Thread: is this Libertarian Communism?

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  1. #1
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    Question is this Libertarian Communism?

    I have been reading up on communism and have been chosing between communism, socailism and anarchism for some time. I have a plan I personaly feel is the best course of action and I was told by a my friend (also a revleft member) that it was a cross of anarchism and communism that seemed to mimic Libertarian Communism. I was really hoping that some of you can point me in a direction and maybe help me get some readings with similar views. maybe find a classifcation fo this thought.

    I think that the state should be abolished, I think that the workers should control the means of production and organize in unions, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a slogan that i feel i beleive in and I also beleive in work vouchers to start off with. I have no opinion on how the workers revolution should be brought forth on amanaged, only that I feel class revoluation is nessasary. Once the revolution is over then the world would be devided into indivdual communitys, from 10 (rural locations) to 500 (urbanized centers). when each person works he gets 20 work credits per hour, 10 for personal use (private porperty?! idk, i was kind of going for a way to regulate things like milk and shoes) and 10 for the community. the community gathers their credits and buys things like buses and streetlights. Communites will also be put into regions were they share larger things like hospitals. Where the communites and idividuals buy from are the Unions. the way decisions are made is by a jury. Ages from 18 and up get called for a payed (meaning you get work credit for it) jury. They would regulate everything from the price of products to things like injustices in communites. Now if a jury was making all these laws then many people would be off at jury duty, making more availbe jobs. Also cars will be abolished. Communites would buy buses or other means of transporation. When items are bought the work credit is not traded, rather than thrown away, because after all the only way to get working credit is to work.

    some issues arose, like how to regulate worker credit and how everyday people will make extreme decisions but maybe some choices will be made my unions, idk. but thats what i ahve been thinking in a nutshell, there may be some pardoxs there but i think it seems to be pretty soild. Thank you so much for reading this i am waiting for you input.
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    oh and about that personal credit, idk if I agree with it but I think an unregulated form of distrubtion has some problems. First off how do you divide things that not everyone can have, like paintings or bigscreen tvs. Second how do you aviod people taking more than they need, its greed and greed wont just go away. I thought about the idea that if you make a stigma that people with more are looked down upon but then everyones not equal. This is still something i am boarderline on, the work vouchers. For now though, i think it may be nessasary.
  3. #3
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    I think that the state should be abolished,
    How? This is a key question, not at all trivial. if you can't answer this then everything else you say has no meaning! It's like saying "after the capitalists disappear I want...." If you can't make the first part become reality it's all a bunch of intellectualizing and wishful thinking!

    The capitalists aren't going to go away without a fight, play nice, or not try to make a comeback even if the revolution were to be successful. How would this be opposed?


    Also cars will be abolished.
    Utopian and reactionary. Cars represent an important industry that employs millions of workers, instead of abolishing this important invention why not nationalize it under workers power (soviets)?
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    sorry, when i say "i think" i mean i believe. its a statment, not a uncertin idea.
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    Utopian and reactionary. Cars represent an important industry that employs millions of workers, instead of abolishing this important invention why not nationalize it under workers power (soviets)?
    Bus drivers will bring more jobs than car factory workers. Every bus will need a driver. Buses will also save pollution, and are more cost (well i guess resorce) effective. Speed limits can be raised with less traffic so the time it takes for a bus tor travel compared to a car will decrease. Cars can be used for more remote locations but all in all its almost a bit selfish for everyone to hog the streets and pollute. but thats an ideal in and of itself, its not really a big part of that plan.
  6. #6
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    Originally Posted by Comrade Sabbath
    I have been reading up on communism and have been chosing between communism, socailism and anarchism for some time. I have a plan I personaly feel is the best course of action and I was told by a my friend (also a revleft member) that it was a cross of anarchism and communism that seemed to mimic Libertarian Communism.
    Anarchism is a kind of socialism, and communism is an socialist economic system.
    There is not a conflict between anarchism and communism, a lot of us are anarchist communists
    Libertarian Communism is often an other way of saying anarchist communism, though it often includes left communists to.
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    you get me confused a little.You primary correct for me said you agree with "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need",but then you analyze a payment method requires judging of the hour work etc.how about a doctor who saves your life in an instant second and a builder who builds a wall in a month?The second gets payed more?No,in my opinion of course.
    Everyone would get the work he wants,if he wants,and will get what he needs,no payments,no work hours,no nothing!
    In my opinion the above isnt communism(or libertarian Communism),because in the communism i see there arent "payments" etc.
    For the car parts,i disagree again,we wont destroy them but we will try to make them enviromental friendly because currently thats their only problem,but there are plenty of solutions coming on this.With buses we would need a lot of them to satisfy all the needs,and at all times so it isnt practical.

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    Also cars will be abolished.

    Utopian and reactionary. Cars represent an important industry that employs millions of workers, instead of abolishing this important invention why not nationalize it under workers power (soviets)?
    Considering your admiration for the petty reactionary nationalist Supreme Comrade Loulou "Sole Force" Hoxha I would have assumed you knew that in Albania owning a car was banned; the most luxurious means of private transportation was a bicycle. Cars were only issued to party-bureaucrats who would be driven around in their luxury vehicles provided to them from the state motor pool.

