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ELI5 why is anarchy not "the guy with the bigger stick" making the rules? (lemmy.giftedmc.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm politically agnostic and have moved from a slightly conservative stance to a vastly more progressive stance (european). i still dont get the more niche things like tankies and anarchists at this point but I would like to, without spending 10 hours reading endless manifests (which do have merit, no doubt, but still).

Can someone explain to me why anarchy isnt the guy (or gal, or gang, or entity) with the bigger stick making the rules?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (8 children)

I'm not an expert, nor do I claim to be even moderately smart about things, but I would think anarchy devolves to other labels once there's a bigger stick being used.

Edit: it might be a dictatorship, or a monarchy if the stick is jewel encrusted

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Yes, anarchy is an interrim state in which no power mechanic has yet taken hold. But naturally it will, in one way or another.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago (4 children)

That is a misconception. Anarchism is a equal distribution of power among all participants. This will not change "naturally". It can be changed by either efforts from within to establish a single individual or group as a ruler over the rest, or by outside forces. Neither I would classify as happening just naturally.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

It is natural. Any particular individual's actions are not natural - but the fact that, amongst a large, diverse group of people, there will be someone who would try to establish themselves or their group as rulers - is just a statistical property. So any anarchic system needs a mechanism to counter that.

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