By RM
The ruling classes have always used represention to control the exploited. The media for instance is one obvious example. However, representation takes over much more of our lives then many people believe. Representation by the ruling class cuts off the exploited peoples power to act on their own terms. Many traditional class struggle anarchists certainly do fall into this trap. Many class struggle anarchists create organizations which supposedly is created by the exploited. However by drawing up ten point plans, using systems of organizations such as democracy or consensus for instance does not and will not do away with capital. By the need to fit themselves into a certain system or program which they join (even going so far as for some to carry membership cards) reproduces the system of capital and the relationships between people. They are still continuing the role of passivity that capital needs so much to function. They are for the most part allowing situations to happen to them rather than acting on their own terms. They are still partaking in the role of consumer who has some freedom to pick and choose and settle with something tht was not entirely dreamt up on their own, but which is always given to them from above. Organization which does not cut off the person's will and desire to act for the most part on their own do indeed exist for instance such as organizing by affinity where individuals who have similar goals and needs join togethr to achieve their desires. While many green and anti-civ anarchists have had reasonable critiques of representation I would like to point out one such form of representation some fail to note.
Many green anarchists tend to refer to their surrounding environments that have not been transformed too much extent from capital and all life that lives within them as the eco-system. SUch a view as I see it, is that of a green anarchist form of an economy, that which capital has trained us to see everything within its logic of value and objects which we are for the most part seperate from but do play our small roles in the cog of the machine or in this case the eco-system. Such views still create roles which reproduce social relationships of capital. It is a representation of the view of the world through the reflection of our capitalist social relationships. In order to understand clearer what I am stating we must understand the term ecosystem. Ecosystem, or ecological system is a branch of biology and thus a form of western science. Western science as some others as well as my self have pointed out, requirs one not to intermingle with the environment but study it from the outside. One needs to alienate ones self and impose a certain set of institutionalized relations upon what one is studying. In order to understand western science better and how it has always benifited those in power it is useful to understand its creation and developement.
As I have stated before, western science had been based and born out of both capitalist time and mathematics. Time had been created by early priests and emperors as an organized institution to control the majority for creating surplus to the benifit of a minority. 1. Number had originated to allow the ruling classes to measure land and for tax purposes originating from private property or in attempts of allowing the system of capital to flow smoother. 2. -therefore both time and mathematics originated for the needs of capital. Thus with such understanding, it is hardly suprising to discover that western science or capitalist science based off such institutions of control who's only function is to enhance capital- also serves as capitals underling finding other ways to exploit what is not yet exploitable for the benifit of capital. Capitalism requires a repetitive lifeless objectified view of the world in order to function. It is therefore only fitting that such a view has brought about the notion of the earth and the entire universe as one giant lifeless clockwork machine; (one significant factor which helped shape the notion of the universe as a clockwork machine was the introduction of the mechanical public clocks in the 1300's which originated in Christian monastaries) 3. In more modern times the view of the world has been reduced to bits of information through relativity and quantum physics as well as energy physics and other advanced physiscs which have been invented by those who rule for the creation of more and more advanced weapons whose solepurpose is to control those whom the rulining class needs to exploit while furthering the system of capital. As such, such western science and all related to is such as biology is therefor a product of capitalist culture. And as with the rest of capitalist culture is intended to channel social relationships towards the reproduction of the system of capital and to the benifit of those in power. In this sense those who percieve the world in such a way through our present notion of the eco-system are still reproducing the logic of the system of capital. It should be noted however, that such a view of our envrionment viewed through the institutions of capital can still be a useful tool in pointing out certain environments tht have been transformed by capital towards the detriment of those who are living off such transformed envrironments and therefore can be useful towards understandin further the system of cpaitl and therefore how to further aid in its demolition.
To end the system of capital, representation as we have come to know it which invades much of our lives and relationships must be destroyed which can only be done through social revolution.
1. John Zerzan, Elements of Refusal, (sec. ed. 1999), pg. 19 and
George Sarton, A History of Science, (1954), pg. 11
2. John Zerzan, Elements of Refusal, (sec. ed. 1999), pg. 52
3. Lewis Mumford, Technics and Civilization, (1934), pg. 16