When
those in power want you to believe something, the propaganda machine
is incredibly good at establishing a public opinion which will become
a dogma, something which cannot be subject to analysis and
discussion, something which cannot be changed or discharged simply
because it holds true no matter what, without any possible
refutation. If it turns out that all systems in power agree on
something, then the chances that one can escape this general
established opinion and think for itself, trying to prove right or
wrong the established opinion by argument or evidence is incredibly
low (infinitesimal).
One
of these well established beliefs is that Communism is the only
serious anti-capitalist movement (or ideology) and that Communism is
the true Socialism and what was carried out in the regimes
established throughout the XX century such as those in the Soviet
Union and Cuba. This association was absolutely necessary for those
who seek power in the name of Socialism, to keep the belief in their
societies that they were marching together towards the ultimate
socialist ideal. On the other hand, these regimes became the most
powerful propaganda weapon for the western “capitalists”, since
the association of these regimes with Communism (and Socialism in
general) ensures the obedience of their societies to their
institutions, with the proclamation “out of capitalism there is
nothing but chaos.” Thus, the efficient machinery deployed by both
systems, one with the intention to identify itself as Socialist, and
the other to prevent a freer and more fraternalist society, work in
this case very efficiently together, to the detriment of Socialism.
The
essence of Socialism, the very primordial socialist ideal is that of
a free society where the means of production are owned by freely
associated workers (the Marxist view of a socialist society implied
an organisation based on the common ownership and democratic control
of the means of production and where wealth would be distributed in
the interests of the whole community). This will never happen when a
new governing class substitutes the bourgeoisie by coup. If the means
of production lie in the State, as it happened in all these
“communist regimes”, the very essence of Socialism is perverted.
Lenin said it very clearly: "Now we are repeating what was
approved by the Central EC two years ago . . . Namely, that the
Soviet Socialist Democracy is in no way inconsistent with the rule
and dictatorship of one person; that the will of a class is at best
realised by a Dictator who sometimes will accomplish more by himself
and is frequently more needed".
Despite
the insuperable differences between Marxism and Leninism, some of the
postulates of the former still frighten me. Marx clearly indicated
that the State is not similar to the interests of the individuals or
its sum and that as a comunity it is something delusory. The State
for Marx is nothing but an instrument used by the economically
privileged to perpetuate their privilegies. It always appeared to me
quite contradictory then, the fact that Marx claimed that once the
proletariat conquers the State it will abolish the different classes
and the State. From this we might conclude that the proletariat
actually looks after the real well being of the community. This is an
absolute contradiction and the idea of the proletariat conquering
power, in principle only transiently, set the grounds for the
“communist” dictatorships already observed.
The
major propaganda machineries have thus very well established what
socialism should look like, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
Socialism is Cuba, Socialism is the Soviet Union. Furthermore, both
propaganda systems have managed to restrict Socialism to these
regimes (I ignore the aberrant socialdemocracy), thus excluding
another view from the very wide socialist movement. This other view
has been absolutely misinterpreted and/or fallen into oblivion thanks
to the systematic persecution which has faced. This socialism has
never fallen into such a dramatic contradiction like that of the
“State socialism” because it has remained bound to the authentic
socialist idea of abolition of the State. This Socialism is called
Anarchism.
