Is anarchism possible? The failure of attempts to attain freedom

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host

The evening air was cool, the city lights flickering in the distance like a thousand small, silent beacons. Outside, the hum of the world continued in its usual rhythm — the distant sound of traffic, the chatter of pedestrians moving along the sidewalks, the ever-present pulse of the urban jungle. But inside the small apartment, there was a stillness that hung between the two of them, the quiet settling over them like a heavy blanket.

Jack sat by the window, his gaze lost in the view of the skyline, though his mind was far from the outside world. His fingers drummed lightly on the edge of the windowsill, a sign of the tension that had been building in him all day. He had always been someone who grappled with ideas, but today, there was a particular weight in the air, something pressing on his chest that he couldn’t quite name.

Jeeny was across the room, standing near a bookshelf, her hand lightly brushing the spines of the books as her eyes remained fixed on him. She could sense the shift in the air, the quiet storm that was swirling in his mind. The question she had been wanting to ask hung between them, waiting for the right moment to be brought to light.

Host: The evening seemed to hold its breath, waiting for something to stir.

Jeeny: Her voice, when it came, was soft, but there was a quiet urgency in it. “Jack, I read something today, and it made me think of you. It’s from Johann Most. He said, ‘Is anarchism possible? The failure of attempts to attain freedom does not mean the cause is lost.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: His eyes flickered over to her, the question hanging between them. He turned slowly in his chair, his gaze drifting back to the window. “That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? Anarchism—the idea of a world without hierarchies, without control, without the structures that bind us to systems we didn’t choose. It sounds like a dream, something impossible. And maybe it is.”

He paused, the weight of his own thoughts catching up with him. “But at the same time, the failure of attempts to achieve that doesn’t mean the cause is lost. It means there’s something there worth fighting for, even if we don’t know how to get there yet.”

Jeeny: She stepped closer, her eyes focused on him, her voice gentle, but filled with the depth of her belief. “I think that’s the thing, Jack. Anarchism isn’t just about tearing everything down. It’s about creating something different, something that doesn’t rely on power and control. It’s about imagining a world where we’re all free, where freedom isn’t a privilege, but a basic right for everyone.”

Her voice softened, as though she were speaking more to herself than to him. “The fact that it hasn’t been fully realized doesn’t make it a lost cause. It just means we haven’t found the right way yet. And maybe that’s the hardest part — accepting that the path to true freedom isn’t clear. But it’s still worth trying, still worth fighting for.”

Jack: He leaned back in his chair, his expression a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. “I get what you’re saying, I really do. But isn’t the failure part of it what makes it so difficult to embrace? We’ve seen so many movements, so many attempts to change the system, to make things better, and time and time again, they get crushed. It’s easy to feel like those failures define the cause.”

He looked at her, his voice quieter now, a touch of frustration creeping in. “But when does the fight end? When does the struggle stop feeling like it’s leading to something, and just feel like defeat after defeat?”

Jeeny: Her gaze was steady, her voice soft but unwavering. “The thing is, Jack, freedom isn’t something you find in a single moment, in one grand act. It’s not about a single victory — it’s about the fight itself. It’s about the process, about creating change that doesn’t look the same every time. Just because we haven’t seen the world shift in the way we want doesn’t mean the fight isn’t important.”

She moved closer, her hand resting lightly on the arm of his chair. “And it’s not about winning all the time. It’s about challenging the systems that oppress us, questioning the things that bind us. Each failure is just another step closer to understanding how we can create something different.”

Jack: He looked down at his hands, the weight of her words sinking in, though there was still a lingering doubt in his eyes. “But what if that’s the problem? What if we’re fighting for something that will never be fully realized? What if we’re chasing an ideal that doesn’t exist, a world that’s too far out of reach?”

Jeeny: She smiled softly, her voice carrying the quiet strength of someone who had accepted the struggle for what it was. “I don’t think it’s about realizing a perfect world, Jack. It’s about realizing that the fight itself is what matters. Every action we take, every small victory, every time we challenge the systems that hold us down — that’s part of what makes us free.”

She paused, looking out the window at the world outside, her voice full of peace. “The path isn’t easy, and it’s not always clear. But that doesn’t mean the fight isn’t worth it. The freedom we seek is in the struggle, in the resilience to keep going, even when we don’t have all the answers. We may never fully reach that ideal world, but we can keep making it better, piece by piece.”

Jack: He sat quietly for a long moment, the silence between them filled with the weight of her words. His expression softened, a sense of clarity breaking through his earlier frustration. “I think I see now. It’s not about the final destination. It’s about how we get there, about the changes we make along the way, no matter how small.”

He looked at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Maybe it’s about finding freedom in the fight itself, in the willingness to keep going even when we don’t have all the answers.”

Jeeny: She nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. “Exactly. The path is what shapes us, what teaches us. It’s not the outcome that matters most — it’s the fact that we keep striving, that we keep challenging, that we keep believing that a different world is possible.”

Host: The room was still, but the air between them had shifted. The earlier tension had melted away, replaced by a deeper understanding. Jack sat back in his chair, a quiet peace settling in as he allowed the conversation to resonate within him.

Outside, the city continued its rhythm, the world moving forward as it always did. But inside, there was the realization that the fight for freedom wasn’t about perfection or immediate success. It was about the struggle, the willingness to challenge, and the resilience to keep going, even when the path wasn’t clear.

In that moment, Jack and Jeeny both understood that the cause wasn’t lost — it was alive, and it was in the fight itself.

End Scene.