This Needs Fixin'

If, like me, you look at the world every day and think “Damn; that’s messed up” then a good place to start is to figure out what political philosophies appeal to you.

Because that gives you standards by which to measure things.

You need to be able to articulate in what way the world is messed up, and on what basis a solution is better.

These standards make up your personal political philosophy.

Everyone has one, even if they’re not really aware of it. You will definitely need to read some formal political philosophy to be able to name or articulate what yours is, but it’s there already anyway.

And you may find it changing or filling out as you read, which is exactly as it should be.

Since this is my site I guess I should do it here.

So, here are some principles from my own philosophy:

• everything derives from the individual
• legitimacy derives from the (free, informed, explicit, ongoing) consent of the individual
• the role of the State is to maintain the collective infrastructure of a geographically-defined society
• any power not necessary for the State to fulfill that role remains with the individual
• all citizens, as individuals, must have equal ability to influence the decisions of the State
• the State must treat all citizens equally, as individuals

The focus on the individual and consent makes that philosophy fundamentally anarchist; the emphasis on the equal and collective nature of the state tilts that towards syndicalism.

So, roughly speaking that’s “anarcho-syndicalism”.

It’s not a perfect match, but it’s the closest label I’ve seen so far.

One book I found very inspiring was Tom Brown’s Syndicalism, for example, so I’m naturally inclined towards the “syndicalist” label.

(I also find it pleasing that two of the historical political figures I most admire are Tom Brown and John Brown. It makes for a nifty symmetry.)

So, that’s where I’m coming from.

And it’s pretty much always been that way, even long before I had thought about it and could make a list of principles like that. The philosophy came before the reading; the reading just helped formalize and name what my opinions already were.

Many years ago, my father told me “You’re a syndicalist!”. He was horrified.

But, it turns out, he was basically right.

•