There
has not been any other idea of a free society more grossly
misrepresented than that of Anarchism. The word anarchy comes from
ancient Greek and means “without ruler or government”. This
absence of authority or sovereignty implies of course the absence of
a State and therefore an anarchist society is based on
self-management. For this to work you need a highly organized society
and yet the vast majority of people will think of absolute chaos and
terrorism when thinking of anarchy. This has been the only movement
which has consistenly fought for the complete emancipation of
humanity, for the purest idea of freedom. The only one which has
always aimed at destroying power rather than conquering it. This is a
reason strong enough to frighten those which are in power or plan to
conquer it and therefore Anarchism has always been persecuted and
ultimately crushed. There are two basic things you hear about
anarchism: one is what i already said that Anarchism is chaos,
madness, terrorism etc, a bunch of anti-system groups who only know
how to throw stones and burn things down; the other one, said by
already a much smaller group of people, is that Anarchism has already
been tested and proved to be wrong. This appears much more disturbing
to me because it really reflects the power of the propagandistic
machinery. Anarchism has never been tested in a large scale and for a
long period of time and whenever there has been a try this has been
crushed by the structure of power before it could ever reach a clear
result. You might agree or disagree with the principles or ideas of
Anarchism but in order to build an opinion which can be supported
with arguments, you need to understand it. Because of my simpathy to
Anarchism and the tremendous damaged caused to it through years of
fallacy and propaganda, I want to indicate some major characteristics
which make anarchism a really beautiful movement. I also want to pay
tribute to a few Spanish anarchists, who by their actions
demonstrated the enormous beauty of the anarchist ideals.
Anarchism
moves around two fundamental axes, which are freedom, and
fraternalism, and has definitely stood out among all the other
movements for conceiving education in an unique and beautiful way,
giving it the importance that education truly deserves. Bakunin
wrote: “...the freedom which consists in the full development of
all the material, intellectual and moral powers which are found in
the form of latent capabilities in every individual. I
mean that freedom which recognizes only those restrictions which are
laid down for us by the laws of our own nature; so, properly
speaking, there are no restrictions, since these laws are not imposed
by some outside legislator situated maybe beside us or maybe above
us, they are immanent in us and inherent in us and constitute the
very basis of all our being, as much material as intellectual and
moral. Thus, instead of trying to find a limit for them, we should
consider them as the real conditions of and the real reason for our
freedom.” It is this essential difference which marks unsuperable
limits between Communism and Anarchism. Once again, Bakunin described
it very well: “The communists are supporters of the principle and
practice of authority; the revolutionary socialists have no faith
except in freedom. Both the one and the other, equally supporters of
science which is to destroy superstition and replace belief, differ
in the former wishing to impose it, and the latter striving to
propagate it; so that human groups, convinced of its truth, may
organize and federate spontaneously, freely, from the bottom up, by
their own momentum according to their real interests, but never
according to any plan laid down in advance and imposed upon the
ignorant masses by some superior intellects.”
This
essential difference could be easily observed in all aspects when
comparing the communist and the anarchist groups in the early years
of the past century in Spain. A marxist party had a well defined
hierarchical structure, where paid officials consituted various
commands, all intertwined with one another. Authority was the basis
of their organization, and all marched together under the executive
power of its leadership. There was not much place for intimacy and
friendship because at any time the comrades could become an opposing
faction or traitors. This was the “scientific socialism”, where
there was no room for personal ties but only loyalty to the party.
For the anarchists instead, this was absolutely unacceptable as it
was morally abominable. The revolution consisted on an absolute moral
transformation of the individuals, where people would advance towards
their freedom, and towards fraternity (and not totalitarian
equality). This is a movement that aims at a society that is moved by
solidarity and mutual aid and this cannot be achieved by an authority
which will conquer power and continue exerting authority over its
followers. The belief in solidarity and mutual aid must be propagated
through education and must be fought in the realm of ideas.
Education
for anarchists has always been a basic pillar in building an
anarchist society. In order for humanity to achieve freedom we need
to have a free mind and that can only be achieved through education
in its maximum expression. The need for critical thinking where
people move in the realm of ideas, where reason forms the core, where
the arguments are presented and discussed. Anarchists always give a
supreme value to proper education, as the instrument required for the
full development of every individual, as the instrument by which
individuals reach the fullness of their existence. This is why
Anarchism in general, and in Spain in particular, always carried out
an exemplary cultural action through the theater, the press,
literature etc and took great efforts to educate and literate
workers.
