Saturday, January 11, 2003

It has always puzzled me that there is a single, universally recognized symbol for anarchy. The idea that there should be one unified and, more to the point, unifying anarchy emblem just goes against the whole spirit of the thing.

Whenever I see somebody sporting the circled A, I chuckle at the irony. Here's someone who desperately wants to go their own way, free of society's rules and constraints, yet they choose to air that sentiment by wearing a badge that's recognized and approved by the Establishment.

It seems to me that, if anarchists truly want to live up to their ideals, any symbols used to express anarchy should be exclusive to each individual, and should change at the individual's whim. Sure, it'll be much more disorderly and confusing that way, but isn't that the whole point?

While I'm not an anarchist myself, I've had my own anarchy sign for years. A new one will supplant it every now and again, but my old standby always reasserts itself eventually. That sign is the image of Ernest Borgnine in a tutu. You can't get much more anarchic than that.

Now go out there and think up your own symbol for anarchy. Or don't. It's anarchy, baby!

Posted @ 12:46 PM

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