Keyboard Warrior

One goal for this series was to describe key developments in English-speaking anarchist thought as it resurged after World War II. Originally, the plan was to choose an anarchist who represented a recognizable tradition and demonstrate how they were informed by the thinking around them to prompt discussion. What we created instead was less tradition-centered and more history-centered. Each vignette built progressively on the last, highlighting developments in geopolitics, labor, technology, activism, and such. This guided the selection of an anarchist who responded to such developments along with prior anarchist thought. We went from Bookchin to Bonanno to Zerzan and Newman, finally coming to Aragorn! in the previous installment. This roughly covered the time of the 1940s through the 2010s and a wide range of topics.

Although there will be more installments of a different kind later, this week will mark the end for this kind. The time period we will consider is the 2010s to today, but unlike the others before we are not going to suggest a thinker. You are going to be the thinker!

For some consistency, a vignette and some discussion prompts below:

Many of the trends began earlier, but COVID-19 and its lockdowns made it obvious that word-of-mouth alone could not carry a movement. Social media feeds and video conferencing solidified themselves as necessities for many, many people. That came with all the deplatforming, doxxing, catfishing, bot farms, ransomware, QAnon... trash that had been around for a while. The phrase “terminally online” moved from derogitory to definitional.

Offline life did not stop for activists. Encampments matured, Black Lives Matter and police abolition moved from margin to mainstream debate. Indigenous land and water defense motivated couragous direct actions. Antifa made such a big name for itself that it became a general term for "the Enemy". Populism on the Left and the Right were becoming the common sense of the era.

The results were a tight braid of online and offline worlds where almost no action happens without a platform and almost no platform matters if it doesn't facilitate physical action captured by photo, video, or livefeed. In such an environment, the lifespan of a moment depended on how long it could be present in the content feeds. Even ponderous, longform media needed incessant, high-impact clips and buzz around it to remind its audience that it still existed.

Offline, anarchists have continued to be at the forefront of unrest, but online it has been the opposite. Some of this is because anarchists have been targeted for deplatforming, with major platforms banning the most engaged accounts. But that doesn't explain everything and there is a sense that anarchists just do not take part in the practices that have given so much publicity to their enemies across the political spectrum.

Discussion Prompts

  • Should anarchists focus on virality?
  • What do or can anarchists get from the online world?
  • How should anarchists respond to deplatforming?
  • Besides yourself, what other thinkers of the past 15 years capture the moment and WHY?

Comments

anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/13/2025 - 03:56

Anarchists should respond to deplatforming, gatekeeping, and bullying/counter-bullying with violence.

anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/13/2025 - 08:17

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

Besides the issue of putting more shoulds on my shoulders... How are we even supposed to respond to Raddle or Reddit mods with violence? Coz that's exactly what they do, behind the safety of moderators status. All you can do is get new accounts to harass them further... but not a great plan for *not* ending up terminally online.

EmmaAintDead Mon, 10/13/2025 - 11:01

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

There is only so much a moderator can do to someone. I do not at all accept that "not letting me post on their website" is tantamount to violence or calls for violence as a response. It is completely antithetical to my anarchy to mandate that anyone allow me to use their platform, or to retaliate physically when they tell me to fuck off. That is, to use a technical term, fuckin poopy diaper crybaby piss piss wah wah bullshit. DIY or die, man. Create your own site or stop bitchin. 

Stop using services you dont like and your life will be better. Like, beyond a little drive-by antagonism to blow off steam and express distaste, I have never understood why anyone would regularly use raddle just to complain about raddle. Why spend time making new accounts when you can be doing anything else? It seems like the same kind of bullshit the reds do, spend all their energy pissing on each other in the name of purity and then have 0 energy to Do The Revolution they claim to want. It is cop shit, "you must do this for me or I will become violent toward you."

It just never made sense to me. It always strikes me as a little pathetic, like when we were tweens and people would make h8ing poseurs their entire identity. Like, I'm here to enjoy the music, idgaf who shops at hot topic, ykno? Why aren't we stealing strings from guitar center and starting our own bands? Or knocking over the displays at Sam Goody? Start a zine! Put out a communique to announce you've stolen 100 ring doorbells and thrown them into the river and sign it "FUCK YOU IGD!" Start actual beef where you demonstrate you arent a toddler who isnt being allowed snackies and actually have any amount of skin in the game at all. Anything is better than this hyper-meta web3.0 authoritarian demands shit. 

EmmaAintDead Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:18

In reply to by CalvinSmith

I am the undisputed model anarch. The unique embodied. Unimpeachable. Drink Moxie. 

My point is, nobody is forcing anyone to be on raddle/anews/youtube/facebook/neopets. Walking away is not only an option, but a really solid decision more often than it isnt. It is goofy as fuck to treat those "spaces" as though 1) you have any ownership over them and 2) you have some obligation to be there. 

