From my friend, Tim: "The twelve step group model is the truest form of libertarian anarchy at work in the world today. No one is in charge, nothing can be changed without the informed consent of the people, it's free, you can leave when you want, you can come back when you want and, no one group is affiliated with any other. The entity has no opinion on anything other than their own business, anyone can join, all group politics are strictly internal and handled as such. Dues, fees and contributions of labor are all unenforced and voluntary." Be careful who you tell this to, they might not know they are involved in anarchy.
From John Ball: "When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty."
Really, I'm not much of an anarchist but I'll stand by these two quotes.
4 comments:
Well theres plenty of time. Commies and Anarchists can figure each other out, easy.
Never thought of the 12 Steppers as Anarchists, though from what I know of how they organize themselves, I guess they are anarchistic. If Anarchists are mostly heavy coffee drinkers who smoke a lot of pot and cigarettes, they are Anarchists for sure.
How do you explain an organization that to all effects and purposes doesn't exist, yet has million of members internationally, publishes it's documents in dozens of languages and just had a convention drawing 70,000 people that received no mention in the press? There's no central committee. In fact the highest authority in the whole non organization is the local group and the only reason the local group exists is because some people felt like showing up for it. The longest anyone can hold any position is two years after which they have to give up the job. There are people who take responsibility for communications between the local groups and other local groups in other countries but I don't know their names and there are plenty of people who spend years in twelve step groups and never give a thought to those people and their activities. Because everything is ultimately decided by local groups it can take years and even decades to decide to change a line or two from a book or pamphlet. In other words in-e-fucking-ficiency rules the day! Hooray! Here in California cigarettes are no longer as popular as they once were and pot smoking is considered dipshit and unserious but they drink a fuck of a lot of coffee and they are CRAZY for sugar.
Believe me, I've been involved in plenty of political bullshit and I'm still involved in union politics and I've never seen anything else like AA's twelve traditions. Anyone can join. No one can kick you out. The most money any group has on hand is a month or two's rent. You aren't allowed to make donations to groups or committees that are any larger than pocket money and you can't remember AA in your will. They won't take your money.
Most interesting of all is that AA in particular works in spite of the fact that most of the people involved are more or less crazy.
We used to supply donuts and coffee and sandwiches to a wino gang in downtown SF at a place on Ninth and Mission.. After they ate, they'd sometimes work the crowd for spare change or go to sleep in the back. Once they all came in wearing pope hats they made out of newspapers. I've been trying to make one ever since and I can't figure it out. Probably, you need to whip up some white port and lemon juice in an old can behind the community dumpster for inspiration. I don't want one that bad."The work sucks and it don't pay enough." says my pal Norman.
Post a Comment