Time covers Anarchism: The European Tradition

[Fluff and Stuff]

A Brief History of Anarchism: The European Tradition
By ISHAAN THAROOR Ishaan Tharoor – Sat Jan 1, 7:05 am ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110101/wl_time/08599204030400

Some quotes from the article.

A recent spate of letter bombs dispatched to foreign embassies in Rome, as well as the headquarters of a far-right Italian political party, focused attention upon a rogue group of anarchists that claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Informal Federation of Anarchy says it is a cobbled-together coalition of anarchist outfits in Italy, and boasts ties with like-minded groups across the world. Their parcel bombing campaign follows a similar wave of deliveries sent in November by Greek anarchists to embassies in Athens. But security experts aren't wringing their hands over an emerging global threat. One told TIME that the aborted bombings were simply "something [the anarchists] have to do from time to time to show that they exist."

It's unlikely the 21st century's anarchists, raging against the collusion of multinationals and the state, will ever have the same appeal as their predecessors more than a century before. The U.S. itself had a rich tradition of anarchism, whose guardian angel was the famed New York writer and activist Emma Goldman. It can be argued be that the logical heirs to Goldman and her anti-government fellow travelers are, in some form, today's Tea Party - only in the past half century has a distinction been made between the term "libertarian" and "anarchist."

[KBCraig]

As much as it dismays me that this is the popular definition of "anarchy", I accept it and move on. There are other labels that might require explanation, but not nearly as much explanation as "No, no that kind of 'anarchy'!"

I still don't understand how a term meaning "without rulers" became attached to an ideology that seeks to rule others through force, intimidation, and destruction of property.

[Russell Kanning]

because the state writes the history books and controls most of the media