Comments on: Mytheos: Second Star to the Left http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/ Twice-weekly student newspaper of Wesleyan University in Middletown. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:35:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Mancur Olson Jr. http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-4349 Mancur Olson Jr. Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:25:06 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-4349 There isn't really much to understand about anarchism, except that anarchism inevitably leads to a state. Under stateless conditions, there would still be competition for resources, and people would fear for their lives. Individuals would eventually band together into mutual protection associations to enforce their rights to life, liberty, and property against outside aggressors. The result would look something like the night-watchmen state of classical liberalism. Mutual aid as an evolutionary social process is necessarily important since it is certainly easier to agree not to harm one another and focus your resources on your own damn business rather than perpetual deterrence of aggression by other people. However, in a fight between cooperation and competition for, I don't know, basic resources, there reaches a point where no sense of community or obligation or duty will prevent people from screwing their neighbors to get by, ESPECIALLY when the chips are down. Anarchy necessitates states; mutual aid will only take you so far. Look, we can get all hot and bothered about sexy principles like no mutual aggression, "loving thy neighbor," and all other sorts of self-congratulating shit about how special humans are, but when it gets down to the practical process of LIVING OUR LIVES, no about of collective knowledge of wine or Spanish cuisine or postmodern economics is going to change the fact that HUMAN BEINGS ARE ANIMALS TOO WITH ANIMAL NEEDS. I support stationary bandits and nothing else. Anarcho-capitalism FOR THE LOSS. reCaptcha: LOOK HOW FUCKING SMART I AM There isn't really much to understand about anarchism, except that anarchism inevitably leads to a state. Under stateless conditions, there would still be competition for resources, and people would fear for their lives. Individuals would eventually band together into mutual protection associations to enforce their rights to life, liberty, and property against outside aggressors. The result would look something like the night-watchmen state of classical liberalism. Mutual aid as an evolutionary social process is necessarily important since it is certainly easier to agree not to harm one another and focus your resources on your own damn business rather than perpetual deterrence of aggression by other people. However, in a fight between cooperation and competition for, I don't know, basic resources, there reaches a point where no sense of community or obligation or duty will prevent people from screwing their neighbors to get by, ESPECIALLY when the chips are down. Anarchy necessitates states; mutual aid will only take you so far.

Look, we can get all hot and bothered about sexy principles like no mutual aggression, "loving thy neighbor," and all other sorts of self-congratulating shit about how special humans are, but when it gets down to the practical process of LIVING OUR LIVES, no about of collective knowledge of wine or Spanish cuisine or postmodern economics is going to change the fact that HUMAN BEINGS ARE ANIMALS TOO WITH ANIMAL NEEDS.

I support stationary bandits and nothing else. Anarcho-capitalism FOR THE LOSS.

reCaptcha: LOOK HOW FUCKING SMART I AM

]]> By: Social Democrat http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1815 Social Democrat Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:57:52 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1815 Since when were anarchists the voice of the left? Since when were anarchists the voice of the left?

]]> By: Realism is cool http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1164 Realism is cool Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:48:08 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1164 @Friednly neighborhood anarchist: So because Jon Booth is enthusiastic about making his viewpoints known, he's a dominating person who doesn't care about people? Come on. You don't believe that. Why not have a spokesman like Booth get some exposure for your cause, especially since even Mytheos has to admit he respects him (look at the first paragraph)? Having someone who can negotiate with the enemy is useful, you know. @Friednly neighborhood anarchist:

So because Jon Booth is enthusiastic about making his viewpoints known, he's a dominating person who doesn't care about people? Come on. You don't believe that. Why not have a spokesman like Booth get some exposure for your cause, especially since even Mytheos has to admit he respects him (look at the first paragraph)? Having someone who can negotiate with the enemy is useful, you know.

]]> By: Jon Booth http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1163 Jon Booth Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:46:28 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1163 friendly neighborhood anarchist. if you have a problem with me talk to me about it, posting anonymous comments on an article by mytheos holt is probably the least effective way i can imagine to get me to change my behavior in any way. secondly, i was offered a column on the blargus, so i accepted. thirdly, i am involved with organizations and projects that i care about and that generally have solid tangible goals. fourthly, though i am involved in a number of groups i currently run none of them. so if you got a problem with me, talk to me about it. friendly neighborhood anarchist. if you have a problem with me talk to me about it, posting anonymous comments on an article by mytheos holt is probably the least effective way i can imagine to get me to change my behavior in any way.

secondly, i was offered a column on the blargus, so i accepted.

thirdly, i am involved with organizations and projects that i care about and that generally have solid tangible goals.

fourthly, though i am involved in a number of groups i currently run none of them.

so if you got a problem with me, talk to me about it.

