DOes anyone read Daniel Quinn novels, particularly Ishmael and my Ishmael? Though they are not purely anarchistic I think both Anarchists and everyone else alike should read these novels because they lay out the basic groundwork as to why Totalitarianism doesn't work, and why human nature is sufficient enough for people to live peacefully without the rule of a centralised government. They are easy reads and are a good introduction to some anarchistic ideas. So anyone bothered to read the books?
They're popular books, you should be able to find them at your local bookstore in the fiction section. They also have copies at my library. I haven't read the books since high school so I can't remember a hell of a lot, but there were many things in it that will stick in my mind forever - i guess the easiest way would be to list some of them - 1. Human's lived effectively for thousands of years free from the rule of centralised governments and class divisions until the beginning of civilisation. This is when men discovered they could lock up the food being produced by agriculture and "own" the land and essentially the people on it. In this way they could force people to work long hours in the fields while they attended to more important jobs such as merchant trading etc. Because there were lower classes to tend the fields, people had time to develop technology, in particular: superior weapons. Also, with the amount of food being produced, these cultures were able to increase their populations dramatically. So, with superior weaponry and larger armies, civilisation was able to overrun other lands and force hunter gatherers to live in their way, or else suffer annihilation. And so on and so on, and everything in between, and now we have capitalism. 2. The problem with people (and I note half the people here who are entirely against anarchism because they believe humans are incapable) is that they have some strange notion (mostly through their education) that human history essentially only spans the last thousand years. They simply fail to recognise the full scope of history and in turn the full scope of human nature - we weren't always the greedy apathetic bunch living under the rule of capitalism. 3. Yes, capitalism and other centralised governmental systems may work, but they don't work for people. well there's more I can say, but its a hell of a lot more complicated than that and i've forgotten most. Quinn describes it a lot better than what i do and with a hell of a lot of imagination. But those were basically the theories that opened my mind at school and lead me here today to believe in the idea of anarchism. I think the coolest thing about the books is that they are so clever and go into such depth whilst remaining easy to read - in a sense they are "mind unlocking" books for the average person. I think you should read it shane as an anarchist simply because it will just add a bit more to your ideas.
I didn't like beyond civilisation - though it had its good points, make sure you readh, ishmael, my ishmael and the story of B - much better reads The celestine prophecy was interesting, i'll have to read it again - i'm not sure I agree with some of the theories.
excellent books...i think ishmael 2 with the younger girl was even better than the origional, because i was young myself when i read it and was traveling, so the adventurous nature of the spirited girl appealed to me. Also i think Quinn had some time to crystalize his theory even further. Have yet to read the Story of B, but know it is worth the read. The Celistine Prophosy was a true story and the first two books are unbiased, properly reported in the True Castaneda style. The third book is more of his biased opinions that i really couldn't get into....but you have to understand the first 2 are Worthy to be discussed with the weight i assure them. Profound knoledge in those anceint Insights. It also goes along the same lines as the "Da Vinchi Code" in that the pursuit at the supression of Knoledge has been going on for quite some time and not just with these anceint scrolls in South America and HAARP like connectinos in Appalachia descibed in the Celestine prophosy. It seems there was a mass exodus of information around the time the Church began it's campaign to control the Earth and pimp the Mother (Magdeline) of the Grail, in a desperate massacure and prosecution that tunred out to work somehow. Many of the teachings of Jesus and refrences are reported coming to MesoAmerica and other parts of the world give credence to anceint manuscripts being buried thousands of years ago, although there are many possible sources for such documents. The fact is Jesus was widely mistransled and mis understood purposly, case in point Pagans were his Diciples. It seems Jesus was actually only a member of a much larger society and lineage of Earthly kings, and a God, just as you or I are in our respective universes. It all goes back to the fabricating of the Bible, or the "greatest story ever Sold" where they made up ridiculous guidelines to eliminate any resemblence of Women Worth from the public conscienceness, and Proufoundly compounded Jesus nature worship and miracles attined there such as Divine workings when realy are common acts of knoledge---and thus sever the direct link to the divine for the layman and make him think he has to be confined in a cubit contents of a pew constrained in a cubular box to worship a piece of dead wood to attain $$costly$$ spiritual communicaie. This is the start of the Church's power over who would be the dangerous True king and kings to come , those spunky royal bloods who were so damn idealisticly optimistic and didn't see the need for the accumulation of money and had sex often. Truth be told, read the Da Vinchi Code and we'll pick this up where we left off if you like. These books that are surfacing now in the transition to the age of aquarious at the end of days (which is mis-interpreted by paraniod religious fanatacis with deepl rooted interests in populus control), such as Ishmael (hmm do you think Quinn purposly used the Bible refrence? or coincidence) and the Celestine Prophosy and Da Vinchi Code all give credence to the fact that the SACRED FEMENINE is awakening in the minds and hearts of people once again, and ushering in a new age Truth to replace the now crypticly named "age of reason" and thats what the true end of days means. An end for a beginning, an emergence really Back into the Old World, or in other words, the real World
Agreed, the guy in the first book was a sad case, he was so annoying. I see myself as a combination of the two...one side of me itching and ready to adventure and make changes in the world, the other side just wanting to sit here and talk shit. Lets hope the former prevails.
