Boomer Hat Learns About Italian Anarchism

     We're half way through our trip, and how time has flown! This entire adventure has been a whirlwind of beautiful sights, lots of activities, and some of the best memories I've ever made. From hiking in Cinque Terre, to wandering through the booths of the antique's fair, last week was simply incredible. It also offered several great learning experiences, one of which I will write about today.
     While Boomer Hat and I were walking down Corso Italia, we noticed graffiti dotting the walls of several shops. The graffiti just so happened to be the symbol for anarchy: The letter A within the letter O.

This symbol stands for some of the main values which Anarchists profess. The A stands for Anarchy, and it is surrounded by an O that stands for Order, which put together stands for the belief that "Anarchy is the Mother of Order". This symbol actually originated in Spain, but it was initiated by Giuseppe Fanelli, a revolutionary Italian Anarchist. The symbol was then adopted by a youth group in Milan in 1968, and has spread across Italy since then. For more information on the symbol and its history, check out the Wikipedia article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_symbol#Circle-A

     Anarchism has been popular in Italy for quite some time, but it's currently making a resurgence amongst the Italian youth. Although widely held to be a movement of rebelliousness and free-for-all disorder, it is actually rather elegant in it's tenets. Because of the many different variations that can be found within Anarchy, it is best to be viewed as a philosophy rather than a set form of rules. Anarchists tend to champion a stateless society, arguing for a system without any form of aggression.

     Boomer Hat and I have noticed that every school we have visited so far has mentioned something negative about the amount of bureaucracy which runs rampant within Italy. Teachers, administrators, and other people we have gotten to speak with have all discussed how difficult it is to make changes when every attempt comes with a long, drawn-out process. To better understand the heart of the issues that many Italians are facing, and why they might turn to Anarchy as a viable option, Boomer Hat and I decided to read Bastiat's "The Law", which is commonly held to be a great starting point for those interested in Anarchy. A link to the work can be found here:

http://www.constitution.org/cmt/bastiat/the_law.html

In it, Bastiat claims that the only role of the government should be to defend man's right to life, liberty, and property. He also makes the point that laws should only take the "negative form".  He says, "this negative concept of law is so true that the statement, 'the purpose of the law is to cause justice to reign,' is not a rigorously accurate statement. It ought to be stated that the purpose of the law is to prevent injustice from reigning" (Bastiat). Judging by the hands-off, individual centered system which Bastiat lays out, Boomer Hat and I could better understand why Anarchism might be gaining in popularity where it seems like many people feel stifled by their government.

     We are loving getting to not only experience more of Italy everyday but also to learn about the inner workings as well as the popular attitudes of the people. This has been a great opportunity to get to know more about a different culture in a very different part of the world, and can't wait to see what the rest of the trip brings!
 
        Love,
              Adrienne and Boomer Hat

Straight Edge + Sooner Pride