Article by Colonel Nogov on Feb. 19, 2015
As an anarchist, it’s frustrating sometimes. You wander over to the liberal and conservative websites. You read the articles. They’re full of logical fallacies, half truths and even outright lies. They’re always state worshiping. The government should do this or that to fix this or that is the usual reporting. Reading the comments is even more sickening.
Can’t they see the truth, I often think to myself. Have they even thought about what they are saying. Then I realize, no, they don’t think, they can’t think. They’re programmed. They’ve been brainwashed their whole lives. They’re little more than robots doing and saying what they’ve been told to do and say.
I comment on the articles. I always question the logic of the article and propose abolishing government as the solution. This, as you can imagine, brings the locals attacking the idea like a swarm of angry bees defending their hive. They’re going to tell me like it is. It’s hilarious and disheartening at the same time. The fallacies fly. Apparently, they’ve all been programmed to write Somalia in all caps as if that settles it. I don’t bother trying to explain to them that Somalia is not an anarchistic society. Somalia is in the midst of a civil war and has been for over a decade.
Arguing in the comment section of an article with these people is generally pointless. They reject fact after fact. This isn’t the place to try and educate someone. A lifetime of brainwashing isn’t going to be erased in an instant. Their minds reject anything outside of their programming regardless of reason and facts. I make it sound hopeless. It’s not.
Commenting on these articles has an effect. It chips away at their programming slowly like a sculptor chiseling a piece of granite when they read comments outside of the usual left/right paradigm. It’s a slow tedious process. I never back down from being an anarchist. I challenge them to learn about anarchy. I challenge them to get out of their bubble and study anarchy for even 5 minutes. They may have to hear it many, many times before they accept the challenge. Some will never accept the challenge, but the ones that do are on their way. Once they set upon that path, I know where it leads. They may get stuck on the minarchist step, but their mind may also, one day, be completely free.
Freeing an indoctrinated mind is a slow process. It’s not done in an adversarial debate. It’s done by the caged mind quietly studying. My goal is to nudge them towards that study. The educators are out there and more and more pop up everyday. The internet has brought these ideas out. Do you remember how you freed your mind? Who helped you? Larken Rose got me past the minarchist step. Post yours in the comment section.