Thing about "radlib" becoming a memey term these days is that historically radical liberalism has actually been a thing https://twitter.com/corymassimino/status/1296694575604674560

It influenced everything from the Cult of the Supreme Being to Thomas Paine. It could be its own political camp tbh. What tied them all together was ultimate actualization of Enlightenment Values. Some of this was more vulgar & oppressive than others.

But often it overlapped a lot with early socialist & abolitionist struggles. The Radical Republicans of Reconstruction were not Marxists. They were fueled by idealized liberalism.

Now, the Enlightenment was a colonial capitalist project that birthed new forms of authoritarianism. What were the "positive" liberal values then but just bastardized deformations of indigenous & folk values. That's why there's overlap.

They just expressed the closest they could to actual liberatory values & ended up siding with anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, abolitionist struggles.

In the 2010s, the anarchist scene made the mistake of conflating tactics with ideology. In street politics, "liberals" are considered pacifist peace police, "radicals" value diversity of tactics. But militancy isn't an indicator of political views.

Liberals will riot just as much as the left or the far right. After 2016, "radlib" came to describe a faction of the #Resistance that overlapped with the radical street movements that favored militant tactics. I first heard the term by anarchos during big tent organizing meetings

It wasn't til later like 2018 or so that "radlib" began to describe anyone who's political aspirations didn't solely center around getting Bernie Sanders elected POTUS so that's ironic. Funny how terms evolve & migrate rendering them useless

So in terms of how anarchists & affiliated radicals relate to liberalism today, like everything its complicated. 1) I think we need to stop ascribing ideology to tactics. Throwing a brick doesn't make you an anarchist.

2) but also we should have solidarity with those who would throw down wirh us while not necessarily sharing our views & strategies. The riot is apolitical, tending toward insurrectionary. That's the beauty of it & why anarchists are drawn to it.

3) organized liberal institutions & networks play key pacification roles in the state's counterinsurgency strategy. Those are clear collaborators & must be resisted. Division thru tactics can also end up strengthing networks of diverse political camps.

Liberals who join us & assist us in the streets are a different breed than those running the NGOs. It leaves endless possibilities while respecting boundaries & comforts. Ultimately its a recognition of solidarity of action against the system.

So, is radlib still a useful descriptor these days? No. Just call them liberals. Or if they're really onboard with the true struggle: comrade