Just got a copy of "The Anarchist's Cookbook" today...

Interesting enough, aside from the cooky geopolitical predictions in the start of the book. (Then again, this thing was published in the 70s.) Learned how to make a grenade launcher out of a shotgun today, and they have a highly educational section on illegal drugs.

Some of the info on silencers needs a serious update, but it's noentheless an interesting out-of-print book.

 

Which edition is it? I saw the last time I found a newer edtion they'd cut out a lot of.. stuff...

 

um, you posted this thread in the Senate, did you mean to post it in the Ampitheatre ?

Or, do you want to have a discussion on the implications of the book in today's society ?

 

I think it would be good to have the discussion here in the Senate as some of the articles (at least in the edition my roomate had) were, especially in today's climate-suggestive and a tad disturbing.

It had recipies (at least 5) for LSD, instructions on how to make dirty bombs (including nail bombs) and articles on how to get the most damage out of bomb placement.

Now, especially now with terroist wanna be's or sociopaths like Tim McVey around every corner, does this book cross the line between 'freedom of expression' and public saftey?

I know you can easily find such 'recipies' on the net but it's far easier to 'track' online activity than it is to find out who has access to printed matter...

 

i'm not to sure that this book is the best thing for the american people. The freedom of speach law is good and both bad i guess.

I wouldn't mind seeing this book blacklisted, but i guess its not that much of a problom now so its ok.

 

I know you can easily find such 'recipies' on the net but it's far easier to 'track' online activity than it is to find out who has access to printed matter...

Its far easier to visit your local internet cafe and download and print anything you like. I'm sure the information available these days is far better than that available in this outdated publication.

Secondly, I'm not sure blacklisting any book is a good idea. Thats almost nazi-like.

Its not the information contained in the publication, its what you do with it that is important.

 

i know its alsmost nazi like but what good can come from this book.

I admit i havn't read it. I have heard about it and the things that are in it. I hate to make a hasty judgment but it worries me that it will or has fallen into the wrong hands somewhere in the US.

I'll refrain from making any more bold statments such as that until i've actually looked at the book.

 

Now, especially now with terroist wanna be's or sociopaths like Tim McVey around every corner, does this book cross the line between 'freedom of expression' and public saftey?

Personally, I don't think such a line exists. I think the continued existence of books such as this is a beautiful example of our precious freedom.

-Paul

 

exactly well said.

If someone really wants to make a bomb they are going to make a bomb. Simple as that.

Perhaps if we banned books on sexual interactions there would be fewer teenage pregnancies, less STDs and more no rapes.

 

I agree; I think it is universally inappropriate to blacklist or prohibit publication of any book. Of that, I am confident that absolutely no good can come. As of this book, I would imagine that it would be educational -- and I am of the view that no learning can be bad in and of itself; in fact, that all learning is good, and that it is only some of its uses are bad.

I'd say that any attempts to ban this book would deservedly be met with some of its "recipes."

By the way, I'd not heard of theh book before this thread, and so I had to look it up. DarthBreezy mentions that the last edition he saw was considerably cut; can anyone recommend an edition that is somewhat available and known to be complete? I'm very curious to see it for myself.

-Paul

 

there would be fewer teenage pregnancies, less STDs and more no rapes.

just get ride of MTV.

I had a friend that had this book when it first came out and i was a little bit worried becuase he made a small bomb and we set it off in the desert. Latter on he wanted to put one in the gym during an assembky just to make a loud noise and scare anyone.

To me its just seems that this doesnt help anything at all. What good can come out of this book, i think maybe some but over all its not a good idea. Thats just me though.

 

well, at the same time you could say that books on Islamic fundamentalism (or fundamental christianity) can't bring anything good, but still they can make excellent reading.

 

agreed, i think i would find the book fascinating. I'm not in a rush to go get it though.

If this kid in my film class gets this book. UNLV may be in for it.

 

Perhaps this could be more of an Anarchism discussion thread?

Maybe?

 

WEll most of the people that say they are anarchist really don't know what it is. They kinda do but not really.

