Thanks to Butchers and In Bloom for engaging with me on this thread.
I just want to clarify my position really. Although I have never been a member of any anarchist group I have been interested in anarchism since my sixth form days (which is about ten years ago now). A friend of mine at college had an older boyfriend who was in Anti Fascist Action and he introduced me to anarchist ideas for the first time. Since then I have always been fascinated and picked up books here and there which explain it.
I have read quite a bit of Chomsky and I refer to him a lot which was where I got some of my ideas about Allende's Chile. I tend to see things in terms of structures or hierarchies like the government, big corporations, the military-industrial complex in America. I tend to see world politics in terms of imperialism mediated by these authoritarian structures and mechanisms and it is these mechanisms that need breaking down. I also see that certain benefits and rights can accrue (for example within western industrial societies like Britian, Germany, The USA) where people have more room for freedom of speech, rights of assembly, welfare and so on.
Maybe I am a bit confused, maybe I should have never joined the Lib Demmers. Nevertheless I see the way of progress as being towards dismantling authoritarian structures and creating an equal and libertarian society on a global scale.
On a personal basis last time I looked at the Aims and Principles of the AF I only found myself having problems with two items. The first was the item against religion. I wasn't sure at the time that all religion was neccesarily pernicious but I have since come to agree completely with this aim and principle. The next item I was concerned about was the commitment to violence. I shuddered a little at this one as I am loathe to be branded a terrorist, although I understand the importance of self defence and defending the revolution.
On another level, personally I am not sure If joining the AF would be compatible with my lifestyle. I am very close to my partner. We have quite a cosy life. We are not rich by any standards but my partner runs his own company. I work part time and am thinking about post-graduate study. We have quite a low income but eat well and go out to coffee shops and hotels everyday (not for meals but for teas and coffee's) and I am not sure how commited I could be to what I imagine would be attending demo's, possibly confrontations with the police (I might be imagining all this of course). I dunno If I could live a very intense life as an activist but then again I have harboured these anarchist sympathies for over a decade and feel the need to develop them. I just feel I need to meet other anarchists, have some kind of support network but as I said I don't know if being an actual activist or militant is what I am looking for (although I do want to be more active).
Someone on this website once sent me a link to an international group of anarchist intellectuals (academics, writers, journalists). I can't remember what it was called but Naomi Klein author of No Logo is a member so maybe that is an avenue to explore as I see myself as more intellectually minded (thinking about doing a PhD for example).
Shevek
