(May 5th, 2017)

The world of politics has certainly been a wild ride for the books this year. This week alone, with elections coming up in France and the ever ongoing process of governments across the world making drastic headlines with the love-hate relationship of mainstream media, we look towards how this pertains to the world of anarchism.

It could be said that many anarchists pay extremely close attention to this world of politics, even while having a strong distaste of such a close reading. In turn, with some basing their anarchistic actions and responses to such governments call-to-action. Writing letters the old fashioned way to the news and elected officials, calling up and leaving a message to their government “representative”, and as can be seen over the past week, making signs and marching down a street somewhere near you.

While on the other side of things, even those who begrudgingly follow along with the latest of world politics, take a strong anti-political approach to such events, as the follow up. On the more rebellious side of things, putting your body and mind on the line for the idea. Between these two camps plays out the other love-hate of international anarchism. Perhaps common everywhere is a sense of disempowerment, despair, and hopelessness when we see our actions, whatever they may be in the name of anarchy, after we wake up tomorrow and the beautiful idea we have based our lives off of is no closer to realization than lasts nights wonderful dream. Or is it?

Some may argue that perhaps these global catastrophic events carried out in the name of world politics, in the short run are discouraging but over time strengthen whatever it is that the international anarchist space may be / become. You have to crack a few eggs, if you’re to make that omelet for your friends and loved ones.

Here at anarchistnews dot org, we often take the brunt of critiques from all sides in response to the coverage and commentary shared on the site, metaphorically cracking a few eggs. It is plainly obvious that even as these world wide political events unfold, there are those who no matter the camp, enjoy attacking other anarchists more than whatever their instruction manual proclaims as public enemy number one. “Why is this political thing covered and that other one not? Why are such comments allowed? And what is up with thecollective?”

Then as the next day unfolds, we return to our daily lives, our work and the wash, rinse cycle of world politics repeats itself with slightly different beginnings, middles, and ends. The stories, the comments, and the reactions keep coming, as our levels of loss and victory wax and wane throughout this first week after May Day, 2017.