In Deep Anarchy -- An Eliminitivist View of "The State", Max More, Ph.D., President, Extropy Institute. (writing as Max T. O'Connor) coined the term "Deep Anarchy":
"Traditional anarchists want to abolish the "State." In planning their strategies and in doing their thinking about this they rarely question the existence or fundamental nature of their enemy. This situation wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that their mistaken beliefs often lead them into counterproductive political strategies. Thus we observe the ludicrous sight of self-named anarchists joining political parties (usually the Libertarian Party) in order to hasten the end of the system. The idea seems to be: We can remove it by being absorbed by it!
I want to suggest that when we talk of "the State" we are not talking of any entity, either concrete or abstract. I will provide two main arguments for this: One from considerations of methodological individualism, and another that could be called "the argument from fuzziness." "Deep Anarchy" is the view that results from these thoughts; it is the idea that we already live in an anarchy."
The purpose of the list is to explore the deepest aspects of coercive political systems -- which manifest in individual human minds. According to Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:
"But to tear down a factory or to revolt against a government or to avoid repairs of a motorcycle because it is a system is to attack effects rather than causes; and as long as the attack is upon effects only, no change is possible. The true system, the real system, is our present construction of systematic thought itself, rationality itself. And if a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another factory. If a revolution destroys a systematic government, but the systematic patterns of thought that produced that government are left intact, then those patterns will repeat themselves in the succeeding government..."
A Deep Anarchist is someone who has examined and radically changed certain "systematic patterns of thought" which most traditional anarchists take for granted, without question or challenge.
Max More indicates: "Traditional anarchists want to abolish the "State." In planning their strategies and in doing their thinking about this they rarely question the existence or fundamental nature of their enemy." For an examination of the "enemy," see '#TL07B: The Nature of Government.'
The main purpose of the list is for subscribers to assist each other in becoming Deep Anarchists. A secondary purpose is to persuade others to also become Deep Anarchists. A further purpose is to explore appropriate strategies and tactics for Deep Anarchists to apply in order to expand freedom.
According to Sally Kempton: "It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head." One of the insights of Deep Anarchy is that certain "systematic patterns of thought" (Pirsig) constitute "enemy outposts" in the heads of traditional anarchists that "often lead them into counterproductive political strategies" (More). Deep Anarchists have removed the "enemy outposts" from their heads.
According to Steve Biko: "The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." As a result of cultural conditioning, practically all humans, including most traditional anarchists, have certain "enemy outposts" (Kempton) or "systematic patterns of thought" (Pirsig) that "often lead them into counterproductive political strategies" (More). Deep Anarchists realize that in some important ways the minds of traditional anarchists are in a sense "owned" by their enemies and used as vehicles to reinforce, perpetuate, and propagate coercive political systems.
Pemes = political memes. Deep Anarchists realize that the most fundamental "enemy" consists of certain Deep Pemes. The power of coercive political systems depend on these Deep Pemes being reinforced, perpetuated, and propagated without question or challenge. See '#TL074: Peme-Theory - Basic, Intermediate & Advanced.'
Loosely speaking, traditional anarchists can be categorized as Anarcho-Socialists -- 'An Anarchist FAQ Webpage' -- and Anarcho-Capitalists -- ' Anarchist Theory FAQ' by Bryan Caplan. Unproductive arguments and attacks between the two sides, claiming that their anarchism is the "only anarchism" are not appropriate for the Deep Anarchy list. We want as many anarchists as possible to become Deep Anarchists.
Bridging gaps between Anarcho-Socialists and Anarcho-Capitalists is appropriate for the list.
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