CalvinSmith Tue, 10/14/2025 - 08:00

In reply to by EmmaAintDead

Not liberating, let people whine about moderators because "anarchist moderator" is silly. I also do think it's funny how humans have collectively made the internet obligatory for those who want or need to work, even though people absolutely do not need to use idiotic spaces like reddit.

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 10:04

In reply to by EmmaAintDead

There's a point to be made that large-scale social media platforms influence people on a large scale and that if you want to spread anarchist or anti-authoritarian ideas that you might be "obligated" to participate in them, even if you don't like them. Of course you can withdraw but the reason why most people are anarchists is not because they want to be solitary I-told-you-sos. That, or if you think they're harmful enough, have some strategy to displace them. Which is what stuff like Mastodon (and web3 initially lol) was supposed to do but anyway.

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 09:59

In reply to by EmmaAintDead

I have no idea how corrupted the original idea of web 3 has become, but once upon a time it was about an uncensorable decentralized internet that would be more difficult to control, where people wouldn't have monopolies on moderation, etc.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/14/2025 - 08:29

In reply to by earthlygrump (not verified)

I think that would greatly help if people would give it the troll treatment; i.e. quit going to it or just caring about it. I'm pretty sure Raddle's a honeypot like some others, so it'd be to people's own benefit, while giving Ziq (or whatever agency) a good reason to quit maintaining the site. Like with several Reddit subs. Or Meta platforms.

Anews is run by people that are in some ways relatable and/or reachable IRL, Same for many Mastodon ad Pleroma instances. That's not exactly the case with Raddle. There's just rumors that some ppl know Ziq from IRL, but I never heard about their presence at bookfairs or other public events. Another cause for just staying away from it.

CalvinSmith Tue, 10/14/2025 - 09:25

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

real life", but if you come from a specific area and you have reasons for contacting them than "hi, i just want to chat, i just want know what you think."

I tried talking to know one of the mods through one of her other projects a while ago, but was not at all interested in philosophizing or discussing the control aspects of systems. Also "does not like people" and has very opinionated/specific attitudes about how people should do things.

I just figured would help clarify the shady/distant nature of online talk, im not trying to rag on her.

God King Tue, 10/14/2025 - 21:32

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

I was surprised when I saw on here a fair amount of people other than ziq use raddle. Like at least 50% of all users on raddle not being ziq. Ziq loves using a shit ton socks both on his raddle site and reddit. I bet he's not pleased people on here aren't fond of him and his writings.

I know ziq's real name and where he lives, but I don't know him IRL. He will unintentionally dox himself and that's how I know. He'll complain about how people are "doxxing" him when it was because of himself. It's funny. Dude lacks an understanding of basic opsec. I'm doubtful many, if any, know him in person due to his location. He doesn't go to anarchist book fairs or other events. People should just treat Ziq as a lolcow and a tattletale, and raddle honeypot like you said.

I've never heard of pleroma. I've heard of mastodon, but never used it as I have no use for it. I guess it similar to the mastodon social media site.

God King Tue, 10/14/2025 - 06:00

I feel habitually online should still be used to insult or as a "derogitory" term. Being online all the time is a massive waste of energy as in electricity required to keep all these devices and data-mills up and running. Being online for long periods of time give me headaches and sometimes can trigger a migraine. I have a couple of laptops, an ereader, and a smart phone that I barely ever use or look at. I don't see how people can look at smart phones practically all the time? I use my e-reader often though, but it has an e-ink screen and I have it disconnected from the internets.

anon (not verified) Tue, 10/14/2025 - 07:00

Re: "Besides yourself, what other thinkers of the past 15 years capture the moment and WHY?"

Klee Benally (1975-2023). for leaving us a magnificent manuscript, and impressive body of work.

Aaron Bushnell (1998-2024). Because of his militant sacrifice.

Both thinkers and doers. Both so young.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/14/2025 - 08:51

In reply to by anon (not verified)

While Aaron deserves praise and remembrance, maybe not a great idea to support such brutal acts of self-sacrifice for an entirely external cause... especially one that's not clearly anarchist.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/14/2025 - 08:54

In reply to by anon (not verified)

wait? the martyr who was in the military and lit himself on fire? really?
that's who we look up to know as anarchists...sshhheeeeshhh.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/14/2025 - 11:39

In reply to by anon (not verified)

yes, you can. and i can think you are an idiot for that too, especially when you send us to a martyr-soaked piece that begins with a quote from Maoist-Leninist Huey P. Newton on "Revolutionary Suicide". now, don't get me wrong, i appreciate Newton in certain ways, but not politically. He has nothing to offer anarchists, just like "revolutionary suicide" is a fucking stupid idea for people with weak minds, hearts, and spirits.

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 09:57

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

You can argue political suicide is a bad idea, but the idea that it takes a "weak" mind or heart or spirit or whatever to do it is just completely delusional. How do you even come to this conclusion?

lumpy (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 11:43

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

yeah, they're being a dick about it but i'm guessing they've parsed political suicide as "being a quitter", as if enduring the torture garden of reality is the point of the game.