Kropotkin
said: "the development of the revolutionary spirit gains
enormously from heroic individual acts...it is not by these heroic
acts that revolutions are made." It might not, but the names of
these people and their actions bring us closer to the ideas that come
behind. For this post i have chosen three individuals among the
thousands that compose this beautiful movement.
The
first one is Anselmo Lorenzo (1841-1914), “the grandfather of
Spanish anarchism”, who met Fanelli soon after the latter arrived
to Spain, and became a founder member of the International in Spain.
The “grandfather” founded the newspaper “Solidaridad” and
began a fantastic work spreading the anarchist ideas. He participated
in as many labor initiatives as he could and developed a great
intellectual work which resulted in the publication of panflets and
articles as well as books. He wrote "El proletariado militante",
a great piece describing the origins of the labor movement. The
"grandfather" will always be remembered for his great work
spreading the "Idea" in Spain.
The
second one is Francisco Ferrer (1859-1909), who created the “Modern
School”. In his times, when the vast majority of Spanish were
illiterate and education was mainly run by clerics who used brutal
teaching methods, he established a school based on rationalism, freed
of religious and political dogmas. A school which would be guided by
the principles of solidarity and equality, eliminating any
competition or humillation. The purpose of this school, in his
beautiful words, was to creat “inteligencias sustantivas, capaces
de formarse convicciones razonadas, propias, suyas, respecto a todo
lo que sea objeto del pensamiento”.
He not only insisted in mixing the two sexes but also children from
all social classes, in an attempt to free the young, to create “una
escuela de emancipación que se comprometiese a desterrar de la mente
todo aquello que divide al hombre, los falsos conceptos de propiedad,
patria y familia”.
The
last one is Melchor Rodriguez (1893-1972), known as “El Ángel
Rojo” (The Red Angel). This CNT militant had a full moral which
reached its maximum expression during the Spanish Civil War, a period
where hatred and madness settled in the Spanish society. In a period
where most Spaniards aimed at exterminating their enemies, this
anarchist put all his efforts in saving all possible lifes,
regardless of whether they were nationals, socialists, communists or
anarchists. As prison officer it is estimated that he saved around 16
000 people. He stopped the transfers to Paracuellos, rescued
prisoners in the Republican Checas, picked people baddly shot to
death in the gutters, hid nuns at home... He had it clear: “Morir
por las ideas, no matar”. As the mayor of Madrid, he handed the
city over to the Franquist forces and although he could have escaped
like all the other policymakers of Madrid, he stayed to protect
people in his home. He was the only person who during Franquism was
buried with the Anarchist flag. To his funeral assisted people from political spectra as different as anarchists and falangists and the
anarchist anthem “A las barricadas” was sang.
Yes,
a different Socialism exists and it does not consist of mentally sick
people throwing stones. The “Idea” is full of virtues, being a
proclamation for freedom. This search for freedom is the reason why
it has enemies everywhere, always ready to destroy it. These are the
words of Stalin: “Some
people believe that Marxism
and
anarchism are based on the same principles and that the disagreements
between them concern only tactics, so that, in the opinion of these
people, no distinction whatsoever can be drawn between these two
trends. This is a great mistake. We believe that the Anarchists are
real enemies of Marxism. Accordingly, we also hold that a real
struggle must be waged against real enemies.” I insist in the
attacks to Anarchism by the communists because i believe thay have
been highly responsible for the damaged caused to Anarchism, making
it very easy for the other major structure of power (western
Capitalism).
I
will finish the post with the words of Melchor Rodriguez when he
handed Madrid over to Franco's troops. These words are a hymn to
life:
En
unos minutos voy a hacer entrega de esta heroica ciudad a los que han
sido nuestros enemigos. Ya se ha sufrido mucho en esta ciudad mártir,
que pasará a la historia habiendo dado una muestra inaudita de
sacrificio. Madrileños, ¡hagamos frente a la adversidad con juicio!
¡Vivamos y recuperémonos de la guerra!… Vivamos, vivamos…”.
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