The Operating System

An Anarchist Theory of the Modern State

Paperback, 170 pages

English language

Published May 17, 2021 by AK Press.

ISBN:
978-1-84935-387-8
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OCLC Number:
1201227075

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4 stars (4 reviews)

One of the most unique aspects of anarchism as a political philosophy is that it seeks to abolish the state. But what exactly is “the state”? The State is like a vast operating system for ordering and controlling relations among human society, the economy, and the natural world, analogous to a digital operating system like Windows or MacOS. Like a state, an operating system “governs” the programs and applications under it and networked with it, as well as, to some extent, the individuals who avail themselves of these tools and resources. No matter how different states seem on the surface they share core similarities, namely:

  • The State is a relatively new thing in world history
  • The State is European in origin and outlook
  • States are “individuals” in the eyes of the law
  • The State claims the right to determine who is a person
  • The State is an instrument of violence …

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Review of 'The Operating System' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I think if I had stopped after chapter five I might have leaned more towards four stars. It's a very readable explanation of what a state is and how it functions and I could see recommending it to ppl who haven't thought much about the state and it's logic, especially how inextricable capitalism is from the state. But there isn't much there there on "shaking off the state" and the listing of state crimes in "why are we against the state" seems like preaching to the choir. Also, and I know this is nitpicky, the quotes from the famous often took away from what was an unusually readable book for this kind of subject matter. And why list Mariam Kaba as listed as Director of Project Nia. Why not just abolitionist? It's not impossible to give credit without credentials. If we are going to stop succumbing to the state's fetisization …

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3 stars
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5 stars