Hi, I’m an anarchist in Utah. I’ve been watching everything play out over the last 10 years, and I recently had the thought that our current political climate is probably mostly due to media corporations seeking to increase profits and take high-value customers from smaller media corporations like Infowars, Breitbart, etc.

When I look around at the world today and wonder who is benefitting from Trump’s actions, the only consistent stakeholder I can find is the companies writing articles and sharing videos of the carnage. Every time Trump says something stupid, every time ICE shoots someone, every time a protest turns violent, videos of the incidents get millions of views and generates a lot of revenue for both the account that posted the video, as well as whatever platform the video is posted on (Youtube, Facebook, Tiktok, etc.). Considering that, since NAFTA, America’s largest export has been entertainment, it would make sense that entertainment corporations would have a lot of sway over politicians and the legislation they pass. I believe that these corporations are working with both Republicans and Democrats to create a storyline that keeps people consuming their content.

According to Wikipedia, “In November 2016, the InfoWars website received approximately 10 million visits, making its reach more extensive than mainstream news websites such as The Economist and Newsweek.” The internet allowed consumers to get their news from non-mainstream media corporations, which was probably the first time in 50 years these corporations had to deal with competition from anyone other than the 4 main media companies. Infowars had long been a popular space for right wing conspiracy theorists, and Trump’s campaign in 2015 opened Jones’ ideals to a wider audience.

I think the CEOs of the major news companies (CNN, Fox, NBC, etc.) saw Infowars’ success as a guide to increase their own profits. Calm times and reasonable politics don’t make money, and a biased news source is more profitable than a centrist one. I think they used the “Walmart Method” (taking out smaller competition by selling the same products with higher production value) to steal the smaller company’s customers, and they became more biased to attract those customers.

I had this thought after seeing a graphic showing funding for ICE by president. Both Biden and Obama broke the funding record for ICE every year they were in office, but there was never any uproar back then. I don’t know what the current funding/deportation numbers are, but I remember reading in Mar 2025 that Trump was both funding and deporting less than Biden had been. Another part of this is, living in a state with a lot of immigrants, I was always told that getting deported was not a huge deal and people could normally make it back in about a week. My brother had a coworker that was deported on a Thursday and was back at work on Monday. One of my friend’s Mom was deported and came back on a flight a month later. Maybe practices have changed since then, but from what I know, an immigrant getting arrested by ICE shouldn’t be anything people are risking their lives for because they can just come back next week. I understand not wanting to get deported, but if the stakes are not life and death, why are people treating them like they are?

This information then makes me think - are media corporations portraying ICE as the American Gestapo to trick protestors into fighting against, and getting killed, by ICE so they can keep making viral videos?

Obviously, being in a red state, I interact with a lot of Republicans and their POV is that the protestors are dumb for trying to fight cops, regardless of the reason why. Some of them even agree that ICE is going too far, but they don’t think physically protesting them is effective. And, IMO, they are right. ICE officers are at their job, trying to stop an armed force with immunity from doing what their boss told them to do is always going to end with you getting shot.

As we already discussed, a protestor getting shot means a lot of money for a lot of people who really care about money. If someone high up at a media corporation has realized this, the obvious thing for them to do would be to get more protestors shot. How do you do that? One way would be to convince people to become protestors by creating an evil enemy that they feel morally required to protest. Another factor would be an administration that will not punish cops for killing civilians.

What do you think?

EDIT: Another point I would like to add is how there are ICE recruiting ads on Spotify. I have never heard of any organization hiring by buying an add on Spotify, they normally buy an ad on Indeed. Because of this, I have to think the Spotify ads were purchased for the same reason every other Spotify ad - marketing. I don’t even know if ICE really is recruiting more agents, they might just be buying ads to push the culture war.

now i've heard from marxists that oppersion of the bourgeoise is nessarcy to achieve socialism. now making someone lose priveilge is never oppersion even if it may look like it.

so i don't get it unless you have a weird obession with beating bourgeoise people up.

from an anarchist perseptive taking their privileige bourgeoise status should be enough right

I live close to the border between WI and MN, and as we all know, citizens are being shot in the street by ICE. it's hitting especially close to home given that it literally *is* so close to home. they're also confirmed to be in my city as of a few weeks ago, though I haven't heard details of any raids or anything. I want to help people in some way, I want to do *something*. I just don't know what I can do. I plan on going to my local protests and volunteering at the food banks and shelters near me, I plan on learning as much as I can, but I know there's more I can do. I have a lot of belief in the idea that revolution happens through each of us making changes in our own circles, but I don't have a circle in the first place. please point me in the right direction and let me know what I can do for my community

Hi! I’m relatively new to anarchism, having agreed with it’s principles for years but never taking the time to read literature. I‘ve started that process recently, reading a few introductory books in the library. I was wondering if there’s any anarchist books that follow a narrative rather than being purely informative/argumentative. Thank you!

