Contemporary internatiomnalist, class struggle anarchism and left communism

  1. Thirsty Crow
    Thirsty Crow
    Hi all,

    To be frank, I didn't really think out my basic opinion on the stuff I wish to discuss (or better yet, hear your opinions), and I'd like some input on this.

    So, the basic question is what differentiates, in political and theoretical terms, the two revolutionary currents as listed in the thread title. The question itself is based on the recognition of internationalist class struggle anarchism as such by organizations such as the ICC (also, it would be advisable to broaden this to views on revolutionary anarchism by discussing other groups and currents, within contemporary left communism, attitudes).

    And just to steer the discussion in a specific direction, I don't think it's useful to draw the line on Marxism - as it seems to me that the currents in question do adopt core tenets of historical materialism (so it would be preferable to avoid the mythic and historical split within the First International).
  2. Devrim
    Devrim
    Just a quick comment, I think that one of the biggest differences is in membership requirements, i.e. how much you have to agree with to join. I also think this has lots if important implications.

    Devrim
  3. Thirsty Crow
    Thirsty Crow
    Just a quick comment, I think that one of the biggest differences is in membership requirements, i.e. how much you have to agree with to join. I also think this has lots if important implications.

    Devrim
    Okay, can you elaborate a bit on this?
  4. Alf
    Alf
    I would say that the organisation question is key: the necessity for a centralised communist party, as opposed to a loose federation of local groups. or a fusion of economic and political functions as with the anarcho-syndicalists. This is a wider question than membership criteria, although the latter is extremely relevant to it (remember the Bolshevik/Menshevik split....). But I think historical materialism is also pretty relevant (as in the huge resistance among most anarchists to the notion of the ascendancy and decadence of capitalism).
    Then there's the period of transition - whether there is one, or whether there will be a state during it.
    Just some quick thoughts.
  5. Devrim
    Devrim
    Okay, can you elaborate a bit on this?
    Sorry, I didn't notice this. I don't actually look at this forum very often these days. Maybe we should do something to revive it, and post in it some more.

    Anyway back to the point, if you look at the requirements for joining anarchist, and left communist organisations, there is a huge difference. The ICC as most people on this forum will know demands agreement with its platform, and its statues (and in reality I think wants much more agreement) whereas the AF (in the UK) just asks for agreement on its ten basic points.

    This means that people in the ICC are agreed on a very tight political line where the AF are agreed on much less, which has consequences on how they both act as groups.

    Devrim
  6. freecommunist
    freecommunist
    In theory you also have to agree with the constitution, with regards the AF, though in reality local groups deal with the situation differently.

    Platformist anarchist groups do have a more strict membership policy.
  7. Android
    Android
    Platformist anarchist groups do have a more strict membership policy.
    I am not sure if this is/was* the case at all. For all its talk about 'theoretical unity' in practice there was just as much (or more?) variation in the politics of individual members of platformist groups as in non-platformist anarchist groups.

    This issue has surfaced tangentially in the discussions currently happening around the WSM in Ireland. Which has experienced an internal crisis since outbreak of the current crisis, with various members who were formerly centrally involved resigning and writing about it. Some of whom have ditched anarchism completely.

    *platformism as a thing, i.e. anarkismo international, appears to be on the decline as a project.
  8. Devrim
    Devrim
    Platformist anarchist groups do have a more strict membership policy.
    I agree with Android. Also I don't think it was just the WSM. The impression that I got was that it was the same in other 'Anarkismo' groups.

    Devrim