The Anarchist Communist

My friend, Ann, calls me an anarchist. One of my boys said I am starting to sound like a Communist. So I guess they are both right, I am an anarchist communist. My Conservative Republican ancestors will be rolling over in their graves at this realization. I think, that is because they didn’t understand Communism. Most people, when they hear the word Communism think of the Soviet Union or Communist China. Those are, or were, actually Totalitarian states, not Communist.

The great Celtic Tribes were communist and probably most Native American tribes as well. They had leaders that usually served on Councils; the role of the leader was often to insure that the will of the council was enforced, or to ensure that the council’s decisions adequately reflected the needs of the people. The leaders would also be called upon to act as ambassadors to avoid war with other tribes or to lead the people into war if it could not be avoided. With today’s advances in science and technology wars over food should not be necessary. The role of the council was to determine how the needs of the tribe, the entire tribe, not the leaders, could best be met. The United States has a Constitutional Republic as a form of government, which is a good form of government even for a communist society, but the leaders are not fulfilling their rolls and the council has lost their way so, I have become an anarchist. Anarchism advocates a subtle and anti-dogmatic philosophy, with limited government. Anarchism does not offer a fixed body of doctrine but the philosophy ebbs and flows with society’s advancements. There is no big brother to keep us safe from ourselves and we are free to live alone in the Commonwealth or within the safety of a chosen tribe.

Pirate ships were also Communist. The rules for each individual ship were actually determined by the crew. The Captain’s job was to ensure that the will of the crew was carried out. He also was usually the most experienced seaman. Many British Navy sailors’ joined pirate crews when they could. The pay was equitable. Usually with a bit larger portion going to the Captain, who probably funded the original operation and ships carpenter (who also usually served as surgeon too and needed to have good tools). Not just because the pay was better, but because they had a say in how they lived onboard the ship was a great incentive for joining up.

My son asked what would be the reason to work hard to achieve in a Communist society. The answer is simple, the satisfaction that the needs of all you people were met. Everyone’s skill sets are different and for a society to really thrive the skills of all people are called upon. There will always be those who work harder than others. Those people would probably acquire more cattle, and add more rooms to their houses, however should a fellow tribe member lose their home or cattle, would be willing to share without hesitation. The needs of the many always outweigh the needs of an individual in a tribe.

A tribe would support artists, poets and healers realizing that what value they added to ordinary life was as valuable for quality of life as food and shelter. The old were venerated and infirm cared for. Yes, even pirates made provisions for those who could no longer work. But in a perfect world there would probably be no need for pirates or Robin Hood.

There is so much abundance and wealth on this planet. With current technology and efficient management of resources we really could feed everyone. There are enough resources that everyone could have a home. I don’t envy a hard working individual the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor. What I despise is a current world economy that only protects the wants, not needs of a few. These wants were bought and kept by ill means. We use mass media to promote the idea that we all need more things and emulate the very people who take advantage of all people everywhere. We blame the poor for poverty and idolize the rich. Wars today are not fought over hunger, but so that a few individuals profit off the building of weapons and reconstruction.

Factories are built in “third world” countries to skirt the environmental and labor laws of “developed countries”. Often these practices are protected by armies; we actually have international peace keeping forces to make sure the needs of the few are protected all over the world. I don’t know if this will change, this is a new Age supposedly by astrological time and the conditions are ripe for people to wake up.

Personally, I am thinking of the Super bowl now) I don’t think I could enjoy a $3000.00 ticket when I knew there was a kid somewhere without a football. I couldn’t buy a Maserati, when I knew somewhere an old dodge would enable someone to get to work and support their family. The thought of receiving a $100K bonus, when I was already making a least a million dollars, would have me so anxious I would have to donate it to an animal shelter or a school that taught English to immigrants. I would not mind to have a summer house to share with my friends, but I could not conceive of having six of them plus a yacht and a ski chalet. There is enough to go around no one has to live in poverty. The world could be a better place if everyone agreed that it should.