Question of the Day

[ayoub]

By some weird twist of fate, you gain control of an army; what would you do with it?

Comments

[thermalsatsuma.livejournal.com]

Invade Poland!

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

The poor Polish!

[ccupguy.livejournal.com]

Have them do humanitarian work.
ccup.

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

:D

Great answer :D

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

There is only need for armies and police under a capitalist society. If capitalism was overthrown, then the army would be put to use for cooperative purposes. No one would control them because
there would be no state either.

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

So you'd disband your army?

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

_Our_ army would cease to exist. An army or force exists only to protect property.

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

Spoken like a true anarchist :D

Question for you: Do you think society is ready to adopt anarchism, and what are the main hurdles?

[cmerun12.livejournal.com]

See if I could feed 'em all.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

Give it back.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

As someone dealing with cleaning up the mess made by the most recent experiment with communism, I'd say you are just a tinsy-winsy bit naive.

[delphaicdragon.livejournal.com]

Make them build me the biggest treehouse EVAH then send them home. :D

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

Did communism have a parade and you are an environmental engineer?
I am a class war anarchist.

I am a class war anarchist.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

Me too - but in my opinion communism is just as bad and open to abuse as all the other ism's.

No, I'm a vocational teacher in Estonia.

[empatia.livejournal.com]

Have them build homes for the homeless, and plant crops for the hungry. In every country.

Re: I am a class struggle anarchist.

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

Me too - but in my opinion communism is just as bad and open to abuse as all the other ism's.

My opinion is that you simply cannot equate state socialism as practised by the former USSR with libertarian communism. So many people who have read nothing of anarchism confuse it with Marxism and the need for a strong leader. There is a wonderful FAQ on anarchism which is due to come out soon via AK Press. Right now it exists on the web.

[fox-bard.livejournal.com]

How many soldiers and what style of combat/level of training? And is it made of real soldiers (and not chess pieces)?

I gotta know before I can make a strategy, ya know? ^__~

[donnickcottage.livejournal.com]

Dig wells, plant crops, build houses... protect and serve:)

[donnickcottage.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm treehouse:)

[mighty-rontor.livejournal.com]

Make my presence known...

[mighty-rontor.livejournal.com]

All societies need protection from other societies, thus the need for armies, capitalist, communist or otherwise. Utopia may be a standard to shoot for, but it is not a place that will exist.

[mjtheanarchist.livejournal.com]

That's easy! Assuming it's a volunteer force and they weren't all conscripted...

1. I'd have them dig mass graves.
2. I'd have them round up all the civilians.
3. I'd have them load their guns.
4. I'd have them all shoot themselves in the faces while the civilians watched.

[uawildcatgrl.livejournal.com]

Build a castle and have them defend it


(that's bren sarcasm for I have no flippin clue!)

[mjtheanarchist.livejournal.com]

While force *can* be used for theft, there are other ways of exchange that are completely consensual. Pure capitalism (not the bastardized forms in place today) is simply a means of consensual, non-forcible exchange of property.

There's nothing evil about property or capitalism. I would point out that capitalism (with its inherent class mobility mechanisms) may be the only way to end class wars.

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

I'm just lately finding more and more people who support free market capitalism who have chosen to call themselves 'anarchists'. Like the Libertarian Party of the US, they do not realise that anarchism and capitalism are mutually exclusive. I think I have an easier time with people who come out and call themselves conservatives.