Some loose thoughts about “The International”

Some really loose thoughts

Today I am realizing that I have to write about a relatively difficult topic. For me at least.

The International. But first, some context. Anarchism bestows a weird attraction on me since a few years ago. I did not give much thought to it but it has evolved. The one recurring topic is the absence of a proper definition.

On my quest to get more insight into the world of anarchism, I started reading The Spanish Anarchists by Murray Bookchin. So far, the book is quite good, and I am learning way too much about Spanish history. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/murray-bookchin-the-spanish-anarchists

What I did not expect is that there actually have been organizations which could be considered anarchistic and have been quite popular. Also, the connection between socialism, Marxism, and anarchism is getting more and more clear.

So, what is this “International”? Already the name conveys some meaning.

As far as my knowledge goes, the International is an organization that was founded in 1864. The goals of this organization were, or maybe still are:

Defense of the working class, Class struggle against capitalism, Establishment of a socialist society.

Some well-known people that played a role in this association are:

• Karl Marx
• Friedrich Engels
• Mikhail Bakunin
• Louis Auguste Blanqui
• Giuseppe Garibaldi
• and many more

I also want to mention Peter Kropotkin or Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.

At this point, I was already quite surprised. My impression of anarchism today was that there was not a larger body of people or thoughts that could be leveraged. For example, the thoughts of Adam Smith or David Ricardo are quite popular these days.

There was an ongoing debate in the International if these goals should be with the current order or without the current order or order at all.

One end of the spectrum could be represented by Karl Marx while the other end of the spectrum could be considered Mikhail Bakunin. The two engage in some quite interesting intrigue against each other.

This dispute between the authoritarians and the anarchists in the International led to a divide of the organization. This division on ideology seems something that still haunts the left up to today. Most leftist people are sure that it is necessary to secure a better life for workers, laborers, and other people, but they are not sure how to accomplish it.

# Conclusion

To me it is quite impressive that during a time without our current means of communicating, a few people have been able to organize such an influential organization.

Right now I am struggling with whether or not to publish these words, since I haven’t really written much more than “Hey, there was this awesome organization.”

But then I remember the first time I stumbled upon information about these things and how happy I was when I could start to read up on all those characters and ideas.

If you want me to elaborate on a more concrete level, please leave me a comment on what exactly.

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