Throughout history, many ideologies have claimed to be the best. None, however, have successfully governed a country while still allowing the populace to be truly free; except for anarchy. For hundreds of years, anarchy has been discussed and carried out in many small communities and, for several places, entire countries. Although many people believe anarchy to be an unsustainable practice that will lead to chaos and doom, I believe that it can work considering the people under the rule.
Starting from 1649, anarcho-communism became a concept when Gerrard Winstanley wrote ¨The New Law of Righteousness¨ during the English Civil War in order to defy the aristocrats and the English crown that ruled ruthlessly over the peasant class.
In 1840, George Ripley, an American social reformer and Unitarian minister, started a utopian society known as Brook Farm in Massachusetts. Founded as a joint stock company, it promised its participants a portion of the profits from the farm in exchange for performing an equal share of the work. Brook Farmers believed that by sharing the workload, ample time would be available for leisure activities and intellectual pursuits. Life on Brook Farm was based on balancing labor and leisure while working together for the benefit of the greater community. Each member could choose to do whatever work they found most appealing and all were paid equally, including women. Revenue for the community came from farming and from selling handmade products like clothing as well as through fees paid by the many visitors to Brook Farm. The people within Brook Farm who participated in the experiment came away from it with a positive experience, and while it closed down after only seven years due to financial instability, it still embodied how harmonious a human society could be.
There is still a small anarcho communist community, known as Christiania, within Denmark’s capital that is still functioning today, and has been since 1971. The area of Christiania consists of the former military barracks of Bådsmandsstræde and parts of the city ramparts. The people surround themselves with mostly meditation and yoga, and many drug addicts seeking help go to Christiania for reform. The people in Christiania have developed their own set of rules, independent of the Danish government. The rules forbid stealing, violence, guns, knives, bulletproof vests, hard drugs and bikers’ colors. The citizens of Denmark see Christiania as a successful social experiment because of its success to remain both financially stable and harmonious with the greatest parts of human nature.
It is our proposal that we dissolve our government voluntarily; for the good of humanity and for the good our society. For all humans going forward, who want to live free, not under the banner of the capitalist society that governs us today. Only true freedom can be granted when all forms of oppression are nonexistent in our community; only then can we be truly free.