...which it might be!

i'm agnostic about that but i've noticed how this topic ends up being an ink blot test on just how grim things got when someone was gazing in to the void, ya know? yooo, check out this abyss!

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 09:55

In reply to by anon (not verified)

It's kind of neither here nor there in relation to the essay's general point, but this here pisses me off so much:

> anti-death paradigm of capitalism

Capitalism absolutely isn't in favor of the continuation of all human life, let alone all life. Insofar as the pursuit of profit is a thing, it's not the pursuit of net positive effects for all of society, but for specific individuals who live in a certain timeframe and place. Disabled people absolutely aren't valued by capitalism, capitalism isn't anti-death for them, etc. Like you cannot tell me the socioeconomic context responsible for climate change and world wars is "anti-death."

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 12:39

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

The most concise description of Capitalism is it's a virus-esque capital feeding frenzy which destroys the demographic/environmental host IF you let it own you and turn you into a seething simpering slave.

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 17:33

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

And also capitalists have a repertoire of derogatory terms to describe those who do not obey their authoritarian expectations:-
1)Lazy = Those who don't work in soul destroying wage slavery to pay rent.
2)Cowards= Those who refuse to fight in their imperialistic wars.
3)Sluts and whores=Those who don't abide with their monogamous moral codes.
4)Criminals=Those who steal food because they are a)starving to death because,,,(see 1),b)Those with brain-damaged because of inherited genes or substance abuse.c)Those addicted to substances (excluding alcohol and gambling)which cause cravings which offend the moral code.
5)Disabled=Those who are a) neurodivergent, b)born with impairments which prevent them from working efficiently,b)Sickness.(see4c)
6)Junkies=(see 1,2,3,4c,5) Regarded as the lowest of the low, the dregs of respectable society, loathed by communists, capitalists, religionists and socialists.
7)Anarcho-Nihilists=Regarded as the total dregs of the society, even loathed by (see6,8)
8)Terrorists=Those with fanatical obsessions regarding every ideology and religion which cause harm which is a matter of choice depending on the rulers tendency.
9)Hermit=Those who are just totally oppossed to being near people who are (see 1,2,3,4,5,6,8) sometimes confused with (see 7)
10) Unique individualist anarchs.

CalvinSmith Tue, 10/14/2025 - 10:43

In reply to by anon (not verified)

because he fought his indigenous struggle, put up with Aragorn's! funny interrogations in black seed, and did not resign himself to reservation suffering or nationalism. I will have to look up Bushnell...

however, since this bias once popped up before in this conversation, i would like to question your "doer and thinker" compliment: who is not a doer??? Why are you doing this to yourself???

alex (not verified) Wed, 10/15/2025 - 15:56

throughout my adult life the most interesting and useful thing the internet has provided is endless prompts and gestures towards ideas and writing i almost certainly wouldnt have encountered otherwise, even if i had chosen to apply myself towards belonging to any given community or scene or whatever. the reason i've found this so interesting for so long is exactly that there is no thinker, group of thinkers, publication, tendency, journal, anything i would point to as an answer for that last prompt above. the answer is "nobody." even now after so much of the dynamism has gone, its still seeing the way people i largely disagree with shift their views and adapt to the present conditions that interests me the most, as well as the writing they hold up as compelling. the virality of specific posts and posters doesnt interest me very much, but watching concepts like "republicanism" grow as a reference point for a certain flavor of marxist over a certain period of months does. or seeing which anarchists simplify vs complicate vs quiet their perspectives around things like palestine. i've never understood, been good at, or had any use for the idea that the point is to convince people or debate people or win in the standings. i just like being able to see what a thousand fucking weirdos i never would have seen or spoken to otherwise have to say about the issues of the day, and what they think is worth reading about it.

lumpy (not verified) Sun, 10/19/2025 - 11:15

for me, i started to understand this topic a lot better when i shifted away from the political discussions and focused on critique of big tech, mostly from the whistleblowing insiders but also ppl like karen hao and ed zitron

aside from the done-to-death discussion about the AI hype bubble, you start to get a big picture of all the reasons why the online space has deteriorated to its current state.

the eternity of the eternal september has really set in, most of us are semi-catatonic, just stewing in dopamine loops and our own mental illness. the tech has been aggressively steered this way by psychopath nazi tech billionaires on delusional ego trips, at least half of which, are literally including an apocalypse where most humans die off as PART OF THEIR LONGTERM BUSINESS PLAN.

so yeah, healthy discussion? we don't sell that here. you're in the wrong fukin store dumbass. terminally online for me, is probably best described as a "ghost hacked human" from the classic anime. are any of your thoughts your own? do you even have your own desires and values?

are the robocops gonna laugh about how pathetic you are, after you chased some digital pied piper down a garden path? wouldn't that be a shame!

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