Squatting/working

Simple answer? NO.

First part: one organises.
Second: One who believes in anarchism.

 

You say you lean towards anarcho-syndicalism, the tendency within anarchism probably most tied to struggle at the point of production, ie within the workplace, thus yr desire to play devil's advocate is a bit weird.

But anywayz:

To state

is as backwards logically as arguing that prisoners take part in reproducing prisons.
In short, currently one section of society live off the alienation and exploitation of another section. The working class/es are currently driven to act against our own needs via the violence and coercion imposed on us (the most mundane of which include the homelessness and starvation associated with unemployment). This is kinda textbook Marxism, class binaries & antagonisms and whatnot, but we can see these sorta things play out in, say, Wisconsin at the moment...

Work sucks, and should you be in a position not to need to work then why the fuck would you? But nevertheless, for many of us work remains an existential necessity, thus only bullshit puritanical wankers would argue (incorrectly) that anarchists can't work. Instead of asking:

perhaps a better question is:
"how can the proletariat, understood as a class of capital which exists as its divisions and in all of the mediations of its reproduction, abolish capitalism?"

 

Yeah, man. Especially living in the US, squatting isn't nearly as strong of a movement as in Europe. It's all about yer available resources and your particular situation. Just do what ya can to distance yourself from being a part of mainstream consumerist society without making your life suck un-necessarily. That's gonna burn you out real fast.

 

Another factor is that for the most part, squatting is difficult in the U.S. because of extremely draconian laws against it. In some places like the Netherlands, squatters can have some legal rights. In the U.S., the system cracks down hard. If you get caught squatting, you can expect a couple of years in jail. Unless you're gonna pull a unibomber and go off and live in the woods, you're going to have to live more or less within the system. Even if you squat, you can't possibly make everything you'd need.

 

not any more unfortunately...

 

well there has been a quite fortunate change in the new law because the law was against some of the human rights in the E.U.
so the new law is:
you CAN squat a building even if it is not empty for a year or more but they can come to your house and say you got a week to get out if you don't it's a year behind bars for you so it's a little better at least you got a week to get out now

 

Don't worry about being disqualified as an "anarchist". Do what makes you happy while trying to live the most fulfilling life you can!!!

 

Get a job, but don't wear Nike's. There ya go, you now know how to be a true anarchist.

But really, It's hard to just completely duck out of the capitalist system all together. Sure some do it, but many people would rather be part of the class struggle, then just a life-stylist. If you dumpster dive, and squat, and are still active, all power do you, but a lot of people get caught up in just living their own lives and do doing anything else productive. I dumpster from time to time, it's a good way to get free food, and not be so wasteful. All in all, having a job and paying rent isn't counter-anarchistic, just don't support multi-nationals and other fucked up corporations with your purchase power, buy locally grown food when possible, even start a garden, and support mom and pop shops.

 

Locally grown food....... Yummmmm. Like jesus said, a garden is a very good thing, very productive. Ya never know it might even turn into a hobby like it did for me.

 

I totally want to take my GF and 1 year old son to go squat in an abandoned warehouse with no heat.


ANARCHEH!!!1!


Oh wait...I forgot being responsible isn't anarchist.

 

ONCE AGAIN there are already threads on WHAT IS TRUE ANARCHISM, so search for them and continue that discussion there please.

 

You still have to make a living at the end of the day. I'm doing well for myself, Iv been through College studying Anarchism and music, and through this I have opened more gates for myself to get in to the system to be able to help bring it down. Thats how I see it. If you do have oppotunities and you waste them to go and squat, then technicaly you are doing exactly what capitalism wants you to.

 

to be fair, its a bit of a prick to go trawling through old threads to see if there's a relevant one...

anywayz, problem solved... you can be an anarchist and not squat or dumpster dive...

the argument put forward by the likes of crimethinc, etc, is that squatting and freeganism, etc, gives you more time to pursue activism and stuff you enjoy, rather than work. Which may or may not be true depending on yr circumstances I guess...

 

fight to stay alive, to feed you and yours, and to live the most productive and fulfilling life you can
we live in a complex fucked up system that is crumbling beneath our feet in many ways
live your live as a true YOU and don't worry whether you'r ea true "n" or a true "X"
don't get caught up in the system
try not to feed into the system
reduce reuse recycle
over grown
kill em all

 

What about C-Squat? If squatting is illegal then how is that still active?

And how do you start a squat?

 

What about C-Squat? If squatting is illegal then how is that still active?

And how do you start a squat?

 

1. According to wikipedia:

2. Start living in an abandoned property...

obviously things are a bit more complex than that.
Whom do you want to live with?
Do you want a place just to live or do you want the squat to be a social centre?
What are the legal ramifications and potential criminal convictions you may face by squatting?
etc.