Thread by @corymassimino

anarchism is NOT the proposition that eliminating states would be costless

it’s the proposition that it’s worth the effort to *reduce* those costs by creating alternative, horizontal ways of providing the few good things states do: defense, arbitration, social insurance, etc.

it’s in this way that anarchism at its best is a radical reimagining of politics as an *imminent* project, connected more to interpersonal ethics than abstracted policy ideas, thus bringing political philosophy “down from the clouds” to the real world of flesh-and-blood people

as an example: non-anarchists view “immigration” as a policy area concerning appropriate regulations, quotas, security, etc. whereas anarchists view “immigration” as a moral area concerning the just treatment of non-Americans

“policy” is not some entity over and above the people in society interacting; it just is different patterns of interaction

border agents don’t “enact policy” so much as inflict violence on non-Americans

on this view anarchism isn’t anything like a static picture of some particular formation of social institutions but an ongoing, open-ended project to be enacted daily in all our interactions with others

there is basically one question: will you respect the autonomy of others or not?

border agents, cops, prison guards, and military personnel face this decision every single day of their lives and they — in virtue of merely holding their occupation — choose in favor of disrespect

the ideal form of social change, then, is for the border agents, cops, prison guards, and military personnel to JUST QUIT

if the people with guns just *put them down* the systems of violence, abuse, and brutality simply cease to exist

as it (very unfortunately) turns out most of those people are very, very unwilling to put down their guns

this creates... complications, many of which we’re seeing play out in real time