Tribalism has been around since the dawn of man's existence. In the beginning, rival villages sought to find a common identity. Ancient tribes used animals or items to represent their family or village. Most of the time, this was done for the good of the community. A peaceful community would draw inspiration from the symbols when fighting off bandits or aggressive tribes. It also gave the members of a community a feeling of belonging. They may have favored a color or symbol as a means of finding kinship and extending family. This was certainly true in places like Scotland where intricate tartans displayed clan colors. These symbols and colors could also identify a friendly person when the world began trading and traveling. A merchant might find himself quite alone. Yet, if he saw someone with his symbol, the person could get a taste of home and maybe sit by the fire and talk about the homeland. Even if they did not know their countryman, it helped make them feel a little less alone.
As governments evolved, they saw a means through the tribal identity, and the religion that usually accompanied it, of unifying people and controling their behavior. Time moved forward and those governments became more powerful and tyrannical. They would adopt this tribalism and turn it to less peaceful purposes. Those same symbols that brought people together were used to divide. This powerful tool was used to identify a land as the King's property. Anyone who happened to live within his claimed empire was made a subject of the new class of land owners. The Nobility arose to support the monarch and ensure his dominance. Anyone who did not identify with that color or symbol was the enemy of the state, and was trespassing on sovereign territory. When the monarch wanted more land and sought to expand his tax base, he used these bonds to unite his people and stir up fear and greed towards a lust for war. The symbols gave way to flags and community gave way to the territorial monopoly of force and violence that we know as the governments of today. Those once useful tribal symbols and emotions turned into nationalism.
Today, these symbols are still used to divide. Americans are trained in government schools to revere the flag and stand and give respect to their masters in Washington. Of course, they say leaders instead of masters. Their message is still clear. The flag, the songs, and the indoctrination is designed to put children on the team. Schools make those symbols, and the nation for which they stand become part of the child’s identity. They are using those same feelings of community and family to make a compliant population who dares not challenge those in charge over their enslavement for fear that they will be alone and not accepted by their neighbors. They, in essence, by denying the flag, have become the enemy.
It is worse than sedition, or siding with another government. By denying the idea of a flag and national pride all together, the individual not only opens himself up to attack by all governments, but by design, is made to feel as though they are alone. The State and their minions tell you that you oppose community, you want chaos, and you are outside of civilization. You are the worst of all evils, and you have no friends.
I am an Anarchist. I deny the authority of any other individual to govern me or anyone else. We are painted using the description above. Notice that I said we. I am not alone. There are millions of us all over the globe. We believe that society is constantly evolving towards freedom.
You can see it if you take just a few minutes to study history. Two hundred years ago, we globally went through a major step in this process. Before the American Revolution, the primary form of government was monarchy. Kings of one sort or another ruled, largely with an iron fist. The idea of having a Republic changed that. Representative, elected government became the norm. Sure, you can find examples of them throughout history. In the late 1700s the tide shifted and it became the primary form of government that society was based on. It certainly wasn’t true freedom, but it was inspired by liberty and an accepted idea that one man should not decide for everyone how they live their lives.
We are on the edge of another evolution. You see, though I am very comfortable with the title Anarchist, it really is not the most accurate description of how I would like society to be organized. The best word I have heard to describe me is Voluntaryist. The idea that you can have whatever kind of “government” you want as long as it is voluntary is exactly where I believe we are heading. What we call the state is not that. Some people try to argue that government as it is today is voluntary because you can vote. This argument falls short because it assumes that just because more people agree about something, the majority have the right to force the decision on the minority. It is not voluntary until you have the option to withdraw from the community.
This idea is based on self ownership, which is the “radical” idea that no one rules you or is your master. It is the concept that you are not a slave to anyone, even people who call themselves “your leaders,” or “your government.” It is a system based on natural law. It is wrong to hurt, steal, lie, or kill even for large groups of people who call themselves a State.
Obviously, we have not made this transition yet, but there are some promising developments. Just to name a couple. In Cheran Mexico, about eleven years ago, the people had a revolution. They kicked out multinational corporations, the police, and the government. They established a Voluntaryist system. I also suggest that you investigate Liberland which is also attempting to establish a Voluntaryist community in Eastern Europe.
I have explained all of this to warn that we Anarchists are following the destructive tendencies of tribalism. It is my belief that we are being manipulated to do so by the state. Those who currently rule the world want to continue to do so. They seldom use any other method than divide and conquer. If the tyrants can get us fighting each other instead of them, then we are doing their work for them. To that end they have turned to the tried and true system of tribalism.
We Anarchists are smart. Sometimes so smart, we think we are always right. I certainly believe that my opinions are the ones which are correct. Why else would I have them? That does not mean that I will be proven right or that how a community I am involved in works will work for someone else.
It is time to stop fighting over who is right and who is wrong in the freedom movement. If you believe that voting will change things and take down the state, great, vote for a Libertarian Party candidate. If you do not, great, defund the government. Look for ways to not pay taxes, to live outside of the system, or promote crypto-currencies. If you see Adam Kokesh’s run for president as a good step towards localizing government and stripping power from the largest empire the world has ever seen, the US federal government, than volunteer for his campaign. If you think he is wasting his time and is either misleading people, can’t do it, or will be killed, that is ok. How is what he is doing going to hurt your activism and stop you from living free?
There are two large sections of Anarchists being herded into fighting each other. The first group is called Anarcho-Communists. They believe that outside of government control there should be no private property and that things should be owned collectively. They also tend to support a collective economy. The second is called Anarcho-Capitalists. They believe that out of self ownership, property is derived from labor. They support a free market economy.
I do not hyphenate my anarchy. It is my belief that once we have eliminated the force, violence, theft, and aggression of the State, economics will handle itself to match the needs of the local community. Arguing over economics has become nothing more than another form of tribalism. It is being used to keep us at each other’s throats. I invite you to stop fighting your fellow anarchists.
I propose another way. Do you support Freedom? Do you oppose the slavery of the state? Do you seek to evolve peacefully and desire to avoid violence if at all possible? Then you are my ally! If we NEED a symbol because it reinforces the common bonds we have in the struggle, then I have one in mind. In the late 1800’s a black flag was adopted by Anarchists to symbolize the absence of a flag and the government in general. This can easily be adopted as our unifying banner. Most hyphenated Anarchists use the color black in their symbols already. I invite you to join me, and millions like me who want Voluntary Cooperation in our communities. We can unite around the ideas of Liberty, Compassion, Love, Respect, and Self Determination. Together we can say-
