Now that Trump has declared entire US cities "Anarchist Jurisdictions," maybe it's a good time to do a quick THREAD on anarchists and anarchism. Fascists throughout history have invoked these words to spread fear & seize power, but actually anarchy is about love & cooperation.

There are lots of different types of anarchists & strains of anarchism, but at a basic level anarchists believe that arbitrary forms of hierarchy are inherently oppressive, and that humans are better off organizing ourselves horizontally rather than thru laws enforced by violence

Anarchists believe in communities making decisions together through consensus & discussion rather than having those decisions be imposed by politicians or those with institutional power (say, bosses, religious leaders, or landlords.) They believe in mutual aid and solidarity.

Historically, anarchists were involved in the movement to abolish slavery in the US, resistance to fascism in Nazi Germany, & the opposition to Franco's dictatorship during the Spanish Civil War. Anarchists played a major role in many of the US labor movement's biggest victories.

Anarchists and activists influenced by anarchism also play a major role in many modern social movements from LGBTQ liberation to climate justice to prison abolition to reproductive justice. Many anarchists run mutual aid efforts to support incarcerated ppl, feed hungry ppl, etc.

As @grimkim so perfectly put it, anarchism is about "dreaming of a kinder, more equitable society." It's about believing that there are better ways for humans to solve our problems than through coercion, imprisonment, & the constant threat of going hungry. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwios5qR_frrAhUyn-AKHZ2PCukQxfQBCC4wAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Foutlook%2F2020%2F06%2F04%2Fstop-blaming-everything-bad-anarchists%2F&usg=AOvVaw04FNxcYYqQ6UISQJdz_qYi

Of course, the Trump admin doesn't care about any of that. They are using the word "anarchy" to stir fear in people who think it means violence and chaos. It's beyond absurd to call cities like Portland and NYC, with their militarized police forces "Anarchist Jurisdictions".

Trump wants to scare voters by saying anarchists are everywhere. The funny part is that he's right: anarchists are your neighbors, they're teaching in schools, treating patients in addiction programs, helping kids check books out of the library, and cooking food for the homeless.

You can agree or disagree with anarchy and anarchism, but you don't need to be scared of it. It's a movement and a philosophy that will always push to challenge arbitrary power and authority and urge critical thinking and co-operation. I'd say that's a pretty good thing.

Also there are tons of folks way more qualified than me to rattle off a great history of anarchism and anarchist involvement in important social movements and victories, but I wanted to get this off my chest. If folks have suggestions for good 101 level reading etc plz drop below