Left Communist organizing

I recently asked Devrim and Marmot personally some questions about how Left-Communists (particularly the ICC) organize and operate in non-revolutionary periods.
Though, I still don't really get what they do.

As far as I understand with the ICC, it is an international network of Left Communists who's main activities (within the ICC) are discussing and clarifying communism, and also approaches to the revolution, etc.
What I don't understand is what they actually do.

What does the ICC do? or, what do Left Communists do in terms of activities in non-revolutionary periods.

For example, if Left Communists negate the use of Unions, regarding them as reactionary institutions which are now (due to the decadant phase of capitalism we are in) intergrated into the bourgeois political structure, how do they organize in the workplace, for example? How do they build strong links within the working class to over throw capitalism if they negate the use of the massline (particularly the ICC) or of mass organization? (Noting, obviously numbers in an organization does not necessarily mean the mass of members are fully aware, or understand what is to be done, etc)

Do they negate unionizing in the workplace autonomously of the unions?

Primarily, what forms of organization and activity do Left Communists advocate?

I recently asked Devrim and Marmot personally some questions about how Left-Communists (particularly the ICC) organize and operate in non-revolutionary periods.
Though, I still don't really get what they do.

I am sorry that I hadn't got round to replying yet. I will try to answer points from both this post and your pm here. I hope you don't object to me quoting from the pm, but I don't think there was anything really personal there.

I think that this is possibly a good point to start from:

Also, workplace organizing, do Left Communists support it? If so, how?

The first thing that I would like to raise is that we have a different approach to this than the left does. We believe that the working class is capable of organising itself. This contrasts with all of the left who think that it is the job of the leftists to organise the working class.

The question is, however, what do we do.

We don't believe that it is possible for the working class to build permanent revolutionary economic organs outside of a period of mass struggle. That said we don't try to build these organisations.

Although different left communists have different ideas about how this should be done, the left communists in general argue for mass assemblies, workers' control of their own struggles, and overcoming divisions between different groups of workers in struggles.

So to summarise this point the task of the communists in workplace struggles is not to organise the working class, but to argue for workers' control of, and extension of struggles. Different tendencies see that this can be based be done in different ways, for example Battaglia Communista in Italy is involved in communist factory groups.

I can elaborate on this point if you want.

Do they negate unionizing in the workplace autonomously of the unions?

Yes, for us the point is not that the current unions are anti-working class (which they are), but that their function forces them to be anti-working class. We think that if we create new unions they will end up the same. A good example would be the Turkish revolutionary syndicalist union DİSK. It was formed in a period of mass struggle (the late 60s), and reflected real workers' struggles. The first Gen. Sec. was assassinated. Now it is as yellow as the yellow unions. To contrast the situation now with that of then, the last Gen.Sec. was caught with his hands in the till.

As far as I understand with the ICC, it is an international network of Left Communists who's main activities (within the ICC) are discussing and clarifying communism, and also approaches to the revolution, etc.

The ICC is a centralised political organisation with sections in 13 countries, and people working towards forming sections in others.

What I don't understand is what they actually do.

Well for a start, they produce publications (papers in 13 countries in 8 different languages, and a magazine in (I think) 7 (soon to be 8) languages. They hold public meetings. They produce leaflets. They are involved in struggles at their workplaces. And yes, they discuss with people. It is important.

but disagree in another sense, and also support, as an anarcho-syndicalist, the idea that unions can be a vehichle for revolution, but that it requires the use of revolutionary unions (e.g. the CNT) [ that point I 'm not interested in really, as I'm more interested in the Left Communist approach rather than the critique of syndicalism (even so, if any articles you can recommend I'd be happy to read)]

The ICC published a series on Syndicalism in their International Review:

This series of articles examines the history of some of the principle revolutionary syndicalist and anarcho-syndicalist organisations, notably the French Confédération Générale du Travail, the Spanish Confederacion Nacional de Trabajadores, the American Industrial Workers of the World, the early British shop-stewards movement, and others. Its aim is to examine from historical experience what value the "syndicalist" tradition has for the working class today.

http://en.internationalism.org/series/271

I hope that this helps. If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Devrim

This is what Leo said in another thread-

First, I should tell you what we don't aspire to be. We don't aspire to represent the working class. We don't aspire to act on the behalf of the working class. We don't aspire to take authority ourselves. We don't aspire to lead the workers. We don't aspire to become "a movement of the working-class" ourselves without the working class. We don't aspire to be creators of class struggle. We are a left communist proletarian organization. First of all we aspire to defend internationalist and proletarian positions: the positions which, as proletarians, we think would turn out to be the best practical sollutions for the workers immidiate needs and for the communist future. Our true role would be defending communist positions during periods of class struggle, when mass assemblies of workers and eventually workers councils are developing. As for the times when class struggle is at a low level, we focus our work on rising class consciousness despite our limited resources and numbers. I hope I was clear enough.

I agree with this.This is what attracted me to left communism. the understanding that we are not "representatives" of the working class. We arent the heroes of the proletariat brandishing the marxist sword. We argue for internationalist positions. perhaps that is not very romantic in the eyes of leftists, but it makes sense tome.

Thanks, Devrim. Really appreciate your help.

also,

I can elaborate on this point if you want.

If you wouldn't mind, that'd be great.

SACT, perhaps you will be interested in these articles on the question of organizing:

http://en.internationalism.org/ir/02...rs_groups.html

http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2008/pickets

I think those articles explain it well, SACT.

Do you still want me to expand?

Devrim

Sorry to necro, but one thing I don't get with left comms - if we're not there to direct the class in a revolutionary line, how do they become revolutionary and ever organise against capitalism?

Sorry to necro, but one thing I don't get with left comms - if we're not there to direct the class in a revolutionary line, how do they become revolutionary and ever organise against capitalism?

Well, what makes you think we're *NOT* there to direct the class in a revolutionary line? We often use the word 'intervention' because when we get involved with struggles and discussions in the workplace we do seek to change the way people think and act -- we're not passive, but active, we're militant.

The working class doesn't become revolutionary, it *IS* revolutionary, by its very nature as an exploited and universal class. The working class is perfectly capable of struggling and organising itself. Revolutionaries are products of and active factors in the development of this movement, not something external to it, there to inject consciousness into and organise a dumb object.

This chapter from the ICC's pamphlet on Class consciousness may help explain things a little more. Let us know if you have any more questions...

B.

Oh, wow.
This thread has helped me a lot in understanding Left Communism and the ICC more, and also has fueled me to lean more towards Left Communism as the ideology that appeals most to me.
Thanks to everyone!