    Get your reactionary program together.
    Last edited by Sprinkles; 1st October 2008 at 16:41. Reason: Spelling
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    I think that the state should be abolished, I think that the workers should control the means of production and organize in unions, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a slogan that i feel i beleive in and I also beleive in work vouchers to start off with. I have no opinion on how the workers revolution should be brought forth on amanaged, only that I feel class revoluation is nessasary.
    You need to think about this, since is this is the main divide between anarchists and Marxists, and Marxist-Leninist and libertarian communists.

    State and Revolution is great for understanding the Marxist-Leninist position, but I'm not so sure what to recommend wrt to anarchist side of things, I'll let an anarchist do that.
  11. #11
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    [FONT=Arial]I would look for Bakunin in this scenario:

    [/FONT][FONT=Arial]“Anyone who makes plans for after the revolution is a reactionary”

    Your suggestions are straitjacketed. I would say you're definitely a socialist.
    [/FONT]
  12. #12
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    Communist anarchism - read it!


    Don't tell me that is another branch of communism...Is this anarcho-communism too?
  13. #13
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    [FONT=Arial]Libertarian communism and anarcho-communism can sometimes be taken to be the same concept, but people who draw a line between the two are often referencing "council communism" when they use the word libertarian communism - meaning that under "libertarian communism" there is still a "state." Direct democracy would have control over a geographical area.

    However, the line of difference even in this scenario is blurry, because communism is naturally libertarian. The adjective is just showing that you disagree with the more "authoritarian" approaches taken by Hoxha, Mao, Castro, and (arguably) Lenin. All libertarian communists prefer decentralization and federalism over nationalizations.

    Abolishing cars is pretty fucking backwards. Communists aren't here to provide a significant moral crusade. We want to improve our lives.

    [/FONT]
  14. #14
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    If decisions are "made" by unions, it cannot be anarchy.
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    [FONT=Arial]Libertarian communism and anarcho-communism can sometimes be taken to be the same concept, but people who draw a line between the two are often referencing "council communism" when they use the word libertarian communism - meaning that under "libertarian communism" there is still a "state." Direct democracy would have control over a geographical area.

    However, the line of difference even in this scenario is blurry, because communism is naturally libertarian. The adjective is just showing that you disagree with the more "authoritarian" approaches taken by Hoxha, Mao, Castro, and (arguably) Lenin. All libertarian communists prefer decentralization and federalism over nationalizations.
    [/FONT]
    (Not to nit pick), but what do you mean, arguably Lenin? Lenin was disgustingly "authoritarian". I will only point to the fact that he supported one man management of Industry. Nuff said.

    Originally Posted by OP
    I think that the state should be abolished, I think that the workers should control the means of production and organize in unions, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a slogan that i feel i beleive in and I also beleive in work vouchers to start off with. I have no opinion on how the workers revolution should be brought forth on amanaged, only that I feel class revoluation is nessasary. Once the revolution is over then the world would be devided into indivdual communitys, from 10 (rural locations) to 500 (urbanized centers). when each person works he gets 20 work credits per hour, 10 for personal use (private porperty?! idk, i was kind of going for a way to regulate things like milk and shoes) and 10 for the community. the community gathers their credits and buys things like buses and streetlights. Communites will also be put into regions were they share larger things like hospitals. Where the communites and idividuals buy from are the Unions. the way decisions are made is by a jury. Ages from 18 and up get called for a payed (meaning you get work credit for it) jury. They would regulate everything from the price of products to things like injustices in communites. Now if a jury was making all these laws then many people would be off at jury duty, making more availbe jobs. Also cars will be abolished. Communites would buy buses or other means of transporation. When items are bought the work credit is not traded, rather than thrown away, because after all the only way to get working credit is to work.
    Sounds like Libertarian Socialism.
    "The sun shines. To hell with everything else!" - Stephen Fry

    "As the world of the spectacle extends its reign it approaches the climax of its offensive, provoking new resistances everywhere. These resistances are very little known precisely because the reigning spectacle is designed to present an omnipresent hypnotic image of unanimous submission. But they do exist and are spreading.", The Bad Days Will End.


    "(The) working class exists and struggles in all countries, and has the same enemies in all countries – the police, the army, the unions, nationalism, and the fake ‘socialism’ of the bourgeois left. It shows that the conditions for a worldwide revolution are ripening everywhere today. It shows that workers and revolutionaries are not passive spectators of inter-imperialist conflicts: they have a camp to choose, the camp of the proletarian struggle against all the factions of the bourgeoisie and all imperialisms." -ICC, Nation or Class?
  16. #16
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    If decisions are "made" by unions, it cannot be anarchy.
    How do you figure?

    The largest and most succesful example of direct workers control by anarchist was throught the CNT union in Spain. In fact it might be the most large scale example of direct workers control of the economy.
    NEFAC North Eastern Federation of Anarchist Communists.
    http://anarchistblackcat.org/ Strongly moderated International Anarchist Communist discussion board.
    Anarkismo.net International Anarchist Communist News and Views. Multilingual.
    Libcom.org Class Struggle Resource.
    Labourstart. Where labour unionists start their day.
  17. #17
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    (Not to nit pick), but what do you mean, arguably Lenin? Lenin was disgustingly "authoritarian". I will only point to the fact that he supported one man management of Industry. Nuff said.
    [FONT=Arial]I don't consider Lenin in the same camp as Hoxha and Mao. [/FONT]

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