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–1 vote
I seem to be confused. I know that post-Leftists are not anarcho-capitalists, so obviously right wingers are out of the question. But most people that are not Republicans or Libertarians are either liberals who vote for the Democrats, or are some variety of Leftists (Socialists, Communists, etc)

Seems there is a very limited pool of people post-Leftists can work with if they refuse to work with Leftists. Surely they don't organize with apathetic or apolitical people only?

Please help me out!
-Kabuki
by

2 Answers

+2 votes
It would depend on the situation. I am sure others will have much to say about this, much of it that will conflict with me, but my take is that PL@s  organize on a temporary basis with those they have affinity with in order to achieve particular goals.

I don't mean such a broad answer as a cop-out, but rather to distinguish between the traditional leftist model of organizing (building institutions, fronts, and infrastructure with the goal of furthering "the revolution"), and that of the pl@ perspective (finding affinities which work for an period, and letting those go when they don't). It isn't a matter of never working with people who identify with the left, but of always remaining apart from the left, of refusing to be assimilated in to a mass for the good of the movement. Which tends to piss off lefties.
by (22.1k points)
+1 vote
No post-left anarchist I know categorically refuses to work with Leftists, we just prefer to not operate in the modes we associate with the Left. Maybe some of us disassociate with everyone who identifies as Left or Right, but I doubt that exists as a common pattern.

I dialogue with open-minded people, and deconstruct the ideologies of close-minded people. I associate with green anarchists, luddites & zero-work advocates & productive play promoters, family, friends, people who engage in direct action, solidarity unionists, unemployed people, students, domestic and migrant laborers, festival goers, event attendees, strangers, travelers, youth, onlookers...I can find at least some common ground for interaction with most anarchists and point out my own overlaps with people who do not call themselves anarchists, enough to find resonance with them. I volunteer with youth and that gives me an opportunity to engage in an introductory discussion about different perspectives.

As a pl@ I differ in theory, orientation & strategy than the Left, but people who identify with the Left do not necessarily automatically refuse my preferred methods of association (impermanent, direct, spontaneous, intimate, mostly but not always informal) nor embody the celebrity managerialism I loathe. Even if someone endorses bureaucratic unions or political parties that usually doesn't prevent them from relating outside of those. I typically "organize" with people to the extent that we share an affinity, mostly initiated by me interjecting something critical of the status quo, leading to a search for shared experiences (e.g. disliking having a boss, feeling powerless), and common values (e.g. self-determination, partnership), refining a mutual critique to our situation, and finally culminating in some sort proposition for action followed by review.

TL;DR: Post-left anarchists I know tend to organize with whomever it makes sense to do so with at the time for as long as it makes sense, and involve ourselves in intentional explorations of affinity that allow for divergence, conflict, and disassociation.
by (8.9k points)
This is also a good answer to the question about whether post-left @s organize on a mass level.
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