CrimethInc. Convergence in Harper’s

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The 2006 CrimethInc. convergence is described in this month’s issue of Harper’s. The subcollective responsible for maintaining this blog is divided about this description; some of us consider the author’s story a facile caricature of politicized dropouts, while others [hereafter appearing as “Ed.”] find his depiction of the convergence as even-handed and honestly introspective as any non-anarchist mainstream journalist could be expected to pen. On one hand, the author suggests that the convergence kitchen was likely to give everyone dysentery [seems more like a joke at the author’s expense than anything.—Ed.], an aspersion we challenge anyone to substantiate, and at another point, he causes one character to parrot a cliché straight out of some Maoist anti-dropout screed: “I’m glad everyone’s so wasteful … It supports my lifestyle.” [Not in the convergence section, however.—Ed.] On the other hand, he allows that the convergence itself is intelligently self-organized, is envious of the freedom and initiative of the participants, and ultimately only faults them for potentially being “naïve” and “idealistic.”

Anyway, be it hatchet job or principled journalism, here it is; the section about the convergence appears on page 62.