I've spent the last year or so thinking about the way leftist anarchist communities destroy themselves. As much as I love the idea of an active and cohesive anarchist community I can't help but notice that all this fraternization doesn't just make us easier targets, it also splinters otherwise potentially effective movements. We're terribly ineffective at dealing with outside pressure and extremely susceptible to paranoia and pressure from both outside and inside the community. I can't deal with how every movement devolves into a series of purity tests and witch hunts and poorly planned out mass actions. We're never going to fucking get anything major done that way. No amount of anarchist dance parties or local outreach will ever be worth the overall harm done by snitches and surveillance and petty grievances so long as the net effect of building a community is reducing our ability to bring about greater social and economic justice.

I want to have a big impact on the world around me, I don't want to constantly get drawn into bickering matches, popularity games, or endless abuser hunts. I can't help but think that the only solution to movements losing steam and cannibalizing themselves is operating in affiliated but anonymous small cells, each one responsible for self-regulation. You form your cell, you police your cell, you control your cell. For the greater good of the overall movement you are responsible for vetting the people that you fuck with. You're responsible for protecting your own anonymity, and for planning your own actions. We should still work together actively, but anonymously. Protect yourselves from pressures coming from within and out.

Now tell me why I'm wrong.