Portrait of the Anarchist as a Young Man

This whole conception of the Anarchist philosophy originally grew out of a discussion about a hypothetical situation that saw the origins of the Revolutionary League begin in the mind of some poor sod who'd been locked up in the Gatehouse because he was experiencing an unspecified "sickness of the mind". He was believed to have come to the Cage to "infect" others.

This "sickness" was FREE WILL, at least according to the authorities from the world this barmy came from, Ortho. Yes, the authorities were the early precursors of the Harmonium, which suggests that the Revolutionary League began as a striving for freedom against the order imposed by the Hardheads on their homeworld of Ortho.

“I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it call itself my home, my fatherland, or my Church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use—silence, exile, and cunning.”

-- James A. Joyce

"I am the only Anarchist. I believe solely that the greatest point of achievement for all sentient races is the freedom for the individual to express him-, her-, or itself. I see anarchy as a doctrine unhindered by any form of tyrannical or (even) democratic repression. It is about life absent of control from without. I say that the refinement of all sentients will not be properly attained until all governments and political bodies plane-wide are abolished and each and every sentient individual, their inclinations notwithstanding, are left to their own devices... that is, to be left absolutely and utterly free. But anarchy is more than that. As such, I have chosen exile. I have left the confines of the Cage and the supposed "freedoms" of my brother Revolutionists, and I now journey out across the planes... The Outlands, specifically. Before I left the City of Doors I told my brothers in the League that in choosing exile I was leaving everything behind... everything that others have placed on me. And so, this will be my last missive using the "word shackles" imposed upon us by others. I've heard berks call my former brothers and I, erratic, misguided, a faction in name only. Too busy taking three steps sideways when we should have been taking five steps forward. That makes no sense... and yet they call us... me, erratic. My reasons for exile are my own and yet I do this for every sentient. The nomadic shacks that lie in the Cage are not my home. Carceri, as beautiful as it is... is not my home. My home is the path of the nomad, the trail I forge with every step across the barren lands of belief. And I choose the word "barren" on purpose, because to me, these so-called planes of belief are an illusion. They are just another means of restraining the free will of all sentients. Codified, categorized, and systematized. That is what belief across the planescape is like. It is not something felt and it is not something heard. It is what others tell us it is. Others, who have only their own selfish interests at heart. I've never been to the Circle Opposition, but others tell me it is the place of Balance, a place of Equals, and a place of Silence. Silence is an important tool for the Anarchist, or at least, that is what I believe. It is why I have chosen exile. Silence is perhaps the most powerful tool we... no... I can wield against the various concentrations of power that we... that I... face in my everyday life. Silence creates doubt and affirms certainty. I think that in silence anything can be inferred. There is no one answer. No yes/or/no. Silence is the answer of infinity. It says nothing and it says everything. It can be interpreted indefinitely and most importantly, it can be interpreted individually. Silence simply, is anarchy. I see at the heart of my efforts the advocation of silence... The truth of a thousand other possibilities. All the answers and yet also none. Philosophy, belief, and passion. They are the enemies of silence, the enemies of anarchy, of free will. As individuals we are taught to be afraid of the silence. We are taught to fear that which will come out of a silent mind. That is why we grow uncomfortable in silence. In a room full of people who are not speaking... we become disoriented... we become weary. We are taught to believe that silence is strange. So, we surround ourselves with noise... with chatter, and with ruckus. These are the guardians that protect us from the demons hiding in silence. But it is a lie. Allow me to demonstr...

...You were worried for a second there... Weren't you? Go on... admit it to yourself, and you'll be one step closer to breaking the confines others have placed on you. The silence of my words left you confused and angry. Where was the rest of my writing? That's what you were asking yourself. You wanted words. You wanted words because words create comfort for the mind... They trap the power of free will by defining what is in front of you. You wanted something besides silence because the silence between the sections left you floundering. You didn't know what to think nor what to feel. They are the mental crutch your mind uses to make limited sense of the world around you. You don't know any other way because you depend on words... on noise... to define yourself and your interpretation of the reality around you. But your vocabulary is sorely limited. I have seen words undreamt of, but I have not read them. I have felt pictures and heard symbols that have no shape and form, but have not looked upon them or touched them. They are in the silence and the silence is in them. By interpreting them differently I begin to understand the reality beyond the bounds they encompass. I have learned to see free will. I've never held belief in a deity, or a power. Although, I have faith. For some, there is no difference... it's just a matter of spelling. But to those who learn to see for themselves, and embrace the unknown, the silence... there IS a difference. A very big difference. I have faith. I have faith in me and in the spirit of free will. I say that free will *will* strive to heights never before imagined... Soar the highest reaches of ambition and stretch the boundaries of pre-conceived notions, of what we are told we can and cannot do. It will shatter the restraints of enforced worship because belief, in all its forms, is slavery. It will... It will... Can you see now what I'm saying? That the anarchy I strive for isn't just anarchy in politics... but anarchy in everything. So, in reading this... while you still depend on the crutches of word and form, my little "trick" might have at least made you realise that there is some inherent truth to be found in your own silence. You know you felt it when you were reading... It may have been a little frightening... but that in itself is the reason for silence. Listen to silence, look into the dark... open the door in your mind and welcome the demons in. True anarchy awaits..."