Rejection of the Government State

Anarchism shares a common disdain for the state's influence over people. In democratic nations, freedom is often just an illusion. The public lacks true sovereignty; real power resides with the elite who control the system. Emma Goldman, a prominent thinker from the past, suggested that voting would be banned if it truly made a difference.

Goldman believed that to be an anarchist, you had to live the ideals yourself. She was a highly influential activist, lecturing continuously across the USA. She was sent to prison several times, was deported, attacked both the US and USSR’s political systems, refused to marry, and campaigned for birth control.

Anarchists view all forms of government as corrupt, to differing degrees, and believe that governing corrupts those who govern. Government denies individual autonomy