Anarchism and the English Language

Anarchism and the English Language
  • Added to Catalog: 2014
  • Print Version: Download
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This zine features an essay by Kristian Williams titled “Anarchism and the English Language” in which Williams criticizes many of the ways in which anarchists chose to communicate their ideas through written language. Williams criticizes the use of vague phrases, specialized language, rhetorical inflation, and more. It’s a very good consideration of the topic. The zine also features a brief piece by Crimethinc which questions some of Williams recommendations. Together, they make for an excellent discussion of the topic.

Excerpt

Too often, the point of writing this way is not so much to communicate a specific idea to some real or potential readership. The words serve instead to indicate a kind of group loyalty, an ideological border between our side and the other side: we believe this, and they don’t. Or rather: we talk in this way and say this sort of thing; they talk in some other way, and say some other sort of thing.

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