A Modern Anarchism

States and corporations concentrate power in the hands of a few, issuing orders the rest of us are expected to obey. If we resist, they have the police, the courts, and the lawmakers, all cozy with CEOs and stockbrokers, to force us back in line. But ordinary people make society run. We build, create, care, deliver, teach, imagine, and maintain. If it were not for the masses, there would be no cushioned chair on which the powerful could sit. So why do those who do the least wield authority over those who do the most? This book is about how to change that. It introduces anarchism, not the “chaos” you were taught to fear, but rather a clear-eyed analysis of hierarchy, a method for transforming society, and a vision of collective freedom. You’ll explore where power comes from, how it can be rebalanced, and what a world without domination could look like. By the end, you may not only understand anarchism but perhaps also call yourself an anarchist. Daniel Baryon is a writer, creator, and organizer. Politicized by the “War on Terror” and radicalized by the 2008 financial crisis, he became active during Occupy Wall Street in 2011. In 2019, frustrated by the lack of in-depth anarchist material online, he launched the YouTube channel Anark to explore anarchist and libertarian socialist theory beyond the standard video essay. In 2020, he cofounded Cooperation Tulsa, an organization dedicated to horizontal power and reclaiming the commons. His work is widely engaged by anarchists and libertarian socialists navigating the contemporary political landscape.