8/6/2019 The Anarchist Cookbook - Extract

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A prefatory note on Anarchism todayby P. M. Bergman

This is a bruta! book-sensual, rude, coarse, and cruel.However, it is timely and well-written, even witty. Professionally and painstakingly, ali possible informative instructions for individuai actions of destruction having a presumably social effect are detailed bere.There is no politica! merit in publishing this book; it isnot a cali to action. For the real Hippy and Yippy, especially for the rebellious student, it hardly contains anythingbasic that he does not already know. I believe that it isusually the "square guy" who wants to know what is goingon, though (or because) shocked and even tantalized bysuch subjects. More often than not it is the subscriber toReader's Digest and Time who constitutes the literary market for such boring commodities as, for example, GamesPeople Play.

Stili, the present book is an importnt reftection ofAmerican Anarchism. I t has its historical precedent in asmilar "Cookbook" which was published in many editionsand sold openly around the turn of the century (by theAnarchist headquarters, at the time in New York City,167 William Street). Its title was Science of RevolutionaryWarfare-A Handbook of Instruction regarding the Useand Manufacture of Nitroglycerine, Dynamite, Gun-Cotton, Fulminating Mercury, Bombs, Arsons, Poisons, etc.The book was written by the Anarchist J. H. Most, whowas the teacher of Emma Goldman.*

* Johann Joseph Most (1846-1906), a bookbinder by trade, wasone of the first Marxist deputies to the German Reichstag. He wrotethe first popularization of Capitai. For bis very radica! publicationsagainst religion and patriotism, he was severa! times imprisoned,

We live in an age of anarchy both abroad aat home.

-President Richard M. NixConfronted with a choice, the American peopwould choose the policeman's truncheon avthe Anarchist's bomb.-Vice President Spiro T. AgnThe revolutionary reaches beyond dissent nihilism and anarchy.-Mayor John V. Linds

I believe it to be very characteristic that such a boappeared only in this country. The same is true of the prent "Cookbook." One might think this is because of tAmerican constitutional "freedom of speech." But in othcountries even the clandestine Iiterature does not, so farI know, show any similarities to such a "Cookbook." Blaqui's famous "Instructions far Insurrection" concentraon mass actions ( even if initiated by lites) like the buiing of barr icades-something which neither Most's Sciennor the present "Cookbook" gives any attention to. And thin fact, expresses the basic difference-1 think the only dference, even-between what is usually called Anarchiand revolutionary Marxism. I would like to go further aemphasize the specific nature of American Anarchism wiout denying that this Iocal form stili is Anarchism.The word "Anarchism" as used in the present bomight be somewhat misleading, even a misnomer. As ofhappens, it is confused with "Nihilism"-a word whWendell Phillips favorably used after it was introduced Turgenjev in Fathers and Sons. I t frequented Russian Iitature until the time of Artzybashev. The chapter on ncotics, therefore, belongs to the present book. "Free Lavand in 1878 had to ftee Germany. In England, because of extreme Anarchist views, Most broke with Marx and, after serveighteen months at hard labor for advocating regicide, he emigrain 1882 to the United States. Here he was, at the time of the Hmarket Square riot, considered the inspiration of radicalism throuout the country, but later, during the Homestead strike, Most spout against Berkman's assault on Henry Clay Frick. He was prisoned for alleged sedition after the assassination of PresidMcKinley.

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