A Mania for Organizing

They reject physical action, in their intentions, by not even contemplating it.* All that remains, then, is intel lectual action. A Mania for Organizing How does one fight for liberty intellectually? The best thing to do even in an "intellectual fight" for liberty, think many, is to "organize." Usually they think in terms of "organizing" someone else to do something instead of organizing their own time and energies. This damaging tactic is indulged in as though "organizing" had the power, somehow, to absolve individuals from doing any more than joining some organization. The fact that organiza tion without persons is an impossible abstraction, is over looked. This mania for "organizing" is usually little more than an effort, doubtless unwitting, to ~ransfer responsi bility from oneself to some other person or persons who are perhaps even less competent. *True, many want a law. But, unfortunately, they do not think of law as based on the principle of violence.

30 Responsibility and authority always go hand in hand. Thus, if this process of organizing succeeds, authority over one's own actions is lost precisely in the degree that re sponsibility is shifted to someone else. The citizen who "wants action," and resorts to this type of tactic, ends up further from his goal than ever. In fact, "organizing," more often than not, is merely an attempt to "pass the buck." Yet, oddly enough, the mere act seems to have the strange power of conferring a sense of accomplishment on the ones who "organize." OrganizationIs Little Understood Organization, though much used, seems to be little un derstood. In the field of extending individual liberty the only role of organization here discussed - organiza tion has strictly limited, technical possibilities.* But, un less these limitations are scrupulously observed, organi zation will inflict on liberty more harm than good; thwart, not abet, the spread of its understanding. Sobering is the thought that if there were no organization there could not possibly be any socialism!