In Defence of Anarchy

Boff Whalley, from one of my all time favourite bands Chumbawamba, has written an article for The Independent titled “In Defence of Anarchy” that helps to define the words anarchism and anarchy against the recent outbreak of riots.

The political and philosophical idea that is “anarchism” has become, headline by headline, dislocated from the current use of the word “anarchy”. Anarchy used to mean the state to which anarchism aspires. Now, of course, it has come to mean disorder – the kind of disorder that comes with photographs of boys throwing bricks at riot police and kicking their way into electrical-goods shops. Anarchy is modern shorthand for the law of the jungle. How did this change come about? Where was the semantic leap from “without rulers” to “disorder”? That change came from above.

It is nice to see this in a mainstream paper, even if most will dismiss it as blah blah blah blah blah. 

(Source: independent.co.uk)