council communism

[Global_Justice]

are there any council communists here? im interested in it, can anyone recomend and good writings on it? what are the criticisms of it?

also, is it left communism? because i like the idea of workers councils playing a leading role in revolution and the running of communities, but i dont agree with alot of left communisms ideas, it seems very sectarian.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Left communism and council communism are very similar. I would read some Rosa Luxembourg...

http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/index.htm

And i would buy Pannekeok's "Workers' Councils" too

[Dr. Sex]

are there any council communists here?I dunno if they're around here, but I see myself as a Left Communist so I'll try my best to help you out.


can anyone recomend and good writings on it?Rosa Luxemburg is absolutely essential. Anton Pannekoek's Workers' Councils would help with understanding the nature of the 'councils' referenced in the term Council Communist.

And, of course, there's Paul Mattick. He laid down the framework for what we call "Council Communism" today. He was a large supporter of Luxemburg, who most regard as the mother of Left Communism. He actually wrote an essay entitled Council Communism that you may find interesting.




what are the criticisms of it?

The only really important critique at Left and Council Communism was that of Vladimir Illyich Lenin. His work, Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder, will help you see both sides of the story. Besides the Marxist-Leninist critique there aren't really any additional works of critical analysis worth noting. Paul Mattick has wrote a few articles on Leninism including The Lenin Legend, Leon Trotsky, and Luxemburg versus Lenin.


also, is it left communism?Pretty much. I suppose we could go with that every Council Communist is a Left Communist but not every Left Communist is a Council Communist.


because i like the idea of workers councils playing a leading role in revolution and the running of communities, but i dont agree with alot of left communisms ideas, it seems very sectarian.

Well, most of Left Communism's theorists knew what they were against and strive forcefully against them, and we can observe from history the Left Communists bumped heads most with other Communists, particularly Leninists. I wouldn't call it sectarianism, it's just that ideological differences between these two factions are so strong that there has long been tension between them.

_______________________________

Here's a few basic things to think about, while I'm in the swing of typing.

Council Communism is named so because the main form of social organization is the Workers' Council. This means that workers would self-manage the society and all of its functions in an autonomous and democratic manner.

Council Communism rather strictly rejects the ideas of Vladimir Lenin and all other theorists of Leninism, Bolshevism, and related ideas. Left Communism in itself differs in some way or another with most other forms of Communism.

Council Communism does still include the dictatorship of the proletariat, we are, indeed, Marxists. However, instead of using it as a tool of suppressing counterrevolutionary forces as Leninists do (I don't doubt this would be a priority, but it would not make up the essence of the class dictatorship), Left Communists theorize this:

"The proletariat, when it seizes power [...] should and must at once undertake socialist measures in the most energetic, unyielding and unhesitant fashion, in other words, exercise a dictatorship, but a dictatorship of the CLASS, not of a party or of a clique -- dictatorship of the class, that means in the broadest possible form on the basis of the most active, unlimited participation of the mass of the people, of unlimited democracy." - Rosa Luxemburg


As I said, we are Marxists. We follow Marx's materialism, especially Historical Materialism. We understand and embrace the materialist conception of history. Rosa again confirms this:

"Bourgeois class domination is undoubtedly an historical necessity, but, so too, the rising of the working class against it. Capital is an historical necessity, but, so too, its grave digger, the socialist proletariat."

________________

I hope I've helped out just a little bit.

[Leo]

also, is it left communism?

Yes, council communists do (or did as they don't really exist anymore as organized tendencies) share the notions of left communism, after all they are a part of the left communist tradition. They are completely against national liberation, trade unionism, parliamentarianism, Stalinism, Trotskyism etc.

[Dr. Sex]

(or did as they don't really exist anymore as organized tendencies)

While I proceed to agree that 'Council Communism' was a German radical movement in the 1920's, or at least the origins of Council Communism lie in this movement, I believe that this movement and theorists that would have or did agree with it (Paul Mattick, Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekoek, etcetera) gave birth to an ideology within Left Communism.

I have heard many times that Council Communism does not exist as an ideological persuasion, but I ask them: were the ideas the German movement were based on not Council Communism in and of itself? Are Paul Mattick and Anton Pannekoek not Council Communists? You can even look to my post above and see an ideological basis and theoretical logic in Council Communism.

[Cryotank Screams]

im interested in it, can anyone recomend and good writings on it?

http://www.kurasje.org/
http://www.marxists.org/subject/left-wing/index.htm

[Leo]

While I proceed to agree that 'Council Communism' was a German radical movement in the 1920's, or at least the origins of Council Communism lie in this movement, I believe that this movement and theorists that would have or did agree with it (Paul Mattick, Rosa Luxemburg, Anton Pannekoek, etcetera) gave birth to an ideology within Left Communism.

I have heard many times that Council Communism does not exist as an ideological persuasion, but I ask them: were the ideas the German movement were based on not Council Communism in and of itself? Are Paul Mattick and Anton Pannekoek not Council Communists? You can even look to my post above and see an ideological basis and theoretical logic in Council Communism.Of course council communism made a massive impact among the left communist movement, of course they are a very important part of the left communist tradition. What I mean is that there aren't any council communist groups anymore existing today like the KAPD, or the GIK. The last truly council communists such as Kommunistenbond Spartacus or Daad en Gedachte ceased existing.

[Dr. Sex]

Of course council communism made a massive impact among the left communist movement, of course they are a very important part of the left communist tradition. What I mean is that there aren't any council communist groups anymore existing today like the KAPD, or the GIK. The last truly council communists such as Kommunistenbond Spartacus or Daad en Gedachte ceased existing.

You seemed to make the statement that Council Communism was 'dead', in a way, or perhaps I have interpreted the post before this one quite wrong. However, I agree with you completely.

[Alf]

I've just done post on the council communism and anarchosyndicalism thread in Learning which covers very similar ground.