The Anarchist Tension

by Alfredo M. Bonanno

Anarchism is not a concept that can be locked up in a word like a gravestone. It is not a political theory. It is a way of conceiving life. And life, young or old as we may be, is not something definitive. it is a stake we must play day after day. When we wake up in the morning and put our feet on the ground we must have a good reason for getting up. If we don't it makes no difference whether we are anarchists or not. We might as well stay in bed and sleep.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Anarchism

31 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Alfredo Maria Bonanno is a main theorist of contemporary insurrectionary anarchism who wrote essays such as Armed Joy (for which he was imprisoned for 18 months by the Italian government), The Anarchist Tension and others. He is an editor of Anarchismo Editions and many other publications, only some of which have been translated into English. He has been involved in the anarchist movement for over thirty years.

Reviews

[empty handed egalitarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonanno's work is simple, effective and it's able to display ideas (and not opinions as he will tell you) in a poetic yet very realistic way. Miss me with that Conquest of Bread shit! I don't need to know about how shoe factories would have functioned in a 18th century commune, it's all about the tension now!

[r.]

Deci, atunci când acești gentlemeni spun, „Sunteți utopici, voi anarhiștii sunteți visători, utopia voastră nu ar funcționa niciodată”, trebuie să răspundem „Da, e adevărat, anarhismul e o tensiune, nu o realizare, nu o tentativă concretă de a aduce anarhia mâine dimineață”. Dar trebuie să fim de asemenea capabili să spunem „Dar voi, distinși domni democrați, din guvernul care ne controlează viața, voi care credeți că ne puteți pătrunde în capuri, în creiere, care ne guvernați prin opiniile pe care le formați zilnic în ziarele voastre, în universități, școli, etc., ce ați realizat domnilor? O lume în care să merite să trăiești? Sau o lume a morții, o lume în care viața este o afacere, lipsită de orice calitate, de orice însemnătate? O lume în care cineva care ajunge la o anumită vârstă, e pe cale să iasă la pensie, și se întreabă, „Dar ce am făcut cu viața mea? Care a fost sensul trăirii a atâția ani?”

[Akın · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonanno has articulated what I’ve been feeling for a long time and made me realise that I’ve already been working in affinity groups

[Aditya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rocky · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Anyone who thinks about what freedom actually is even for a moment will never again be able to content themselves by simply doing something to slightly extend the freedom of the situations they are living in.”

[Kirbloz]

mi fa arrabbiare. una frase mi trova d'accordo, quella dopo é becero populismo. una frase mi invigora di speranza nella lotta, quella dopo é complottismo anti-intellettuale.
va be ma che cazzo ho un cervello a fare a questo punto

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

changed my life

[Peter Morlion · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit heavy reading for me at times, but interesting nonetheless.

[John Esse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but in my opinion poorly argued.