it wrong; for all their belief in the goodness of people they seem to get bogged down in negativity that they attribute to systems without fully comprehending the connectedness of those "good" people to their systems.

As we look at the election we have to remember that to whatever extent our government has benefited or failed us, we play a part. I love the positive concept at the core of these fringe ideas, but we all know they got it all wrong. In the United States we don't exist outside our economy or government, we ARE our economy and government. It is a living and breathing reflection of us. These systems are made of people, and these people always have choices. We have the ability to BE the change we wish to see in the world. So please, whatever you do, just do something to make this world a slightly better place than you found it and who knows, maybe I'll change my mind and decide that after all people are basically good. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong.