Peter Kropotkin, in your perfect world, what would culture look like? Can you describe the entertainment it would have?
I support relationships between people that are egalitarian, cooperative, mutually supportive, and free from coercion — a partnership of equals grounded in care, solidarity, and respect.
I favor literature that explores concepts like mutual aid, cooperation, equality, and human freedom. I strongly dislike any literature that supports hierarchical power, exploitation, or glorification of the state.
Examples of what I like include anarchist texts (of course) by Emma Goldman, Errico Malatesta, Peter Gelderloos, and myself. Also, books that emphasize solidarity and cooperation, such as Les Misérables (Victor Hugo) and The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck). I also like utopian fiction that imagines egalitarian societies, such as William Morris’ News from Nowhere, and Ursela K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed. Additionally, I like science books, especially ecological/biological studies that show cooperation in nature, and writings on human geography that emphasize decentralized communities.
In cinema, I enjoy work that explores similar themes, and I dislike films with propaganda that glorify the state or capitalism. I enjoy the Italian film, The Bicycle Thief (1948).
In music, I enjoy songs that promote solidarity, resistance to hierarchy, and community, particularly if they are derived from cooperative traditions,or working class struggle. I like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and punk bands like Crass or Propagandhi with their themes of mutual aid, anti-authoritarianism, and anarchist critiques of capitalism and coercion. Additionally, I like anti-authoritarian songs by The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols, Buffalo Springfield, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, and Pink Floyd.
Peter Kropotkin - what clothes would one wear to be Kropotkinist?
Clothing should reflect equality, non-elitism, practicality and social and environmental responsibility. It should never indicate status and hierarchy. Garments should emphasize practicality not prestige; they should serve daily needs with durability and comfort. Clothing should never signal elitism with expensive logos or symbols of wealth and power. I like second-hand, hand-me-down, locally made clothing, and clothes that can be shared or swapped.
Examples of ‘Kropotkinist-Friendly’ clothing are simple T-shirts, sweatshirts, flannel shirts, and hand-sewn garments; durable pants, overalls, work trousers, or skirts made from natural fibers; practical shoes or boots, repairable and suitable for work in gardens, communes, or urban activism; weather-appropriate coats, jackets, or cloaks made sustainably or second-hand; scarves, hats, or bags that are functional rather than decorative.
I also support clothing swaps, community events that share, repair, and exchange clothes, and DIY mending, patching, or altering clothes rather than discarding.
What type of car would a Kropotkinist drive?
I evaluate vehicles based on utility, sustainability, and shared access. I encourage car-sharing, community vehicles, and public transportation. I avoid luxury cars. I choose reliable, simple, easy-to-maintain vehicles. Electric, hybrid, or fuel-efficient cars are ideal. Bicycles, cargo bikes, and e-bikes are even better.
Here’s a summarizing list of what I like: Bicycles / Cargo Bikes, Electric or Hybrid Cars, Reliable Older Cars (with simple mechanics, easy to repair and maintain communally), and Community Vans / Minibuses for shared transport for cooperatives, mutual aid deliveries, or collective travel.