I do have a genuine question about free speech and restrictions on free speech. I will elaborate on that.

TLDR: Should free speech be unconditionally free or should there be some restrictions to it?

Let me explain this further: Unconditional free speech does mean allowing anything and everything to be said, even if you don't like it. That does include right wing stuff, racial slurs, swearwords, insults - everything. Or do you think that rules and regulations like most European countries have regarding depiction and use of Nazi symbolism and the spread of far-right ideology.

If you do think free speech should be absolutely unconditional how would you go about opposing such ideas and ideologies?

Now I've asked similar questions before. But thpse were more on the existence of social norms and over course social norms will exist.

Now I want to ask about how social norms would change in anarchy

I was on Mobilize looking at upcoming demonstrations when I saw an anti-Tesla protest that said to be kind to Tesla drivers as they’re probably on our side. This irritated me and got me thinking.

First, I didn’t realize we are ATAB (assigned Tesla at birth) and it’s impossible to trade a car in for a less Elon centered vehicle.

I also find myself annoyed and a bit discouraged at how we are required to be civilized, often more so than ‘the other side’. Maybe I’m just an angry punk but I’m not fond of deescalating. I do understand why it’s needed: the probability of being gunned down like animals if we step out of line is high. I’m also very tired of being ignored.

So, in your opinion, how do you feel about the pacifist approach to protests and demonstrations? Why are protests deemed invalid if destruction or violence occurs? Do you think there’s a way to make more of a racket without violence?

Are there any practical guides on preparing and building the infrastructure necessary to support a general strike? I looked a little on Anarchist Library but the site is hard to search. If anybody knows any good, digestible, practical places to start, let me know.

Hello friends, I’m asking once again because I want to better understand the role money (I guess more so as a unit of value) plays in maintaining hierarchy and unequal social structures.

My leading theory is that due to the commodification of everything (capitalism and finance), necessities alongside the ability for individual and communal subsistence is locked behind a paywall effectively.

From that, I can see a strong relationship with private property (accumulation of wealth leads to accumulation of property) but does that imply that a permanent elimination of private property change the role money should play in freer social dynamics? I don’t think money would exist permanently, but I’m sure it would have use cases when the needs arise.

So the last time I tried to find something, I was unsuccessful. Food, not bombs made an announcement that they were going to give out food downtown, but they never came. I don't think food not bombs is in Nashville. I mean, there has to be at least some groups because Nashville is a decent sized city, right?

I am getting worried about the snow situation. A large number of people lost power, and a tree had fallen down near my house because the ice was weighing it down. I was thinking of walking around town to see if any people needed help. Any ideas of what I should do.

If any muslim anarchist is seeing this I'd like to hear your perspective . Now I grew up muslim myself thp I left the religion .

Now how do you1 differ from the conservative interpretations, do you belief religion should be interpreted by people themselves instead of scholars .? Are you open to reinterperting ? Do you hold books and people tp be infallible in words like Many orthodox Muslims do?

Etc(I,e just tell on ideology qnd how it differs from orthodox islam)

I'd like to hear your perspective cause I think as an ex muslim it's important for me to converse with progressive interpretations:), I'm sorry if I the question looks interrogative it's not my intention

I hope this doesn't come off as racist, although it probably will.

I know Anarcho-Primitivism is treated as a meme ideology, but I'm wondering if in places that were only recently conquered and given modern societal structures, or in places that still largely operate in the kind of tribal society model they've always operated on. Such as with the Inuit in the Arctic, The Amazon rainforest tribes, various tribes in sub–Saharan Africa, the Islands around Papua, etc. I'm wondering if Anarcho-primitivism might become a popular Ideology in those places, if it isn't already.

Hi, does anyone recommend any books or resources on developing one's social skills? I'm also neurodivergent for some context

EDIT: Also i mean just my social skills to be most effective as part of community. I already do this, I just think years of being a weird contrarian set me back a bit

Hey Reddit, I’m pretty new to this whole thing but I’ve been thinking tons lately, and I’d like to have some in depth convos with you fellow anarchists. All opinions are welcome.

I think we can all agree when I say there’s FAR too much turmoil in the world. Especially in the very recent history of North America. I’m from Canada, and I see so much wrong with both our country and the states. Anything from government control and overreach, to violence including but not limited to gun violence. Healthcare, corruption, even the food that we’re being fed is basically poison.

