Searching Anarchism & Robert Tressell

HOT columnist Sean O’Shea comments on a recent interview with some anarchists undertaken by HOT citizen journalist Nick Terdre.

I was interested to read the interview by Nick Terdre related to anarchism, Terrorists or People with a Political Philosophy, published in HOT January 17. We are accustomed to the distortion and marginalisation of dissident voices by the media, but the labelling of anarchists as terrorists by the City of Westminster police is a worrying escalation in a familiar trend.

I imagine that Robert Tressell would be gratified that there is a news medium in Hastings which has the courage to give space to such an issue and extend some free speech to dissident voices.

In his book The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Tressell satirically refers to the media of his day as the “Daily Obscurer” and the “Daily Chloroform”. He would be dismayed to witness the recent concentration of media ownership and control in the hands of large corporations, thus narrowing the range of expressible opinion.

I checked out Tressell’s grave in Walton, Merseyside and was impressed by how well presented it is, and how fitting that he is buried in the company of paupers whose names are etched out on his gravestone. The story of how this monument came to be created, and the many obstacles encountered along the way, is summarised by John Nettleton in his lecture Robert Tressell & the Liverpool Connection (The Robert Tressell Lectures 1981-88, published by the WEA). This is an entertaining read, which demonstrates the doggedness often required to get things done against strong establishment resistance.

Tressell had high regard for William Morris and the former’s vision of a “co-operative commonwealth” would appeal to many anarchists, though they would not share his view of the state as a neutral agency for achieving it.

As the anarchists interviewed by Nick pointed out, anarchism, like socialism, is a much-maligned tradition. Popular images of it are often negative with anarchists being viewed as just wanting to break down valued institutions and ushering in a chaotic free-for-all, while socialists are commonly seen as wanting to exalt the state, curtail the limited freedoms we already have, and favouring a kind of Stalinist authoritarianism. While some may be misled by these images, anyone who takes the time to investigate for themselves will find that anarchist and socialist traditions overlap and constitute a diverse source of positive alternative perspectives on politics, society and the economy.

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the recent crises associated with neoliberalism provide an opportunity to re-appraise these alternative perspectives as we seek new directions for social change. A pressing issue is how we as citizens can hold to account the master institutions that we ourselves are paying for through taxation and other means, and which are now demonstrating, to varying degrees, that they are no longer fit-for-purpose.

Some have suggested that we need to strengthen the regulators, but who regulates the regulators? This is an old political conundrum, which confronts us again even while we may prefer to just get on with our private lives and not be bothered with the messy, perplexing world of politics.

Searching anarchism opens up new horizons for thought, debate and action related to these challenging questions. There’s a mass of very interesting material available, from books to information on practical projects and networking opportunities. Just starting with Wikipedia provides useful summaries and helpful pointers to other links.

Types of anarchism include Christian anarchism, economic anarchism, social and individualist anarchism and feminist anarchism. This spectrum of perspectives is not exclusively left-wing in orientation, but it does reflect a diversity of responses to the perennial quest for social justice and the “good society”.

Famous names associated with the tradition include Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde, Nikolai Berdyaev, Joseph Proudhon, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Max Stirner, Gerrard Winstanley, William Morris, Herbert Read, Pablo Picasso, Noam Chomsky and Simone de Beauvoir. Though they occasionally disturbed the peace, these celebrated figures could hardly be called “terrorists”.

Anarchism is sometimes viewed as a way of life rather than a body of beliefs or doctrines. As a political philosophy and personal lifestyle, social anarchism promotes community, self-reliance, the questioning of authority, participation in decision-making and mutual respect. Though they may not call themselves anarchists, there are many examples in Hastings of groups and individuals living their daily lives in accordance with these principles.

Sean O’ Shea,

Hastings

March 2012

Also in: SOS