The internet makes anarchy feasible in ways that have never before been possible. Fundamentally the internet follows anarchic principles of decentralization and freedom. Encryption methods and other secure and anonymous web protocol make enforcement of authoritative laws and censorship impractical. What I am interested in is what this means for anarchy.
The first implication of the internet is the information that is or can be made available to everyone. This means it will get increasingly difficult for governments and corporations to withhold and hide information as we are already seeing with Wikileaks. Also technical and academic resources are becoming more available for everyone.
The next implication is the increased capacity for direct individual involvement in the democratic process. Before now, a representative republic has been arguably the most liberal practical form of government. However, the internet will allow for the possibility of bypassing the representatives and engaging the population directly in the democratic process. How to do this is something we should be thinking and talking about. There are certainly security concerns for using the internet for voting, but it definitely seems possible. There are also good reasons to keep some aspects of a representative system, I like the idea of proxy voting on issues. So that someone without enough time or knowledge can lend their vote to a person they trust, without giving anybody more objective power.
The modern path to anarchy does not require sudden revolution. Instead it requires the construction of alternative infrastructure and the building of dynamic free communities to reduce our dependence on governments and large corporations. This path will erode authoritative powers and the internet plays a very important role in making it all possible.
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