There are websites that will host a petition, for free, so I’m planning an anarchist one; I’m curious how many signers I’d get. Here‘s a draft. Feedback? Suggestions for rewording? (I want to make it generic enough that anarchists of multiple flavours could sign on.)
To all those currently exercising positions of responsibility in the Government of the United States of America, whether elected or appointed, and whether at the federal, state, or local level:
Whereas the United States Government’s claim to legitimacy is purportedly based on such principles as the consent of the governed, human equality, and the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and
Whereas few if any of those over whom you claim authority have ever consented to such governance; and
Whereas governments, as claimants to such authority over others, are by their nature inconsistent with human equality; and
Whereas your laws, ordinances, decrees, and policies generally stand in violation, directly or indirectly, of the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
We, the undersigned, hereby demand:
That you cease to claim to be acting in our name or as our agents; and
That you cease all attempts to exercise authority over your fellow human beings, on this continent or elsewhere; and
That you work to dismantle the institution or set of institutions known as the Government of the United States of America, in every branch and at every level, as speedily as possible; and
That you make no attempt to interfere with its replacement by voluntary associations of free and equal individuals.
Two possible objections that come to mind are: “Why just the United States? Why not all goverments?” and “Why petition these bozos? Why not instead petition our fellow citizens to withdraw consent?” To both of which I reply – I never said that this should be our only petition.
One of the biggest worries is that if they did that then the resulting non-authoritarian societies couldn’t defend themselves. However Chomsky pointed out something interesting in an interview about 30 years ago: That greatly depends on the specific *location*. Such a society would have many defense worries if located, say, in Europe (between the Americas on one side and the former Soviet bloc on the other) or Africa, yet fewer worries if located in the Americas. I mean, who’s going to invade, Mexican Neo-Conquistadores? 🙂
Looks nice to me. If I get the chance, I’ll do a Canadian version…
I’ll sign!! I am probably leaving the country too, so the United States will be halfway around the world from me.
Like that stopped the warfare state from coming to Iraq though.
I’ll sign that petition. However, I don’t think my voice will have much impact. I’ve noticed that politicians seem to ignore my suggestions – even the ones that don’t contain a large number of four-letter words.
I think this is a terrific idea.
Start a FaceBook group along these lines, and make it global.
Start a Second Life (whatever groups are called therein).
It appears that the blogosphere is becoming somewhat ‘niche’ – it’s harder to attract clientele – whereas places like FaceBook still have the anarchic swirl of the early blogging days.
One word of warning though – make sure you know who owns the IP to the petition; I have read that FaceBook claims that anything uploaded to it, becomes FaceBook’s property.
Cheerio
GT
France
I’d sign it!
i’m in.
not only will i sign it, but i expect that the syndicate will read it, see the error of their ways and agree to disband. can’t wait!
The “Government of the United States of America” doesn’t physically exist. It’s just a mind creation, in other words, an hallucination.
You may want to demand that the people who pretend to be part of a so-called “government” (so they can pretend to have authority over other people) and any people who have a vested interested in perpetrating the illusion that there is a “government” show proof of it’s physical existence.
Remember, people pretending to be something other than people are being dishonest. A dog can be nothing but a dog. A cat can be nothing but a cat. A snake can be nothing but a snake. A human can be nothing but a humane, etc etc etc.
Oops. A human can be nothing but a human.
This is a petition is waste of time and will not accomplish anything, just like the Declaration of Independence did not accomplish anything. It took 7 years of war to claim their freedom (1776-1783) … then it took about 4 years to give it all away again (
1787).
This thinking is called an external nexus of control … someone outside yourself controls your life: fate, astrology, religion, authority.
Solution: Self-government, what the Founding Fathers (Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, etc) believed in. NOT democracy, not mob rule, not might makes right!
• Withdraw support, i.e. drastically reduce or eliminate paying your taxes.
• Politely refuse to obey when confronted by govt officials.
• When in fear for your health or life, protect yourself, i.e. self-defense.
Do I think people will do this? No, because they still believe they should obey Authority.
“An fool can make a law, and any fool will follow it.”
jcard,
Well, just as it’s important not to confuse the literary narrator with the author (Ishmael vs. Melville), so it’s also important not to confuse the “literarily intended” audience with the actually intended audience. My petition takes the form of an address to our rulers, but its actually intended audience is our fellow “ruleds” (as it were).
(Likewise, I once wrote an Open Letter to Osama bin Laden, but of course that was a literary convention.)
Ed,
The “Government of the United States of America” doesn’t physically exist. It’s just a mind creation, in other words, an hallucination.
I agree that the U.S. govt. is a mind creation rather than a physical object, but I don’t understand the inference from that claim to its being a hallucination. Are you saying that all mind creations — everything from Pride and Prejudice to the price system to your argument itself — are hallucinations? I don’t get it.
Pride & prejudice are emotions. I doubt many would argue the existence of emotions because most people claim to have them.
My argument is my property. Me and my property exist. If my argument didn’t exist you would not have responded to me about it.
At least that’s the way I see it.
Can I get paid to circulate it? I want to see what kind of response I would get
from college students, walmart shoppers, etc.
Pride & prejudice are emotions
Um, I’m talking about the book.
If my argument didn’t exist you would not have responded to me about it.
Correct. But does that mean you’re retracting your claim that all mind creations are hallucinations?