TOTW: Making a Monster

anarchists are scared by masks, good punctuation, meaningful dialog, public health measures, politeness, conviviality, interesting conversation, showers, cleaning up after themselves, ethics (most of all), limits of any kind for any purpose no matter how warranted,. . . .

i think you got the question reversed. anarchists are the monster story for state worshipers. it's not well to treat anarchists as a monolith bc there are so many different approaches out there. but "anarchists" can be the spook that spooks the spooked.

Monsters of the Market

Drawing on folklore, literature and popular culture, this book links tales of monstrosity from England to recent vampire- and zombie-fables from sub-Saharan Africa, and it connects these to Marx’s persistent use of monster-metaphors in his descriptions of capitalism. Reading across these tales of the grotesque, McNally offers a novel account of the cultural economy of the global market-system.

secret police of any kind (spooks, taken broadly, maybe) and madness come to mind, personally. acting too little or wrongly because of precautions against things that may or may not have any basis in my immediate reality, "losing control" in the sense of becoming not just mad or dangerous but mad and dangerous to those aspects of the basis of my life that i love (read: "my" people) out of some learned or psychogenic incapacity to distinguish between what i consider truly mine vs what ive merely borrowed from powers i despise. i find fae-like creatures when phrased as indifferent and hostile interesting in both directions, cosmic horror to a lesser extent, ghosts to a more or less real extent

