It was just the worst combination of factors, had me so pissed and depressed.
http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.p...&postcount=419 I completely understand where you are coming from on this. Had a very similar experience
Here is another good work by Pannekoek called Public Ownership and Common Ownership.
Herman Gorter is pretty good as well. I have a link to one of his writings on Leninism in my signature. It's called Open Letter To Comrade Lenin. Otto Ruhle also is a really interesting council communist. Here is his writing The Revolution Is Not A Party Affair. Council Communists also like the writings of Rosa Luxembourg.
Well, like I've said, I haven't read much. Other authors besides Pannekoek that are good? Paul Mattick seems legit to me.
Well, I wouldn't say that council communist theorists are anti-union, they are against the traditional union structure and hope for a more revolutionary union that works for revolution and not just reforms.
Well from what I've read so far,and I haven't read much,council communism basically advocates the organizational form of the state/production being in worker's councils(Such as the ones that popped up in Italy, Germany, and Russia during and after WWI). It opposes such things as the "vanguard party" and democratic centralism, which I like. The position on unions is kind of iffy with me, I'm reading Pannekoek and he seems pretty harsh on unions. I can totally understand that, it's pretty obvious that they can indeed just recreate the realities of capitalism within them and even help prop capitalism up(Which I guess happened then and now) but I think unions have in the past shown that they can hold great revolutionary potential. I've never held any belief in elections really. I guess they can be used to put the name out there during the election cycle like the PSL is doing(Putting up a runner for the presidency who is not even constitutionally eligible to be president).But beyond that?
No, I don't believe there are any council communist organizations in the U.S. but there are left communist organizations. What do you believe council communism to be and what do you like/dislike about it?
I'm pretty much debating myself what I am. I'm starting to lean towards the idea of council communism but still not sure what my position is when it comes to the party. Are there even any council communist organizations in the U.S.?
No, I currently have no party affiliations and don't plan to for a while. DeLeonism is the idea that the workers should organize into revolutionary unions and these should be the vehicles for revolution itself. A political party should also be made to fight for the workers on the political front and elections should be utilized. I don't agree with mainly the electionist part of DeLeonism, but I defiantly have some tendencies and sympathies for it. In fact, my sig. contains a writing of Daniel DeLeon's.