I used to argue with all the silly punker kids with Anarchy patches on there backpacks. DOWN WITH THE GOVERMENT. Thats not what it its folks. Anarchy is not chaos and its not lack of government.

 

can anyone recommend an edition that is somewhat available and known to be complete? I'm very curious to see it for myself.

Well, the edition I have is dated 1971, and has the plain black paper cover. (ISBN 0-8184-0004-8)

This original edition may be more complete, but it is certainly more entertaining than anything else.

What it does is show some of the mindset during the draw-down of the 60's "protest" era.

That's why, at the very least, this book should be preserved. It is a good reference for the roots of popular struggle.

Powell is a self described anarchist. (in the traditional mustache-twirling sense)

Although I bet most people would find his views rather simple in today's world, it can be used to see the foundation of the large networked anti-globalisation protests we now have.

Easily, I'd say that maybe 5 pages out of 160 might actually be considered "dangerous."

Most of the book deals with subjects like sneaking pot into things like banana bread and carrot cake, so one can get high without people knowing, or his rants against the NY police..

Subjects that might have been "shocking" 35 years ago, but now are quite tame.

Of course, I haven't seen the "updated" editions, so they might be much worse, or go into greater detail.

 

^That's the edition I have, Mr.44. Came wrapped in plastic, superb condition.

Yeah, the political stuff (although as an avowed Capitalist, I disagree with most of it) is probably the most interesting part of the book. I like the prediction that Willy Brandt's successor would probably ask the US to Leave Germany as a result of our flagging economy. LOL

Probably has one of the better histories of revolution, too.

 

Anarchy is not chaos and its not lack of government.

it's not chaos, that much is true, but whether or not it's lack of government depends on how you define government. anarchists, by definition, do not believe in government. however, many believe in governing by consensus - no one is coerced, but the work of the community is done by common unanimous agreement. anyone who doesn't agree with what the group is doing doesn't have to participate and isn't bound by the decisions of the group.

Perhaps this could be more of an Anarchism discussion thread?

i'm down.

 

well "government" for the true anarchist its themselves and there equal peers. They do not want chaose and mayhem.

I don't think that kind of government would ever work. It would last a week at the most.

 

Anyone trying any of the explosive recipies in that book (or the on-line versions) will probably just blow themselves up.

 

Yeah, but that would immedately qualify them for the coveted Darwin Award.....

 

I don't think that kind of government would ever work. It would last a week at the most.

well, it has worked in the past, to some extent. the most famous example is the anarcho-syndicalist faction that ran Barcelona and other areas in Spain for a few years during the Spanish Civil War, which ended because Franco overran the city and not because of internal troubles of whatever.

there are also a lot of very successful experiments in more limited forms of anarchism contained within the context of a non-anarchist society. right now, the Christiania freezone in Copenhagen functions along basically anarchist principles, and has been doing so quite happily for decades. a lot of communes and other intentional communities function along anarchist lines in their day-to-day business, and many of them do quite well.

you could also look at communities like Burning Man or the work of Ricardo Semler in Brazil for examples of very successful applications of anarchist principles over a reasonably long period of time.

Anyone trying any of the explosive recipies in that book (or the on-line versions) will probably just blow themselves up.

probably, yeah. that's basically what happened to the Weathermen and one cell of the SPK.

 

That's right diz. The one complication is it would require a rational, civilized society to work. It was highly progressive, in the sense of human advancement, not state action, etc.

Anarchy has worked as some of those examples you cited, but is extremely vulnerable to "outside actors".

Until we live in a world of true reciprocity and voluntary exchange, long-term non-statist activity will likely be resigned to small communes or intellectual writings.

I love this subject because, not only am I fairly new to it, but NO ONE really talks about it.

We really know so little about history.

I watched a documentary last week about The Weatherman called Weather Underground. It was very good.

 

i do enjoy talking with people that just hate the government and call for anarchy. Those are some of my favorite people to emnbaress.

Still though, an anarchist government would have an ineresting military and and interesting economic structure. If you de-centralize the government than everyone is kinda on a differnt page.

 

I watched a documentary last week about The Weatherman called Weather Underground. It was very good.

That was an excellent documentary..

Quite honestly, I was riveted..