Not to be confused with Liberal Socialism.
Libertarian Socialism (Also known as Stateless Socialism or Free Socialism) encompasses a wide range of ideologies, but mainly rejects the conception of socialism as a statist form where the state bureaucracy retains centralized control of the economy. Workers within a libertarian socialist society have Direct Democratic control over the means of production. Some types of Libertarian Socialism believe that Markets can exist within a Socialist society, as an libertarian form of Market Socialism, while others, such as Libertarian Marxism, and Anarcho-Communism, do not. Some Libertarian Socialists wish to abolish the state altogether, like the aforementioned Anarcho-Communism, while others, such as Minarcho-Socialism believe that a small state can exist within a libertarian socialist framework, and while some believe in a Decentralized Planned Economy with a Townhall democray.
History
20th century
In the early part of this period, libertarian socialism was equal in influence to both social democracy and communism. Demonstrating this influence was the formation of the Anarchist International, which drew in many anti-capitalists. Using this new organizational power, they were able to position themselves against both of their ideological rivals for the next 50 years.
Prior to the Russian Revolution, libertarian socialists played a crucial role in campaigning for land reform, and against Tsarist authoritarianism. These campaigns were led by the Narodniks, the Left Social Revolutionary Party, and various anarchist collectives. These campaigns helped to instigate the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917. Unfortunately, in the latter revolution, when the Bolsheviks seized control, they purged libertarian socialists left and right, leading to their political irrelevancy in Russia.
In the 1936 Spanish Revolution, the CNT was crucial to the subsequent creation of libertarian socialist communities and collectives within that country. These collectives allowed for delegates to take charge in certain situations, with the caveat of direct recall. Unfortunately for the CNT, when Francisco Franco came to power in Spain, the CNT went into a rapid decline.
Post-World War II
After the war, the ideology was ostracized from the labor movement, at least in part due to its inability to wrest control over unions from communists, social democrats, or business unionists. Additionally, because of the seeming ease at which reformist unions gained their rights, they felt no need to engage in the radical politics espoused by libertarian socialists.
Beliefs and Theory (WIP)
Similar to autonomism, libertarian socialism believes in giving the average person as much freedom as is possible. To do this, capitalism must be abolished.
Variants
Libertarian Marxism
Libertarian Marxism (LibMarx) is an economically far-left, libertarian, revolutionary, internationalist and progressive ideology who supports worker ownership of the means of production and eventual transition into a stateless, moneyless and classless society as per typical communist and Marxist thought, however, he supports a decentralized approach where the working class lead the revolution themselves as opposed to acting with the aid of a vanguard party, and strongly emphasizes the libertarian and anti-authoritarian aspects of Marx's writings, specifically in his later work. It is almost always coupled with culturally left leanings.
Personality
Basically the epitome of "fuck you, I won't do what you tell me". Annoys other socialists by complaining about how statist they are. Hangs out with other non-capitalist LibLeft polcompballs a lot, although she frequently ignores them when they get into debates.
Really into punk rock and RATM.
How to Draw
- Draw a ball
- Draw an alternating pattern of red and a near-black stretching from the edge and meeting at the center, with 10 segments.
- Draw a star with the reverse colors in the center of the ball.
- Fill in the star and clean up the edges.
- Add the eyes and you're done!
Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
---|---|---|---|
Red | #FF0000 | 255, 0, 0 | |
Black | #141414 | 20, 20, 20 |
Relationships
Comrades
- Socialism - Dad! Though you can be a bit statist sometimes, we still get along otherwise.
- Anarcho-Communism - My breadpilled, and most successful comrade.
- Anarcho-Syndicalism - My comrade that has watched Noam Chomsky on YouTube too many times.
- Social Anarchism - RIP David Graeber.
- Anarcho-Collectivism - One of my first friends. We're still close.
- Anti-Authoritarianism - Helps me beat up fascists and protects me from tankies.
- Libertarian Market Socialism - My business-minded son.
- Mutualism - The original Anarchist.
