Why post-left and not anti-left?

Question

it seems to me the left has historically been entirely antagonistic to revolt, and the possibility of anarchy, communism or whatever. im sure most who frequent this site would agree but perhaps not. But i was always confused by the label post-left. is there a difference between being anti-left and post-left. if so, should one who deems the left a counter-revolutionary recuperating force assume the an anti-left position? have there been people to critique post-leftism because the analysis coming out of the tendency did not go far enough?

Answer 1

There are probably other regular posters to this site that will have much more to say about this much better than I would, but for what my opinions are worth (and obviously my opinions are valuable, or I wouldn't have them ;), I look at PL as acknowledging the historic relationship that anarchism has had with the left, and the fact that historically most anarchists have, to varying degrees, identified within the broader stream of leftism, while also being critical of the left as recuperative and antagonistic to anarchy. Anti-left could be used as well, but without more detail might be interpreted to mean right (becasue a lot of people, including anarchists, have a hard time breaking with dualistic thinking). I look at PL as indicating having moved beyond the left, instead of opposed to the left (though I am that as well, to the extent we are going to generalize lots of individuals with heterogenous ideas and ways of operating in to a mass).

Lawrence Jarach and Jason McQuinn have some excellent stuff on PL@, such as:  http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jason-mcquinn-post-left-anarchy-leaving-the-left-behind and http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/lawrence-jarach-anarchists-don-t-let-the-left-overs-ruin-your-appetite.

John Zerzan has been more critical of the PL@ label, and instead prefers anti-left; it is a frequent topic on Anarchy Radio (http://www.johnzerzan.net/radio/), though I don't know that he has anything written specifically about that. Another detailed explicitly anti-left critique can be found in Industrial Society and it's Future http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/fc-industrial-society-and-its-future.