"so let me get this straight. anarcho-syndicalist's believe the governments sole purpose is to protect the people? I was under the impression that anarchists are totally opposed to government."
The most basic skill in debate is to seek to understand the other person's point of view before you dismiss it out of hand. You have failed to grasp even the most basic tenet of anarcho-syndicalism. Perhaps this time you should read it more slowly, aloud. Usually involving more than one sense will help with comprehension and retention of difficult reading matter.
"The term "Anarcho-Syndicalism" probably originates in Spain, where, according to Murray Bookchin, anarcho-syndicalist characteristics were present in the labour movement from the early 1870's -- decades before they appeared anywhere else. [1] "Anarcho-Syndicalism" refers to the theory and practise of revolutionary industrial unionism developed in Spain and also later France and elsewhere towards the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century.
The use of such a long and syllable-intesive word to describe a radical social movement stems from the need in the countries where it first developed to distinguish itself from its reformist counterparts. "Sindicalismo" in Spanish, for example, simply means "Unionism"; the addition of the "Anarco" prefix denotes the libertarian branch of the union movement, or that which aims not only at day-to-day improvements in working conditions under capitalism, but also eventually at a fundamental improvement in the social distribution of decision-making power and access to resources -- not simply "bigger cages and longer chains" -- through social revolution.
While it might seem redundant to do so, "Anarcosindicalismo" is generally translated into English as "Anarcho-Syndicalism", and not, as one might otherwise expect, as "Anarcho-Unionism." It is true that the English word "Syndicalism" has the same distinguishing effect as the Spanish "Anarcosindicalismo", and that it can be and is used to describe essentially the same type of activity, particularly by those keen to avoid dogmatism and a sort of "ivory tower" mentality . While this is so, the prefixed version is generally used for reasons of straightforwardness and consistency within the libertarian labour movement.
1. The labour movement referred to is in fact the Spanish section of the First International, many of its leading lights heavily influenced by anarchist ideas. M. Bookchin, The Spanish Anarchists, New York; Harper Colophon, 1978, pp. 9-10.
The basic principles of anarcho-syndicalism are workers' solidarity, direct action and self-management. They are the manifestation in daily life of the application to the workers' movement of the libertarian principles of anarchism. The anarchist philosophy which inspires these basic principles also defines their purpose; that is, to be a tool of self-emancipation from wage-slavery, and as a means of working towards Libertarian Communism.
<a href='http://www.anarchosyndicalism.org/faq/' target='_blank'>Click Here for More</a>
/
I like Bush for the following reasons:
