Add new comment

People are complex. Part of what anarchists need to recon with is that A helped legitimize far right actions/theorists in anarchist dress. He also did other shit similarly - like reprinting or distributing one of Hakim Bey’s fucked up 1990s zines, which LBC distributed for years. He didn’t just step in the controversial, he crossed gross lines in his publication endeavors. And his efforts, in significant part, helped push anarchism further from having relevance to the larger field of social antagonism. In addition to all of this he also led a number of really important DIY anarchist projects, and despite being a legendary curmudgeon, he was also loved by people close to him and was one of handful who stay committed to anarchist struggle beyond their 32nd birthday. Being a lifer is a major choice on its own. This post alluded to his conflict with Bob Black and was right to draw a comparison. Just as Black will leave a legacy of witty word play, his contribution to the canon of thought was to leave it more isolated, more marginal, and less engaged with developing and expanding struggles. Just as much of Black’s writing helped invite rightists, so has A’s. But both have committed themselves for the majority of their lives and that on its own is a sign of their character that few today can put claim to. Either way, it’s tragic A died and acknowledging his complexity, like all of ours, is important. This piece does that and it’s great Crimethinc released it.