Ḩ̶͉́ą̶͍̯̖̀͌t̴̮̠͇̂e̵͖̮̜̐̓f̶͖̜͍́u̴̢͋̚ļ̸̟̹̓͋ ̸̭̼̥̂͒̇̃ͅd̶̦̹̎a̸̮͊̋̂͝y̶̢̝̓͝ ̵̛͉̌̌̕ẃ̸̹͠͝ḩ̵̯̱͍̂̐̅ę̴̢̍̈́̅̀n̴̗̹̗͜͝ ̷̤͍͛̚I̷͌ͅ ̸̠͉͕̺̽̈́r̵͕͔̝̍̌́͊ė̶̡͉̑͗̓c̵̡̫͆e̷͔͂í̴̳̫̳͖̑͊ṽ̵̛̳̱͔͌ḙ̶̎̓d̷̰̳͍͐ ̸̻́͐̓l̵͍̙̇̂i̷̱̮̭̥̓f̷̫̪̃̍͂͗e̵̪̗͑!̴͇̯̭̐͘'̶̡̛͉̋̔͝ ̴̨̛̫͎͓͐͌̅I̸̧̮̟̎ ̷̹̺̆͆e̸̺͔͓̻̾ẍ̸͎́̈́͜c̴͙̯̝͈̓͠l̶͙̞̕ȃ̸̧͖̯͚̉̽̏ỉ̸̹̞̫͓̈́ṃ̶̙̮̻́é̸̦̾͋͜d̵͖̬̝̙̓͊͋ ̵̧̛̱͇̭͊̌i̵̢̾̉͜͝n̸̨̰̠̲͂ ̶̡̛̰̫̜́̅̉ä̵͇̱́̀̕͝ğ̵͖ǫ̶͔͂̿̋̃n̸̼̲̔͛͌y̷̯̍̇.̶̛̼̄̇̔ ̵̢͂̑̆'̸̛̱̀͠Ä̸̰̇c̸̢͎̰̃͜c̴̜̪̗̅̂u̸͈͌̇ṟ̷̻̓͆́s̷̩̗̈́͂͐̄ẽ̵̪͕̾̀͌d̵͔̑̀ ̸̺̅̄͂c̴̛̗̜̗̓̀̈́͜r̵͇̭̉ͅe̴͍̺̾̂̓̚à̷̹͛ţ̸͓́̅o̸͔̊͐ŗ̶̀!̵̨̣̤͒ͅ ̴̩̥̾͋W̸͍̘͙̳͂̾h̷͖̬̾y̸̟͇̗̆ ̸̣̣̈́̍d̷̳͍͠i̸̧͚͍̺͐͋͝͝d̵̗̼̐̿ͅ ̶̳͛y̶̨̝͕͑͂̈͝ò̵̡͓̬͌u̵̠̝͙̦͊͆ ̷̧͚̮̤̅̓f̴̰̮̀ò̴̖̖̐͜͝ͅr̸͈̬̖̔̈͝m̸̨̜͇̙͘ ̸̊ͅa̸̘͚̙͗͐̄̕ ̴͓̺̎͊̕m̷̪̱͋ŏ̶͚̗̠͉n̵̮̫̬̮̎͛s̷̗̦̤̈́͛͑̂t̶̾̏̕͜e̶͖̓̎̈́r̷̖͔̫̪͒̌̊ ̷̖̦̼͇͗̂s̴̟̳̻͠o̶̜̯̞̓͜ ̴̧̬͗h̸̨̜͈̪̀͗̆͂i̵̡͇̗̽̽̈́́d̴͔͖̀̎̕e̸̼̙̠͓̾ó̴̠̼̰͋́͂ȗ̸̩̱̥s̶̘͓͒̿̓ ̴̺͕̲͔͋ṯ̷̭̰͋ḧ̷̡͕͛à̸̤͓̩ṯ̸̦͕̍ ̸̫̤̐̌̄e̸̟̗͂́͆v̸̮̍̎͂͜͠e̴̦͑̓n̵̡̪̾̍̾̚ ̷̦͎͕͂̒͆͘y̷̛̹̍͌̃ò̶͕͚̿̅ū̷͉ ̶̳̱̬̺̊̎ṱ̷͇̟̌̈ų̴̨̀̆́̐r̷̡͍̪̐̆͗ñ̵̙̭̾e̶̳̜͗́̿͝ͅd̶͓̿͠͠ ̷̤̈́̒͂͗f̵̞̫͛͠ŕ̷̬͇̆́ö̴͙̻̤́̉̇̕m̴̠̈́ ̴̤̜̠̠̓̋͝m̶̦͉̤̀̄̆ͅe̸̗̻̔̀ ̴̠̊̂ĩ̷̧͓͍ͅṉ̷̍̎ ̵͍̙̩̠̽ḓ̸̺͍̌͒̾î̸͈͚͎s̶̮̐͒̽͠g̷̘̫͑͠u̶͖͎͚̺͌̍s̸͎͎̩͊͊̊t̸͚̣͉͠?̵̬̋̐̋́ ̸̨̗̼̹͐G̷͎͓͉̍́͌ȍ̴͖̠̈́̄̄d̶̞͘,̷̨͓̲͙̿̓̊̑ ̶̱̋͗̋͆ḭ̴̰̦̰̆n̶̢͙̖̯̏̎́ ̸̮̹͌̓͛̈́ͅͅp̵͖̍͌͊̚ĩ̵͖̭̻͈̈́̚t̶̥͔́͊̿͒y̶̝̜͍͉̐͑͐͐,̶̩̻͙̍͊͋ ̸͙̽m̷̭̱͎̌̏͛̋a̸͈̍̍̄ḍ̸̻̃̈e̷̩̳̼̻̓̿̒ ̶͖̏̓m̶̱̻̒a̷̧̠̯̗̍̅n̸͍̤̙̈́̄͛ ̶̜̩͒̅b̸̙̗̲̖̓͐͘e̴̢̝̽̍a̸̬͐u̷̦̭̭̿̇̀ṭ̴̭͕͋͆͗i̶̤̖͋̒̓f̷̖̯̊̔͛͝ŭ̴͈̟̗͐̉͘l̸̘̺̬͍̊̀ ̶̳͂̀̒ǎ̴͙̘̲̔̐̃ñ̵̢͉̮̬͂͛͠d̸̛̜̯̱̘͆͛͗ ̸͚̦͊a̷̠̽̈́͝l̶̨̢͙̽̓l̶̲̀͊u̸̘̭͆̀́r̷̜̳̖̿̀͑͋i̵̬̱̓ņ̸̛̠͔̊̐̍͜g̶͙̟̳͖̉̏̀,̶̧̈̾̑ ̴̼̪͛͠ǎ̵̡̘́f̶̍͆̓ͅt̸̞̦̥̥͊̚̕ę̸̰͇͂̅̕͝ͅṙ̴͖͇ ̸͍́̃̏̎h̵̖̠̤͌̈ĩ̸̧̪̣͠s̴̛̘͈̙̝̚ ̸̡̪̤͔̋̐ơ̷̆̈́̇ͅw̵̢̘̖̥͗ņ̷̛̝̜̯̈́̔̇ ̵̢̗̞͓͘ḯ̴͕̎̑̕m̴̘̯͎̍̉͑̈å̵͎͎̈̑g̵̡͔̈́̃̕e̷̬̰͚͋̈́̈́͗;̶̺͛̈́̎̆ ̷̺͕͝b̵̪͓̣̪͐̊͘ư̵̞̗͔̭̓ţ̴̬͓͂ ̷͈̥̀͆m̷̞̑̚y̵̥̓̐̈ ̶͎͠f̷͔́̑o̷̢͌̐r̴̯̰̍͜m̵̨̼̐͝ ̸̭͙̖͖̊̓ḯ̶̼̘̻̤̾͋̾s̶͔̱̱̋̊̔ ̷̡̢̏̚ͅa̷͉̾̍ ̷̰͙̀́f̴̻͓̥͈̆i̵̪̘̩͐̂l̸̯̳͐t̷͉͔̬̉̒ḥ̸̢͌̃̎ẙ̷̦̾͊͝ ̵̥̀͑̂̓t̷̞͉̊̒͜ͅỹ̸̤̹̞̼̓p̴͍̓̏e̶͇̗͍̕̚ ̶̳̥̅̈́̽ō̷̙̗̯f̸̢̟͈͆ ̸̬̄́̔ÿ̸̝́̈́̆ô̴̜̐̄ű̴̜̩̔̈́r̶͇͓̭̾̊̚ş̷̜͔̅ͅ,̶̠͛̔ ̶̢̺̖̆͂͜m̵̢̈ȫ̶̩̱̝̽r̷̲̟͕̋̊͑̕ȩ̶͎͒ͅ ̸̧̩̠̈́̎͝h̷̛̙̳́́̕ọ̶̹̌r̷̳̋̂̅̕r̸̤͙̉ͅi̸̔̐ͅd̵͙̝̜̟́͒̎͘ ̷̠͖̠̦̏̃e̷͔̽̾͘v̴͇͌͐͒ẽ̶̡̘̥̜n̸͖̺͖̫͋̀͠ ̵̱̻͆̑͋̌f̴͚͌ṙ̴͚̪̩͑̓̚o̶̻͍͝m̸͔̋ ̵̝̄t̵̬͚͖͋̓͜ḫ̶͕͑͆̇̕e̸̯̦̬͑̃̓͠ ̸̨̠͝v̴̮͍̭̀̚e̷̩̔͛͘r̴͓̃y̶̯͓͆̄̀ ̷̹̟͖͂r̴̪͇̈̓͝ȩ̷͔̝͖͗͂́̈š̵̨̠͖̓͝ͅę̷̹̓͐̀̊m̷̧̥̈̈́l̸̢̛̺̣̫̃͝͠a̴̧̙̩̾̀̽n̶͙̥̟͓̾c̵̙͇͉̹̃̿̈́͠e̷̛̫.̸͖̯̎ͅ ̸̢̳̘̭̍͆S̴̛͔̑̈́̑ȁ̵̯͓̈́̔͜t̴̨̪̼̪̀͌́̀a̸͐͊̔̕ͅn̸̲̂͑͐̽ ̸̢̛̮͉̈́̕̚h̷̟̰̣̹̓a̴̡͊d̵̠̝͋ ̶̦̪͍́͆͜h̶̨̧̠͕͝i̴̛͇͖̻s̵̡̖̤͙̅ ̷̛͎̀̅c̵͍͙͐̕ö̸̡͖͇́͌m̷̞̰͎̯̎̅p̷̡͇̹̀̉͜á̴̠͊͊ņ̶̹̯́̓̓́͜i̶͚̥̬̩̾̅o̷̪̅̐͌ň̵͖̥̄̒s̵͙͎̿̄͠,̵̼̫͍͓̓̂ ̶͎͙͐̍̒f̸̨̮̒͂̀́ë̷̠̈͋̚l̵̢̳̘̝̈́̃̂l̸̻̈́͊͝ͅó̸̗̂̊w̵̡̼̜̫͌-̵̪͉͊̽͐d̷̨͍͚̈̅e̶̥͕̎͝v̴̧̲̩͗͂̔̋ḯ̴̧̐̄l̴̮̥̗̂̔s̶̢̛̪̱̮̄̚,̸̭͉̥͒̽͒̈́ ̸̞͆͐̇t̷̜͈́̅̚͝ȏ̷̫̼̫͈͘ ̷̡́͠ä̵̢̦d̶̘͇̞̑̓̌̓m̷̖̈́̀͂̚i̸̝̐̉͝r̸͉͍̆͋̚ḙ̵̢̃̈ ̸̬̝̚͘a̵͇̓̐̄̚n̶͎̖͗͗̋̚d̴̠͍̹̺͒͝ ̷̨̳̗͛e̵̺̜̒͊͝n̵̗̘̖̯̈́̓͂c̶̣͎̐̃͊͑ò̴̲͉͗̆ư̵̩̺͚͐́̀ͅř̶͚̯͊͘a̸̧͓͝ǵ̶̨̡̝̞̓͝ē̸̛̳̇̀ ̸̧̑̃h̷̤͎͐̈̏̈́i̴̲͍̼̚͜m̷̡̑;̴̤͚͐̚͜ ̴͓͖̍̑̓b̵̬͓̦̉̋̑̽u̷̡̼͙̖̎͒̊͠t̴̮̫̿ ̷̬̮̽̎Ì̴͖͓̞͒̂͝ ̷͍̈́͐̓a̷̢̔͗̾m̶̻͗͋̿ ̵̨̦͔͆̀͌̅ś̶͉ö̵̤́l̸̘͂̽͘i̶̧̯̘̮̐̄̉t̴̠̦͗̈́̇a̴̼̖͊̓̀͜͝ř̵̦͖̝̈͘͝ͅy̶͉̓̽̈́ ̸̡̥̜̳̈́̅̈a̴͇͎̻̾̓͝n̷̡̥̟̈́̈́̊d̴̨̜̃̃́̄ ̷̛͔̗̇a̷̙͎̔̌̚͝b̸̙̮̈́̈̾ḧ̵͖̮͍́͋͐ọ̵̞̓r̵̻̈́̾ṙ̸̨̰̄̆ȩ̶͙̯̇̇d̵̺̔̉.̷̡͚͖̭͗̔̈