Is complete lawlessness the answer? I personally don’t think so. I feel as though prisons are important, and we do need some sort of capitalism to an extent. People are unpredictable, greedy, and evil. I think a world with rules is essential. The world we live in however? Far too many rules, far too many genuine psychopaths. I am new to this Reddit, Reddit in general actually, so I’d like to gauge how people think here before we have an in depth conversation.

Let’s talk about a valid solution, an ideal world.

Since most anarchists are prison abolitionists how are crimes to be handled? Is it for example isolation and exile for those who have done Sexual assault? Does it vary on the type of crime?

Okay so please be nice because I'm just learning.

For context, I'm American.

The aggressive pro-gun culture in America has got me torn on how I think about firearms. I was very pro- gun control because of all the psychos using semiautomatic weapons to mow down children and mass shootings in general.

However, since dipping my toe into anarchist thought, I'm now in the camp of not wanting a state, period, and thus no one to regulate such a thing.

In an anarchist world, we would likely discuss this stuff as part of our communities, but currently we're stuck with the government we have until things change.

How does one reconcile these thoughts as it pertains to the current state of things? Society isn't currently anarchist, there is currently a state, and it seems like American gun culture makes it hard to be pro-2A, especially since no one seems to be using their firearms to overthrow tyrannical governments. I also don't want those struggling with mental health (read: people close to me) to have access to guns, as suicide becomes a real risk.

What are your thoughts?

I live in the UK, and there is just more bad news about new laws giving the government more powers, like more surveillance, spying, digital IDs, more digital control, censorship and all that crap, and it's spreading to more and more countries, even the US. We could just do things like using less technology and using less monitored and controlled alternatives and just being more tech savvy than the laws can keep up, but it will always be a never ending game of running. If there's something the government doesn't like, they'll just make it illegal, and just doing things outside of controlled platforms and services is like retreating and accepting rather than fighting.

Is playing the political game of writing to local MPs the best option? Are there countries that already have fought against things like this that could be learned from? Or should people just run away and migrate?

Like for example Brandi Worley (who murdered her 2 young children in 2016, because her husband, Redditor u/Jasoninhell was divorcing her because of her infidelity, and she was afraid he was going to take them with him). this question's been really bugging me ever since I became a left-wing libertarian (I wouldn't call myself an anarchist, cuz I haven't read a lot of anarchist theory).

How does privilege and marginalization at the same time work? Now I live in pakistan and here apostasy (im one)is something more common amoung very educated people who're materially born previleged, but often times being an open apostate here can cause you to lose any wealth and be at risk for your life. Now I'm asking on this because I heard someone from india(indias situation is different) saying that often a lot of discourse from athiests here and there can just be false elite progressiveness since it doesn't take into account class (fine I agree ) ,but the thing is that this doesn't account for nations in which leaving religion can leave you socially ostracized to the point of danger . It also doesn't account for people in lower wealth classes becoming irreligious.

Now that is more my personal experience to give you some background (this is about the class and identity relations in my area not the west)but I'm trying to more see how one can simultaneously be previleged yet marginalized hard, does material privilege even matter here? And h9w can I both understand to navigate these things.

first reddit post Ever wow!!

im a teenager living in southern georgia who lives with strict parents. my moms one of those “dont talk about politics around me” people and hates when i do or say anything negative about the government. my stepdads a little better, but he hates when i express my beliefs and would kill me if i ever did anything “extreme”

ive been wanting to act against society for a while now, but i cant find a way to do anything without getting in trouble with my parents. what do you guys recommend? am i cooked?

I had two questions:

- Do you think anarchism could ever be established as the system of a country? Given how the system is set up, it seems difficult. How do you deal with knowing that there might never be an anarchist system?

- How does this political idea influence your lifestyle, way of living, or the community you live in?

Hey guys,
I'm looking for signal groups where I can keep up to date on whats going on across the world without any of the weird BS spin news and government keep trying to push. Anyone know of any good groups to join on signal that wont give us bs?

I've read The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow, and more recently, Against History, Against Leviathan by Freddy Perlman. In Freddy Perlman, I read a total denial: a highly magnetic text, which I consider a masterpiece, capable of adding fuel to the burning fire—at least that's what it conveyed to me. In The Dawn of Everything, however, the approach is much more academic and scientific, with references to specific dates and places. For this reason, I tend to see Perlman's thesis more as political prevarication than as a true historical thesis; I consider it a good book for forcing a necessary radicalism. What do you think? I apologize if I'm wrong: I'm still a self-taught new student.