How could anarchy prevent bad people from taking control?

The piece argues that anarchy would change the social conditions that help violent, domineering people rise. If basic needs are met without markets, and if patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy no longer structure society, would-be tyrants lose the systems that support their power. The author also says people already build commons through unions, land trusts, repair cafes, and tool libraries.

Reading notes

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• Anarchy at scale is described as many interconnected societies, not today’s economies of scale.
• A free society that provides basic needs would likely produce less interpersonal violence.
• Patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy are presented as systems that create violence and elevate the worst people into power.
• The tragedy of the commons is called a misunderstood myth, and the real tragedy is the historical theft of the commons.
• The prisoner’s dilemma is treated as a narrow thought experiment that does not match real communal life.
• Free riders are said to be a major problem in capitalism, especially the billionaire class.
• The current state already concentrates violence through government and corporations.
• Modern force-multipliers matter, but the author treats them as part of strategy rather than the core issue.
• An anarchist society is said to be harder to overturn because people would not depend on hierarchy for basic survival.
• The piece ends by saying the road to anarchy requires making collective decisions and overturning the systems that put harmful people at the center.