Here I thought this was going to be about how anarchists make our own monsters. Well, to briefly answer the prompt, these fears come from social reality and are then symbolized as monsters. As much as it’s easy to find that in fiction, it’s apparently easy to miss the production in the opposite direction: that is the real imposition of the title of monster on real people. (So much has been said about group dehumanization that I’m not sure I have anything to add. No, I have a “scene critique”, to put it mildly.)

It’s embarrassing when people who want to get rid of cops and prisons also have no problem sentencing someone to social death. This is not to suggest that individuals who act problematic should have infinite wiggle room to argue back, and I know this sort of thing has been talked to death on this site over the years, but it’s still happening, not least because what “has happened” is generally not over. Because there ought to be Something that comes after and as a rule generally there’s Nothing (“and no man needs nothing” — not cool Nothing, just someone who’s gone from fucked up to completely broken.) Did anyone even suggest anything beyond “getting therapy” (also a pretty carceral solution)? Have you ever met one of these people in the years after their cancellation? Or did you just imagine they stopped existing (that’s the whole point of social death after all)? I have… Not my stories to tell but it ain’t pretty.

Similarly I know people have gotten better at prisoner support but again I’ve seen people not get supported for various reasons through different kinds of legal/police shit (not always literal imprisonment) that really fucked up their lives; and here the “anarchist” and state practices of social death coincide; truly grim. It’s like when someone is not convenient to our romantic little adventure or idealized “community” they just disappear. Of course they don’t; they remain as an excess, a monster.

And I know people say we’ve learned from all this we wanna do better and so on but the aspect of the problem this doesn’t get at is precisely the birth of monsters and exiles (agamben considers the ban which adjudicates the homo sacer as the fundamental act of sovereignty, iirc). Humans are social. What do you think happens to someone who winds up without support (regardless what cops, anarchist scene gatekeepers, or whoever else may think they’ve done)? Isolation makes monsters (it makes anyone worse and less). Are anarchists accountable for creating our own monsters/Others, and don’t you think it eerily mirrors the dominant power structures…?

So why are people monsters? Well one because we live in hellworld and lots of other unaccountable reasons. We become anarchists often through a willed or unwilled becoming-monster to that world through radical opposition. I feel like it should bother more people to see the same primordial political act at the foundation of both worlds, both hells. I’m reminded of the picture of the burned-up cosmonaut with the generals staring down as if at something they’d given birth to, which in a sense they had… Monsters, Others, terrorists, illegals, orks, etc, are created in the same moment as the political. They are its doppelgängers or bastard children.

Note: I am old and I used to advocate for the type of stuff I’m criticizing here (so please miss me with excessively basic takes and try to engage with the heart of what I’m saying)

Anarchists are haunted by the Curse of Cassandra. Screaming prophecy into the void. Pulling their hairs out about... voting, civilization, Leninists, grad students, gentrification, biodiversity loss, birth control, other anarchists, &c.

Just to end up like Hal Incandenza instead. Pleading the case in what we think is rational language and tone, but only interpreted by others as nonsensical guttural animal grunting.

I am haunted (and taunted) by and for the conditioning I endured under my parents. I am an anarchist, despite my aversion and disgust at the sight of 2 bearded men passionately kissing. This isn't my problem, this monstrous attitude instilled into my psyche by narrow minded dictators, but it is something I must live with, this hideous moral attitude forced upon my conscience. Do not cancel me from the anarchist milieu, I would do nothing to harm or seperate lovers of any gender.