- Minarcho-Socialism - My state-loving counterpart.
- Democratic Confederalism - Much love for Rojava.
- Democratic Socialism - A little too moderate and lacks revolutionary potential, but he too values socialism and freedom and we get along pretty well!
- Neozapatismo - He runs the EZLN with my ideas.
- Guild Socialism - Very good friend of mine with similar goals, even if he does have a slight obsession with the Middle Ages.
Frenemies
- Trotskyism - I'm not ready to forgive you for betraying my cousins (Kronstadt and Makhnovia anyone?), but at least you resisted Stalin.
- Conservative Socialism - A conservative guy, but aside from cultural stance, you're just a bit authoritative.
- Social Libertarianism - If I were spicy, you'd be mild. Capitalism? Pft.
- Social Georgism - You're even more mild then SocBert, but LVT is kinda based.
- Social Democracy - A slightly socialist guy, but he's way too moderate. He thinks that reforming capitalism is better than abolishing it, and idk about him...
- Crusade of Romanianism - My... Ultranationalist son?
Enemies
- Crapitalism - Cringe system. Needs a state to function.
- Authoritarian Capitalism - The two things I hate the most combined.
- State Capitalism - Aren't you just the same thing?
- Dengism - You have been here already, State Cappie.
- Authoritarian Socialism - Socialism is when the means of production are managed by workers, not bureaucracy.
- National Capitalism - Why do you have to exist?!
- Neoconservatism - Piss off, imperialist scum!
- Fake "Libertarian" - You claim to be a Libertarian yet the term "Libertarian" comes from a French Anarcho-Communist. I'M THE TRUE LIBERTARIAN YOU PRIVILEGED RADICAL BOURGEOISE!
- Police Statism - FUCK YOU! I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!
- Imperialism - WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SEND THE POOR!
- Marxism–Leninism & Stalinism - mY dIcTAtOrsHiP iS rEAl sOciAlIsM bEcauSE I pUt "WoRkErS" iN the NaME!
- Anarcho-Capitalism - You're the real oxymoron here, so stop denying it.
- Minarchism - Same as above.
- Neoliberalism - I loved shitting all over you in Chile!
- Kastism - Lol cope harder fascist.
- Thatcherism - FUCK YOU, NEOLIBERAL WITCH!
- Conservative Feminism, Libertarian Feminism & Liberal Feminism - All pseudo-feminist garbage!
- Third Way - Piss off you woke imperialist trash!
And stop posting videos claiming Chomsky is a genocide denier, he's just saying they aren't really genocides, which isn't the same thing I swear. - Objectivism - You don't want freedom, you want everyone to obey the orders of the bosses who you think are the greatest thing ever.
- A whole load of political tests - NO, MARXISM IS NOT AUTHORITARIAN, DUMBASSES!
Further Information
Literature
- One-Dimensional Man by Herbert Marcuse
- The Soul of Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde
Wikipedia
People
- Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin
- Benjamin R. Tucker
- Noam Chomsky
- Herbert Marcuse
- Albert Camus
- Oscar Wilde
- Michael Albert
- Naomi Klein
- Jean-François Lyotard
- David Graeber
- Murray Bookchin
- Howie Hawkins
- William Morris
- C. L. R. James
- Abdullah Öcalan
- Mario Rodríguez Cobos (Silo)
- Tomás Hirsch
- Gabriel Boric
- Pigasus the Immortal
Youtube
Channels
- LuckyBlackCat
- Anark
- Zoe Baker
- Red Plateaus
- What Is Politics?
- Libertarian Communist Platform
- HBomberguy
Videos
- The case for liberty (Libertarian Socialist Rants)
- Murray Bookchin on the origin of the word libertarian
- POST-CAPITALISM: A Detailed Look at How It Could Work by LuckyBlackCat
- The *Socialist* Political Compass: Methods to create socialism by LuckyBlackCat
- Political Compass Rap but it's ALL SOCIALISTS ♫ by LuckyBlackCat
- Marx was not a "statist"