]]> By: responsible citizen http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1162 responsible citizen Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:25:53 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1162 re·pute n (formal) 1. estimation or character according to what people in general think 2. good reputation or standing why can't intelligent citizen reFUTE a comment with the right words? It seems intelligent citizen's credentials are not in good repute. re·pute n (formal)
1. estimation or character according to what people in general think
2. good reputation or standing

why can't intelligent citizen reFUTE a comment with the right words?

It seems intelligent citizen's credentials are not in good repute.

]]> By: Friendly Neighborhood Anarchist http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1161 Friendly Neighborhood Anarchist Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:23:57 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1161 While it's clear that Mytheos does not understand Anarchism at all, or the left in general, I think there is a larger issue at play here. Jon Booth is not the left at Wesleyan and he's certainly shouldn't be the face of Anarchism. I think this needs to be said because Jon Booth has made a concerted effort to position himself as the voice of the left on this campus and has made an effort to have his name on as many activist projects as possible. In my mind, this is a very clear form of domination and runs contrary to my personal vision of Anarchism. I think it needs to be said very loudly that Jon Booth does not represent radical politics. Jon Booth represents self-absorbed, masturbatory, and generally counter-productive radical politics. In all honesty, Jon Booth and Mytheos Holt are two sides of the same coin. Both are more interested in being purely oppositional figures, playing into the stereotypes surrounding their political ideology and are so wrapped up in their own ego mania that they care more about publicly spouting their ideology than actually doing any work and actually helping people. (Although I guess Mytheos is pretty open about not caring about helping people.) I sincerely and whole-heartedly, and in the least confrontational way possible, ask Jon Booth to either take responsibility for his actions and come organize not as a vanity project but because he wants people's lives to be better, or to stop sullying the name of the left. While it's clear that Mytheos does not understand Anarchism at all, or the left in general, I think there is a larger issue at play here. Jon Booth is not the left at Wesleyan and he's certainly shouldn't be the face of Anarchism. I think this needs to be said because Jon Booth has made a concerted effort to position himself as the voice of the left on this campus and has made an effort to have his name on as many activist projects as possible. In my mind, this is a very clear form of domination and runs contrary to my personal vision of Anarchism.

I think it needs to be said very loudly that Jon Booth does not represent radical politics. Jon Booth represents self-absorbed, masturbatory, and generally counter-productive radical politics.

In all honesty, Jon Booth and Mytheos Holt are two sides of the same coin. Both are more interested in being purely oppositional figures, playing into the stereotypes surrounding their political ideology and are so wrapped up in their own ego mania that they care more about publicly spouting their ideology than actually doing any work and actually helping people. (Although I guess Mytheos is pretty open about not caring about helping people.)

I sincerely and whole-heartedly, and in the least confrontational way possible, ask Jon Booth to either take responsibility for his actions and come organize not as a vanity project but because he wants people's lives to be better, or to stop sullying the name of the left.

]]> By: Anonymous http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1159 Anonymous Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:19:05 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1159 Along with the obnoxious comments from anonymous posters? Yeah, it sure does. Along with the obnoxious comments from anonymous posters? Yeah, it sure does.

]]> By: Anonymous http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1151 Anonymous Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:36:56 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1151 obnoxious, namedropping articles predicated on shoving words into an opponent's mouth from Mytheos? unfounded truisms from LeVine? sounds like business as usual obnoxious, namedropping articles predicated on shoving words into an opponent's mouth from Mytheos?

unfounded truisms from LeVine?

sounds like business as usual

]]> By: intelligent citizen http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-1072 intelligent citizen Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:38:05 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-1072 why can't responsible citizen repute an argument with an intelligent comment rather than an insult which is in fact not even that funny? why can't responsible citizen repute an argument with an intelligent comment rather than an insult which is in fact not even that funny?

]]> By: responsible citizen http://wesleyanargus.com/2009/02/16/mytheos-second-star-to-the-left/comment-page-1/#comment-987 responsible citizen Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:40:25 +0000 http://wesleyanargus.com/?p=8215#comment-987 why can't mike levine crawl back under the rock he was hiding beneath for the last few months? why can't mike levine crawl back under the rock he was hiding beneath for the last few months?

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