It is sure that nine Americans in ten who have never heard of any of
these programs before, will listen with far more interest and approval
to this than to the others. The material reason which explains this
attitude of mind is very evident. In this country outside of the Negro
question we have never had the historic division of classes; we are just
making that history now; we have never felt the need of the associative
spirit of workman with workman, because in our society it has been the
individual that did things; the workman of to-day was the employer
to-morrow; vast opportunities lying open to him in the undeveloped
territory, he shouldered his tools and struck out single-handed for
himself. Even now, fiercer and fiercer though the struggle is growing,
tighter and tighter though the workman is getting cornered, the line of
division between class and class is constantly being broken, and the
first motto of the American is "the Lord helps him who helps himself."
Consequently this economic program, whose key-note is "let alone",
appeals strongly to the traditional sympathies and life habits of a
people who have themselves seen an almost unbounded patrimony swept up,
as a gambler sweeps his stakes, by men who played with them at school or
worked with them in one shop a year or ten years before.
This particular branch of the Anarchist party does not accept the
Communist position that Government arises from Property; on the
contrary, they hold Government responsible for the denial of real
property (viz.: to the producer the exclusive possession of what he
has produced). They lay more stress upon its metaphysical origin in
the authority-creating Fear in human nature. Their attack is directed
centrally upon the idea of Authority; thus the material wrongs seem to
flow from the spiritual error (if I may venture the word without fear
of misconstruction), which is precisely the reverse of the Socialistic
view.
Truth lies not "_between_ the two," but in a synthesis of the two
opinions.
Anarchist Mutualism is a modification of the program of Individualism,
laying more emphasis upon organization, co-operation and free federation
of the workers. To these the trade union is the nucleus of the free
co-operative group, which will obviate the necessity of an employer,
issue time-checks to its members, take charge of the finished product,
exchange with different trade groups for their mutual advantage through
the central federation, enable its members to utilize their credit, and
likewise insure them against loss. The mutualist position on the land
question is identical with that of the Individualists, as well as their
understanding of the State.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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