Libertarian Marxism and Left Communism

How can 'libertarian Marxism' and 'left communism' be defined and could Marxism-DeLeonism fit any definition?

The late Socialist Labor Party to which Deleon was the head theoretician of and representative of to the Second Workers International in a pamphelt on Lenin and the its views on the Soviet Union placed itself on the lines of some figures on the Historical Communist Left, namely Anton Pannekoek, Otto Ruhle and Rosa Luxemburg. It would seem that some of the circles in the later part of the party's history were influenced by the Communist Left.

Tthe original principles of Deleonism which formed the main current of "Impossiblism" to whom many of those on the Communist Left were a part of i.e. Luxemburg (arguably Left Communist), Anton Pannekoek, Herman Gorter, Sylvia Pankhurst and Otto Ruhle. They shared with Deleon the distaste for Trade Unionism and the principles of Internationalism. They split on the principle of electoralism. Deleon favored electoralism, but not in pushing through a minimum program, but in pushing through a Maximum Program for the purpose realizing a Political Revolution to which would be matched by an Industrial Union along an Economic field. In some sense the Left Communists agreed with Deleon in that they favored a revolution along equally political and economic lines through a Mass Strike. Although they rejected the political revolution through the ballot box and instead saw Workers' Councils and the political party as a realization of the Political Revolution.

Libertarian Marxism is an amalgamation of currents extending from Council Communism to Autonomist Marxism and the ideas around such groups as Johnson Forester Tendency and Socialisme ou Barbarie. It historically rejects the proletarian character of the Russian Revolution.

Left Communism represents the groups who historically split with the Communist International on the issues of entering parliament, unions and the united front. They include, but are not limited too, the Communists around the Communist Workers' Party in Germany and the Communists around the Left Wing of the Socialist Party in Italy. They also include such people as Sylvia Pankhurst who participated in the Communist International on the side of the Left Coms and Herman Gorter who maintained a small Communist Party in Holland. They historically support the Proletarian character of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Soviet Union.

Left Communism represents the groups who historically split with the Communist International on the issues of entering parliament, unions and the united front. They include, but are not limited too, the Communists around the Communist Workers' Party in Germany and the Communists around the Left Wing of the Socialist Party in Italy. They also include such people as Sylvia Pankhurst who participated in the Communist International on the side of the Left Coms and Herman Gorter who maintained a small Communist Party in Holland. They historically support the Proletarian character of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Soviet Union.

Well, not so much "the subsequent Soviet Union" but rather the pre-1921 Soviet Russia, and Bordiga (who was the leader of the first generation of Italian Left) viewed the 1917 Revolution as "socialist in political sense and capitalist in the economic one" (whatever that may mean), so that Left Communists (as opposed to the later tendency of council communism) were ambiguous on that issue.

I never said they support the notion that the Soviet Union was Socialist in both the political and capitalist sense, I said that they support the notion that it was a Proletarian Revolution and that it was a Proletarian State in the works. See Sylvia Pankhurst's "Communism and its tactics" for more on that.

I never said they support the notion that the Soviet Union was Socialist in both the political and capitalist sense, I said that they support the notion that it was a Proletarian Revolution and that it was a Proletarian State in the works. See Sylvia Pankhurst's "Communism and its tactics" for more on that.

Well, actually I meant Bordiga's line when talking about the concept of October Revolution as both socialist and capitalist, while you obviously referred to British/German-Dutch Left. My mistake, then.