Why do anarchists go to war?

via Rev Dia, translation via their instagram

Many people still do not understand why the anarchists suddenly decided to go to war against Russia.

This is partly due to Russian propaganda, which positions Russia as an antifascist force fighting neonazi regime in Ukraine. Partly because many people see Putin as a fighter against USA imperialism.

The fact is that the current war is not war between Ukraine and Russia, but the war for the future of all countries of the former Soviet Union. The Russian government has been the guarantor of dictatorial regimes throughout the CIS for the long time. It supports them in difficult times, as it was in cases of Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The reference dictatorship regime was implemented in Russia. With a total ban on freedom of speech and imprisonment for 15 years for participating in a peaceful demonstration. If Putin's dictatorship wins the war in Ukraine, all this won't become a reality only for Ukrainians, but will be spreading and established in Russia and other countries. For a long time there will be no possibility to change this system. Moreover, it will give Putin ambitions to expand his dictatorship in new countries. Besides that, all activists of any movement will be destroyed, including anarchists, regardless of their position on the war.

The war in Ukraine is perhaps the last chance to stop and destroy the dictatorship. That is why it is so important to stop the dictatorial horde by all possible methods.

There are 19 Comments

I find it amazing that as anarchists you support violence. Shame on you.

forming an anarchist militia is not the same as joining the Ukrainian military or paramilitary. life contains violence; shame on you for ignoring that.

who are you trying to fool? So the "anarchist" militia is not part of the ucranian army or at least coordinated with them, like the fascist militias?

throw logs into the fire and then say that no one can put out the fire.

If you have some evidence that this particular formation -- or any other self-described anarchist outfit that's resisting Russian troops -- has joined or is coordinating with the Ukrainian military, then post it. Otherwise STFU

Or at least in paceful coexistence with them and permission of Zelensky gov't to engage an "anarchist" war defending ukranian state against russian invasion. Or u can deny this? So...blow up ur ass, anarchoid asshole

you are living side-by-side with the same assholes, you just lack the soldiers shelling your home and easy access to automatic weapons. where in this post do they call this an anarchist war? you talk a big game for someone who can only throw a flood of acronyms and empty accusations

Why is it shameful for anarchists to support violence? I am honestly curious.
Answer this without the moralism of good vs. bad, violence exists in the world, and will exist in the world. It is part of life, death, and struggle. There is no utopia, no Big Rock Candy Mountain.

It is shamefully at least when they do not know how to distinguish contexts, and that the current war in Ucrania is a war between states that would never end in any anarchist goal, indeed the opposite. Besides that, it is shamefull because real anarchos don't want to play that old game where they always loose. Besides that, it is not between peace or violence, but between being wise or stupid, and know the different types of violence.

do they sound like idealists to you? where do they say this is about establishing some anarchist outcome? they say in this statement that this is about avoiding a worse outcome under a russian puppet a la belarus, this is the context in which they are fighting. you sound ridiculous throwing all these accusations around

Cos RastaPutin gonna get everyone into da herb see, an then the whole world gonna be like a jerb vaping party see, whole world gonna be smilin' an laughing, and its gonna be bad vibes if 2 people git to arguing and violence, an then we gonna throw them outta da herb room, yeeeaaaaaah, Hail da Herb!!

why do anarchists go to war? the simple answer: because they are not anarchists

and yet these are anarchists who are going to war against the russian military. for another recent example you also have anarchists who went to war against isis and turkey. how about a more complex answer instead of more loose talk about war

First off, Rojava was much more consistent to anarchist ideals, for being a libertarian socialist confed project, where the Ukraine conflict is 1000% about savage neolib capitalist interests, regardless the side. Ukrainian nationalism also has a shady underlying Far Right tendency and Russophobia going on for decades... It's not just the obnvious Azov batallion but also the numerous "All-Ukrainian" unions and other autonomous fash groups.

It's hard to be anarchist (especially antifascist) and be overlooking these two big elephants in the room, unless maybe you're the Ziq and/or Wayne Price tools.

Then, Rojava is (was?) also a landless nation project, that openly advocated peaceful, equalitarian coexistence with other ethnic groups in the area, if not cooperation with them under the confederation.

So I'm not advocating for Rojava as I ain't too fond of libcom tendencies, but at least I see some converging lines here. Where in the case of Ukraine, outside of some delusional and ONE-SIDED anti-imperialist narrative, I still fail to see ANY AT ALL.

Mark my words:

>>> My view of anarchism is fundamentally to be forever holding a critical distance from all these narratives enforced by authoritarian entities (here it's either NATO/Ukraine or Russia) that function in the way as to set up people one against another, and ultimately bring some to prisons, slaughter others, and eventually bring destruction to all the living. Wars ALWAYS relied on these divisive narratives that not enough people are questioning. <<<

the comparison to rojava was to say that anarchists also went to war there, in response to someone saying anarchists don't go to war at all. I agree about the substance of the conflict being different but I don't think the people who posted this communique would disagree with that. in ukraine anarchists can't fool themselves into thinking they're fighting for utopia now like they did with rojava, which si probably why the discourse around this conflict has been so ridiculous. who's to say they lack a critical distance? if you look one their site they're more than critical of ukranian nationalism. are these people in the wrong because they're fighting a military that might shell their homes or because they want to prevent another belarus situation?

We RastaPutin anarchists do not go to war. We melt down our weapons and make giant bucket-bongs out of tank and artillery shells. We are undefeatable because we are hundreds of miles from the war zone. RastaPutin anarchists believe in peace and love and de herb.

Rainbow gatherings get cancelled by war, tho, brotha?

you make your choices bro, if you wanna smoke burned flesh, go ahead, i prefer the grass

But we RastaPutin anarchists are protected by da peaceful non-aggressive herbal aura, and cannot be harmed by bombs or bullets.

When I indulge in bioecofairtradeorganic tantra-yoga meditation (sitting down in lotus in a field already contaminated by cow poo and Roundup, with calm 100-yars stare to Nowhere), I possess the power of creating a golden protective force aura around me thst shields my lower bodily vehicle from missiles and bullets as my mind reaches higher planes to see the true reality of this world. I am above all your diseases, ills and violences, petty mortals! I am one with cosmic flows. Namaste!

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