Guest Library
Essays by other authors
Nothing Posted Here Yet

Sort by

Books by other authors
Nothing Posted Here Yet

Sort by

About Myself

A Brief Autobiographical Sketch

Email address
jamesherod@gmail.com

July 16, 2006: Aragorn's Talk at the Lucy Parsons Center Printer Friendly Version
Aragorn's Talk at the Lucy Parsons Center
James Herod
July 16, 2006

I got to hear Aragorn! last Thursday night, July 13. He is a current editor of Anarchy magazine, one of five -- the new West Coast editorial collective. I had tried to read up on him, but found little on the net, just a few book reviews, one essay on indigenous anarchism, and three short pieces on anarchy and strategy. None of it made any sense to me at all. It was just words and abstractions all strung together. But I decided to go anyway. It turned out he was much more coherent in person. He was actually quite a pleasant man, seemingly open minded, tolerant, and so forth. But his ideas! I put a little heat on him, in a polite, low-keyed sort of way. He is a firm advocate of "post-left anarchism." He is pushing nihilism. He hates democracy, even direct democracy. He refused to commit to a decision making procedure, even for a small affinity group, saying it was "contingent." But he denies that he is an individualist (a defensive move I think). He loves Crimethinc, and Green Anarchy. He hates civilization. All in all, a big, huge, enormous, unmitigated disaster. Nevertheless, they've cut Zerzan and Black loose as regular columnists, and are seeking new writers. Maybe there is a chance that more social anarchy will get into the magazine. By the way, Aragorn! is his real name. His parents were enamored with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.