Appendix : Anarchism and Marxism

This appendix exists to refute some of the on-line anti-anarchist diatribes produced by Marxists. While we have covered why anarchists oppose Marxism in section H, we thought it would be useful to reply to Marxist webpages whose content is not explicitly covered in that section. In this way we hope to indicate that Marxism is a flawed theory, flawed even to the extent of not being able to present a honest critique of anarchism. This consistent attempt to smear anarchism and distort its history and ideas is no co-incidence -- rather it is required in order to present Marxism as the only viable form of socialism and, more importantly, to hide the fact that much of the popularist Marxist rhetoric was, in fact, said by anarchist first and latter stolen by Marxists to hide the authoritarian basis of their politics.

  • Reply to errors and distortions in David McNally's pamphlet Socialism from Below

      1. Introduction
      2. Is anarchism the politics of the "small property owner"?
      3. Does anarchism "glorify values from the past"?
      4. Why are McNally's comments on Proudhon a distortion of his ideas?
      5. Why are McNally's comments on Bakunin a distortion of his ideas?
      6. Are the "quirks of personality" of Proudhon and Bakunin listed by McNally actually rooted "in the very nature of anarchist doctrine"?
      7. Are anarchists against democracy?
      8. Are Leninists in favour of democracy?
      9. Why is McNally wrong on the relation of syndicalism to anarchism?
      10. Do syndicalists reject working class political action?
      11. Why is McNally's claim that Leninism supports the principle of working class self-emancipation is wrong?
      12. Why is Marxist "class analysis" of anarchism contradictory?
      13. If Marxism is "socialism from below," why do anarchists reject it?
      14. Why is McNally's use of the term "socialism from below" dishonest?