So here I am, at Left Communism. Let's see if I get this...

  1. Kamos - 14th October 2011, 16:42
    Alright, so I've pretty left the Marxist-Leninist camp pretty much over the last few months. Though I still agree with Lenin on many things the tendency as a whole is just not exactly right for me. Since then I've been thinking what I really am - not because I really want to box myself in a tendency but rather because I want to know who is thinking similarly to me.
    So, what I've gathered after a bit of reading is that Left Communists pretty much accept the need for a workers' state and an organised revolutionary movement but reject the overly authoritarian practices of the Bolshevik Party and other such parties. This workers' state would be organised as workers' councils. In addition, it seems to me that they also oppose "national liberation" movements and focus only on revolutionary struggle and internationalism.
    Am I correct on this? 'Cause all of this sounds pretty appealing to me and I'm thinking if I may have found it. Finally, are there any important points I missed and is there any especially Left Communist-oriented reading I could go through?
  2. Alf
    Alf - 14th October 2011, 17:55
    Hello and well done for breaking with 'marxist-leninism', which generally means a form of Stalinism - which most left communists would see as a political tendency produced by and furthering the capitalist counter-revolution.
    There are different views among left communists regarding the form and role of the state in the period of transition but most would certainly see the necessity for power to be in the hands of workers' councils and similar mass organs (and not of a minority group or party). Again, the majority recognise the need for a revolutionary political organisation or party and acknowledge the contribution of Lenin but disagree with a number of his views, including support for national liberation struggles. The following ICC text tries to give a synthetic view of the left communist tradition: en.internationalism.org/the-communist-left
  3. Kamos - 15th October 2011, 10:56
    Hello and well done for breaking with 'marxist-leninism', which generally means a form of Stalinism - which most left communists would see as a political tendency produced by and furthering the capitalist counter-revolution.
    There are different views among left communists regarding the form and role of the state in the period of transition but most would certainly see the necessity for power to be in the hands of workers' councils and similar mass organs (and not of a minority group or party). Again, the majority recognise the need for a revolutionary political organisation or party and acknowledge the contribution of Lenin but disagree with a number of his views, including support for national liberation struggles. The following ICC text tries to give a synthetic view of the left communist tradition: en.internationalism.org/the-communist-left
    This is pretty useful, thanks. Although the link doesn't open... (en.internationalism.org opens, but not with the part after the slash.) All in all, seems like left communism might be pretty close to my beliefs.
  4. Alf
    Alf - 15th October 2011, 11:27
    yes, sorry there seems to be a glitch there. i will look into it. But will be out of internet contact for a week or so - hopefully another comrade can fix it. Meanwhile, the first part has been republished recently in our US paper and this should work: http://en.internationalism.org/inter/160/com-left
  5. Paulappaul
    Paulappaul - 16th October 2011, 00:02
    So, what I've gathered after a bit of reading is that Left Communists pretty much accept the need for a workers' state and an organised revolutionary movement but reject the overly authoritarian practices of the Bolshevik Party
    The rejection of the Bolsheviks for "authoritarianism" seems more from the Anarchist and Councilist camp then the Left Communist camp. The German/Dutch Left in its early years centered around Gorter's critique of Bolshevism which said basically that in Capitalism's "weak link" (aka Russia) the right revolutionary tactics were different then those in Capitalism strongest points - America, Britain, Germany. The critique rested in materialistic analysis, rather then in a purely ideological one between Authoritarianism and Demcracy. Infact Gorter and the early German/Dutch left wanted a small, centralized vanguard party, with exception to those around Ruhle and later Pannekoek in the AAUD.

    Bordiga in Italy was infact anti - democratic. The whole Italian Left by anarchist and anti - authoritarian standards could be claimed to be "authoritarian" and "bolshevik".

    Left Communists reject Bolshevism as the universal model for all revolutions, but accept that under certain conditions its practices are acceptable.