Radical K-9s: A tribute to anarchist dogs

Anarchist and His Dog, The (1907)

In spite of widespread public fear of aliens and anarchists, films could often poke fun at these despoilers of the British way of life. Indeed, many of the films featuring anarchists were comedies, among them Jimson Joins the Anarchists (1911); The Baby and the Bomb (1911), in which a baby frustrates an anarchist plot; George Robey Turns Anarchist, PC Nabben and the Anarchists and Pimple, Anarchist (all 1914).
Here, the anarchist (in the usual beard) makes increasingly violent advances to a woman. She is rescued by an honourable Englishman who sees off the foreigner. Planning his dastardly revenge, the anarchist is outwitted by his dog, which retrieves the bomb, blowing up his master.


Anarchist Dogs




1968 has been called the Year of Revolutions. We had riots in America and Paris, a Spring in Prague, mass demonstrations against the Vietnam war. 1969 saw the ferment continue…in Swansea at least. Swansea students had mass sit-ins, and marches across a stretch of the Mumbles road. We fought for a pedestrian bridge and mixed sex Halls of Residence. Europe trembled.

There were stirrings in the Anarchist camp too. Ian Bone had an anarchist dog accessorized with a small red and black flag around its collar. The image may have sparked the idea, that or the beer. Why do we fight for the liberation of man…what about dogs?

Comrades, what about dogs?

Rhetoric turned into action.

Singleton Park encircled much of the University. Behind it was a compound for unwanted dogs. One dark night the compound was raided and the dogs released. Singleton Park resounded to the eager barking of dogs, packs of them roaming through bushes and trees searching for bones and Bakuninist truths. Not exactly Reservoir Dogs but a victory of sorts.

(With thanks to Rick Lewis)


The Anarchist: His Dog

After a whole day of walking around thinking about it--his eyes burning, his heart pounding--he decided that the thing to do was to warn the policeman by writing a letter. He did not know whether real anarchists warned them or not, but Stubby couldn't get reconciled to the idea of killing a person without telling him you were going to do it. It seemed that even a policeman should be told--especially a policeman who played with a dog.

The following letter was pencilled by a shaking hand, late that afternoon. It was written upon a barrel in the Lynch wood-shed, on a piece of wrapping paper, a bristly little head bending over it:

To the Policeman who comes to take my dog 'cause I ain't got the two fifty--'cause I tried but could only get one eighty--'cause a man was off his nut and didn't pay me what I earned--

This is to tell you I am an anarchist and do not believe in the government or the law and the order and will shoot you when you come. I wouldn't a been an anarchist if I could a got the money and I tried to get it but I couldn't get it--not enough. I don't think the government had ought to take things you like like I like Hero so I am against the government.

Thought I would tell you first.

Yours truly,

F. LYNCH.

I don't see how I can shoot you 'cause where would I get the revolver. So I will have to do it with the butcher knife. Folks are sometimes killed that way 'cause my father read it in the paper.

If you wanted to take the one eighty and leave Hero till I can get the seventy I will not do anything to you and would be very much obliged.

1113 Willow street.

The letter was properly addressed and sealed--not for nothing had Stubby's teacher given those instructions in the art of letter writing. The stamp he paid for out of the dime the man gave him to get a soda with--and forget his troubles.


Schipperke

The Schipperke look more like foxes when they are mature, and like little bears when they are young pups. They are bright, intelligent, and obstinate hence the designation Little Captain, they push their way around. They are the perfect anarchist dog and the perfect dog for an anarchist.




Plants, Dogs and Anarchy

I am just wondering about youse anarchists here. I am not asking a stupid question, just really wondering. You reckon there should be no borders and people should be able to roam free and there should be no gaols and communities should deal with offenders but what about blackberry bush, lantana, annual ragweed, cabomba, camel thorn, castor oil plant, madeira vine, water hyacinth, witchweed, and all those other plantsome nasties.
Are plants entitled to anarchy also? Do you reckon nature will sort it all out in the end? Does it matter if lantana chokes out native plants?
Should anarchy reign in the plant world?
And then there are animals of course. Would it be OK for your roaming-free persons to bring along some elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, iberian lynxes, greater bamboo lemurs, etc, to keep them company?
Should there be animal anarchy or is it restricted to humans? After all, I share 85% of my genes with my dog. So he's almost human. Or I'm almost dog, one or the other.
In any event he's definitely an anarchist dog.




Smashing the state one dog at a time

This anarchist dog proceeded to tell me about liberating the proletariat from the leashes of their corporate masters.

And then rolled over for me.

A song for Kanelos