is anarchism a left or right wing ideology?

[© tweed]

is anarchism a left or right wing ideology?

[frihetsivrare]

It is its own ideology, neither left nor right.

[Eraserhead]

I have thought a lot about this lately and I think I have to agree the poster above me.

[Person Man]

They are really the ultimate center.

[Gabu]

It's left- or right-wing to the same extent that libertarianism is, which is to say... it isn't.

[Padfoot]

It's left- or right-wing to the same extent that libertarianism is, which is to say... it isn't.

[Gustaf]

Depends. There is a socialist variety which most people would call left and there is a libertarian variety which most people would call right. But mostly, it's just crazy.

[NDN]

Depends. There is a socialist variety which most people would call left and there is a libertarian variety which most people would call right. But mostly, it's just crazy naive

[Bono]

Depends. There is a socialist variety which most people would call left and there is a libertarian variety which most people would call right. But mostly, it's just crazy naive

How is it naive? Can't you see that the same argument about human nature also applies to the government?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Both.

Depends whether it's anarcho-capitalism or anarcho-communism.

[minionofmidas]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

[Gabu]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

How does anarchism imply rule of people and equality?

[minionofmidas]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

How does anarchism imply rule of people and equality?

But that's the whole point of the abolution of profit!

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Left wing.

[Brandon H]

Neither. Political Ideologies don't all fit on a one dimensional left-right line. (Though anarchism would fit easier than anything related to foreign policy.)

[John Dibble]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

How does anarchism imply rule of people and equality?

But that's the whole point of the abolution of profit!

Anarchy isn't necessarily about the abolition of profit. Anarchy is simply about the abolition of all government, the notion that people can organize and run a working society without a governing body. Individuals and businesses could still make profit because there wouldn't be any government that tells them they are not allowed to do so.

I would agree with the notion that anarchy is neither right or left. The right-left dynamic is insufficient to describe every political ideology. While not perfect, I much prefer the quadrant system that looks at social and economic issues seperately.

[minionofmidas]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

How does anarchism imply rule of people and equality?

But that's the whole point of the abolution of profit!

Anarchy isn't necessarily about the abolition of profit. Anarchy is simply about the abolition of all government, the notion that people can organize and run a working society without a governing body.

No. Without a bureaucracy, and without private property (or without any possibility aquiring private property beyond one's needs). Governing bodies figure widely in Bakunin, Favre, etc.

[John Dibble]

Anarchism is leftist. Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it. Statism is neither left nor right.

diagram:

Rule of people,                                                                                                  rule of money,
equality                                                                                                             plutocracy

                                           all over the place:
                                       bureaucracy, rule of certain semi-random people

How does anarchism imply rule of people and equality?

But that's the whole point of the abolution of profit!

Anarchy isn't necessarily about the abolition of profit. Anarchy is simply about the abolition of all government, the notion that people can organize and run a working society without a governing body.

No. Without a bureaucracy, and without private property (or without any possibility aquiring private property beyond one's needs). Governing bodies figure widely in Bakunin, Favre, etc.

You're only considering certain types of anarchy while excluding other important ones. Individualist anarchism, mutualism, and anarcho-capitalism are all anarchist ideologies that allow for private property and profit.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah. And if I include random mainline conservative parties under "fascism", not all fascists were opposed to democracy.

If we're not talking about anarchism the mass movement, but just about some little ivory tower constructs, then there's really no point to the question at all.

Besides, I'd treated those people:

Stealing some of its tenets without sharing its basic critique of capital is naive, or crazy, depending how you look at it.

And that's really as much room as they deserve in relative size to the length of the whole thread.

[John Dibble]

Yeah. And if I include random mainline conservative parties under "fascism", not all fascists were opposed to democracy.

If we're not talking about anarchism the mass movement, but just about some little ivory tower constructs, then there's really no point to the question at all.

Well, to me the question was about the broader ideology of anarchism, not about more specific sub-ideology. The only basic qualifier for that is lack of government, since that's what anarchy is, so I stand by it being neither left wing or right wing.

[Cubby]

My first reaction (and my vote) was that it is a left wing ideology. But after reading the responses here, I agree that it doesn't fit the left/right spectrum.

Anarchists in the Late 1800's/Early 1900's didn't do anything except attempt to assassinate world leaders. Some movement that was. I don't see anarchy as a viable system, because its not libertarianism, its nonstop chaos and violence. I know that isn't the intent of anarchy, but due to human nature, it would probably be the result. If people had no fear of consequences for their actions, whats to stop them from acting on their worst impulses?

[minionofmidas]

Anarchists in the Late 1800's/Early 1900's didn't do anything except attempt to assassinate world leaders.

That's not true at all. They didn't partake in elections though, of course, but they organized labor just like the Marxists did.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Why do people keep trying to shoehorn everything into left/right?

[John Dibble]

Why do people keep trying to shoehorn everything into left/right?

Because it's easier to view things in black/white, left/right, good/evil, etc. terms instead of viewing them as something more complex.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Why do people keep trying to shoehorn everything into left/right?

Because it's easier to view things in black/white, left/right, good/evil, etc. terms instead of viewing them as something more complex.

Must be something in American culture that causes the automatic dualism.